shot by police
Inglewood police shoot, kill man at birthday party
Inglewood, CA – Inglewood police shot and killed a man who allegedly brandished a weapon early Sunday while officers were attempting to break up a birthday party, authorities said.
Police said officers responded to reports of a fight shortly after 12:45 a.m. in the 800 block of South Osage Avenue. Officers opened fire on Marcus Smith, 31, of Compton after he pointed a semiautomatic handgun at them, Lt. Mike McBride said.”
He had it in his hand. He drew it and pointed it in the direction of the officers,” McBride said. “So I would say that’s threatening the officers.”
One officer was shot in the right leg in the incident. He was taken to a hospital, treated and released, McBride said. Police suspect the officer was shot by Smith, but they need to conduct more tests on his gun to be sure, he said.
A woman who identified herself as Smith’s fiancee said she did not see him brandish a weapon. Kalonna LaCount said she and Smith were leaving the party together after police called on guests to disperse. LaCount said she and Smith were walking down a stairway when Smith slipped. LaCount said she then saw Smith’s body jerk as police fired their weapons.
“He had his hands in the air,” she said. “The more he stumbled, the more they shot.”
The Inglewood Police Department is under investigation by the Justice Department and the Los Angeles County Office of Independent Review over incidents in which officers have been accused of using excessive force. More on LA Times
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Man shot and killed by police in Gainsville, FL
Gainsville, FL – A struggle between an Alachua County sheriff’s lieutenant and an 18-year-old Gainesville man on a busy city street ended Friday afternoon with the deputy fatally shooting the man, whom witnesses reported had attacked the deputy and tried to grab his gun.
The shooting occurred shortly before 1 p.m. after a flood of 911 calls reported that a man was on foot and weaving through traffic on the roadway, where he tried to pull at least one woman into or from a car as well as knock out other motorists’ windows, police said.
During that attack, Hanson shot Weeks with his Taser stun gun, but the man got up after being stunned and continued to fight with the deputy, police said. more on Gainsville.com
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )San Jose man killed by police was mentally ill, father says
San Jose, CA – “Don’t kill him! He’s mentally ill!” That’s what Brian Duy Pham, 29, shouted as police officers rushed into his Berryessa neighborhood home just about noon Sunday, according to family members.
His brother, Daniel, had just attacked him with a knife.
27-year-old had allegedly moved toward police with a knife. Two officers first used a Taser to try to subdue him, then shot him with their handguns. He died at the scene.
Police Monday identified the officers as Matthew Blackerby, with two years on the force, and Brian Jeffrey, a three-year officer. Both are on routine administrative leave. The case is expected to be presented to a grand jury to determine if the officers have any criminal liability. More on Mercury News
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Family Questioning Shooting Death of Former Soldier
Capt. Tim Wilson of the Corpus Christi Police Departments Investigation Division says, “(the) 28 year old suspect got out of the car. He walked away officers that were following him to the empty field. He turnaround, pulled out a knife, and started walking toward an officer. The officer attempted to taze him. The tazer did not work. He kept walking toward the officer. The officer was telling him to stop and at that time, when he kept walking, the officer fired several shots.”
Eyewitnesses to the shooting say they saw a cellphone in his hand. Lara Cruz is a receptionist at a dentist office and saw the shooting. She doesn’t believe police had to shoot. More on KIItv.com
Man killed by police was carrying BB gun
Oakley, California – A 37-year-old suicidal man shot and killed by Oakley police officers Saturday night was carrying a BB gun that looked like a real Smith & Wesson handgun during the standoff, according to investigators.
The shooting happened about 7:50 p.m. when Oakley officers found Alan Openshaw near Lois and Mallard lanes after he had mentioned suicide and made threats toward police to dispatchers. He later led them on a pursuit that ended in the 900 block of Almond Drive when he exited the vehicle, put the gun to his head, and continued making threats to kill himself and harm police.
Officers used a 40 mm weapon firing high-velocity sponges in an attempt to disarm him, according to the sheriff’s office, which contracts to provide police services to the city. Openshaw then pointed the gun at police, and several officers discharged their firearms and shot him. More on Mercury News
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Suspect in string of robberies is fatally shot by police
Chicago, IL -Police began to notice a pattern, matching the robber to 25 possible holdups, and planned a mission. They cast a net over several miles, using dozens of officers to try to catch the robber in the act.
