JSO Shoots Unarmed Fleeing Man in the Back

[ChriswUfGator]

Unless the man was shouting his name and address as he ran away from the Officer, how would JSO know his identity to issue this warrant?

So identifying someone is so important that it justifies shooting an unarmed man in the back simply because he doesn't obey an order? For what it's worth, they knew his description, and had his car, and no doubt his fingerprints were in it. Identifying him wouldn't have been difficult through the vehicle registration or through fingerprints in the vehicle.

But who wants to spend a couple minutes doing actual police work, it's easier to just kill him apparently...

[ChriswUfGator]

Chris, the suspect is not dead. See updated news story.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/26203064/detail.html

He's not dead only because the officer was such a bad shot that most of the 8 rounds he fired at the guy's back missed. So I'll ask this again, are you saying it's the citizen's fault the officer missed?

[Singejoufflue]

Henley is responsible for:

Driving without headlights on, fleeing the scene, starting a chase into the Sherwood neighborhood, driving at speeds of more than 70 mph and ignoring stop signs, driving through two homeowners' yards, backing into a JSO cruiser, crashing into a storm drain, getting out of the car, running from officers THEN reaching for something metallic at his waistband, and STILL not stopping. 

All cops are asked to make split second decisions that you and I aren't.  In this instance, given the suspects behavior, it was reasonable that after putting a neighborhood in danger, then possibly being armed, the suspect was shot.  Let me call my uncle and ask him if he ever uses "warning" shots before actually firing at the suspect. 

[ChriswUfGator]

Henley is responsible for:

Driving without headlights on, fleeing the scene, starting a chase into the Sherwood neighborhood, driving at speeds of more than 70 mph and ignoring stop signs, driving through two homeowners' yards, backing into a JSO cruiser, crashing into a storm drain, getting out of the car, running from officers THEN reaching for something metallic at his waistband, and STILL not stopping.  

All cops are asked to make split second decisions that you and I aren't.  In this instance, given the suspects behavior, it was reasonable that after putting a neighborhood in danger, then possibly being armed, the suspect was shot.  Let me call my uncle and ask him if he ever uses "warning" shots before actually firing at the suspect.  

Yes this surely would be the first time ever that a cop who shot someone later claimed they thought he had a gun. And I don't buy the split second excuse, if you can't make reasonable decisions in the field without shooting unarmed people in the back, then we'd all be better off if they find another job.

And WTF are you talking about with firing live rounds as "warning shots" in the middle of a residential neighborhood?

Seriously? Are you nuts?

[JC]

Henley is responsible for:

Driving without headlights on, fleeing the scene, starting a chase into the Sherwood neighborhood, driving at speeds of more than 70 mph and ignoring stop signs, driving through two homeowners' yards, backing into a JSO cruiser, crashing into a storm drain, getting out of the car, running from officers THEN reaching for something metallic at his waistband, and STILL not stopping. 

All cops are asked to make split second decisions that you and I aren't.  In this instance, given the suspects behavior, it was reasonable that after putting a neighborhood in danger, then possibly being armed, the suspect was shot.  Let me call my uncle and ask him if he ever uses "warning" shots before actually firing at the suspect. 

AND IT IS THE PUBLIC'S RESPONSIBILITY TO SCRUTINIZE THE INDIVIDUALS WE ENTRUST WITH THE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY OF POLICING THE PUBLIC!  

JUST IMAGINE THIS IS YOUR FATHER, SON, GRANDFATHER OR SOME OTHER PERSON CLOSE TO YOU AND THEN DECIDE IF THIS WAS A GOOD OR JUSTIFIED SHOOTING!

[JC]

Henley is responsible for:

Driving without headlights on, fleeing the scene, starting a chase into the Sherwood neighborhood, driving at speeds of more than 70 mph and ignoring stop signs, driving through two homeowners' yards, backing into a JSO cruiser, crashing into a storm drain, getting out of the car, running from officers THEN reaching for something metallic at his waistband, and STILL not stopping.  

All cops are asked to make split second decisions that you and I aren't.  In this instance, given the suspects behavior, it was reasonable that after putting a neighborhood in danger, then possibly being armed, the suspect was shot.  Let me call my uncle and ask him if he ever uses "warning" shots before actually firing at the suspect.  

Yes this surely would be the first time ever that a cop who shot someone later claimed they thought he had a gun. And I don't buy the split second excuse, if you can't make reasonable decisions in the field without shooting unarmed peole in the back, then we'd all be better off if they find another job.

Yes and everyday there are officers who make the correct decision. 

[Singejoufflue]

AND IT IS THE PUBLIC'S RESPONSIBILITY TO SCRUTINIZE THE INDIVIDUALS WE ENTRUST WITH THE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY OF POLICING THE PUBLIC!  

JUST IMAGINE THIS IS YOUR FATHER, SON, GRANDFATHER OR SOME OTHER PERSON CLOSE TO YOU AND THEN DECIDE IF THIS WAS A GOOD OR JUSTIFIED SHOOTING!

