Posted on 10/04/2009 3:55:15 PM PDT by Marechal
PHOENIX (CN) - A homeowner says a Phoenix police officer shot him six times in the back during a 911 home-invasion call, and the 911 tape recorded the officer's partner saying, "That's all right. Don't worry about it. I got your back. ... We clear?" The family says the officers were not aware that the 911 call was still recording as they spoke about covering up the shooting. In their complaint in Maricopa County Court, Anthony and Lesley Arambula say an armed intruder "crashed through the front window" of their home on Sept. 17, 2008 and ran into one of their son's bedrooms. Anthony, worried about his son who was still in his bedroom, says he "held the intruder calmly at gunpoint" and called 911. Phoenix Police officers already in the neighborhood heard the crash of the Arambulas' window. When they approached the house, Lesley says, she told Sgt. Sean Coutts that her husband was inside holding the intruder at gunpoint. Lesley says Coutts failed to pass on that information to the two other officers. Inside the house, the Arambulas say, Officer Brian Lilly shot Anthony six times in the back while he was still on the phone with the 911 operator - twice when he was on the ground. The officers ran into the bedroom after Anthony told them, "You just killed ... you just killed the homeowner. The bad guy is in there." The complaint states that Officer Lilly "admitted that it was only after Tony was laying, bullet-ridden, on the ground that he assessed the situation. The 911 tape continued to record what happened even after Officer Lilly unloaded his weapon into Tony, including Officer Lilly's post-shooting, one-word 'assessment': 'Fuck.' "Tony believed he was going to die; the 911 tape records his plaintive goodbye to his family: '... I love you ... I love you.' Then Tony made what he believed was a dying request to the officers; he did not want his young family to see him shot and bloodied. Officers callously ignored his request and painfully dragged Tony by his injured leg, through the home and out to his backyard patio, where they left him bloodied and shot right in front of Lesley, Matthew and Zachary." The Arambulas say the officers later dragged Anthony onto gravel, then put him on top of the hot hood of a squad car, and "drove the squad car down the street with Tony lying on top, writing in pain." According to the complaint, Lilly can be heard on the 911 tape telling Coutts, "We fucked up."
The Arambulas seek punitive damages for gross negligence, civil rights violations, failure to supervise, excessive force, deliberate indifference to medical needs, false arrest, and emotional distress. They are represented by Michael Manning with son Morrison Hecker.
That’s a great reply because the first thing the law and order conservative does is use fear to justify the necessity of having an armed and aggressive government presence. I say de-fund them and I have people tell me that our society will de generate into Somalia. So fear is the driving factor behind an aggressive and omnipresent police force. A police force that despises everyone who isn’t... Police.
You shot him by accident, OK, it’s an accident. But such an intentional effort to ensure he dies may qualify as murder, if not manslaughter. If they’d called an ambulance after the mistake of shooting the wrong guy, it’s a minor lawsuit. Intentionally trying to kill him so there are fewer witnesses to a cover up, that’s evil.
These cops should spend the rest of their lives in jail, if not be executed for murder.
Ah, come on Decker, you know the deal: if you’re not cop you’re little people.
and if you do call 9-1-1, make sure to leave the phone off the hook!
A guy who robs you is robbing you, but being robbed by someone in uniform is also lying and hypocritical. If the police are to see citizen cooperation, they must be more honest and honorable than the average citizen.
My guess is he was promoted to Detective . . .
This is an institutional problem, not a one off “bad cop” problem. This stuff happens in big cities and small all over the Country. Yet people continue to ask for more and more intrusive laws to keep them safe.
Are you saying the cops love to shoot dogs, using any excuse whatsoever to do so?
I’m shocked, I tell you, shocked.
And the asses of the officers involved.Unfreakingbelievable.
Yep,I like all of what you said.
It is more likely that they will get some sort of department commendation.
LOL
You’re a man after my own heart.
As I recall, it was the Phoenix office of the FBI that got caught with a very embarrassing little booklet painting conservatives, patriots and constitutionalists as potential terrorists or some such nonsense.
Looks like Arizona can use a good housecleaning. While they're at it, please include McCain in the clean-up process.
Huh?
The Altamonte Springs Florida police force finally fired the buffoon (Master Policeman Maupin) that put 2 people in the hospital due to his 104 mph joyride while on duty and outside his jurisdiction that ended in him rear ending a Honda stopped at a light..
One person recovered but will no doubt have problems later in life from the crash ,, the other person is still in a COMA a year later..
Oh ,, the penalty for destroying 2 lives you ask? He got a ticket for not wearing his seat belt and was fired ... look out ... he'll no doubt get a job in your city next!
But then I guess that's OK because they really are better than us and we should all be thankful they're out there diligently fulfilling their ticket quotas.
Are you saying the cops love to shoot dogs, using any excuse whatsoever to do so?
I’m shocked, I tell you, shocked.
***********************************************
I’ve upgraded to 3 big dogs now just to ensure they stay busy long enough for me to get to my guns.
That would be a good starting point. Then there's the heads of the cops involved on a silver platter.
That would top things off nicely.
The Feds are enthusiastic supporters of paramilitarizing local law enforcement. LEOs at the local level are bad enough already--they do not need any more JBT training from the Feds.
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.