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Witness, Ranger explain Monday fatal shooting
The Orange Leader ^ | July 28, 2010 | Gabriel Pruitt

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 ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: banglist; donutwatch; leoshooting
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    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.”
1 posted on 07/30/2010 3:00:12 PM PDT by smokingfrog
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To: smokingfrog

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.


2 posted on 07/30/2010 3:04:13 PM PDT by ConservativeMind ("Humane" = "Don't pin up pets or eat meat, but allow infanticide, abortion, and euthanasia.")
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To: smokingfrog

First Erik Scott, and now James Whithead. I see a pattern here, and I don’t like it.


3 posted on 07/30/2010 3:07:24 PM PDT by rickomatic
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To: ConservativeMind

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.


4 posted on 07/30/2010 3:10:30 PM PDT by CA Conservative
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To: smokingfrog

claims the officer never identified himself before firing the fatal shoot. Was it a bamboo shoot?


5 posted on 07/30/2010 3:10:47 PM PDT by mountainlion (concerned conservative.)
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To: smokingfrog

Whitey Season is officially OPEN.


6 posted on 07/30/2010 3:11:11 PM PDT by Bon mots ("Anything you say, can and will be construed as racist...")
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To: smokingfrog
Edwards said Arnold confronted them in the parking lot, where he "came running up with a flashlight and handcuffs and told James to put them on."

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?

7 posted on 07/30/2010 3:11:54 PM PDT by kbennkc (For those who have fought for it freedom has a flavor the protected will never know .F Trp 8th Cav)
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To: ConservativeMind

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.


8 posted on 07/30/2010 3:12:28 PM PDT by TexasRedeye (Eschew obfuscation)
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To: Bon mots

Ya’ think this time the Jug-Eared Muzzie/Commie Kenyan will say “the police acted stupidly?” Odds...?


9 posted on 07/30/2010 3:12:58 PM PDT by twister881
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To: rickomatic

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.


10 posted on 07/30/2010 3:16:44 PM PDT by Jack Black ( Whatever is left of American patriotism is now identical with counter-revolution.)
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To: smokingfrog
This reminds me a bit of the shooting outside a Lowes in Oceanside CA a few years ago. After a traffic altercation, an off-duty cop shot into the car of a woman and hit her kid. The cop said he couldn't see into the car, but feared for his life. He shot the lady's kid...who survived. (I use the term lady very loosely...let's just say she was less than a model mom).

The cop was cleared.

11 posted on 07/30/2010 3:18:15 PM PDT by Fundamentally Fair (Bush: Mission Accomplished. Obama: Commission Accomplished.)
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To: smokingfrog
If it wasn't justified, the cop will get the New Black Panther Party pass. After all, no doubt Whitehead acted stupidly.

Welcome to Obama's America.

12 posted on 07/30/2010 3:18:21 PM PDT by Realman30 (Naomi Campbell is rougher with her assistants than we are with Taliban fighters: Ann C.)
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To: TexasRedeye
I am going to wait for more info before I blame the cop

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

13 posted on 07/30/2010 3:21:22 PM PDT by kbennkc (For those who have fought for it freedom has a flavor the protected will never know .F Trp 8th Cav)
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To: CA Conservative

the guy was unarmed and the cop was uninjured. totally unjustified.


14 posted on 07/30/2010 3:22:15 PM PDT by paul51 (11 September 2001 - Never forget)
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To: CA Conservative
The only witness whose story is reported is the victim’s best friend, so it may be biased and suspect.

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...

15 posted on 07/30/2010 3:28:16 PM PDT by Ol' Dan Tucker (People should not be afraid of the government. Governement should be afraid of the people)
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To: Jack Black

Another report says he called the officer a “coon.”


16 posted on 07/30/2010 3:30:04 PM PDT by smokingfrog (freerepublic.com - Now 100% flag free.)
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To: paul51
the guy was unarmed and the cop was uninjured. totally unjustified.

What you said!

17 posted on 07/30/2010 3:30:57 PM PDT by Wycowboy
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To: smokingfrog

“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.


18 posted on 07/30/2010 3:31:33 PM PDT by piytar (Those who never learned that peace and freedom are rare will be taught by reality.)
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To: paul51

there ya go


19 posted on 07/30/2010 3:33:02 PM PDT by smokingfrog (freerepublic.com - Now 100% flag free.)
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To: smokingfrog

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.”


20 posted on 07/30/2010 3:35:15 PM PDT by piytar (Those who never learned that peace and freedom are rare will be taught by reality.)
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