Posted on 07/30/2013 3:23:16 AM PDT by Wolfie
Roy Middleton, Unarmed Florida Man, Shot By Police In Own Driveway While Retrieving Cigarettes From Car
Florida law enforcement officials are investigating reports that an unarmed man was shot by police in his own driveway while retrieving cigarettes from his mother’s car.
Roy Middleton, a 60-year-old resident of Warrington, Fla., was shot in the leg by Escambia County sheriff’s deputies on Saturday, the Pensacola News Journal reports. The shooting reportedly took place on Middleton’s driveway, as he attempted to retrieve a cigarette from his mother’s car. That’s when police arrived on the scene, investigating a report of a possible vehicle break-in, Fox 10 reports.
Middleton claims that he was searching the car for a loose cigarette when he heard someone say, “Get your hands where I can see them,” the News Journal reports. The 60-year-old initially thought a neighbor was playing a joke on him, but he turned to find Escambia County police standing with guns drawn.
The 60-year-old says that he exited his mother’s car with his arms raised, but police opened fire anyway, the News Journal reports. “It was like a firing squad,” Middleton told the paper. “Bullets were flying everywhere.”
Middleton remains in a local hospital and reportedly faces several weeks of recovery. “I’m just glad they didn’t hit me here or here,” he told the News Journal, indicating his chest and head. “My mother’s car is full of bullet holes though.”
“He was just coming home like he usually does. I don’t understand why they had to use so much force under the situation,” Middleton’s mother, Ceola Walker, told Fox 10. “I don’t understand how they could fire so many shots at him. He wasn’t resisting or anything and he was at his own house.”
Middleton added that he doesn’t understand what caused officers to perceive him as a threat and shoot him. “Even if they thought the car was stolen, all they had to do was run the license plate,” Middleton told the News Journal. “They would have seen that that car belonged there.”
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on the Middleton shooting Saturday, but the incident is currently being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the News Journal reports. The deputies responsible for shooting Middleton have reportedly been placed on administrative leave.
Where are the holster sniffers? 15 posts thus far and not one saying how brave the police were and how the man deserved to get shot.
Good thing he wasn't delivering newspapers...
It always is, and it always works.
I wonder how many police forces are regularly target practicing on the “no more hesitation targets”?
What does the police dashboard security camera footage show?
And a promotion, probably.
So, who called them? Did this guy get a low grade version of SWATted?
Congressional investigation into steroid doping by today’s active and retired police (those receiving lifetime pensions).
There needs to be home security camera footage with off site backup. We are all worried about the government spying on us all the time, but we need total recording of everything around us for our own protection - makes me think there is another sales point for Google Glass, as well.
These cops are dangerous this day and age. The casual attitude they have towards taking someone's life, [shooting them] demonstrates their distain for human life [other that theirs] and makes them poor public servants as they like to crow that they are. But they obey orders well, which will come in handy when they are ordered to round up the sheep for the slaughter,
Sounds to me like they tried to shoot him in the back but just got the backs of his legs. If all these LEOs are so damned afraid of their safety, why are they hiring such pussies.
If there were any real reporters there, they’d be investigating where there really was a “report of a car break-in” Get the 911 tapes. Investigate the background of the victim AND the records of the officers involved. Make the police prove to them there actually was a weapon in the car that can be tied to anyone at the residence.
But I guess you know where that will go.
It is best to keep the reporters out of it. Someway they will make it George Zimmerman’s fault.
He looked like the family dog.
Investigative journalism now days is just one report asking another “Do you think this will hit the wires or even go ‘Network’ ?”
That’s a damn long time to get a cigarette out of a car — so long that a neighbor sits and watches so long that he decides to call the police? — and off-the-graph fast response time by the PD.
Zimmerman would not have reacted so violently without cause. Fire these donut farmers and hire him.
“...placed on administrative leave...”
All comments aside about their egregious actions, how about some remedial firearms training, too? They shoot as well as LAPD (ala those poor newspaper delivery women).
Lucky guy.
Was the victim black and the cops white or, was it the other way around? Perhaps it was “black on black”. No way to tell just yet. Where are the race baiters on this?
I am reserving my judgment comments until further details come forth.....
“My mother’s car is full of bullet holes though.”
"...they could fire so many shots at him.
So... they shot all these times and hit him once in the leg?
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