what happened in Chattanooga 43 bullet holes

[enfield]

I don't understand why they didn't get a marksman, or at least a guy with a rifle to shoot the guy's hand or the gun to prevent anyone from dying.

Oh Lord . . . .

We've got one!!!!

[9teeneleven]

YouTube - Amazing Police Sniper Negotiations

[Guest TurboniumOxide]

A few beanbags would have been called for I would think.

[enfield]

It's amazing the number of conclusions that are arrived at with just a thimble-full of facts.

Too much television, I think.

[Metalhead]

It's amazing the number of conclusions that are arrived at with just a thimble-full of facts.

Too much television, I think.

+1

[E4 No More]

I don't understand why they didn't get a marksman, or at least a guy with a rifle to shoot the guy's hand or the gun to prevent anyone from dying.

Something similar was done a couple of decades ago. I don't remember where, but a sniper shot the hand of a supect that was holding the gun on a hostage's head.

[E4 No More]

For all ya'll who want to run with news coverage of any incident.

A friend of mine, who shall remain nameless, was working for a neighboring police department that my department backed-up on appropriate calls. They got a call of a man with an AK threatening suicide. My friend, my sergeant, and a sheriff's deputy responded to the call. Upon their arrival they spread out with the sergeant approaching from the front, the deputy well to his left, and my friend from the right side of the house. As the three approached the house, the man walked onto the front poarch with the AK and a magazine inserted. He pointed the AK at my sergeant, and my friend opened up with a shotgun from the man's left to protect the sergeant. The single shotgun blast took out the man's medulla, (brain stem) - dropping him instantly. The magazine in the AK was empty.

The news reporters showed up. One asked my friend what had happened. My friend responded that, per his department's Standard Operating Proceedures, she would have to ask his Chief of Police for a statement. She looked him dead in the eye and said, "You either tell me what happened or I'll just make it up." Again, he refused, and sure enough she made up her story for the broadcast.

There is no such thing as journalistic integrity anymore.

Edited August 4, 2009 by SWJewellTN

[Guest Spuds]

The report I just read in the Chattonooga Times Free Press said nothing about "suicide by cop"--it said

Alonzo A. Heyward, 32, apparently was pointing a shotgun at his face outside the Rossville Boulevard McDonald’s restaurant on July 18 when approached by police, according to officers. Officers followed Mr. Heyward to his home on 7th Avenue, continually asking him to disarm.

When he did not comply, officers said, they shot him with a stun gun. When that wasn’t successful in getting Mr. Heyward subdued, the six officers on the scene fired on the man.

Chattanooga Times Free Press | Chattanooga: Police shooting victim struck 43 times

I see nothing in the news article about him pointing the gun at the police--I see clearly that they simply opened fire on him. If he was not pointing the gun at anyone but himself--then he was not a threat to the officers...that shooting was not justified.

If it had been reversed and it has been six plain, everyday ordinary people who shot someone 43 times for pointing a gun at his head--they would all everyone without exception be in jail on murder charges. For these officers--it should be no different.

i wrote exactly what Nashville news said. they said nothing about the guy threating the police

Let me google that for you

Or perhaps the single article each of you read fit your agenda, so you didn't go looking for further info despite your single source's account flying in the face of logic? Dunno, just asking.

[TNTitan]

I think one report say "43 wounds".. counting entry and exit woulds as two different wounds - possibly, resulting in closer to 22 shots fired (probably more thought). Thats 3-4 shots minimum per cop it they were all hits... just saying. Best to not formulate opinions until the facts are all together.

Edited August 4, 2009 by TNTitan

[threeshot]

Chattanooga Times Free Press | Police shooting victim had 43 wounds

Video

Chattanooga Times Free Press | Video: Police shooting victim had 43 wounds

Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009

Police shooting victim had 43 wounds

Six Chattanooga police officers fired 59 bullets to subdue a suicidal armed man last month, a police spokeswoman said today.

A preliminary autopsy report shows the victim, Alonzo A. Heyward, 32, had 43 bullet holes in his body. Without question, those wounds led to his death, the medical examiner's report indicates. But police said the use of force wasn't excessive.