About 7 a.m., a Chicago detective and an FBI agent were patrolling their sector when they saw a van matching that description near a Marathon gas station in the 6600 block of Montrose Avenue in Harwood Heights. The van pulled into the alley, a man got out and walked down the alley toward the store, pulling a surgical mask on as he went, said Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Tom Byrne. The officers radioed in a possible robbery in progress and then positioned themselves near the store’s door. The man came out, a gun in one hand and bag of cash in the other, and the officers ordered him to drop the weapon, Byrne said.
Instead, the man pointed the gun at the officers, Byrne said. The detective fired his gun, fatally striking the man, he said.
Police spent the next two hours searching for a possible accomplice but said later they think the man acted alone Wednesday. They are still pursuing a second suspect who may have taken part in earlier holdups, Byrne said. More on Chicago Tribune
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Man shot by police while lunging for officer’s gun
Philadelphia, PA – A 28-year-old year old Logan man was killed by police yesterday during a violent confrontation with officers.
The incident began about 1 p.m. when the patrolman, Officer Richard DeCoatsworth, asked a group of people to move from the corner of Warnock Street and Lindley Avenue. That’s when Anthony Temple, whose mother described him as schizophrenic, confronted DeCoatsworth and lunged for his gun, police sources said.
During a struggle, DeCoatsworth’s gun went off, striking Temple, who then ran off, according to sources.
As Temple fled down Lindley, he encountered Officer Sean Boyle, who works for neighborhood services, police sources said. A second confrontation unfolded, with Temple grabbing Boyle’s gun as the two struggled. An officer from the 35th District, James Kelly, arrived as backup and shot Temple, who collapsed and was pronounced dead at the scene by medics a short time later. More on Philadelphia Inquirer
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Man confronting officers shot to death
Houston, Texas –
Houston police fatally shot an armed man Friday during an exchange of gunfire at a southeast side public housing complex, officials said.
Officers confronted the man, identified by relatives as Jose Vides, while they were investigating a disturbance with a weapon call shortly after 3 p.m. at the Southlawn Palms apartments at Southlawn and Scott.
“When they arrived, the suspect was holding a gun. They gave repeated commands for the suspect to drop the weapon,” said Jodi Silva, a police spokeswoman.
Ryland Thompson, who lives at the apartments, saw the officers ordering Vides to put the pistol on the ground.
“He turned and fired at them and they returned fire,” Thompson said.
HPD officials said Vides moved toward the officers, continuing to shoot as they sought cover.
“He (Vides) walked out there like he was Billy the Kid,” Thompson said.
The three HPD officers fired back at Vides. He fell to the ground but continued reaching for his pistol, police said. Vides, 25, was shot at least once more and died at the scene, police said.
Thompson said he saw Vides arguing with a wrecker driver in the parking lot just prior to the officers arrival. “The guy was mad about his car being towed,” Thompson said. More on Houston Chronicle
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Man shot and killed a local policeman, critically wounded another
GRANBERRY CROSSROADS, Alabama – A Henry County man weilding a gun threatened a neighbor woman; shot and killed a local policeman; shot and critically injured a Henry County deputy; and held authorities at bay before being killed in a shootout with police.
Friday’s tragic events began about 2 in the afternoon when a neighbor woman seeking better cell phone service near the store. As she sat in her truck, Davis came up from behind, armed with a shotgun. He fired a round in the air and reloaded before he reached into her truck and removed some papers. The woman, law enforcement said, became more frightened after Davis told her to gather her family close.
Smothers said his wife telephoned him at work and when he got home about two hours later, the two of them drove up to the store, called law enforcement and waited.
Henry County Sheriff’s Deputy Ted Yost was first to arrive, with Reserve Officer Mickey Gillis.
“When he got there, he pulled in the front yard and got out to knock on the door,” Maddox said. “The man came around and ambushed him and shot three or four times with a shotgun. It looks like he hit him more than once in the shoulder, head and face area.”
Gillis, who lacked the training of a certified police officer, picked up the radio and sent out the ominous message: “Officer down.”
