This is the infamous case where John Crawford III was shot by police in a Ohio Wal-Mart.
CINCINNATI — A 911 caller who reported a man waving a gun in a Wal-Mart before police fatally shot the suspect and found he had an air rifle he took from a shelf could be charged with making a false alarm, a judge ruled.
Fairborn Municipal Court Judge Beth Root ruled this week that there was sufficient evidence to show Ronald Ritchie could be prosecuted for the misdemeanor stemming from the Aug. 5, 2014, police shooting of John Crawford III in the Dayton suburb of Beavercreek.
Several citizens used an obscure state law to petition a judge to file charges against Ritchie. They submitted a copy of Wal-Mart surveillance video synchronized to the 911 call and alleged Ritchie violated several laws. The judge leaves it up to the Beavercreek city prosecutor to decide whether to charge Ritchie.
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8 comments:
Why are they not charging the police with excessive force resulting in death? What excuse can the police use for shooting someone holding a BB gun?
No, it's not about he was holding a BB gun. It is about where he was. In the area where they are on the shelf. This is bad judgment by the cop (he didn't even give the guy time enough to obey his command to put it down) and the false report made by the 911 caller. The 911 caller should be charged with the murder of this individual. He knew his action regarding the 911 call could lead to an innocent person being killed.
If the "BB" gun looks like a real gun, how are police supposed to know the difference?
Do you think it is worth finding out before you kill someone? How were the police threatened? When I was 12 I had a fanner 50 it looked real. was the customer in the area where the BB guns were on display? a little common sense goes a long way. a lot farther than a trigger happy cop coward should.
I believe CSGV and Everytown were openly suggesting on their websites that people should call 911 anytime they saw someone open carrying any gun, because they are against open carry and guns in general and the Texas open carry movement was trying to get open carry of handguns allowed for people with concealed carry permits at that time.
Dean, the issue isn't merely what the gun looks like. It is what the police saw him doing with the gun that made them decide to shoot him. Here's the film of two security camera's synched with Ritchie's 9-1-1 call:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8CZ7fH7i_M
FF to the YouTube time stamp of 4:55.
When the officers arrive, Crawford is standing with the muzzle pointed down at the ground, casually swinging it slightly back and forth while looking at a shelf of merchandise and talking to his girlfriend on his cell phone. The officers claimed that not only did Crawford ignore their commands to put the gun down, but that he also made a move as if either to flee or to lower the muzzle (as if preparing to fire).
Security video footage shows that neither thing happened. In the left video, the automatic doors start to open at the 5:08 mark. At the 5:10 mark, Crawford looks left then falls over shot. Crawford did not appear to be responding to any commands (e.g., by turning around to see who's yelling "DROP THE GUN!"), and you don't see him move as if to flee or lower the weapon. All he does is turn to his left, then immediately fall over after being shot. It appears instantaneous -- the cops arrive, he falls over. They did not have his attention, so he couldn't have been ignoring their commands. And he sure didn't make a move to flee or to fire.
So either the cops lied, or they mis-remembered.
Either way, they could not have reasonably articulated an ACTUAL threat, because the video shows there WAS none -- regardless of Ritchie's false / mistaken claims to the 9-1-1 operator..
Ritchie should be prosecuted to the fullest extent allowed by law, but the police were the only people there who are both trained observers and bearer's of Caesar's sword -- armed professionals. As agents of the State, they have a much greater responsibility, because they are supposed to maintain a trust between the State and the People.
Why should the LEOs get a pass?
Peace officers should not get a pass, of course.
But to claim the officers were in the wrong because it was a "BB" gun, is simply ignorant of practical reality and the law of self defense.
The officers may well be in the wrong in this case, but it is not because the object held by John Crawford III was a "BB" gun.
Teens arrested with BB guns near Elyria apartments (Elyria is a suburb of Cleveland)
fox8.com - 1 hour ago
Two 14-year-olds were arrested after Elyria police say they threatened a resident of an apartment complex.
Officers were called to Middle Avenue on Saturday night for a disturbance.
Police said a security guard told the teens to get off the property. While they were leaving, the guard said they reached towards their waistbands as if they had a weapon.
Patrol officers found a group of teens near Wilkes Villa. According to police, two 14-year-olds had three BB guns in their possession.
The case is being handled by the juvenile court.
http://fox8.com/2016/04/12/teens-arrested-with-bb-guns-near-elyria-apartments/
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