Woman Says She Called 911 for an Ambulance for Her Fiancé, Cops Came and Shot Him Instead

Reason.com ^ | October 7, 2013 | Ed Krayewski

[Altariel]

Jack Lamar Roberson was shot and killed by police in his home on Friday afternoon in Waycross, Georgia. According to local TV station First Coast News, his fiancée Alcia Herron called 911 for an ambulance after becoming worried about diabetes medication Roberson had taken. Cops claim Roberson was brandishing two weapons (not identified by police, though the mayor said he was told it was a knife) and came toward them “aggressively armed”. Police also say they were informed Roberson had attempted to commit suicide and was being combative while on their way to his residence. His mother and his fiancée both witnessed the shooting, and their 8-year-old daughter was apparently in the home too.

Roberson’s mother said the family didn’t own “two decent knives” while his fiancée described the incident to First Coast News:

"He didn't have nothing in his hands at any time or period at all before they came, any time while they were here, anything. They just came in and shot him. He didn't say nothing, the police didn't say nothing, anything, it was like a silent movie. You couldn't hear anything, all you could hear were the gun shots go off and I seen them going into his body and he just fell down," cried Alcia Herron, Roberson's fiance.  

Herron told the Florida Times-Union she became afraid for Roberson, believing he may have taken too much diabetes medication, though did not appear to provide more details anywhere. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the shooting and the officers involved are on paid leave.

[frog in a pot]

I'd like to hear the 911 call.

Yes, that would likely provide a better understanding of what role the wife and mother played.

At the same time, it appears the Reason.com article reported only those facts that produced a "bad cop, innnocent victim" story.

This from a local TV station: ...Police Chief Tony Tanner said Roberson lunged at the officers with two items he described as weapons and said Roberson ignored requests to drop the items. Tanner said Roberson then allegedly raised one of the weapons in an aggressive manner. Tanner said that's when officers fired. Elsewhere this account described one of the weapons as a two-pronged meat fork and the other unkown because it was (apparently) concealed under the body.

This may not have been a large residence and quarters may have been very close. So this account suggests LE gave the guy a free lunge and only when it seemed he would take further hostile action, they shot him.

Won't second guess LEO on the spot, but it doesn't seem to be a mace or taser situation. A weapon in both hands of a large, seemingly physically fit deranged individual in close quarters can be a very serious situation.

[no-s]

NEVER call the police for anything, ever. Stay as far away from them if you can.

YMMV. I love my local police department officers, San Mateo, Belmont, and Burlingame have always been pretty wonderful, in 15 years met only one jerk-off who was later fired for lying about something. They also seem to do useful work.

However, we don't take it for granted. It only takes a little effort for things to fall down hill. The California Highway Patrol is all over the place around here and they are for the most part would-be-nazi-vermin.

Funny thing, the kids say if they pretend to be gay the CHP will go easy on them.

[packrat35]

They do know, they just like shooting people with flimsly excuses more.

[Sam's Army]

"I was a junior high counselor in a town and the police chief told me suicide was illegal (which I already knew), and he wanted me to inform him if any students told me they were thinking of killing themselves."

Jeez.

[MaxMax]

Suicide by cop?

[Westbrook]

> (Do I really need a sarc tag?)

Nyet, Tovarish, but choo do need r-r-reeducation.

Wait. The Russians are probably more free today than we are.

Flat tax - Check
Religion allowed in schools - Check
President who loves his country - Check
Death Penalty for Moslem terrorists - Check
Free Market Economy - Check

[Zathras]

I was at Frontsight back in ‘97 and drilled a cutout target right between the eyes for holding an electric drill.

After spending 3 days there, I learned that keeping adrenaline out of your system is the key to controlled fire in real combat conditions.

Maybe cops can get away with shooting before thinking but us normal people need to be a bit more careful.

One of the reasons I don’t have a CCP is I’m such a good shot, there would be very few left standing if I had to fire.
Way too much chance of spending the rest of my life in prison.