Posted on 05/21/2005 7:01:19 AM PDT by 2Am4Sure
As a group of residents cheered, a Glen Park man tackled Gary Patrolman Carl Cochran, choking the officer and threatening to kill him in an unprovoked attack Wednesday night, Lt. Roger Smith said.
Cochran, a five-year veteran and member of the department’s elite S.W.A.T. team, suffered cuts to his face and injuries to his arm and back as a result of the protracted struggle with Kelvin D. Banks, 40.
Cmdr. Jerome Krebes said Thursday he ordered additional patrols in the area in response to the incident.
A small group of people — ten or less — surrounded the officer during the struggle as Banks wrestled with the officer and tried to grab Cochran’s gun.
“Cochran grabbed his wrist to stop him while Banks kept one hand on his throat and Banks said, 'I could kill you right now if I wanted to!’ . . . Cochran reported he could not reach his portable radio,” the police report states.
Banks was charged Thursday in Lake Superior Court in Crown Point with battery, resisting law enforcement, intimidation and disorderly conduct and faces up to three years in prison if convicted of the charges, Diane Poulton, spokeswoman for Prosecutor Bernard Carter, said.
Patrolman Richard Knight arrived at 5000 Washington St. to assist Cochran at a domestic dispute and saw his partner struggling with Banks.
Both men were on the ground and a group of residents were crowded around urging Banks to keep up the attack, Smith said. Eventually, Knight and Cochran subdued Banks, who continued to defy officers after he was handcuffed and being led to the squad car, police said
(Excerpt) Read more at post-trib.com ...
No more patrols in that area...In fact, direct every prostitute, drug dealer, gang member and sex offender to that street.
Gary is a nasty town, that is for sure.
The bystanders should be charged with inciting to riot.
The cops may not know everybody involved in that incident, but you can bet that nobody in that neighborhood will ever get the benefit of the doubt from the cops ever again.
Not "New York, Paris France or Rome"?
..and with such a cute song about it...the Music Man has left town.
And if the officer had shot any of them in self defense, there would be outrage on the front pages of all the papers about "officer shoots unarmed men".
I agree. Our tax dollars at work in a place that doesn't want basic services. Geez, can't we just cordone off the area? After all, its a DMZ. And please don't tell me about poverty...when immigrants who can't speak English and are not white make it.
Sounds like the "elite" SWAT team needs to put their fancy gear aside and practice some basic hand-to-hand combat techniques.
Amen to that. I used to live near there and that's what one area that no rational thinking person would ever go. I got lost up there once and I thought I was going to die before I got out. They don't call it the "Murder Capitol" of the world for nothing.
And they say L.A. is bad.
Sounds like Benton Harbor Michigan.
Ack! Those idiots are SO wrong! Cheering when a cop is attacked? Excuse me while I barf.
I was born in Detroit and I am fairrly hard to scare.
I once had to overnight in Gary.
I was traveling with my daughter when she was just two years old, and she had gotten sick.
I drove through some very nasty turf looking for a place to stay with this poor child throwing up non-stop in the back seat. It was a VERY scary place.
I finally DID find a Holiday Inn, and after scurrying with her inside, I locked the door and didn't open it again til the sun was well up.
If she hadn't been so sick, I NEVER would have had anything to do with Gary.
Wasn't the Jackson Family Freak Show from Gary?
Wow ((shudder))
JUST where I wanted to be.
A small white woman, traveling alone with a sick kid.
Might as well have a target painted on my forehead.
It was the only time I've ever REALLY wanted a gun.
I was damn glad I had my combat knife with me.
Is this a chickenfeed DA or what? I'd have topped that list with attempted murder.
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