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Cop Serving Eviction Notice Kills 12-Year-Old Pennsylvania Girl by Mistake
nbc ^ | 01/12/2016 | alex johnson

Posted on 01/12/2016 7:49:58 PM PST by BenLurkin

Police said the girl's father, Donald Bartho Meyer Jr., 57, pointed a .223 caliber rifle at Constable Clarke Steele, who fired a single round from his .40 caliber service weapon. The bullet passed through Meyer and struck Ciara, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Meyer was treated at Hershey Medical Center. He was being held without bond pending a preliminary hearing Friday on state charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, making terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person, according to court records.

Court records show that Meyer owed $1,780.85 in a landlord-tenant dispute.

State Police Trooper Robert T. Hicks told NBC station WGAL of Lancaster that Meyer knew the eviction notice was coming Monday, "so it was no surprise."

"Unfortunately, the constable was put into a situation where he had to defend himself," Hicks said....

A relative who wouldn't be identified by name told WGAL on Tuesday that the incident could have been prevented.

"He [the father] was definitely wrong, and it could have been prevented," WGAL quoted the relative as saying. "We as a family completely blame Don for this."

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: constable; duncannon; felonymurderrule; paping; pennsylvania; police
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1 posted on 01/12/2016 7:49:58 PM PST by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

I hope the father feels like the POS he is.


2 posted on 01/12/2016 7:51:31 PM PST by vladimir998 (Apparently I'm still living in your head rent free. At least now it isn't empty.)
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To: BenLurkin

That’s terrible, but the father pointed a gun at the officer- what’s he supposed to do?

I used to be a landlord- people who don’t pay are one thing, but people who don’t pay and you have to force to leave are a whole different story


3 posted on 01/12/2016 7:52:29 PM PST by Mr. K (If it is HilLIARy -vs- Jeb! then I am writing-in Palin/Cruz)
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To: BenLurkin
Now Meyer is going to be charged with manslaughter to boot.

Submit to authority when you are in the right, and especially when you are in the wrong. It's like driving a motocycle, you may have the green light, but you're still dead when cross traffic runs the red.

4 posted on 01/12/2016 7:53:53 PM PST by Cboldt
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To: Cboldt

And one cop scared for life.


5 posted on 01/12/2016 7:57:51 PM PST by doc1019 (Cruz)
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To: BenLurkin

Now it’s he-said/he-said. Was the father really pointing a rifle at the officer?

Unfortunately, generally speaking, law enforcement officers have less credibility in my eyes these days.

But at the same time, I know good cops and have never had a bad interaction, ether getting a ticket, as the victim of a crime, or professionally while at work. Seems contradictory, I know.


6 posted on 01/12/2016 7:57:56 PM PST by FoxInSocks ("Hope is not a course of action." -- M. O'Neal, USMC)
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To: Cboldt

Interesting. If I busted off a round to defend my life and it passed through the perp and hit a bystander, chances are I’d be in deep doo-doo.


7 posted on 01/12/2016 7:58:59 PM PST by The Iceman Cometh (Trump & Cruz - Together, a Better America!)
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To: BenLurkin

Bullet went thru Meyer, did not kill him but continued on to kill the girl. I wonder if the cop was using hollow points?
I too hope Meyer admits to himself this is his fault. You know the cop will feel bad.


8 posted on 01/12/2016 7:59:28 PM PST by umgud
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To: doc1019

Yeah. But if he thought he was protecting his own life, he did what any reasonable person in that spot would do - and he hit his target. Not his fault, but would pain the conscience of a person who has one.


9 posted on 01/12/2016 8:00:42 PM PST by Cboldt
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we have 300 million people in this country, to9ns of crimes occurring every single day- I’m guessing many thousands per day, all across the country- every single day, day in day out 24/7 365 days a year- and never do we see the stories about the successful outcomes, the stories of police helping others, saving lives- and instead the media gloms onto a EXTREMELY RARE incidents where accidents occur, mistakes are made etc-

I’d like to see headlines along the lines of “Police across the country stop 10,568 burglaries today, 2,900 attempted murders, 700 rapes, and helped 12,000 little old ladies across the road when no one else would. They also dodged nearly 500 bullets today, while 7 officers were injured while on duty” Etc.


10 posted on 01/12/2016 8:01:13 PM PST by Bob434
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To: FoxInSocks

He did not kill her by mistake


11 posted on 01/12/2016 8:02:07 PM PST by Hojczyk
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To: Hojczyk

You think it was deliberate?


12 posted on 01/12/2016 8:04:30 PM PST by DesertRhino ("I want those feeble minded asses overthrown,,,")
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To: BenLurkin

Daddy is a thug and his daughter is dead.


13 posted on 01/12/2016 8:06:03 PM PST by Timpanagos1
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To: The Iceman Cometh
-- If I busted off a round to defend my life and it passed through the perp and hit a bystander, chances are I'd be in deep doo-doo. --

Depends on the prosecutor and the fact circumstances. The ordeal might end at the termination of investigation, or you might have to convince a jury (which, even if you win, you were in deep doo-doo). Worst case is a conviction.

Girl's father is eligible for manslaughter on the cops bullet, because threating deadly force has the reasonably foreseeable outcome of somebody's death. Didn't mean to kill them, but they are dead. No murder, no depraved mind, but criminal negligence sort of degree of culpability.

14 posted on 01/12/2016 8:06:10 PM PST by Cboldt
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To: BenLurkin

Tragic. God bless the child and bring her close.


15 posted on 01/12/2016 8:09:22 PM PST by jwalsh07
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To: The Iceman Cometh

most definitely. Pretty sure the democRATS would make an example out of such a case in fact.


16 posted on 01/12/2016 8:11:50 PM PST by RC one (race baiting and demagoguery-if you're a Democrat it's what you do.)
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To: Cboldt

As a former police officer in a large metropolitan area, I have seen this happen more than once. Most officers are ruined for lifer and usually turn in their shield soon after.

Many are scared for life and some take it to the extreme and eat their gun.


17 posted on 01/12/2016 8:12:52 PM PST by doc1019 (Cruz)
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To: The Iceman Cometh

Regular folks have no immunity. But it also is why ccw people are better shots, and hit far less innocent people, ie unintended targwts, than cops.


18 posted on 01/12/2016 8:21:00 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: BenLurkin

Assuming this is indeed a true version of what happened, I do not blame the cop in this instance.


19 posted on 01/12/2016 8:25:13 PM PST by Politicalkiddo ("If this poor life of mine could save you, [my country] how willingly would I make the sacrifice!")
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To: Politicalkiddo

It appears the family puts the blame on the father so it would be hard to blame the policeman, but he must feel horrible.


20 posted on 01/12/2016 8:35:09 PM PST by Calpublican (A.G. Lynch: The intent of this statement is to incite violence against radical Islam)
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