Posted on 10/17/2019 6:14:48 AM PDT by Presbyterian Reporter
Authorities are looking into what former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean and his partner were told before arriving to Jefferson's home. "The information came from the neighbor to the call-takers and while it was relayed to the dispatch, it was determined to be an open structure call," Fort Worth interim Police Chief Ed Kraus told reporters on Tuesday. Experts say that classification escalated things beyond a welfare check, and meant the officers would respond differently. It could have been a burglary or other crime Many times a welfare check involves a medical emergency, an elderly person living alone or a relative who is difficult to get ahold of. For those calls, police officers usually knock on someone's door and wait for an answer. But the mindset of a police officer changes when they hear it's an "open structure" or "open door" call. Michael "Britt" London, president of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, said officers have a more cautious approach and run through multiple scenarios in their heads. They could be presented with a simple case of a door left unlocked, an abandoned home, or a burglary in progress. "You are at a higher sensitivity to what is going on with that house," London said. "You have to be ready for anything. You are taking more of your environment in consideration to be ready for a surprise if there's one." The first thing that comes to mind is often a burglary -- that's why officers search for signs of forced entry like a broken window or a damaged door. Body camera footage from that night shows Dean, 34, peering through two open doors and walking around the perimeter of the house. He then pointed his weapon at a window and yelled "Put your hands up! Show me your hands!"
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
The comparison I use is what would happen if I, an armed citizen did it? I’d be prosecuted for murder. I’m not anti police, but I’m also pretty sure that telling a homeowner at 2am to put up hands, then firing a gun at them isn’t following procedure.
On one of the Joe Kenda programs, the police yelled “police” in every room they entered. Did this police officer even yell it once?
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The cop isn’t a murderer just because he failed to yell “police” in the heat of the moment, after seeing somebody with a gun inside of a house with an open door — something the Joe Kenda officer never saw.
Sooo, you are on a possible burglary call and some unknown Negro points a gun at you. What do you do? Shoot first or not? This isn’t “murder.” Accidental homicide maybe. But justifiable.
Can’t trust the news. whatever happened to shining a spotlight on the open door from the safety of the squad car? Let whomever is in the house know you are there before sneaking around the home yelling in windows and pointing a gun at anyone.
Only a reckless idiot shoots before identifying the target. This fool needs to sit in prison for 50 years. We didn’t even shoot at the VC until we identified everyone in the field of fire.
If lynching were legal, some FReepers would have done it already.
uh, What does race have to do with it? You DUCK and yell POLICE!
best answer is to not sneak around houses at night like a burgler
If called about a possible breaking and entering, they go in presuming they’ll find a criminal. A wellness check changes it to where they expect to find nothing.
The "facts" keep changing like an ice flow breaking up on a frozen river.
No one has said the officer identified himself as a policeman before he shot the victim. Seems like that would be routine procedure.
I can tell you what here welfare is and I’m in Iowa, no need to go check.
As I have cautioned on other threads, FREEPERS should always remember the two Golden Rules of police shootings involving blacks: 1) The media always DISTORTS or LIES to make the officer look worse and the black person look better; 2) The civil rights “lawyers” ALWAYS lie about the facts. Another perfect example. The police on scene suspected a burglary in progress. In fact, not one but TWO neighbors suspected foul play, as the one neighbor contacted the other neighbor (her brother) who contacted police. BTW, the little bit of the inside of the house that I saw looked like it had been ransacked (it wasn’t, but the cops would logically assume that it was by all the stuff that was scattered all over). And the 8 year old nephew gave a statement (videotaped) that the victim was pointing a handgun at the window where the officer shot. Let me reiterate: I do not believe the victim was at fault and I am not blaming her. However, I think it is highly questionable that the police officer committed a crime. We call what happened: negligence—at best.
Right the time is long past for us to stop reacting to CNN like it was a legitimate news org.
BTW, the little bit of the inside of the house that I saw looked like it had been ransacked (it wasn’t, but the cops would logically assume that it was by all the stuff that was scattered all over). And the 8 year old nephew gave a statement (videotaped) that the victim was pointing a handgun at the window where the officer shot. Let me reiterate: I do not believe the victim was at fault and I am not blaming her. However, I think it is highly questionable that the police officer committed a crime.
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Life isn’t fair and tragedies happen.
If they’re going to lose the element of surprise by first asking if anyone is inside, there would be no reason not to arrive with lights and siren to alert anyone inside they are police.
My advice to you would be to go to an urban police department and request to do a “ride-along.” I did a ride-along with a police officer about 10 years ago. It is unbelievable what these cops see and experience. You have absolutely no clue, but yet you pontificate. Two neighbors thought there was foul play afoot (the first neighbor called her other neighbor—her brother—who called the police). Get it. TWO neighbors thought a burglary or other foul play was afoot. It was 2:30 am. When the cop walked by the window, the victim was POINTING A FREAKING HANDGUN AT HIM (according to the 8 year old nephew). BTW, if the cops had rang the doorbell and a home invasion was taking place, this could have created a hostage situation or, the burglar/assailant could have escaped. All of this second guessing.
Were their lights and sirens on? I didn’t see police lights in the body cam video.
And I bet if you were the police officer on a burglary call and you glanced and observed a human being pointing a handgun at you, you would have calmly instructed the person to drop the gun!! Actually, you would have sh*t your pants and fired, just like this rookie did. The victim is very likely not at fault whatsoever, but the police officer was likely negligent and not criminally culpable.
I have never understood why the police don’t use tear gas in situations like this. No need to play John Wayne. I got gassed a couple times during military training and it works.
I remember you. You're the apologist who kept posting yesterday. Here's the deal: a cop who comes to check on someone's well-being and ends up shooting the person is part of the problem and not part of the solution.
The issue isn’t whether this is a “bad shoot.” The issue is whether the police officer committed a crime. As to that issue, at this point, I am not convinced. Since two neighbors believed that foul play was afoot regarding this house, I think its reasonable for the cops to be searching around the property. I’ve never had a handgun pointed at me, but I bet the police officer was terrified when the woman pointed the gun in his direction. I’m withholding judgment, but I wish the cop-haters would do the same.
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