Posted on 03/18/2008 9:34:05 AM PDT by kiriath_jearim
OCEANSIDE -- Police weren't saying much Monday about a suspected road rage incident Saturday night in which an off-duty San Diego police officer shot and wounded a Camp Pendleton woman and her 8-year-old son.
The off-duty officer, Franklin "Frank" White of Oceanside, fired an undisclosed number of shots during the incident, which happened at about 9:30 p.m. in a shopping center parking lot off Old Grove Road, said Oceanside police Sgt. Kelan Poorman.
The woman and child remained hospitalized Monday, but authorities said their injuries were not life threatening.
White is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the Oceanside Police Department's criminal investigation and an internal review by the San Diego Police Department, Chief William Lansdowne said Monday. White has worked for the San Diego Police Department since October 2005.
Poorman said the incident apparently began when one car cut off another car in traffic. He said one driver followed the other driver to the parking lot of the Lowe's Home Improvement store on Old Grove Road, where the shooting took place. He declined to say which car White was driving.
The other driver, a white female in her 20's, was not armed, according to Poorman. Parties from both cars called police, he said.
Poorman said he did not know whether White -- who was accompanied by his wife at the time of the incident --- was inside or outside of his car during the shooting, or whether White acted in self-defense.
"I think that's probably why the shots were fired, but I'd be speculating," Poorman said.
The injured woman is married to a Marine and lives on Camp Pendleton, Poorman said. She was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, where she is still a patient.
As of Monday afternoon, she had not been interviewed, but investigators did speak with her son at Rady Children's Hospital, Poorman said.
He said Oceanside investigators are still trying to obtain surveillance video from businesses in the area
White was not in a police vehicle at the time of the incident, Poorman said.
State and federal laws give off-duty police officers the right to carry a weapon.
A countywide policy adopted in May 2007 addresses when and how off-duty officers may intervene when they observe a law being broken, said San Diego Police Department spokeswoman Monica Munoz.
The policy states that law enforcement officers retain "full power and authority" to perform policing duties when not on duty, including carrying a weapon.
Munoz said she could not comment on whether San Diego police official believe White fired his gun in a police capacity because they are not conducting the investigation into the incident.
A cop coming to the scene of a shooting usually arrest the shooter first, then figure out the rest later.
Here in Mass, there was a truck hauling buffalo of all things in a truck. One fell out the back, and the trucker shot it so it wouldn’t pose a danger on the highway. What do you think happened? The trucker was arrested! Luckily there is a Mass law against firing a weapon specifically across a highway.
I have heard that they don’t get along very well, even the MP’s and the SDPD get snippy with each other all the time I have been told.
More likely the Oceanside PD, Carlsbad PD or SD County Sheriff...maybe even the CHP...but, yes, they don't get along well.
I have some personal experience that I won't get into, but my assessment is that many of the cops have a chip on their shoulder...
How sad. An eight year old shot and in the hospital.
I notice that they talked to the 8 year old, but haven't talked to the mom yet.
or whether White acted in self-defense.
“I think that’s probably why the shots were fired, but I’d be speculating,” Poorman said.
20’s unarmed mom and 8 year old son... yep, obviously a grave threat to officer and needed to be shot.
“I don’t know how Poorman could say this was self defense when the woman was unarmed and in her car.”
Easy. The car IS the weapon. She tried to run him down.
This J.O. is on PAID leave? What the heck for?
If they were both on the highway, then he didn’t fire across the highway.
Devil’s in the words.
Has it occurred to anyone that the lady might have tried to run him down in that parking lot, and that he may have fired in self-defense?
A lot of folks here are jumping to conclusions, automatically assuming the cop was at fault, but he’s not in custody is he?
Will you automatically conclude that means his department is corrupt, or might you concede that he may simply be innocent of any wrong-doing?
“The usual cop reaction to this is to start shooting.”
The usual anti-cop reaction to any use of force is to start shooting their mouths off.
You have no more info on this than I do, but you immediately assume that the cop is guilty of a crime.
I’d bet the lady tried to run him over when he approached her car, and I’d also bet the cop was identifying himself at the time.
Cop-haters are so predictable.
“The usual anti-cop reaction to any use of force is to start shooting their mouths off.”
The cop is the one shooting kids. Its not anti-cop to question the use of deadly force.
‘You have no more info on this than I do, but you immediately assume that the cop is guilty of a crime.”
Someone has been shot; don’t cops act as if a crime has been committed when someone gets shot? Or is it only when cops shoot women and children that they ignore it?
“I’d bet the lady tried to run him over when he approached her car, and I’d also bet the cop was identifying himself at the time.”
If he was attacking her in a fit of rage she would have been justified in using deadly force. He followed her into the parking lot so he is the one who continued the road rage incident. Or do off duty cops also give out tickets?
“Cop-haters are so predictable.”
Boot lickers are too. Its a shame you don’t see a problem with a Marines wife and child being shot.
What did the eight year old boy do?
Why would he be??? You think one of his buddies is going to slap the cuffs on???? Please. Now if it was Joe Sixpack, he'd be lucky to still be alive after being arrested immediately and his a$$ would still be sitting in jail while they "investigate" the matter. Double standards tend to piss people off.
Has it occurred to you that this guy might have been acting erratically???? And that she might have felt scared for her life and the life of her 8-year old???? And that some guy in jeans and a t-shirt waving a gun might not be immediately recognizable as a cop???? Is boot polish flavored like licorice??? Just wondering.
I’d bet...and I’d also bet....
You're trying to be funny, right?
That is an intriguing plot idea.
“The cop is the one shooting kids. Its not anti-cop to question the use of deadly force.”
If all you were doing was questioning the use of deadly force, I wouldn’t have bothered responding. You went way beyond that by assuming the cop’s guilt with no evidence at all. Are you one of John Murtha’s friends?
“Or is it only when cops shoot women and children that they ignore it?”
Yeah, that’s it. That’s why so many women and children are slaughtered every day by those evil cops./sarc
You speak as a child. Or as someone with an anti-cop agenda.
“If he was attacking her in a fit of rage she would have been justified in using deadly force. He followed her into the parking lot so he is the one who continued the road rage incident. Or do off duty cops also give out tickets?”
They can arrest or detain law-breakers while off-duty. Would you have it any other way? I note that with the woman’s case, you use the word “if.” With the cop, you simply make declarative statements. Your agenda is transparent.
“Boot lickers are too. Its a shame you don’t see a problem with a Marines wife and child being shot.”
Boot lickers? Heh-heh. Guess I touched a nerve.
Yes, I have a problem with a marine’s wife and child being shot. I just haven’t yet assigned blame, since I don’t have enough information to do so.
You cannot say the same.
“What did the eight year old boy do?”
The child is a victim of either a criminally negligent mother, or a criminal acting under color of authority. Do you know which one is the criminal?
Will you simply assume it’s the cop? Or will you wait until more info comes to light?
I prefer to wait, before I make a rash judgement.
Some people on this post seem to resemble Rev. Jeremiah Wright, more than they resemble conservatives.
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