Posted on 07/30/2010 3:00:05 PM PDT by smokingfrog
A 28-year-old man's aggressiveness at an auto parts store led to his shooting Monday by an off-duty police officer, according to a state investigator. But a friend of the man disputed he was acting aggressively and claims the officer never identified himself before firing the fatal shoot.
James Whitehead died after being shot in the parking lot of O'Reilly Auto Parts on Monday afternoon. The Orange police officer involved in the shooting, Capt. Robert Arnold, was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Texas Rangers, according to Police Chief Sam Kittrell.
Witnesses say Whitehead, who is white, used racial slurs toward Arnold, who is black, during a confrontation inside the store. But Rangers Sgt. Ken Parks said yesterday those epithets had "nothing to do" with the shooting.
“I want to clear that up right now,” Parks said. “Racial comments simply had nothing to do with it. The outcome came from the victim being aggressive towards the officer.”
Randy Edwards, who accompanied Whitehead to the store, said he never saw his friend act aggressively.
"I never (saw) James show aggression," said Edwards. "I'll never forget that. I couldn't believe what I saw. James was excited that day and happy."
Edwards said he's known Whitehead "since he was in diapers," and the two lived next door to each other in West Orange. Whitehead was finishing work on his truck Monday when he walked over to ask Edwards for a ride to the store.
(Excerpt) Read more at orangeleader.com ...
Randy Edwards, a friend of James Whitehead’s family, re-enacts Whitehead’s last moments after being shot by off-duty officer Capt. Robert Arnold of the Orange Police Department. Edwards stated Whitehead looked at his hand, which was covered with blood, and looked at Arnold and said “You shot me,” to which Edwards said Arnold reportedly replied, “I sure did.”
Was the guy shot brandishing a weapon?
I sure don’t understand what makes a cop use a gun fatally in a non-violent situation that didn’t even deserve a taser.
Give the cop the death penalty.
First Erik Scott, and now James Whithead. I see a pattern here, and I don’t like it.
Not enough detail in the story to determine if this was a justifiable shooting or not. The only witness whose story is reported is the victim’s best friend, so it may be biased and suspect. I’d like to hear from some of the other witnesses in the store before forming an opinion.
claims the officer never identified himself before firing the fatal shoot. Was it a bamboo shoot?
Whitey Season is officially OPEN.
Can any LEO Freepers tell us if this is an approved arrest procedure anywhere except maybe in the discount line for the ferry to Fire Island?
Whoa! There is a lot missing in this story. I am going to wait for more info before I blame the cop. If the shooting was not righteous I am all for hanging the shooter - but not before we learn what happened.
Ya’ think this time the Jug-Eared Muzzie/Commie Kenyan will say “the police acted stupidly?” Odds...?
State sanctioned rcially motivated murder by a mentally unstable black police officer. It will be interesting to see if the thin-blue-line kicks in to protect the cop.
It sounds like he should be charged with murder to me. He shot an unarmed man in a truck in a parking lot because he called him “n*gg*r”? Instant death penalty for saying the -word? A black jury would probably acquit him.
The cop was cleared.
Welcome to Obama's America.
Waiting for the facts is what we always hear from people who are just too lazy to jump to a conclusion. Come on man or we'll leave you behind./sarc
the guy was unarmed and the cop was uninjured. totally unjustified.
Parks, the Rangers investigator, said witnesses told him the exchange then escalated. Arnold, a six-year veteran of the Orange police, also identified himself, Parks said.
Do you think Parks was equally biased and suspect? Parks wasn't there, but that didn't stop him from defending his brother officer.
'Witnesses told him that Arnold identified himself'. Ri-ight...
Don't all arresting officers give the handcuffs to suspects and tell the perp to put the cuffs on themselves? Ri-ight...
Another report says he called the officer a “coon.”
What you said!
“A 28-year-old man’s aggressiveness...”
Hmm, let’s see. Where does that fit into the justifiable use of deadly force rules?
(1) Risk of seriously bodily harm or death to the cop? Nope
(2) Risk of seriously bodily harm or death to others? Nope
(3) Fleeing dangerous felon? Nope.
(4) Dropping the n-word at a black cop? Yup, there it is.
Unless there is a LOT more to this story, the cop should be tried for manslaughter.
there ya go
Related: http://www.12newsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=12872924
“Whitehead said he was told both men went outside, and Arnold ended up drawing his gun, saying he, ‘stuck it to [Whitehead’s] chest - and point blank - shot him’ said Whitehead.”
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