Posted on 12/08/2018 5:47:13 AM PST by BenLurkin
When Ventura County Sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus and a California Highway Patrol officer responded to a shooting last month in Thousand Oaks, Calif., they faced a barrage of gunfire from a suspect.
But officials announced Friday that the sergeant's fatal wound was a result of a shot fired by his fellow law enforcement officer.
Helus, a 29-year veteran of his department, was one of 12 people killed at the Borderline Bar and Grill on Nov. 7 when a gunman fired more than 50 rounds into the crowd from a .45 caliber Glock semi-automatic pistol.
Five bullets traceable to the suspect's weapon were found during Helus' autopsy, according to Ventura County's chief medical examiner Christopher Young.
"These bullets caused serious injuries, but potentially survivable injuries," Young said. But it was a sixth bullet – one that entered Helus' chest and struck his heart – that proved fatal. "Ultimately, this was the most severe injury sustained," Young said. That bullet was determined by FBI experts to have come from the CHP officer's rifle. Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub described the situation that night as chaotic and confusing.
"People were running through the parking lot and jumping through windows to escape," Ayub said. "Many were visibly bleeding from injuries received while escaping the bar. Shots could be heard as the law enforcement officers bravely approached the front of the business."
Do you have Ocasio-Cortez level subpoena power too?
Or are you just threatening endless police harassment because you don’t like what he said?
Grew up in a LEO/USMC family. I know how they USED to be... It's why I have such a deep seated contempt for black-gloved, badge heavy thugs.
You know, like you...
He was using a rifle in a confined space? Was this a dreaded AR he was using?
“Grew up in a LEO/USMC family.”
Yeah right.
If any autopsies of the victims show that they died because of police shooting, will that be made public?
“He was using a rifle in a confined space? Was this a dreaded AR he was using?”
Probably. It is rare that one sees an LEO deploying a shotgun on any of the myriad of cop shows. Why is that I wonder? The trusty 12 bore is much safer to use at close range due to the risk of overpenetration with rifle rounds. It is unlikely that buckshot would have penetrated that officer’s vest. But of course, an AR-15 looks sexier and shotguns have recoil.
I believe this happens way more than the cops admit.
and...I put all of the blame on the fool that started the shooting, not the cops.
Good point! Although LEO should be using hollows to hopefully mitigate that. But this was too close to stop at first impact even for a HP.
For what it is worth, cop friends from the area are saying the suspect monitored the officers approach on CCTV. He ambushed them hitting the sergeant 5 times. The sergeant went down and the CHP officer engaged the suspect. The sergeant tried to engage as well, but unfortunately got up directly in the line of fire of the CHP officer.
To me, the key takeaway was:
“Both Sgt. Helus and the CHP officer knowingly and willingly went into what can only be described as a combat situation, risking their own lives to save many others,” Ayub said. “It is a fact that many lives were saved that night.”
Long did not fire any more bullets after his exchange with the officers, other than one that he used to take his own life. He was later found inside the bar with a single gunshot wound to the head, which an autopsy confirmed he fired himself.
A heavy burden to bear for the CHP officer.
So sad - coming to the “rescue” of a twit who won’t defend himself because he knows what he said was crap....I guess I invaded your safe space before too, else you would have picked a better/smarter venue to jump in.
I don’t know, you seem pretty willing to condemn w/o any sort of proof....just a general story that had no scenarios....except that there were a LOT of slugs flying around and it was chaotic as hell or he wouldn’t have had all the other wounds...I thought that was the definition of black-gloved, badge heavy thugs.
My first thought as well. That poor CHP Officer.
My second thought was, why did the doctors have to announce that all 5 of the shots by the murderer would not have killed him? How is that important for the public to know? Why couldn’t everyone have just known that he sustained 6 shots one of which happened to be friendly fire?
But, then, doggies can't always wind their key up, enough, to walk in and sign on the line for the guy in the pwitty boo uniform...
It probably happens a lot more than we know, and people do just as you say.
I was astonished to learn how many of our casualties in WWII were from friendly fire. 21 percent is claimed. In Vietnam, they say it was 39 percent. Our FF casualties in Vietnam were so much higher, because we outmatched the enemy in firepower by such a large amount.
You forgot to threaten me too.
I was at a sporting event where the family of the deputy was honored and they look like good people, suffering in their loss, of course. I just don’t see how they are helped to know a really uncomfortable fact. He sustained 6 bullets, one happened to be friendly fire, 5 from the killer. Why the hell do those grief stricken loved ones need to know which bullet he could never have survived? Why do they have know that we, the public, also know that? Talk about a fact that brings nothing good.
Yes. I have refrained from writing wonderful, interesting stories...
Because they had a good chance of harming innocent people.
The truth can very much hurt innocent people.
Not all truth needs to be shouted to everyone.
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