Law enforcement agencies from throughout the area responded as Yost lay bleeding and Gillis was penned down behind the deputy’s car. More on Dothan Eagle
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Man shot at home by SWAT officers
Santaquin, Utah – Batchelor died at about 10:40 p.m. Sunday after police say he emerged from his home with his shotgun in hand, moving toward SWAT officers threateningly. Despite repeated commands to drop his weapon, said Santaquin police chief Dennis Howard, Batchelor continued toward police until he was shot twice by two officers. Howard said officers had non-lethal weapons available, but no time to use them.
“They have no other options,” he said Monday. “He was given commands to drop the weapon, and he didn’t. He just continued to advance.”
Barrowman said the scene family members saw Sunday night was not the same one they have heard reported by the media. Batchelor was not a man who had numerous encounters with law enforcement, she said. He was involved in two incidents in his life, both of which he understood were mistakes and he learned from them.
Batchelor was having a difficult time Sunday and spoke with his sister, Dena Ekins, asking her how he could cope with problems he was having, including a divorce.
“At no time did Dena ever think that Mike was at a point of no return, or she never would have never let him leave that day,” Barrowman said.
Batchelor later argued with his wife, who left with their three young sons for her mother’s house. At 8:15 p.m., he sent a text to Ekins, who went to his home, found the doors and windows locked and heard a gunshot. She then called 911 to get help for her brother, but responding officers physically removed her from the property without asking who she was, Barrowman said.
“She just wanted them to help,” Barrowman said.
The Utah County SWAT team was called in after responding Santaquin officers entered the home to help what they thought was an injured Batchelor, only to hear him load a round in his shotgun and tell them to leave, Howard said. While SWAT members tried to contact Batchelor, Howard said he refused to speak with them. More on Daily Herald
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Deputies Fatally Shoot Man at Truck Stop
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FL — Three St. Johns County deputies shot and killed a man early Saturday morning at a truck stop near County Road 206 after he pulled out a gun.
The identity of the shooting victim has not been released.
According to the sheriff’s office, a deputy was patrolling the Flying J Truck stop off Interstate 95 and County Road 206, when he noticed a suspicious car.
He ran the license plate and the car came back registered to 52-year-old Rodney Joseph Lasseigne, a fugitive featured on America’s Most Wanted last week in the killing of his 68-year-old mother, Juanita Gibson, in 2008.
When deputies surrounded the car, they saw a man who appeared to be sleeping under a pile of blankets.
After knocking on the car’s window, the man inside pulled out a shotgun. Investigators say he pointed the weapon at deputies. They opened fire, fatally wounding him.
Deputies have not said whether the shooting victim is both the America’s Most Wanted fugitive and the registered owner of the vehicle.
No deputies were injured, and it’s unclear if the man ever fired his weapon. More on firstcoast News
Man shot by police after aiming his gun at an officer
Baltimore, Maryland – The couple had planned to spend the warm spring day in Pennsylvania, marching and camping with other Civil War re-enactors. Becky Waugh packed the pickup with their costumes and gear. But her boyfriend – owner, she said, of an antique but functional muzzleloading rifle – apparently grew angry. Just after noon Friday, she called 911 to say that he had threatened to “blow her head off,” touching off events that ended with police shooting and critically wounding the Anne Arundel County man.
From the moment Rickey Lee Kitzmiller, 42, a plumber and father of three, woke up Friday, he was in a strange state, Waugh said. “When I looked at him, there was nothing. It was just pure anger,” she said.
Cursing, Kitzmiller grabbed from the pickup a cooler of beef stew that Waugh had made for the re-enactment and hurled it at the house, she said. He smashed a Confederate statue into her new flat-panel TV and tossed the coffee table off the porch, she said.
Then the man sat down on the sofa with his rifle between his knees. “He started ripping these ‘paper ladies’ ” – packets of gunpowder – “open with his teeth and sticking them in there,” Waugh said. “I knew he was going to have to ram them down the barrel before he could shoot it, so I ran out of the house.”
Waugh ran to an aunt’s home – several relatives live on the quiet stretch of Quarterfield Road in Severn – and watched him stalk into the woods with the rifle and a blank look on his face, she said. He fired the gun and came back to the house laughing, Waugh said. Soon after, Kitzmiller’s mother arrived at the house. Waugh called police, telling the 911 operator that Kitzmiller had threatened her and had assaulted his mother.
Waugh said that, after she called 911, Kitzmiller said: “I’m going down in a blaze of glory.”
