Boise police officer kills teen wielding rifle with bayonet

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 12/20/04 | AP

[Ellesu]

BOISE, Idaho - Police shot a teenager Saturday after the boy allegedly punctured the uniform of an officer with a bayonet mounted on a World War II-era rifle. Officer Andrew S. Johnson killed Mathew Jones, 16, near the teen's home in a suburban Boise neighborhood north of the city's downtown. According to police, Jones' father called officers at 5 p.m. Saturday to report his 16-year-old son was out of control and was using the 15-inch bayonet to put holes in the walls of his house. Johnson arrived first and was talking to the father in the family's driveway about 5 p.m. when the teen jumped out of the bushes, repeatedly charging the officer with a bayonet and rifle, Boise police said. Johnson says he ordered Jones to drop his weapon. He told investigators that he felt ''contact,'' which police said was confirmed by at least one puncture hole in his uniform that went into Johnson's body armor. Johnson fired four shots, hitting Jones four times. ''The situation was urgent,'' said Boise Police Chief Jim Tibbs. ''The officer had to get involved. It's a risk of being a police officer, you can't always wait for backup.'' Police who searched the residence after the shooting said they found a water pipe and empty alcohol bottles, as well as a sword, a second bayonet and another rifle. ''There was evidence of drug use, including drug paraphernalia,'' said police spokeswoman Lynn Hightower, adding that while the father told dispatchers he believed his son's weapons were unloaded, police are still investigating that. Hightower also said the boy didn't appear to have a juvenile criminal record. Jones, a sophomore at Boise High School, was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. An autopsy will be performed today, police said. The boy's father described his son as distraught and irrational and said he seemed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, police said. Police blocked off roads near the shooting for most of Saturday night. A task force made up of five law enforcement agencies is investigating the incident. Johnson has begun a paid, three-day administrative leave - the department's standard policy. He has the option of taking a longer leave of absence if he needs more time away from work, Tibbs said. ''Officers are trained to stop an imminent threat,'' Tibbs said. ''In this case, it looks like the officer responded as he was trained.'' Johnson has been with the department for four and a half years. This was the first time he has been involved in a shooting, police said.

[2banana]

Nope, close but no cigar. They said it was a WW-II era rifle. Thus a Garand or possibly a Springfield, if a US weapon. All the likely foreign weapons, and the Springfield, are bolt actions. Even the Garand, which is a semi-auto, doesn't qualify because it doesn't have a removable magazine. The magazine it does have holds less than ten rounds as well.

Hey! It could have been this WWII era rifle!

The Sturmgewehr 44:

And. yeah, I know, what would a kid be doing with a $20,000 historical rifle...

[Ellesu]

http://www2.kbcitv.com/x5154.xml?ParentPageID=x5157&ContentID=x60621&Layout=KBCI.xsl&AdGroupID=x5154

another link

[angryirish]

This is actually the first crime in 10 years that could have been affected by the now expired "clinton assault weapons ban" - it banned some rifles if they did not remove the bayonet lug...

Actually, the real factor deciding if this incident could have been prevented by the ban is whether the father?/owner would have turned in his legally registered firearm when it became illegal.

[Docbarleypop]

died of natural causes, its only natural to die from several bullet holes.

[donmeaker]

I practiced reloading (stripper clips) quickly.

[donmeaker]

I have a stock of WWII armor piercing (laid down in 1944, and unlike the US ammunition, does not have a black tip), but I try to use Federal hunting ammunition at the range. The local steel target provider doesnt want me to use armor piercing rounds on his targets.

[First_Salute]

Bump.

[Deguello]

Is your Federal ammo miking out at .308 or .311? In the past all American stuff was spec. at .308 and was crap in a .311 barrel.

Old surplus stuff I have found in the past was headspaced for machineguns and blew the necks. Norma 150's worked perfect.

[Drew68]

I really feel sorry for the Officer; he had no choice but to do his duty and defend himself, and I'm sure he'll carry the guilt around for the rest of his life.

As will the father for calling the cops in the first place. Tragic story all around and during the holiday season as well.

I went to highschool with a kid who lost his only sibling, a brother, in a skiing accident. About two years later he was killed by police after walking around the neighborhood with a loaded Uzi during a drug/alcohol induced bender. In a matter of less than three years his parents had lost both of their children.

[Gritty]

The boy's father described his son as distraught and irrational and said he seemed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol

This kid may have been shot dead by the police, but he was really killed by his use of drugs, probably meth.

Very sad.

[calex59]

How do you get 30 rounds out of a Lee Enfield Magazine?

you reload...this is the process of putting more ammo into the gun when you exhaust the magazine's supply.

[tbeatty]

Even if it was, guns manufactured before 1994 didn't have to meet the provision of the ban. It is "pre-Ban".

[tbeatty]

And it was manufactured pre-1994, therefore like every AR-15 manufactured before 1994, it can have a pistol grip, bayonet lug and detachable magazine and be perfectly legal. Unaffacted by the ban.

[cpdiii]

I was referencing the statement about 30 well aimed shots out a a Lee Enfield in less than a minute.

"Aint No Way,"

[FreedomHasACost]

"If the officer was really in fear for his life, how does he let a 16 yo get close enough to poke him with a bayonet?"

Because he was trying to do as you suggest and not hurt him. He tried handling it calmly.

"If it happened as stated, why does the officer not take the boy down as I'm sure "he has been trained" to do without killing him?"

Because you are trained to do that when possible but when their is a life in immediate risk you cannot take the chances. It is him or you.

"but don't the cops ever take a risk to try and help the confused? It was a kid."

It sounds like that was what he was doing when he got poked with the bayonet.

You don't understand it is a cops nightmare to kill someone and not something done for fun. This guy probably can't live with himself tonight. I KNOW this man would not do anything but what was absolutely necessary.

[subterfuge]

"They can come at you real fast, especially if your weapon is in your holster. The article says he jumped out of the bushes and repeatedly charged the officer. I am wondering how many times does he have to charge, before action is taken? No matter how you look at it, the whole situation is tragic. I think domestic disturbances, are the situations officers dread responding to most. "

I don't disagree at all Mark17. It just seems that a trained, experienced police officer should be able to apprehend an inebriated 16 yo without killing him, imo. Maybe he did try to do that. I'm not a cop basher at all but it seems this kind of thing happens frequently. Could he have withdrawn and observed the kid from a distance? You can't tell from the article. It's just disappointing, that's all.

[subterfuge]

Points taken Montana.

[aspiring.hillbilly]

One aimed shot every 2 seconds? NO you can't because of the need to reload twice, charging with two 5 round clips each time, and operate the bolt 30 times. If it was an semi auto with a 30rd clip I would believe you...

[Mark17]

Regards to you and yours.

[subterfuge]

Thanks Mark.