"When we are trained to shoot, we are trained to shoot until we subdue the threat," said Lt. Kim Noorbergen, police spokeswoman. "We are not trained to shoot to kill, as many people think."

Mr. Heyward was pointing a shotgun at his face outside the McDonald's restaurant on Rossville Boulevard in the early morning hours of July 18 when approached by police, according to previous police statements.

Officers followed Mr. Heyward to his home on Seventh Avenue, continually asking him to disarm, but Mr. Heyward didn't comply, police have said.

On Monday, Chattanooga police released an audio recording of the encounter. The recording comes from the microphone of Officer Lauren Bacha, who apparently arrived at the scene after Mr. Heyward already was on the porch of his home.

One neighbor is heard telling officers that Mr. Heyward had been threatening to kill himself all day and had been drinking. Police say that once on the porch at his house, Mr. Heyward pointed his weapon at them, and that's when they used a stun gun. When that didn't work, the officers resorted to deadly force.

The audio plays out as a heated exchange between Mr. Heyward and police, followed by the sound of Mr. Heyward being hit with an electric stun gun and then three volleys of gunshots.

Lt. Noorbergen said those three gunfire bursts indicate officers didn't think the threat posed by Mr. Heyward and his gun was quashed.

"You hear a five-second delay and then more gunfire," Lt. Noorbergen said. "In these situations we do what it takes to stop the threat."

The autopsy report, which is not yet final, details gunshot wounds on nearly every part of Mr. Heyward's 5-foot-9-inch, 180-pound body. Bullet holes were present from his chin to his ankle, but Lt. Noorbergen said it's not clear which of those were entry or exit wounds.

"In one case we know there were three wounds for one gunshot," Lt. Noorbergen said, explaining a bullet entered one part of the body, exited and then entered another part.

But the officers did fire a total of 59 rounds at Mr. Heyward, the lieutenant said. A standard .45-caliber pistol holds nine bullets, but not all officers carry the same weapon, she said.

From the start, Mr. Heyward's family has questioned the use of force. No one was at the Seventh Avenue residence on Monday.

"It was like they had machine guns, all shooting," said James Heyward, shortly after the shooting. "All the officers fired a round. (Alonzo) said he didn't want to hurt anybody, he just wanted to hurt himself."

Medical Examiner Report

http://media.timesfreepress.com/docs/2009/08/43bulletwounds.pdf

[Guest canynracer]

I think it is far excessive. It sounds as if they got a bit trigger happy...

you nailed it...

they thought it was FUN!!

[Guest canynracer]

Chattanooga Times Free Press | Police shooting victim had 43 wounds

Video

Chattanooga Times Free Press | Video: Police shooting victim had 43 wounds

Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009

Police shooting victim had 43 wounds

Six Chattanooga police officers fired 59 bullets to subdue a suicidal armed man last month, a police spokeswoman said today.

A preliminary autopsy report shows the victim, Alonzo A. Heyward, 32, had 43 bullet holes in his body. Without question, those wounds led to his death, the medical examiner's report indicates. But police said the use of force wasn't excessive.

"When we are trained to shoot, we are trained to shoot until we subdue the threat," said Lt. Kim Noorbergen, police spokeswoman. "We are not trained to shoot to kill, as many people think."

Mr. Heyward was pointing a shotgun at his face outside the McDonald's restaurant on Rossville Boulevard in the early morning hours of July 18 when approached by police, according to previous police statements.

Officers followed Mr. Heyward to his home on Seventh Avenue, continually asking him to disarm, but Mr. Heyward didn't comply, police have said.

On Monday, Chattanooga police released an audio recording of the encounter. The recording comes from the microphone of Officer Lauren Bacha, who apparently arrived at the scene after Mr. Heyward already was on the porch of his home.

One neighbor is heard telling officers that Mr. Heyward had been threatening to kill himself all day and had been drinking. Police say that once on the porch at his house, Mr. Heyward pointed his weapon at them, and that's when they used a stun gun. When that didn't work, the officers resorted to deadly force.

The audio plays out as a heated exchange between Mr. Heyward and police, followed by the sound of Mr. Heyward being hit with an electric stun gun and then three volleys of gunshots.