It's a good thing that JSO takes the opportunity to immediately, without question, put the Office on Administrative leave pending investigation.  I think that helps the whole scrutinizing aspect.  

I can speak for my family that have been pulled over, arrested, incarcerated, etc.  None of them fled.  

[JC]

AND IT IS THE PUBLIC'S RESPONSIBILITY TO SCRUTINIZE THE INDIVIDUALS WE ENTRUST WITH THE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY OF POLICING THE PUBLIC!  

JUST IMAGINE THIS IS YOUR FATHER, SON, GRANDFATHER OR SOME OTHER PERSON CLOSE TO YOU AND THEN DECIDE IF THIS WAS A GOOD OR JUSTIFIED SHOOTING!

It's a good thing that JSO takes the opportunity to immediately, without question, put the Office on Administrative leave pending investigation.  I think that helps the whole scrutinizing aspect.  

I can speak for my family that have been pulled over, arrested, incarcerated, etc.  None of them fled.  

Take it a step further... Would you stand over the grave of your family member and say to the rest of your grieving family... 'dad shouldnt have run, its his fault he was shot.'

[Singejoufflue]

JC, you don't know my family.  We were all raised with an exceptionally high "personal responsibility" index and penchant for talking negatively about people when they are standing right there, so, in my family...yeah, that's really possible.

[Singejoufflue]

He was shot once in the back. Not eight times. Why is this still being mis-stated?

And it's not "personal responsibility" if I have to worry about everyone else, now is it?  What THAT is, is civic duty to elect a Sheriff that will hold their staff to high standards.

[Charles Hunter]

Henley is responsible for:

Driving without headlights on, fleeing the scene, starting a chase into the Sherwood neighborhood, driving at speeds of more than 70 mph and ignoring stop signs, driving through two homeowners' yards, backing into a JSO cruiser, crashing into a storm drain, getting out of the car, running from officers THEN reaching for something metallic at his waistband, and STILL not stopping.  

All cops are asked to make split second decisions that you and I aren't.  In this instance, given the suspects behavior, it was reasonable that after putting a neighborhood in danger, then possibly being armed, the suspect was shot.  Let me call my uncle and ask him if he ever uses "warning" shots before actually firing at the suspect.  

So, driving without headlights on?

Well that does sound positively dangerous.  Almost like a maniac.

The high speed chase started when the officer was turning around to stop the car without headlights - had they stopped then, none of this would have happened.  The driver made several bad decisions, including running from the cops after they wrecked their car, and ramming the police car.  Decisions have consequences.  Sometimes they aren't so great.

This discussion is going the way many of these do - focusing on the last few seconds ("he was running, and the cop shot him" as if he was training for the track team); and not on what led up to that split second.

That said, the officer should have let the guy go, and sought a warrant as Chris suggested; but have been ready to shoot if the guy did produce a gun.  (can the officer use his Admin Leave to go to the firing range?)

[mtraininjax]

So what about that justifies shooting an unarmed man in the back 8 times?

SHOT AT 8 TIMES, not SHOT 8 TIMES. Heck if he'd been shot 8 times, he'd be a corpse with the 40 caliber shot in the Glock 9s that the JSO carry.

Just wonder where those other 6 shots went off into that residential neighborhood.

[Singejoufflue]

We all have personal responsibility not to harm a common property.  We have that right in common.  Making excuses for why its ok to shoot a man in the back for running harms that right.

What common property was being harmed?  Sorry, Stephen...you lost me.

[JC]

JC, you don't know my family.  We were all raised with an exceptionally high "personal responsibility" index and penchant for talking negatively about people when they are standing right there, so, in my family...yeah, that's really possible.

Why dont you quit the sarcasm and answer the question?  Why dont you put yourself in this persons shoes, or in the shoes of the family members who get to nurse their shot up loved one?  Why dont you stop blaming the victim?  Maybe you could put this into some historical context and realize that many African Americans are rightfully deeply suspicious of the police and maybe thats why the VICTIM ran?  

[Singejoufflue]

Sorry, JC.  Let me rephrase that without the sarcasm.

JC, you don't know my family.  We were all raised with an exceptionally high "personal responsibility" index and penchant for talking negatively about people when they are standing right there, so, in my family...yeah, that's really possible. Call my aunt and ask her about her cop-murdering son.  You'll get the waterworks and her bitterness at his poor decision-making.  I would say talk to my Grandma who, up to and including the day of my Grandfather's funeral, was cursing him for being a drunk and dying of liver failure...

I am acutely aware of the historical context, but thank you for reminding me about the history of racism in law enforcement.  I am also acutely aware that there are many more African American individuals who CHOOSE not to run.  But, no, let us NOT consider, perhaps, it was the fact that he was in possession of cocaine and marijuana that led him to run.  Let us NOT consider, that this individual who had been driving recklessly, put a neighborhood in harms way by driving through people's lawns, rammed a police cruiser and then wrecked his own car, might have a weapon stashed in his waistband (a common place those are stored) as the officer saw something metallic.

I am not justifying 7 shots that went who knows where.  If an Officer fires a warning shot and you continue to run...that is YOUR poor decision making.