What not to do when your alarm goes off

M1911

M1911

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Friday, July 14, 2006
Shrewsbury police officer recovering after shooting

By Megan Woolhouse, Globe Staff

A Shrewsbury police officer is in stable condition today after he was shot a few inches below his bullet proof best by a homeowner when he responded to a burglar alarm, police said.

Officer Stephen Rice, 25, underwent surgery on his abdomen and is expected to recover.

Shrewsbury Police Chief Wayne Sampson this afternoon described a hospital visit with Rice, choking up as he recalled that the wounded officer had asked about his partner, who was not injured.

“We respond to thousands of calls like this every year,” Sampson said at a press conference at Town Hall. “We don't want anything like this happening to happen to anybody.”

The last time an officer was shot in Shrewsbury was 31 years ago, he said.

Rice and Officer Ryan Chartrand responded to the alarm at 2:31 a.m. on Farmington Drive, according to a press release posted by police on the town’s Web site.

The homeowner, Mark Ragsdale, 39, had “reportedly” returned home from vacation and “set off the alarm,” the press release said.

A neighbor told the officers that Ragsdale was still on vacation, police said. The officers searched the outside of the home and then went inside.

Police said when Rice reached the second floor, Ragsdale shot him. Rice was taken to the University of Massachusetts Medical Center for surgery.

Ragsdale, who has a licensed to carry firearms in Massachusetts, has not been charged. Shrewsbury police and District Attorney John Conte’s office are investigating the incident.
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http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2006/07/shrewsbury_poli.html
 
Unbelievable that in Mass, the homeowner hasn't been charged. True enough, he's negligent in that he should've known without a doubt what his target was, but for him to be in MetroWest and not be sitting there with his license and firearms revoked blows my mind, makes me look at these LEO's with reverence, and gives me a little bit of feeling of hope for this troubled state.
 
Reminds me of that old Surefire add that said "Identify Your Target" and had a picture of Santa Claus holding a half eaten cookie with his hands up shielding his eyes from the Surefire light.
 
hopefully the cop will be ok....

I don't know how much it matters but I wonder if he ID'd himself.
 
I'm surprised his partner didn't light him up. I would have guessed that the LEO's wouldn't have known if he was the home owner or a burgler once the shot was fired.
 
Him being in full uniform should be enough. If the home owmer was sure of his target, he would of realized it was a police officer in uniform. The home owner is screwed. Even if the guy argues he was in fear for his life, he has to be able to explain what put him into fear. Somebody being inside your house by itself is not enough, Deadly force can only be used when no other option is left.
 
This kinda stinks, i really don't like that LEO's are harmed protecting us.

The shooter was to anxious and did not understand his situation. Take
every precaution.

I was not there and it makes it hard to criticize.

JimB
 
One thing's for certain -- sprawling, 2 story, 3 car garage McMansion -- this guy had no excuse to not have a safe room set up where he'd have a plan to head to if that alarm he had given enough though to have installed went off. He'd also have had his cell phone, which would've been part of his plan with him, so he could've called the police from his safe room, letting them know where he was in the house.
 
tele_mark said:
Words
Click to expand...
That article doesn't tell it but the one on the T&G does, that wasn't an option, read below.
M1911 said:
Do we know he had a partner?
Click to expand...
Yes he did.

SHREWSBURY— A police officer was shot in the abdomen by a homeowner early today while responding to a burglar alarm.

According to police, Officer Stephen Rice, 25, whose one-year anniversary of joining the Shrewsbury Police Department is next week, is in stable condition at University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center’s University Campus in Worcester after surgery for the gunshot wound.

The officer responded to a burglar alarm about 2:30 a.m. Friday with another officer, Ryan Chartrand, and was shot by the homeowner, 39-year-old Mark P. Ragsdale, after entering the house and reaching the second floor.


The two officers had been let into the home at 17A Farmington Drive by a neighbor after searching outside the residence, Police Chief A. Wayne Sampson said at a press conference.

The neighbor, who had a key and was on the alarm company list of persons to notify regarding the residence, told police Mr. Ragsdale was on vacation and that the home should be empty, Chief Sampson said.

Unbeknown to police, however, Mr. Ragsdale, who is president and chief executive officer of Ragsdale Motor Group and whose family owns auto dealerships in Shrewsbury and Spencer, had reportedly come home and set off the alarm.

Chief Sampson said the officers, who were in full uniform and arrived in a marked cruiser, noticed a dim light on the second floor and saw a shadowy figure.

They entered the home to search the interior and Officer Rice was shot by Mr. Ragsdale, who was alone in the home, as he reached the second floor.

According to the chief, Officer Rice was shot with a Smith & Wesson semi-automatic handgun. Mr. Ragsdale is properly licensed to carry firearms in the state, according to police.

Chief Sampson said Mr. Ragsdale was not taken into custody and has not been charged with any crime, but made a statement at the scene.

“He was very upset about the circumstances,” the chief said.

