Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Sagging Pants May Have Contributed To Fatal Shooting
The Indy Channel ^ | 07/30/07

Posted on 07/30/2007 11:08:32 AM PDT by Abathar

GARY, Ind. -- A teenager shot to death by an officer as he fled a burglary scene may have tried to pull up his sagging pants, causing the officer to mistake the movement for a reach for a weapon, according to newly filed court documents.

In a motion to dismiss a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Vincent Smith Jr.'s father, the city of Gary suggests the 16-year-old was shot as he was reaching down to hoist up his drooping pants and sprint away from Officer Levi Randolph.

"Police officers have to make a lot of split-second decisions," said city attorney Donald Levinson. "The law does not say you have to wait until someone shoots at you (to act)."

The city's motion includes photographs of Smith's body, his underwear clearly riding above his jean's sagging waist, laying in the alley behind a house he was apparently burglarizing.

Randolph, who was indicted in March for the Jan. 15 shooting, faces up to eight years in prison if convicted in the killing.

The officer claims he thought Smith was reaching to pull a gun as the teen walked out the back door of the house. Randolph said he fired at Smith but missed when the teen reached toward his pants before sprinting through the backyard.

Randolph said that after Smith scaled an 8-foot fence and dropped to the ground, he turned toward the pursuing officer and again reached into his pants. Randolph fired again and struck Smith behind the left ear, killing him instantly.

In both cases, Levinson suggests in his filing that Smith was gathering up his sagging pants in anticipation of sprinting away.

Low-hanging pants that wearers must frequently hoist have become a hip-hop fashion statement popularized by rappers. Sagging pants are said to have their roots in prison culture, where inmates were often issued ill-fitting pants and belts were banned.

Douglas Hobson, an attorney for Vincent Smith Sr., said police training should better prepare officers to make split-second judgments to prevent shooting suspects who pose no threat.

"You've got to know there is a gun or something that is going to hurt someone. If these kinds of excuses justify something like that, then we've got a long way to go," he said.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: bang; banglist; cleanunderwear; donutwatch; fashionstatement; thuglife
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-128 next last
Just... Can't... Work... Up... Any... Tears...

Oh well, I tried to be a good little liberal for a change, but it just ain't happening here.

1 posted on 07/30/2007 11:08:37 AM PDT by Abathar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Abathar

Ditto


2 posted on 07/30/2007 11:10:16 AM PDT by PeteB570 (Guns, what real men want for Christmas)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Abathar

If you dress like a thug, don’t be surprised when the police treat you like a thug.


3 posted on 07/30/2007 11:10:22 AM PDT by dfwgator (The University of Florida - Still Championship U)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Abathar

Thinning the herd.


4 posted on 07/30/2007 11:11:09 AM PDT by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Abathar

Gee, I feel just terrible,TERRIBLE about this.

Sometimes there’s nothing like a good belt to keep you alive. (Pun possibly intended)


5 posted on 07/30/2007 11:12:54 AM PDT by garyhope (It's World War IV, right here, right now, courtesy of Islam.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator
"Douglas Hobson, an attorney for Vincent Smith Sr., said police training should better prepare officers to make split-second judgments to prevent shooting suspects who pose no threat.

"You've got to know there is a gun or something that is going to hurt someone. If these kinds of excuses justify something like that, then we've got a long way to go," he said."

Yep, he donated to Republican causes last year, I can just tell....

6 posted on 07/30/2007 11:13:02 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly catching hell for posting without reading the article since 2004)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Abathar
The 'droopy-pants' / 'show-your-underware' fad has to be stupidest creation ever.

What's the point of walking around holding your pants up with one hand?

7 posted on 07/30/2007 11:13:35 AM PDT by TexasCajun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Abathar
What’s the world coming to when you can’t sprint away from a burglary without being shot at?
8 posted on 07/30/2007 11:14:05 AM PDT by Jaysun (Certified thread hijacker since 7-7-07 (by restornu and blu))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

We need to get this info out to the gangsta-rap culture quickly! It will be so much easier for the cops to know who is the bad guy and who is packing.

Tight pants = criminal with gun


9 posted on 07/30/2007 11:14:22 AM PDT by Cletus.D.Yokel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Abathar

I think being shot at once by the police would have convinced me to stop running?


10 posted on 07/30/2007 11:14:38 AM PDT by pnz1 (Pray for baby Ethan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Abathar
"Police officers have to make a lot of split-second decisions," said city attorney Donald Levinson. "The law does not say you have to wait until someone shoots at you (to act)."

No, no now - the law must be changed so that a police officer must wait until he himself has been shot before he can react.

That's the only way to avoid violating someone's civil rights, don'tcha know.
11 posted on 07/30/2007 11:15:00 AM PDT by reagan_fanatic (This space left intentionally blank)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AppyPappy

My thoughts exactly.


12 posted on 07/30/2007 11:15:11 AM PDT by bigfootbob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: TexasCajun
You got me, but I bet at least 1 cop in every city collared a perp because he tried to run away and ended up tripping with his pants around his feet. At least there is some social benefits to the dumb-ass look I guess.
13 posted on 07/30/2007 11:15:35 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly catching hell for posting without reading the article since 2004)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Abathar

14 posted on 07/30/2007 11:15:35 AM PDT by TexasCajun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #15 Removed by Moderator

Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: Abathar

“The law does not say you have to wait until someone shoots at you (to act).”

Does that apply to me or only the police? There would be a whole lot fewer of these punks if open season with a bounty were declared.


17 posted on 07/30/2007 11:16:59 AM PDT by Leg Olam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Abathar

“Randolph said that after Smith scaled an 8-foot fence and dropped to the ground, he turned toward the pursuing officer and again reached into his pants. Randolph fired again and struck Smith behind the left ear, killing him instantly.”

He turned toward the cop and was shot behind the ear? OooooK.


18 posted on 07/30/2007 11:19:58 AM PDT by Beagle8U (FreeRepublic -- One stop shopping ....... Its the Conservative Super Walmart for news .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Abathar

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha etc!!


19 posted on 07/30/2007 11:21:06 AM PDT by Yaelle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Abathar

Maybe he was burglarizing the house so he could get money to buy a belt....


20 posted on 07/30/2007 11:21:53 AM PDT by P-40 (Al Qaeda was working in Iraq. They were just undocumented.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-128 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson