TN - Officer Accidentally Shoots, Kills Driver

[Kevlar]

An officer with the Lebanon Police Department accidentally shot and killed the suspect in a high speed vehicle pursuit.

Officials said Officer David McKinnley was driving on the Highway 70 bypass around 2:30 a.m. when a vehicle entered his lane. McKinnley believed the other driver may have intentionally tried to ram his police cruiser head-on.

McKinnley and another police officer began to chase the driver, identified as 23-year-old Greg Thompson, Jr.

The vehicles made their way onto Carthage Highway, where Thompson ran off the road.

Lebanon police Commissioner Billy Weeks said at a news conference that the officers reported Thompson was non-compliant after the crash.

As the officers approached the vehicle, McKinnley slipped and his firearm went off. Officer Mitch McDannald thought the gunfire came from the suspect and he returned fire, fatally wounding Thompson.

http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=12389209.

 

[Scrivener]

SSDD.

See Tennessee v. Garner.

 

[SMagee]

Wow. This story smells. Really bad.

 

[terraformer]

SSDD.

See Tennessee v. Garner.

How does garner apply? (note: I don't know what SSDD means so maybe the answer is in there). This appears to be at worst a "negligence" case or at best accidental shooting. No intention to shoot on the part of the person who actually caused the shooting volley.

 

[milktree]

(note: I don't know what SSDD means so maybe the answer is in there)

When I type "what does ssdd " into google, it auto-completes to "what does ssdd stand for", and the answer is "same stuff, different day." Although I'm pretty sure Scrivener didn't mean "stuff".

 

[DickWanner]

When I type "what does ssdd " into google, it auto-completes to "what does ssdd stand for", and the answer is "same stuff, different day." Although I'm pretty sure Scrivener didn't mean "stuff".

Same Drivel, Different Day? No, that's SDDD...

 

[not new guy]

Shouldn't Shoot Drunk Drivers

 

[Scrivener]

Shouldn't Shoot Drunk Drivers

+1 for you!

 

[Kevlar]

Interesting Coincidence

In 2000, Lebanon police conducted a raid on a home and shot the homeowner. Officers stormed into the wrong house and shot an innocent man. The victim, 62-year-old John Adams, was also related to Wednesday's victim.

"This is not the first time that they accidentally shoot somebody. They've shot and made a wrong mistake and shot someone else in their home, my cousin," said victim's aunt Angela Humes. "I mean it's got to stop,"

A jury failed to find the officer in charge of the botched raid that killed John Adams guilty of any wrongdoing. The city of Lebanon did pay the family a $400,000 civil settlement.

http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=12389209.

 

[HooVooLoo]

Same Shiite, Different Dumbass?

 

[jtc]

Guess you should never put yourself in that position. If you decide to lead the police in a high speed pursuit, then they (police) are going to be at their highest defense when you finally stop, they have to be in order to protect themselves. So if an officer slips and a round goes off, well you are at fault for putting yourself in that situation.

 

[not new guy]

Guess you should never put yourself in that position. If you decide to lead the police in a high speed pursuit, then they (police) are going to be at their highest defense when you finally stop, they have to be in order to protect themselves. So if an officer slips and a round goes off, well you are at fault for putting yourself in that situation.

So the kid deserved to be shot by the jumpy cop despite not even having a gun in his hand?

 

[derrick_lui]

Guess you should never put yourself in that position. If you decide to lead the police in a high speed pursuit, then they (police) are going to be at their highest defense when you finally stop, they have to be in order to protect themselves. So if an officer slips and a round goes off, well you are at fault for putting yourself in that situation.

being at your highest defense does not justify shooting someone without even identifying the threat.

 

[KMaurer]

...
"This is not the first time that they accidentally shoot somebody. They've shot and made a wrong mistake and shot someone else in their home, my cousin," said victim's aunt Angela Humes. "I mean it's got to stop,"
...

Maybe if they try a little harder in the future, next time they'll make the right mistake.

Ken

 

[oldsoldier29]

Guess you should never put yourself in that position. If you decide to lead the police in a high speed pursuit, then they (police) are going to be at their highest defense when you finally stop, they have to be in order to protect themselves. So if an officer slips and a round goes off, well you are at fault for putting yourself in that situation.

I sincerely hope you are not a police officer. They are supposed to be trained for situations such as this. I can NOT see how to justify an officer accidentally fatally shooting someone, because he has his finger on the trigger would be considered the VICTIMS fault. All other things aside-including the inherent danger of pulling up on someone after a high speed chase-one officer having an AD, and the other returning fire, that never occurred, is the officer's fault-period. Last thing I want is an officer rolling up on me, and accidentally shooting me, or anyone else in my vehicle, "accidentally", because of someone snapping gum, a car backfiring-or his partner unholstering using the damned trigger.

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

I'm doubting the accout given.

 

[exo]

"went off"

WTF? If you're such a jumpy and/or clumsy bastard who also doesn't know basic firearms safety, WTH are you doing with a gun and a badge? Dude should be charged with manslaughter at least.

 

[sig2009]

Hang the cop. If this happened to a civilian he would be charged. Being a cop is no excuse!

 

[RadiCS]

What I don't understatnd is how could he not feel that it was his own gun that wen off?? Didn't feel the recoil??

 

[drgrant]

What I don't understatnd is how could he not feel that it was his own gun that wen off?? Didn't feel the recoil??

Yeah, he probably did, but that wasn't the problem... it was his partner/backup that actually shot the guy, not the "original" officer.

-Mike