Lt. Noorbergen said those three gunfire bursts indicate officers didn't think the threat posed by Mr. Heyward and his gun was quashed.

"You hear a five-second delay and then more gunfire," Lt. Noorbergen said. "In these situations we do what it takes to stop the threat."

The autopsy report, which is not yet final, details gunshot wounds on nearly every part of Mr. Heyward's 5-foot-9-inch, 180-pound body. Bullet holes were present from his chin to his ankle, but Lt. Noorbergen said it's not clear which of those were entry or exit wounds.

"In one case we know there were three wounds for one gunshot," Lt. Noorbergen said, explaining a bullet entered one part of the body, exited and then entered another part.

But the officers did fire a total of 59 rounds at Mr. Heyward, the lieutenant said. A standard .45-caliber pistol holds nine bullets, but not all officers carry the same weapon, she said.

From the start, Mr. Heyward's family has questioned the use of force. No one was at the Seventh Avenue residence on Monday.

"It was like they had machine guns, all shooting," said James Heyward, shortly after the shooting. "All the officers fired a round. (Alonzo) said he didn't want to hurt anybody, he just wanted to hurt himself."

Medical Examiner Report

http://media.timesfreepress.com/docs/2009/08/43bulletwounds.pdf

well, so much for that theory...suicide by cop seems more fitting.

[E4 No More]

well, so much for that theory...suicide by cop seems more fitting.

I agree: however, I would like to hear from an independent witness. It makes me wonder when everyone opens up like that. Kind of like when someone pops off a cap in a combat zone, and everyone else starts firing too even though they don't see any enemy.

[Guest Muttling]

i wish i could get tazed, in a controlled setting of course. they say electricians are more immune to the tazer than others and i get shocked all the time

As like I recall, King was an electrician.....but I can't Google anything to verify that.

I will certainly vouch for ya though. Electricians have a very high tolerance for voltage.

[strickj]

I wonder if any of the officers were using ARs that were purchased last year?

I remember when they started carrying them they were required to use frangible ammo.

Makes you wonder if thats why it took so many rounds to stop him...

[Guest clsutton21]

I used to do electrical work for a swimming pool company. I got shocked on almost every pool heater I came into contact with. I don't know why people wouldn't just use gas for their pool heaters. It was most 220, so I didn't really get hurt, just surprised.

[BrandonTN]

I saw in one local report that they were all using .45s...but you know how educated the local media is.

[cadillacdude1975]

Heyward Autopsy Shows He Was Shot Dozens of Times - WRCB Channel 3 Chattanooga News, Weather |

[Guest AmericanWorkMule]

What is the range of a Taser? 20 feet?

If the city employee with the Taser could get a hit in that range why did it take 5 other city employees to fire so many rounds? The firing range must've been closed that day.

I'm not cop bashing, just questioning the actions of city employees

[I_Like_Pie]

I saw in one local report that they were all using .45s...but you know how educated the local media is.

They carry S&W 4509 or Sig .45s in Chatt

This whole ordeal is turning into a HUGE PR mess for Chatt police...on the other hand I hate to say that it is also making the black community look really bad in that they are courting NAACP and trying to criminalize the police while ignoring the 60 other homicides that have occurred here without them batting an eye. For example...since this even there has been a 12 year old girl randomly shot in her front yard, and a riot at a local school that resulted in thugs shooting up the school playground....The community animalizes the cops, but have done nothing to address these events.

Chattanooga is a relatively safe place as long as you don't venture into the 4 sq mile war zone where at least 1 person is shot every day. It has gotten so bad that the witnesses don't even show up for court because they will get shot the next day for ratting people out. Somone did this last year and they caught the guys sister at home and burned her with gasoline.

I am highly embarresed for the community and the apathy that is being shown for these events. Absolutly pitiful.

[I_Like_Pie]

I'm not cop bashing, just questioning the actions of city employees

The guy had a loaded shotgun and was waving it around...boy I sure would hate to draw the short straw and try to taze this guy at 20feet again...considering the 1st attempt didn't work.

here would have been the solution - When 6 cops show up to your front yard with guns drawn....Put the gun down as you will get shot up. This should be pretty universally understood by even the most retarded of thugs.

[Bigiron]

Correct.