No Charges in Wal-Mart BB Gun Shooting

[Skyy God]

Watch the video. Dude's just shopping for pet food, swinging a BB gun, and minding his own business. Then, BAM.

Apparently the Dayton PD trains their officers to murder people.

http://www.whio.com/videos/news/walm...ptures/vCtB6Z/

A special grand jury called to review evidence in the fatal shooting of John Crawford III, killed by police in an Ohio Walmart while carrying a BB gun from store's shelves, decided today that no officers involved in the shooting will be indicted.

Surveillance video from Crawford's shooting—previously unavailable to the public—shows Crawford walking around the store while talking on the phone, with the BB gun at his side or on his shoulder. The disturbing video then shows an officer rushing toward Crawford with his gun drawn before shooting him.

Though the special grand jury reportedly considered charging the officers with murder, reckless homicide, or negligent homicide, WHIO reports the jury ultimately decided not to indict the officers involved in the shooting, finding their actions were justified.

Vince Pope, attorney for the officers involved in the shooting, released a statement following the decision:

"I believe the grand jury's decision, it's absolutely the right decision, that the officers acted well within their training."

Derrick Foward, president of the Dayton Unit NAACP, also released a statement:

"The Special Grand Jury in Greene County made the wrong decision. It's a sad day in the history of Dayton."

Foward added the NAACP will call for a complete investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

http://gawker.com/no-indictments-aga...oot-1638642197

[MTG#10]

Originally Posted by KC native

In the video, you can see him pick it up off the shelf. If he would have taken it out of the box then that would have been on the video.

In the video linked by the OP he has the gun the whole time, he does not pick it up off of a shelf. Not that it matters though, those pigs deserve the chair.

[Mennonite]

The video I watched says that he picked it up in the store and that another customer had unwrapped it.

http://www.whio.com/news/news/crime-...rd-case/nhRwM/

[KC native]

Originally Posted by MTG#10

In the video linked by the OP he has the gun the whole time, he does not pick it up off of a shelf. Not that it matters though, those pigs deserve the chair.

Read the thread. There is a longer video that I posted the link to.

[Mennonite]

"The quick response of officers was instrumental in containing this situation and minimizing the risk of customers," the police chief said Aug. 6 at a press conference, where he declined to take questions.

[Skyy God]

Originally Posted by GloucesterChief

Cops and prosecutors are on the same team. Expecting a prosecutor to fully go after a cop like they would a non-cop is like expecting one teammate on a football team to narc on another.

Check your batteries, brah.

[NinerDoug]

I think the question here ought to be, if it was a civilian that did the shooting in the same circumstances, would he be charged with murder (or manslaughter)? Say it was the store security guard, or CCP store manager.

To me, it is pretty clear that the answer is yes. I don't know why these cops should have a different standard. It was either reasonable to shoot someone in self defense or it wasn't.

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

Disgusting

[Mennonite]

Originally Posted by NinerDoug

I think the question here ought to be, if it was a civilian that did the shooting in the same circumstances, would he be charged with murder (or manslaughter)? Say it was the store security guard, or CCP store manager.

To me, it is pretty clear that the answer is yes. I don't know why these cops should have a different standard. It was either reasonable to shoot someone in self defense or it wasn't.

Excellent point. I think they would absolutely be charged with something.

What's funny is that police, who are supposed to be highly trained professionals, couldn't recognize a BB gun, didn't take the time to get the fellow to surrender and just went in with guns blazing. And are commended for it by their police chief. Whereas, if your scenario had taken place and an overzealous civilian had shot the man, we would never hear the end second amendment stories and comments about what a fool the shooter was.



Edited to add: Where has the media been on this story? Has this been on any national news shows? This is the first time I've even heard about it.

[T-Town]

Living in the area I constantly saw news about it. I don't think it got as much national exposure because I want to say it happened right before the Ferguson shooting. There were protests here, but not the rioting and looting you saw on the news in Ferguson.

[LoneWolf]

Originally Posted by Mennonite

What's funny is that police, who are supposed to be highly trained professionals, couldn't recognize a BB gun

I'm not justifying the officer's actions because it sure looks like they shot first and asked questions later, but here is a picture of a BB gun sold by Wal-Mart. Could you identify that as a BB gun from 15-20 feet away?

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by -King-

They managed to arrest John Holmes even though he had literally just went on a killing spree, but they can't arrest this guy?
Posted via Mobile Device

Yah but John Holmes is packing some serious heat

Maybe they were intimidated

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

I'm not justifying the officer's actions because it sure looks like they shot first and asked questions later, but here is a picture of a BB gun sold by Wal-Mart. Could you identify that as a BB gun from 15-20 feet away?

Yeah I caught that in the video, looks like an AR.

[Rain Man]

Wow. If a store is selling guns, then there should be a whole lot of thought that goes on before shooting someone who's carrying a gun in the store. It didn't look like there was any thought in that video.

And yeah, prosecutors protect their own. When I reported the corruption in Adams County, Colorado, to the District Attorney's office, I was bluntly and rudely told to go away by some absolute idiot in their office who refused to consider the evidence. Their budget is controlled by the people who were involved in corruption, and the idiot attorney who was rude to me was named the county's "employee of the month" a bit later.

(Sorry, banyon. I'm sure there are good prosecutors, and probably most are. I only have experience with Adams County, Colorado, which is corrupt to the core, so you can argue that it's an outlier.)

I really think that prosecutors' offices should have separate funding, because I know firsthand that some offices won't take action against the people who control their funding.

[BigRichard]

I am curious why several people are blaming the DA when it was taken to the Grand Jury? The Grand Jury is made up of the public.

If anything there should be charges brought against the dipshit who called it in and stated he was aiming it at people.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by BigRichard

I am curious why several people are blaming the DA when it was taken to the Grand Jury? The Grand Jury is made up of the public.

If anything there should be charges brought against the dipshit who called it in and stated he was aiming it at people.

Well, that's a good point. I don't know how grand juries work. Who presents the case?