Mr. Ragsdale had been at several locations during the day before arriving home, but Chief Sampson said he could not disclose where Mr. Ragsdale went because the investigation by Shrewsbury police and state police assigned to District Attorney John J. Conte’s office is still ongoing.

According to the chief, Mr. Ragsdale told the alarm company that he set off the alarm, but the alarm company did not notify police. Chief Sampson said he did not know the name of the alarm company.

The chief said he had spoken with Officer Rice, a single life-long resident of town who lives with his parents, and that he is doing well. Seeming upset, Chief Sampson paused while saying, “He was just concerned about the other officers.”

“He is with his family and his fellow officers,” Assistant Town Manager Michael R. Hale said at the press conference.

The chief said the department has contacted its employee assistance program and that the other officers are doing well.

“We don’t want this to happen to anybody,” he said. “We’re here to protect the community.”

Chief Sampson said the department will review protocols used during such incidents, but that different situations are handled in various ways.

In this case, the officers did not announce who they were and that they were entering the home. Chief Sampson said such an announcement could be useful in certain circumstances but could also give away an officer’s tactical advantage depending on the situation.

“These are decisions police officers make every day,” he said. “The officers used the appropriate discretion.”

The last time a Shrewsbury police officer was shot in the line of duty was
in 1975, according to Chief Sampson. Patrolman James Lonchiadis was shot
and killed by a 16-year-old who was attempting to steal a car.
Click to expand...
 
M1911 said:
Do we know he had a partner?
Click to expand...

Yup, mentioned here in the original article as well:

Friday, July 14, 2006
Shrewsbury police officer recovering after shooting

By Megan Woolhouse, Globe Staff

A Shrewsbury police officer is in stable condition today after he was shot a few inches below his bullet proof best by a homeowner when he responded to a burglar alarm, police said.

Officer Stephen Rice, 25, underwent surgery on his abdomen and is expected to recover.

Shrewsbury Police Chief Wayne Sampson this afternoon described a hospital visit with Rice, choking up as he recalled that the wounded officer had asked about his partner, who was not injured.

“We respond to thousands of calls like this every year,” Sampson said at a press conference at Town Hall. “We don't want anything like this happening to happen to anybody.”

The last time an officer was shot in Shrewsbury was 31 years ago, he said.

Rice and Officer Ryan Chartrand responded to the alarm at 2:31 a.m. on Farmington Drive, according to a press release posted by police on the town’s Web site.

The homeowner, Mark Ragsdale, 39, had “reportedly” returned home from vacation and “set off the alarm,” the press release said.

A neighbor told the officers that Ragsdale was still on vacation, police said. The officers searched the outside of the home and then went inside.

Police said when Rice reached the second floor, Ragsdale shot him. Rice was taken to the University of Massachusetts Medical Center for surgery.

Ragsdale, who has a licensed to carry firearms in Massachusetts, has not been charged. Shrewsbury police and District Attorney John Conte’s office are investigating the incident.
Click to expand...
 
tele_mark said:
Unbelievable that in Mass, the homeowner hasn't been charged. True enough, he's negligent in that he should've known without a doubt what his target was, but for him to be in MetroWest and not be sitting there with his license and firearms revoked blows my mind, makes me look at these LEO's with reverence, and gives me a little bit of feeling of hope for this troubled state.
Click to expand...

I can think of one possible reason (from another news article http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060714/MEGANEWS/60714002)

"Unbeknown to police, however, Mr. Ragsdale, who is president and chief executive officer of Ragsdale Motor Group and whose family owns auto dealerships in Shrewsbury and Spencer, had reportedly come home and set off the alarm".
 
Did anyone notice that the name of the home owner is RAGSDALE??? As in Ragsdale Superstores??? Let's just say that this home owner has some money and will have a good lawyer for sure. I actually hope he isn't charged as he was in his own home early in the morning. I can relate to knowing what your target is before shooting at it but at that time in the morning and someone is in your house it usually isn't a good thing. Hopefully the officer will be OK and will be back to work shortly. This can't be good for anyone.
 
This is a tragic mistake, but from the bare factoids we have reported to us (which may or may not be correct):

- The police did everything right under the circumstances. Announcing yourself when you have good reason to think a burglar is present is not a safe thing to do.

- Mr. Ragsdale's only error was that he didn't shout out or light up the area so he could see his "target". He's on the 2nd floor of a 2 floor home at 2AM, other than jumping out a window, he has no real avenue of retreat (if it was a home invasion) and thus using deadly force (regrettably in this situation) is an appropriate measure to take. If he had shouted out, he gives up his tactical advantage just like the police would have had they shouted out in this situation. The fact that he hit his target says he knew where his target was, probably could make out a dark shadow but unable to recognize it as a uniform.

- The alarm company should be strung up by the balls for not notifying the PD that it was a false alarm and that the homeowner was in the house. Had THEY done their job, this incident would NOT have happened. They will be held culpable for major damages if there is a lawsuit. They failed to do their job!

