Posted on 12/16/2013 9:59:43 PM PST by heartwood
A Ross County deputy sheriff has been placed on leave after authorities say he accidentally shot and killed a woman before a drug raid on Wednesday.
Sgt. Brett McKnight was identified yesterday as the deputy whose gun went off outside a trailer that members of a drug task force were about to raid as part of a heroin bust. The bullet went through the exterior of the trailer before it struck and killed 35-year-old Krystal Barrows, according to a news release.
In the release, Ross County Sheriff George Lavender’s office said that members of the U.S. 23 Task Force were executing a search warrant about 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday at a trailer at 467 Rt. 23 S. near Chillicothe. The release said they expected to find large amounts of heroin, several weapons and a guard holding an assault rifle at the front door.
When task-force agents entered the trailer, they found Barrows sitting on the living-room couch “ in critical condition” with a bullet wound to her head. She died a short time later at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, where she was flown by helicopter.
A sheriff’s office news release said a man was armed with a handgun and deputies found pistols and assault rifles in the house, but it makes no mention of whether anyone in the trailer had threatened deputies with a gun or fired a gun.
Investigators with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation determined that the shot that killed Barrows came from McKnight’s weapon. McKnight has been with the sheriff’s office for 11 years, according to the release.
Yesterday, the sheriff’s office refused to give any more details of the incident beyond what was provided in two news releases.
Six people were arrested, largely on outstanding warrants, during the raid. Deputies reported recovering a large amount of suspected heroin, large amounts of cash and suspected stolen property.
The Dispatch requested the sheriff’s office incident report on the raid and shooting, but it was not released. In public-records rulings, the Ohio Supreme Court has stated that police incident reports must be released immediately.
Barrows was the mother of three sons ages 9, 14 and 19. She had no criminal record in Ross County except for a misdemeanor conviction for disorderly conduct by intoxication. Her family members declined to comment yesterday.
Oopsie.
End the war on drugs.
End civil forfeiture.
End the Union Corporation LEOs.
Privatize them.
He should be charged with murder.
“whose gun went off”..........Hell, all of mine do that all the time!! It sounds like a 4th of July party up here as they ‘go off’.....at all hours....all by themselves....day after day....night after night. They just don’t listen and they will not stop ‘going off’. I guess I’ll go down into town tomorrow and turn ‘em all in. Sad really....
Where is the mens rey?
I agree.
Murder.
Hang him.
LEOs have a license to kill.
Besides, those suspects were suspected of doing something wrong.
Ehhh, just druggies (worthless subhuman criminal types), no need for a trial, just blast in and subdue 'em with overwhelming firepower. There could have been an armed druggie at the door, ya know.
Nothing more to see, move along....before you get blasted for impeding justice.
Another government drug raid gone bad.
Ping
It’s a good day to die...
“He was just turning his career around ... no criminal intent ... an “oversight” ... she had it coming ... an isolated incident ... not part of a pattern ...” Any others?
Murder. Under color of authority.
Seems more like manslaughter than murder.
I’m quite surprised thy didn’t say she was reaching for a weapon.
He’s to be congratulated; unlike his peers, he shot her by accident - and didn’t even molest the family dog.
Murder.....he was there intentionally, he was armed intentionally and had
trained and expected violence. ALL the elements necessary for a murder
charge are present and if he wasn’t hiding behind a badge murder is
EXACTLY what he woule be charged with. Motivation is not a necessary
issue for a murder charge....WHY he was there DOES NOT MATTER.
What matters is he WAS there, he WAS armed and he WAS expecting
to use violence. MURDER ONE.
The title for this article SHOULD read “ Deputy gets taxpayer funded
vacation till enough time passes for enough people to forget so this deputy
can go back on the streets and pose a threat to more citizens.”
I guess this family in my area got off lucky
.
Missing person investigation leads to SWAT standoff
.
http://www.daily-times.com/four_corners-news/ci_24736653/missing-person-investigation-leads-swat-standoff
That is more my opinion too.
Manslaughter.
No way the man firing through the walls of the trailer meant to hit this woman.
But we have to imagine these officers all suited up in their body armor, being told that they were entering a hostile atmosphere where guns were known to be. Fired up by their leader and looking for a fire fight.
I believe the discharge was accidental, but I also believe that this man had 11 years on the job and should have been better trained.
I see no need for this type of raid when these people would come out sooner or later and arrests could be made.
Raids...meh! So 20th century... Just use a drone with one of those new trailer-b-gone rockets and be done with it. The remote control can be operated from the safety and comfort of Dunkin’s Donuts booth.
-—> *a* Dunkin’s Donuts booth...
Well, let's see, using the current logic where criminals can be charged with murder during the commission of a felony (even if said person didn't commit that murder), I see that all the people in the trailer can be charged with this woman's murder, due to the felons/guns/drugs laws, but the cop won't.
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