• Police Captain Faces 1-Degree Manslaughter Charges, Life in Prison
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[quote]OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma police captain testified Friday at his first-degree manslaughter trial that he fatally shot a teenager last year because he feared for his life. Del City police Capt. Randy Harrison explained to jurors that he had been pursuing 18-year-old Dane Scott Jr. and other suspected drug dealers in an effort to clean up illegal activity in the community, The Oklahoman reported. [...] Prosecutors said Scott was unarmed when Harrison shot him in the back and killed in southeast Oklahoma City. The shooting came after a police chase, a scuffle where Scott was disarmed after allegedly pointing a gun at Harrison and a foot chase. [...] "He had just tried to shoot me in the face and kill me," Harrison told jurors Friday. "I thought he was going to turn around and shoot me." Harrison — who is also a police firearms instructor and SWAT team commander — said it was the only time he'd fired his weapon in the line of duty during his quarter-century career with the department. He's been on paid administrative leave since the shooting. [/quote] [url]http://www.policeone.com/legal/articles/6616817-Okla-cop-testifies-in-manslaughter-trial-for-teens-death/[/url] [quote] Harrison's lawyer, Irven Box, said recent cases helped create a "perfect storm against my client." He cited the arrests of two white men accused of fatally shooting three black people in Tulsa during a shooting spree that investigators described as racially motivated. Box also noted the protests sparked by the death of Trayvon Martin, the black teen who was unarmed when he was shot in Florida by a neighborhood watch volunteer. [...] "I think a lot of those factors could have influenced the charges being filed," Box said. [...] A scuffle between Scott and Harrison ensued, then Scott took off running, said the tractor-trailer driver, David Wakefield. He said Harrison "drew his weapon and was walking very calmly toward his target, like he was at a shooting range." Wakefield also told the AP that the teen appeared to be "holding his pants up with his left hand and running." James Greenstone, a veteran Texas police officer and an expert in police tactics, said Monday that the accounts of the shooting suggest there was little threat posed to Harrison when he fired at Scott. "My personal opinion is that this is just a case of bad judgment," Greenstone said. "Why would you shoot someone who is running away from you?" [/quote] [url]http://www.policeone.com/officer-misconduct-internal-affairs/articles/5448701-Okla-cops-attorney-says-race-a-factor-in-charges/[/url] Things are not looking good for this man. I expect him to get convicted.
[quote]Wakefield also told the AP that the teen appeared to be "holding his pants up with his left hand and running."[/quote] this is why you should wear a belt
So... They found Red John? EDIT: Actually, that's a really interesting story. What do you do if someone's running away from you? Obviously shooting them may not have been the best of plans, but what's standard procedure for this?
[QUOTE=woolio1;42962762]So... They found Red John? EDIT: Actually, that's a really interesting story. What do you do if someone's running away from you? Obviously shooting them may not have been the best of plans, but what's standard procedure for this?[/QUOTE] not shooting them
the kid had one gun. Who's to say he didn't have another? It's the only time he fired a gun in his god damn life, the kid was selling drugs and tried to kill the captain seconds before. In the heat of the moment, the kid putting his hands on his pants could easily look like him reaching for a second gun.
Black kid gets killed by white guy for defending himself and walk free Cop fires on potentially armed suspect and life sentence
That sort of punishment, if you ask me, is probably a bit harsh, especially given the fact that there are other cases out in force at present that could cause a precedent for a judgment in this case on its own. But let's examine what they have to say here; the fellow who was shot had already been hit with a Taser by another policeman before the officer shot and killed him. [quote]Another police officer was running about 10 to 15 feet behind Scott and had just shot him with a Taser when Harrison fired the fatal shot, Del City Police Capt. Jody Suit wrote in an affidavit. "At the time he was shot, Dane Scott was unarmed and was not posing a threat of death or great bodily harm to the officers or any other person," Suit wrote. [/quote] The lawyer says that the shooting was justified because 'where there's one gun there could easily have been more than one' - and frankly it's not too far outside the realm of possibility. [quote]Box said the shooting was justified because the teen was reaching into his pocket and Harrison could have assumed the teen had another weapon, since "a person with one gun may have two." Scott had previous convictions in juvenile court on misdemeanor drug charges and a pending felony case of drug possession with intent to distribute, police officials said.[/quote] However, the trailer driver had this to say - the policeman knew what he was doing, and did it with studied deliberation, as though he was at a firing range. He also said that the victim appeared to be holding up his pants with one hand while running away. I'll give this the benefit of the doubt and say that this could be cent per cent (or at least 90%) accurate as far as testimony goes. [quote]A scuffle between Scott and Harrison ensued, then Scott took off running, said the tractor-trailer driver, David Wakefield. He said Harrison "drew his weapon and was walking very calmly toward his target, like he was at a shooting range." Wakefield also told the AP that the teen appeared to be "holding his pants up with his left hand and running."[/quote] [quote]James Greenstone, a veteran Texas police officer and an expert in police tactics, said Monday that the accounts of the shooting suggest there was little threat posed to Harrison when he fired at Scott. "My personal opinion is that this is just a case of bad judgment," Greenstone said. "Why would you shoot someone who is running away from you?"[/quote] This. 100%. Unless you're dealing with an offender or suspect who poses too high a risk to the officers and the civilians around them, and has had a history of violent offense at the drop of a hat, shooting somebody in the back just because they were fleeing from you sounds like the last thing you'd want to do. For cripes' sake, the victim had already been Tased. Punish the guy for making a bad judgment call, true, but don't throw him in prison for life for a single mistake of this nature. This was the first time he used his service weapon in all his career, as well. A handful of years will be more than enough, with the possibility of early parole.