No doubt about it, if this were a peon, not a rich, well respected businessman, his LTC and gun would have been confiscated on the spot at least until the entire investigation was complete. He is getting preferential treatment, but the info we have doesn't point to any wrong-doing by any involved parties (other than the alarm company).
 
I've been on many burglar alarm calls as we usually ran about 10 to 15 per night. Usually the alarm company will call the subscriber and attempt to verify if a authorized person is on scene. However, some are slower than others. It the units were in the right place at the right time, they could have beat that call.

What makes me wonder is that if the subscriber set off the alarm, he would have been aware of that fact within a minute or two of entering. He should have contacted the alarm company even before they called him. The sad part is that in my experience, some just don't care about the false alarms until we pasted a ordinance charging for false alarms. After getting a bill for a few hundred, they woke up very fast.
 
LenS said:
No doubt about it, if this were a peon, not a rich, well respected businessman, his LTC and gun would have been confiscated on the spot at least until the entire investigation was complete. He is getting preferential treatment, but the info we have doesn't point to any wrong-doing by any involved parties (other than the alarm company).
Click to expand...
Actually, HE would have been confiscated if he were not a person of privilige, power and influence.
 
Last edited:
PistolPete said:
Did anyone notice that the name of the home owner is RAGSDALE??? As in Ragsdale Superstores??? Let's just say that this home owner has some money and will have a good lawyer for sure. I actually hope he isn't charged as he was in his own home early in the morning. I can relate to knowing what your target is before shooting at it but at that time in the morning and someone is in your house it usually isn't a good thing. Hopefully the officer will be OK and will be back to work shortly. This can't be good for anyone.
Click to expand...


Yeah, but his alarm was going off at 2AM, and he would know that the alarm company would've dispatched the police (which didn't seem to happen) and/or call the alternate contacts because he was on "vacation, which did happen.
 
He hasn't been charged................

daceman63 said:
this isn't gonna be good for licensed gun owners.
Click to expand...
and he won't be charged. The homeowner had every right to use deadly force. His alarm went off, the officer did not identify himself as a police officer, and the homeowner reacted to the intruder.
This is NOT going to be a bad day for licensed gun owners. Why do you think the Chief stated that the PD would have to look at their protocols? He knows the shooting occured because the officer didn't identify himself, and because the entrusted neighbor wasn't aware that the owner had returned home. As he stated in an interview, when asked why the officer didn't identify himself as such, 'If you do identify yourself, and there are multiple intruders, you can give up tactical advantage.'
All this being said, I hope the officer was not badly injured and will recover fully. We can't afford to have a "warrior" injured or killed.
 
LenS said:
- The police did everything right under the circumstances. Announcing yourself when you have good reason to think a burglar is present is not a safe thing to do.
Click to expand...

Not being LEO, I can't really comment here... since the LEO is entering the home and trapping the "burglar", I guess I can see this.

- Mr. Ragsdale's only error was that he didn't shout out or light up the area so he could see his "target". He's on the 2nd floor of a 2 floor home at 2AM, other than jumping out a window, he has no real avenue of retreat (if it was a home invasion) and thus using deadly force (regrettably in this situation) is an appropriate measure to take. If he had shouted out, he gives up his tactical advantage just like the police would have had they shouted out in this situation. The fact that he hit his target says he knew where his target was, probably could make out a dark shadow but unable to recognize it as a uniform.
Click to expand...

"Giving up his tactical advantage" make the LARGE assumption that the burglar is after the homeowner, not his stuff. Maybe I'm being naive, but it seems to me that any burglar would much rather leave the home than confront a homeowner with a gun. In this case, the homeowner is the one trapped in the house and his best tactical advantage comes from avoiding confrontation in the first place.

- The alarm company should be strung up by the balls for not notifying the PD that it was a false alarm and that the homeowner was in the house. Had THEY done their job, this incident would NOT have happened. They will be held culpable for major damages if there is a lawsuit. They failed to do their job!
Click to expand...

Holding the alarm company responsible is weak. The homeowner chose to pull the trigger, the LEO chose not to announce himself.

No doubt about it, if this were a peon, not a rich, well respected businessman, his LTC and gun would have been confiscated on the spot at least until the entire investigation was complete. He is getting preferential treatment, but the info we have doesn't point to any wrong-doing by any involved parties (other than the alarm company).
Click to expand...

When I grow up I want to be a "rich, well respected businessman" who can do no wrong!
 
Trying to determine who's at fault is generally a useful exercise to avoid future bad results. In most screw-ups, there's more than one person at fault, sometimes everybody and often in multiple ways. The opposite can also be true; even if every simgle person does exactly the right thing things can still turn out terribly wrong.

Ken
 
tough call on this one. They should turn it into an episode of CSI.

I think the main lesson we have learned is:

If you live in MA, make sure you know the balance in your savings account before you pull the trigger...
 
tele_mark said:
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. No rocket science involved.[thinking]
Click to expand...

Wouldn't it be something if he turned out to be a generous contributer to Reillys campaign?
 

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