Posted on 09/10/2019 11:43:34 AM PDT by righttackle44
The names of two officers involved in the shooting of three children in Hugo, OK have been released over a week after the tragic incident took place.
Hugo Police Department detectives Billy Jenkins and Chad Allen have been identified as the officers who opened fire on a vehicle driven by William Devaughn Smith, 21, whom they suspected of robbing a pizza shop. The bullets struck three of the four children sitting in the back seat.
“My 4-year-old daughter was shot in the head, and she has a bullet in her brain, and my 5-year-old has a skull fracture,” mom Olivia Hill told KFOR. “My 1-year-old baby has gunshot wounds on her face. My 2-year-old wasn’t touched with any bullets.”
Police claim they began shooting because Smith was attempting to run them over with his truck, but many dispute this argument, saying officers simply could have moved out of the way rather than opening fire, especially into a vehicle containing children. It should also be noted that officers were in plain clothes that day, meaning Smith very well may not have known the two men approaching him with guns were police.
(Excerpt) Read more at ebony.com ...
“Incidents such as this have caused me to withdraw unqualified support for law enforcement officers. “
As a youngster I learned to respect LE but also learned to not give them unqualified support.
“Incidents such as this have caused me to withdraw unqualified support for law enforcement officers.”
I agree. LEOs must make quick decisions but they need to obtain information (a checklist) before resorting to lethal force. Apparently, they do not have robust protocols in place and/or poor training.
But that being said, this was local law enforcement and the community at least has a chance to hold these people responsible. Imagine if they were federal agents; in that case they would cover it up and there would be no accountability. That is why the people must take step to limit the powers of federal law enforcement
Geez!! This a story from MAY!!
I should hope you would also learn about jumping to conclusions in stories from Ebony Magazine.
A. I was okay with most the proceedings until I read that the police were not in uniform. How did the driver know who they really were? Although that uncertainty does NOT justify trying to run the men over with his vehicle.
B. All this for a stolen pizza? There must have been a bigger reason why they were after him. Maybe he resembled a criminal connected to lots of assault and battery charges.
I don’t think they were shooting at children just like our military doesn’t aim at children.
This was last april.
Stupid shortsighted bullies in this case.
” attempting to run them over with his truck”
Deliberately? You may want to look that word up. Not even the parents are claiming it was deliberate aim at the children.
It may have been reckless, but not deliberate.
How does a police officer know that a truck driving directly at them has children in the back seat?
I'm no fan of the police ... but if you really believe these cops deliberately shot the children in this vehicle, then you're a moron.
Whoa...wait a minute! This guy went to rob a store with his 4 kids?
You said “deliberately shooting children”. Are you certain that’s how you want to phrase that?
I’m not familiar with the case, but I’d tend to assume they were shooting at the driver, not the children. That the children were struck is terrible and I wish them full and speedy recoveries (if possible), but I have a hard time believing they were ‘deliberately’ targeted.
That's incredibly simple … Suppose you're in your car with your children … and suppose a bunch of dudes in plain clothes run up and start pointing guns at you …
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO???
You have exactly 500 milliseconds to decide. Think fast.
I know what my answer is.
Just trying to get money and pizza.
Who doesn't like money and pizza?
That isn’t the nature of this site at all. What the heck is wrong with you?
Nobody should get “unqualified” support. They have tremendous authority, with that comes a degree of responsibility and accountability. That said they have a difficult job, and there’s an underlying disrespect for law enforcement out there that can put people’s lives in danger.
Lot’s of unanswered questions here before blame is assigned. Did the dad in fact just rob a pizza place?
Were police pursuing in an unmarked car but with blue lights flashing?
Did the police even know there were children in the car?
Written by Ebony, I want to know a lot more before I blame the police.
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