[QUOTE=iwancoppa;42964275]Black kid gets killed by white guy for defending himself and walk free Cop fires on potentially armed suspect and life sentence[/QUOTE] No, fuck off now.
First time he fires his gun in 25 years and he faces life now. That's fucking awful.
Putting a police officer who shot an 18-year-old into a prison is basically a death sentence.
Areolop was it you
putting him in jail is probably the worst thing you can do, this is just a bad case and let's hope that by the time it goes to trial that all this storm over shit like this will have blown over and there isn't massive riot...protests over it
[QUOTE=Melnek;42965655]Putting a police officer who shot an 18-year-old into a prison is basically a death sentence.[/QUOTE] Putting a police officer in prison is basically a death sentence on its own, especially considering how long his sentence is for. If he gets put away, he's not coming back out. I really hope it doesn't come to that, of all the cops who've done prison-worthy stuff this seems the most like an actual honest-to-god bad judgement call.
That's just unfortunate all around
[QUOTE=Sir Whoopsalot;42965423]First time he fires his gun in 25 years and he faces life now. That's fucking awful.[/QUOTE] so i get to kill someone every 25 years without being prosecuted? i am 21, i haven't fired a gun at someone else once. so when i turn 25 i can go shoot some fool at get off?
[QUOTE=yawmwen;42973197]so i get to kill someone every 25 years without being prosecuted? i am 21, i haven't fired a gun at someone else once. so when i turn 25 i can go shoot some fool at get off?[/QUOTE] He said it's awful, not that he shouldn't be prosecuted. It is awful that the first time he discharges his weapon in his career he accidentally kills an unarmed teenager. This is not something you should be arguing against.
[QUOTE=Perfumly;42973206]He said it's awful, not that he shouldn't be prosecuted. It is awful that the first time he discharges his weapon in his career he accidentally kills an unarmed teenager. This is not something you should be arguing against.[/QUOTE] oh he didn't mean to shoot his gun?
[QUOTE=yawmwen;42973238]oh he didn't mean to shoot his gun?[/QUOTE] You're just trying to pick a stupid argument. It's awful that a person with no ill-intentions is going to be in prison for the rest of his life because of a poor decision, and it's awful that an 18 year old is dead. Just stop post.
[QUOTE=Perfumly;42973252]You're just trying to pick a stupid argument. It's awful that a person with no ill-intentions is going to be in prison for the rest of his life because of a poor decision, and it's awful that an 18 year old is dead. Just stop post.[/QUOTE] i'm just trying to bring up the double standard. when a regular joe shoots and kills someone they are a terrible person but when you give him a badge before killing someone it immediately becomes unfortunate.
Well then you're arguing with the wrong person for sure. I think it's pretty unfortunate no matter who shoots who under circumstances like this.
Yeah, clean up those streets by arresting drug dealers, there totally wont just be another to fill his place the next day. The only thing that happens when a drug dealer gets arrested is a kid who probably had no other choice than to sell drugs to make money is put in jail (or killed in this situation), and the police force gets money from the federal government. Fucking Drug War is an abomination.
[QUOTE=stewe231;42973408]Yeah, clean up those streets by arresting drug dealers, there totally wont just be another to fill his place the next day. The only thing that happens when a drug dealer gets arrested is a kid who probably had no other choice than to sell drugs to make money is put in jail (or killed in this situation), and the police force gets money from the federal government. Fucking Drug War is an abomination.[/QUOTE] Not like the morality of it matters, the war on drugs is a very profitable business.
[QUOTE=yawmwen;42973197]so i get to kill someone every 25 years without being prosecuted? i am 21, i haven't fired a gun at someone else once. so when i turn 25 i can go shoot some fool at get off?[/QUOTE] [B][I][U]???[/U][/I][/B] you normal?
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