Deputy Orders Man To Ground, Then Kills Him

Atltanta Journal-Constitution ^ | Dec. 12, 2003

[Wolfie]

Deputy orders man to ground, then kills him

Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ga. -- Asked to explain how an unarmed man was fatally shot in the head by a Muscogee County deputy, Sheriff Ralph Johnson said: "This one turned out bad. I can't sugar-coat that."

Kenneth Brown Walker, 39, of Columbus was pronounced dead at 2:30 a.m. Thursday after he was pulled out of his vehicle on Interstate 185, ordered to the ground and shot. Authorities said Walker failed to comply with the deputy's commands to show his hands after he had been ordered to lay down on the ground.

Walker and three other men were riding in a gray GMC Yukon that authorities believed was seen leaving an apartment complex under surveillance for drug activity.

However, the three men with Walker were not arrested and were released and Johnson acknowledged there was no information that Walker was involved in any criminal activity.

Johnson was flanked by Columbus City Manager Carmen Cavezza, City Attorney Clifton Fay and other sheriff's officials during a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Johnson called the incident "a tragic day for the family of the deceased and for my office and for the city of Columbus."

The deputy who shot Walker has been placed on administrative leave. Authorities say he is a veteran deputy who works with the department's Special Response Team. His name was not released.

When the vehicle was stopped around 9 p.m. Wednesday night on Interstate 185, Johnson said all four occupants were taken out of the vehicle.

Though Walker's friends complied with the deputy's commands to get down on the ground and reveal their hands, there was "some resistance by Walker," Johnson said.

"He was placed on the ground but his right hand couldn't be seen," Johnson said. "That hand wouldn't come out."

When asked if he thought the shooting was justified, Johnson said, "What I can tell you is that when (the deputy) shot him, he did not try to shoot him in the head. I can't tell you what was in his head other than that it's a pure judgment call if he felt like his life was in danger."

No gun was found inside the Yukon.

Johnson said he had met with Walker's family.

"They're very upset and they should be," he said. "I'm very upset and nothing I can say or do will change any of this."

[agitator]

hmmmmmm expired inspection sticker with an attitude.

[TheCrusader]

""He was placed on the ground but his right hand couldn't be seen," Johnson said. "That hand wouldn't come out."

This is what it's come to folks, for this he was summarily executed. Another unarmed man lies in his grave because of the power surge that police are feeling these days. I suppose they'll say this guy caused his own death too.

[Jack Black]

Truely sick. Police procedures need to be rethought. Hopefully the $100,000,000 wrongful death lawsuit will help prevent a recurrance, at least in the jurisdiction that has to pay.

[martin_fierro]

[Cultural Jihad]

Nonsense. You have no proof the man was 'summarily executed' because his hand couldn't be seen, or is dead because of 'the power surge that police are feeling these days.' You are only offering speculation and conjecture, and from a less-than-grounded-in-reality ideological perspective. An inquest will determine what happened, unless those who despise self-governance just want to proclaim the guilt or innocence here from a thousand miles away.

[Old Professer]

Dead men tell no tales.

[TheCrusader]

"I can't tell you what was in his head other than that it's a pure judgment call if he felt like his life was in danger."

Sounds like somebody casually talking about a referee's "judgement call" in a Sunday afternoon football game. I'm tired of reading sh-t like this. It's happening with sickening frequency these days. Traffic stops and petty calls turning into murders and, of course, the dead guy is always the cause of his own demise.

[connectthedots]

Sadly, there is a lot of truth in that picture; but it's still funny.

[robertpaulsen]

"This is what it's come to folks, for this he was summarily executed. Another unarmed man lies in his grave because of the power surge that police are feeling these days."

If this is what it's come to, then why weren't the other three killed? I don't understand.

[connectthedots]

The mayor and police chief pretty much admitted there was no justification. BTW, a police officer's 'subjective feelings' are not relevant.

[Old Professer]

You know, I don't think you ever post anything but a contrarian opinion regardless of the subject; here we have a man on the ground, unarmed, in the dark at 2:30 in the morning who is shot dead in the head by a cop with no explanation and you think it is premature to assume the officer was somehow unjustified in his act - what does it take to convince you that there is lawlessness on both sides of the street?

[luvbach1]

I suppose they'll say this guy caused his own death too.

The above seems an obvious allusion to the Cincinatti death which occured to an obese man after a violent struggle with police. The Atlanta shooting seems, on the other hand, to bear little similarity to the other event in which the suspect clearly contributed to his own death.

[Dog Gone]

Oh good grief. There is nothing in the story that remotely justifies firing a gun, much less into the head of the victim.

[LibKill]

I'm beginning to think that civillian police should be armed with double-action only revolvers, with a 30-pound trigger pull.

At the very least, this would eliminate so-called 'accidents'. There would be no doubt that the trigger was pulled on purpose.

[Cultural Jihad]

No one is claiming it was justified, but there are those claiming it was an act of malice. Again, hopefully an inquest will determine what happened.

[JoeSchem]

"That hand wouldn't come out."

A very feeble justification for execution. But these things happen, even in a free society. The difference between a free country and a police state will be in whether the deputy is charged for the killing and does prison time.

[TheCrusader]

"You have no proof the man was 'summarily executed' because his hand couldn't be seen, or is dead because of 'the power surge that police are feeling these days.' You are only offering speculation and conjecture"

I know, just chalk him up as yet another man who caused his own death and toss him into the mass grave with all the others.

[WackyKat]

Walker and three other men were riding in a gray GMC Yukon that authorities believed was seen leaving an apartment complex under surveillance for drug activity........ Authorities say he is a veteran deputy who works with the department's Special Response Team.

Another tragic casualty of the insane War on Drugs

I guess the "special response" this cop was taught was "shoot first, deny all responsibility later."

[sourcery]

Firstly, there was no probable cause to make an arrest (when you are stopped by an officer for the purpose of being interrogated or searched, you have been legally arrested. The word "arrest" comes from the French word for "stop.")

Secondly, you cannot rightfully claim self defense when you are armed, your victim is lying flat on the ground at your command, he is not armed, and you are the one responsible for having put yourself into the danger you claim to have perceived. If an ordinary citizen did the same, and then tried to claim self defense, his claim would be the subject of derision and contempt. Since all persons must be equal under the law, and since being an officer of the law does not bestow supercitizenship, or create a class of nobility, law officers must be judged by the same standards as everyone else.

If this vile act is not legally recognized as the murder it is, then we live under tyranny.