Police investigate after deputy fires his gun

[Motasyco]

It sounds like this may not end well for all involved.

Police investigate after deputy fires his gun

[Guest bkelm18]

Police charge two in connection with robbery of Union County deputy » Knoxville News Sentinel

No gun was found on the criminals, deputy fired on the fleeing vehicle with a .22 handgun.

[vontar]

Will have to see how this turns out.

Seems strange the deputy had a .22.

The only charge for the suspects that I feel might not be valid would be fleeing an officer since the officer was most likely not in uniform. (nothing to do with the motel), just figure not in an official uniform and car the way it reads. Seriously who tries to mug an officer and what officers in uniform carries a .22? I am pretty sure the suspects had no idea it was an officers.

I would be interested in why he was firing in a busy parking lot but not touching that, as we have discussed such numberous times and I don't want to take this down the wrong road with the LEO's and get my foot stepped on here on the board for bashing. I will just hope the shots were clear but sounds like the suspects were retreating. This is is edit after I read the second story. However for the officer I hope they do recover the weapon to at least match his story.

Edited August 27, 2011 by vontar

[NRA]

good thing he was only firing a .22 or else someone could have been hurt!

[Guest UberDuper]

Wild guess: robbed by hookers.

[NRA]

Wild guess: robbed by hookers.

ding ding ding ding dign!

[QuietDan]

I'd hate to prejudge a fine member of law enforcement and all . . . but I've heard renting women by the hour is a lot of trouble. . . .

Some of the comments after the original story suggest personal knowledge of the gentleman involved.

[Murgatroy]

That used to be a nice part of town. However it has lately gone down the tubes. I live a couple of miles away. Last year we had a high school student shot and killed in a hate crime, where the suspects wrecked their car fleeing as well.

[strickj]

but I've heard renting women by the hour is a lot of trouble. . . .

A lot more trouble when you buy them for life

[Dolomite_supafly]

I am wondering what will happen to the officer?

After all he fired on suspects that were alrady in a vehicle and fleeing the scene. Had he hit or even killed one he would be on the hook for some serious charges. After the robbery had already taken place he had no recourse because you can't use deadly force to defend property. Even if, and that is a BIG "if", they did have a weapon it was no longer being used to threaten the officer if the suspects were fleeing the scene.

I suspect that they didn't have a gun as he reported because the Union County officer was at the crash scene when KPD arrived. This meant he must have been in visual contact up until the time of the crash. Seems to me if there was in fact a gun it would be somewhere between the scene of the robbery and the crash scene which would make it easy to find.

Here is how I see it happening:

Union County officer calls for a couple of hookers. The girls show up with a male driver and the girls go up to the room to take care of "business". After the "deed" the girls grab the guys wallet, probably while he is still at least partially naked, and run. How else could a girl outrun a male officer? He throws on enough clothes to give chase but by this time the girls are already in the vehicle and leaving the scene. Officer shoots at fleeing suspects in an attempt to get his wallet back. Car crashes and the officer secures the scene.

I bet he had an "OH CRAP!!!", pucker moment when what he did set in.

Any way you shake it the officer shot at a vehicle as it was fleeing. The only way I could see this being justified is if the officer was attempting to block the vehicle but the location of the bullet holes will show that.

There are a lot of unasnwered questions that will likely remain unaswered. Like what was he doing with two women in a West Knoxville hotel. Especially when they were being picked up by a male, probably a pimp. What happened to the suspect's gun? Suspects are going to say no gun was used and plea out to lesser charges. Officer will back at work within a week with Union county. They did confiscate the officer's vehicle as well and it will be interesting to see what is found in the vehicle.

Dolomite

[DaveTN]

Cops are almost always suspended with pay after a shooting incident, and Yes, his car is impounded.

I have read on here many times that Tennessee law is different from many others states in that they differentiate between On-Duty and Off-Duty.

Aggravated Robbery makes them fleeing forcible felons and when I was a cop I could have shot them while they were fleeing if a reasonable person (a jury) would have believed that they were a continuing threat to the public at large.

So the question is… could a Tennessee Police Offer shoot an armed robbery suspect that was fleeing if the robbery occurred in his presence? I would think he could. Then the rest of my question would be can he do the same “Off-Duty†or is he neutered of his responsibility to protect the public?

When I was a cop if you wanted a quick pick-up you just went to a bar where they knew you as a cop; has that changed?

[Guest bkelm18]

Cops are almost always suspended with pay after a shooting incident, and Yes, his car is impounded.

I have read on here many times that Tennessee law is different from many others states in that they differentiate between On-Duty and Off-Duty.

Aggravated Robbery makes them fleeing forcible felons and when I was a cop I could have shot them while they were fleeing if a reasonable person (a jury) would have believed that they were a continuing threat to the public at large.

So the question is… could a Tennessee Police Offer shoot an armed robbery suspect that was fleeing if the robbery occurred in his presence? I would think he could. Then the rest of my question would be can he do the same “Off-Duty” or is he neutered of his responsibility to protect the public?

When I was a cop if you wanted a quick pick-up you just went to a bar where they knew you as a cop; has that changed?

Assuming he can prove they were armed.

[DaveTN]

Assuming he can prove they were armed.

With them being gone for “several minutes†and then being charged with aggravated robbery…. He doesn’t need to prove anything. The DA can’t use him as a Witness/Victim and then charge him, unless they drop charges against the criminals and make them victims.

DISCLAIMER: Obviously I’m giving the cop the benefit of the doubt over the criminals. At least until there is some evidence otherwise.