When Anne Arundel County police officers arrived, they looked through a window and saw Kitzmiller sitting in a chair with a “long gun,” police said. According to police, Kitzmiller refused several orders to drop the weapon and instead aimed it at an officer. The officer fired several rounds, and the wounded Kitzmiller was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center.
Kitzmiller had been depressed recently over the death of a friend from a drug overdose and was dreading a coming court date over child-support payments, Waugh said. More on Baltimore Sun
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Hunter Shot, Killed by Game Warden
WILKES COUNTY, N.C. – A wildlife official said a veteran game warden acted in self defense when he shot and killed a hunter on the hunter’s property Saturday, the first day of turkey season.
Officer Mark Minton shot Clyde Coffey around 7:30 a.m. on Coffey’s property north of North Wilkesboro. Minton is a 12-year veteran of the force.
Robbins says the family owns a hunting cabin and about 30 acres in Wilkes County. She said her father was in the place he loved, at his cabin off Cane Creek Church Road. Around 7 a.m., Clyde Coffey and his two grandkids went behind the home at 7 a.m. to hunt turkeys.
“He’s minding his own business sitting in a tree stand. He hadn’t been there long. My dad had a gun, he was turkey hunting! But my dad’s gun never fired. And ther was only two of them there, and my dad’s gone. He can’t tell his side,” said Clyde’s daughter Debbie Robbins.
Officer Minton, a 12-year-veteran of the Law Enforcement Division of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, was on patrol on the opening day of the 2009 spring wild turkey season in North Carolina.
An armed confrontation with a hunter resulted in Officer Minton firing a shot, apparently in self-defense, which led to the death of the alleged assailant,” Penny Miller said in a release from Wildlife Resources Commission.
Robbins said her father was hard of hearing and she’s afraid that may have caused a miscommunication between him and the officer.
“My dad hadn’t saw a ranger in that area in 25 years, so how would he know what one looked like? And if the guy’s telling him who he is, can my dad hear him? Is he walking towards him saying, what? I can’t hear you?,” said Debbie Rollins.
The investigation of the shooting is being conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation, in accordance with prescribed procedures. Officer Minton is currently on paid administrative leave.
Wildlife officers are trained under the state’s Department of Justice standards which give them authoritiy to use deadly force.
The last time a North Carolina Wildlife Officer was involved in a shooting was November 1980 when the officer was killed and the suspect wounded. More on myfox8.com
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Man shot and killed by police
Roy, Utah – Damon Lee Weems died early this morning after he opened fire on officers in his living room and they shot back. The officers weren’t hurt but are on paid administrative leave while an investigation is completed.
The Roy police chief is confident that the investigation will find his officers were simply defending themselves when they shot and killed Weems.
Chief Greg Whinham, with the Roy Police Department, said, “The phone was apparently set down inside the house. We could hear crying and screaming inside the house.”
When they arrived they found Weems’ mother and son, who told officers Weems was in another part of the apartment with a gun.
“We tried to have communication with him, and he fired a round through the door, through the closed door into the hallway,” Whinham said. More on KSL.com
They were evacuating the grandmother and son when another shot was fired. Then Weems entered the living room, armed with a shotgun.
“There was an exchange of gunfire inside the living quarters between the suspect and the officers,” Whinham said.
Weeems died at the scene.
He had a lengthy criminal past, including drug, weapons and assault charges. He’d been released from prison last year, and neighbors say he was changing his life, working long hours at a dog food packaging plant and spending time with his son.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Man shot by policy after raising gun in hospital emergency room
Las Vegas, NV – A gunman was shot and killed by police in the emergency room at the St. Rose Dominican Hospital Siena Campus. Just after 1 a.m. on March 11, 2009, Charles Campbell enters the building. The surveillance video shows Campbell in the emergency room. Witnesses testified that Campbell walked in with a gun and said he was going to kill himself and he wanted to donate his organs.
Henderson police rushed to hospital and a short while later they two officers opened fire on Campbell.
Campbell died at the scene. Officers say Campbell was threatening and chose not to give himself up.
“We gave him all the opportunity to drop the gun. Even we allowed him to raise it, and it wasn’t until he lowered the gun toward us, until we fired,” testified Officer Randy Dotson, Henderson Police Department. More on Las Vegas Now
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Gun Deaths in the United States 