Posted on 04/01/2005 10:04:33 PM PST by scab4faa
THORNTON, Colo. -- Thornton police said they shot and killed a city employee Friday while conducting a welfare check on the man after the employee pulled a gun on them.
Police would not identify the employee or say what department he worked for.
According to police, they went to the man's residence in the Thornton Mobile Estates at 3600 E. 88th Ave., on "city administrative business" at about 5 p.m.
Based on information they had, they said they entered the residence to check on the man's welfare after he failed to answer the door.
The first officer into the residence was confronted by the man, who drew a "shoulder weapon" and pointed it at the officer, police said. The officer fired his weapon, hitting the man and killing him.
Police did not say what type of weapon the employee had or for what city business they went to his residence.
The Adams County Critical Incident Team was activated to investigate the officer-involved shooting, according to Commander Steve Ritter.
Never mind--I see the story above. You were on the ball.
Labor pain = gas station birth, near arrest
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1375619/posts
I'm glad this incident didn't happen here in Denver. They would have thought the newborn was a gun, shot up the car, and asked questions later.
My thinking too. Who was the deceased in a position to blow the whistle on?
Anyone who has ever had close contact with police forces know it attracts good people and also unfortunately a few sadists and trigger happy mental cases who continue to leave a black mark on honest officers. Like lawyers and doctors, police protect their own even when they know they are protecting louses.
That's a little more like it. Some of these do seem questionable and I would need to hear the other side before making a determination. The one where they raided the wrong house sure sounds like complete foul up and possible coverup.
Many of these sound like judgement calls. An officer has to make a split second decision, often in a dark, confined space, with adrenalin pumping. Whether he lives or dies may depend on that decision.
I take anything reported in the Rocky Mountain News as I do anything reported in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, with a grain of salt. They have a very strong anti-police bias.
One typical case here is that of Officer John Wilbur. Some of the reporting bordered on fabrication and biased opinion. A citizen called 911 to report a car stopped at a red light early in the morning. Three occupants(Black) appeared to be unconscious. Officer Wilbur pulled up behind the car, ran the plates and found the car to be stolen. While awaiting backup, he awakened the occupants. They had committed a home invasion robbery and vicious robbery earlier that night. As the backup was arriving the rear occupant put something in his mouth, later determined to be crack. When Officer Wilbur tried to grab this occupant the driver took off slamming the rear door on Wilbur's left hand. He ran alongside the car and jumped on the trunk only to find the rear occupant pointing a stolen .45 at him. Officer Wibur fired shots into the speeding car killing the 2 passengers and wounding the driver. He then fell from the car and was dragged at 80 mph for 1 mile until the flesh was stripped from part of his hand and he tumbled into the street.
The driver escaped to be captured some weeks later.
The local naacp took up the banner and the local black community held marches and threatened riots. Local gangs declared war on police and there were a number of shooting incidents.
A coroners inquiry was held. The jury was composed of 3 blacks and 3 whites. 5 jurors decided that Officer Wilbur should be tried for homocide, with one white dissenting. The coroner, Dr. Cyril Wecht overruled the jury and did not prosecute.
My point is that biased reporting can make the saving of a drowning infant sound bad. Also a 2000 lb car is a deadly weapon. As in the cases of Smith and Dutson the bias of the RMN is blatant.
I think he'd probably have been a lot happier had they been less concerned with his "welfare".
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