Man Attempts To Burglarize Home, Gets Shot (Shot 12 times!)

News 5 ^ | June 28, 2002

[tarawa]

Man Attempts To Burglarize Home, Gets Shot Police Officer Lives In Home

POSTED: 12:21 p.m. EDT June 28, 2002 UPDATED: 5:41 p.m. EDT June 28, 2002

CLEVELAND -- An attempted burglary turned fatal on the city's west side Friday morning, according to NewsChannel5.

Police said that Officer James Toomey and his wife were awaken by banging noises outside their home.

Toomey found a man in his back yard lying on the ground holding a pipe. Officials said that Toomey identified himself as a police officer. He then reportedly yelled to his wife to call 911, and then the man got up and started hitting the officer with the pipe.

WEWS said that's when Toomey opened fire.

The suspect, whose name hasn't been released, died of 12 gunshot wounds, the coroner said.

WEWS said Toomey's home wasn't the only home that the suspected burglar targeted. Officials said the suspect forced a screen door open at another home.

"With our air conditioner going, (he) probably could have got in without us realizing it," said Wayne Hughes, a homeowner.

Jean MacDonald's son, Steve, heard a noise and went to the window.

"I was looking out and couldn't see anything," he said. "So the flood lights on the garage were on, so I turned them off and then on again to let anybody out (there) know that there was somebody awake and alert."

Hughes is happy to have a police officer as a neighbor.

"I'm just grateful he's not on the street anymore," said Hughes.

Officials said that there was evidence of an attempted burglary.

"No neighborhood stays the same, but it's a shame," MacDonald said. "You work hard for what you've got and then some hop-head or whatever tries to take it away from you."

Toomey is on administrative leave while the incident is being investigated.

[tarawa]

Just keep firing until the bad guy doesn't get up again.... That officer must have moved to Cleveland from TX. ;)

[tarawa]

ping

[Godel]

"No neighborhood stays the same, but it's a shame," MacDonald said.

Hrrrm, wonder what he meant by that?

[Richard Kimball]

Now THAT's gun control! Hope he was carrying a 9 with a big clip. Be hard to explain reloading and pumping more into him. Course, I don't blame him. Breaking into a house should be the last mistake anyone makes.

[APBaer]

""With our air conditioner going, (he) probably "

needed ventilation,so...
I ventilated him.

[Don Myers]

Twelve times??? Yeah, he must be a cop. I understand that cops really can't shoot worth a darn. That is why we hear about cops shooting a hundred or so times at a perp. They just can't hit the sucker.

[Don Myers]

""No neighborhood stays the same, but it's a shame," MacDonald said. Hrrrm, wonder what he meant by that?"

While he was trying to shoot the burgler, he killed every dog, cat, man, woman, and child in the neighborhood. They need a few good men and women to move in and reoccupy the vacant houses.

[M1911A1]

Firing twelve times at someone who is trying to open your cranium with a pipe seems reasonable to me. As to the idea that cops can't shoot, the fact that he hit the man twelve times seems to refute that. Some cops are shooters, some are not.

[bybybill]

Sounds like"every dog, cat, man, woman, and child in the neighborhood" are a little safer

[jonascord]

But, but, 12 shots might indicate that he had a 'high-capacity-magazine-that-is-only-meant-for-the-military-and-shouldn't-be-in-the-hands-of-anyone-that-would-need-to-defend-himself'

[Iris7]

I have had some experience with police firearms training, and have found that the police I have met are not firearms oriented people in the most part, and that a sizeable minority is very unskilled with handguns. Perhaps five percent are good shots and one percent very good shots with the service pistol.

[Don Myers]

"As to the idea that cops can't shoot, the fact that he hit the man twelve times seems to refute that. "

Ok, this cop can qualify on the range. But he had to shoot the guy twelve times to stop him? I am not sure my comments are refuted.

[Don Myers]

"Perhaps five percent are good shots and one percent very good shots with the service pistol."

That is probably about right.

[Don Myers]

Many people like the 12 gauge riot shotgun approach.

[Nightshift]

Good thing this didn't happen in England. The police officer would be in jail by now

[blackbart.223]

The suspect, whose name hasn't been released, died of 12 gunshot wounds, the coroner said."

One less turd on the face of the earth.

[M1911A1]

That might be true. A lot of cops are really armed social workers. In this case, at first glance, the good guy won, he shot well, and I am not going to critique his technique at a distance. Twelve rounds might have been called for, I'm sure the adrenaline was pumping, and who knows what kind of ammo his department dictates. Could be 9mm ball, and I would tend to apply that very liberaly at close quarters...

[Travelgirl]

"No neighborhood stays the same, but it's a shame," MacDonald said.

He probably meant that you used to be able to leave your home unlocked, keys in car, etc. and not worry. Now you have to lock the house and car and still worry.

[jonascord]

Messy, very messy... loaded with dimes...

[Don Myers]

Yeah, I guess it would be.