Posted on 10/01/2002 7:41:08 PM PDT by FreedomPoster
A rookie Roswell police officer shot and killed a suspect Monday afternoon after the man allegedly snatched a bag from a car in a shopping center parking lot.
Roswell police Sgt. James McGee today identified the dead man as Stephen Burke, 34, of Alpharetta. McGee said the officer has been on the force for about a year. The officer, whose name was not released, was put on administrative leave while the case is investigated. Police got a call about 5:20 p.m. that a car was being broken into in a parking lot at the shopping center at the corner of Ga. 140 and Holcomb Bridge Road. Immediately afterward, police received another call saying the suspect had run down an alley to the back of the shopping center. At the shopping center, police found a woman who said she was the victim of the theft. The police chased the man behind the shopping center and shot him there. Only one officer fired, but it was not clear how many other officers were involved in the chase. The suspect fell behind the back door of Prime Cleaners dry cleaning shop. What police initially thought was a handgun found next to Burke's body turned out to be a BB gun, McGee said.
I'm beginning to see a disturbing pattern.
Or "food for the worms"...
I hope the rookie police officer is not crucified for this. You can't ask a police officer to request identification of a weapon that's pointed in his direction.
"Uh, excuse me, is that a REAL gun you're holding?"
My prayers go out to the officer.
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