OT - Off duty deputy shot

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 8:35 am

Hi guys, on the 10th at around 1700 hrs. one of our deputies was hunting coyotes off duty when another guy shot him in the back and left him for dead. A multi-jurisdictional response was compiled and we worked it for almost exactly 24 hours straight. Many of us were up for almost 40 hours without so much as a catnap. But we have the perpetrator in custody. He said he was shooting at a coyote. We know exactly how far away he was from our guy, 81 yards, when he shot him. The guy was using a Banner scoped 30-06 with the scope set at six power.

The deputy is 27 years old and has been with our department a total of about six years. Four as a reserve and two as a regular. He was engaged to be married. His medical prognosis is changing all the time. Yesterday he was flown from our local hospital, where he was stabilized, to Haborview Medical Hospital in Seattle. One of the top trauma hospitals anywhere. He was shot through the lower back and out the abdomen. Shattered vertebrae, bladders gone, spleens gone, a major portion of his intestines are gone, major damage to internal organs. He took eight units of blood. Septicemia is going to be a major concern. Doctors say if he makes it he'll have major internal issues and he'll probably walk, but, barely.

All this because some low life piece of dirt didn't make sure of what he was shooting at before he pulled the trigger.

We're working with the prosecutor's office on appropriate charges for this mope but we're having problems. Washington State has for the most part four levels of assault ranging from 1-4, with #1 being the highest. This situation falls at third degree because of the criminal negligence. Any higher requires, by statute, an intentional assault intending to inflict serious bodily injury. This is our lowest felony level. We're having a problem with proving the intent. Criminal negligence is a given. It just doesn't seem appropriate when there's no way on God's green earth this guy didn't see our man as a human.

Oh, and for those that may say he may of been shooting at a coyote and hit our guy accidentally. We have about a foot and a half of snow in this area and there were no coyote tracks between the place the guy said he was standing and our guy. And if there were, you always, always, always as a responsible citizen or hunter, should know your background. One of the cardinal rules of shooting.

He'll need a lot of prayers to pull through. Let alone live a some what normal life now. Here's a young man, a good man, going to pay the price for some low life's action and the low life isn't even going to come close to footing the bill. Oh, as a closer, the low life is a convicted felon and shouldn't of had a gun in his hands anyway. He won't get stuff for that either. It's just really a sad situation.

gon2shoot · Post by **gon2shoot** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 8:48 am

6X scope at 80 yds. and couldnt tell a man from a yote?

Prayers up.

FWiedner · Post by **FWiedner** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 8:51 am

Sounds personal to me.

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 9:06 am

We've even looked at that. Can't find anything to suggest the perp knew where our guy would be, let alone, a connection from past contacts. Nothing in our records show any contact between the two. The perp's father had a special draw permit, his second one, he had one last year too, for deer in the area. It doesn't fit, at least on the surface. We can't find a motive at this time, it may show itself later.

TedH · Post by **TedH** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 9:15 am

What a shame. Will keep the young man in our prayers.

hartman · Post by **hartman** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 9:20 am

Kim,

Call your local ATF Agent personally, they've been good to us on deals like that. I know they're federales, but call them anyway.
Prayers up to your friend.

Hartman

Post by **Hobie** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 9:39 am

Prayers said for all concerned.

I can't tell you how many times I've passed on shots just because I wasn't sure. FWIW, if I was on a jury I wouldn't buy his defense. If a person can't tell a man from a coyote when sighting through a 6X telescopic sight he is either absolutley bonkers or it was deliberate and he's lying. I think you'd know by now if he was insane.

canonsix · Post by **canonsix** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 9:45 am

Prayers up for the young man, and as a exLEO prayers for the deaprtment.I know how this will affect all, this shooting smells to high heaven. Doug

homefront · Post by **homefront** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 9:53 am

Fervent prayers.

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 9:57 am

We re-enacted the shooting, the following day, using the information of when we responded, the perp said he shot and his father said they were in the area. Placing players at the known locations of the victim and the shooter. Using the perp's rifle we digitally videoed one of our guys who is approximately the same size as the guy who was shot through the scope. It's going to be darn hard for the perp to defend his statement he thought it was a coyote. There's no doubt it's a human. Throw that up on a powerpoint for a jury and he's sunk. Defense will be screaming for a plea on this one. We just have to be strong and keep pushing the PA's office for the maximum sentence.

Charles · Post by **Charles** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 10:26 am

The most important thing is prayer for the fellow"s recovery and it is being done and will continue.

Back in the mid-70's, a fellow was sitting in a a tree watching for deer on the breaks of the Canadian River in the Texas Panhandle, near Borger. Some idiot shot him out the tree from a range of less than 100 yards. He said he thought he was a turkey!

I hope the shooter was a person of means, and could be sued in civil court to help with the damage he did. Money won't restore the health, but the family will suffer great financial damage as a result of this.

I hope your jurisdiction has a criminal negligence statute, so the Criminal Justice system can have it's way with the idiot.

I have great sympathy for the young officer, but zero for the idiot who pulled the trigger. He needs to pay the Piper anyway and everyway he can.

I believe in the forgiving grace of God, but this guy has some debts on this earth to settle. It is like the old Mexican song goes... "Paga lo que debe" (Pay what you owe)

I mentioned Criminal Negligence becasue you don't have to prove intent as you do is a straight up attempted murder charge. It pretty well shoots the " I didn't go to do it....thought he was a coyote", defense.

The penalty is probably less, but time in the iron house in time in the iron house.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 10:48 am

Kim,
I'd put money on the fact that they knew each other some how. Girlfriend, cousin in law, or something. 6X @ 81 yards I'd think a man would take up a good portion of that field of view. No way I'd buy the fact that it's an accident. somewere, somehow I bet their paths have crossed.

Rusty <><

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 10:54 am

kimwcook,

Was the deputy wearing any part of his uniform? Just thinking. Some folks just hate LEOs and even though they have no connection with them they might try to even an old score if they thought they could get away with it.
Note, I just re-read the original post. I'd missed the part where the shooter was a convicted felon. Now I'm convinced it was deliberate. Maybe not premeditated, but deliberate. I'll bet he recognized the deputy and just took the shot.

At that range, with that scope, it's a deliberate shooting. Coyote my @$$, not a chance.

My condolences to the deputies family, friends and colleagues.

In this case I have to ask:
JUSTICE, REGULAR OR EXTRA CRISPY?

Joe

FWiedner · Post by **FWiedner** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 11:08 am

I didn't see if you mentioned whether or not the deputy was able to communicate to tell his part of the story.

Rexster · Post by **Rexster** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 11:09 am

At the moment, no words, except to say fervent prayers will be offered.

Bogie35 · Post by **Bogie35** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:10 pm

Rusty wrote:Kim,
I'd put money on the fact that they knew each other some how. Girlfriend, cousin in law, or something. 6X @ 81 yards I'd think a man would take up a good portion of that field of view. No way I'd buy the fact that it's an accident. somewere, somehow I bet their paths have crossed.

Rusty <><

+1

Prayers sent for the young man.

Humbly,
bogie

Poohgyrr · Post by **Poohgyrr** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:16 pm

Convicted felon, so he has done time in prison. Prison is like college for crooks. Cops and felons recognize each other, that is a given.

Even when we don't know one another personally, we still recognize what the other one is ("I think it is OK to rob regular good citizens" type of mentality vs "I think it's wrong to rob folks and I will risk getting hurt while stopping you" way of thinking).

Wolf vs the Sheepdog - each one does things not done by others, and we recognize that in each other.

And 6X at 81 yards leaves no doubt about human or coyote.

Unless there is something unusual and that hasn't been mentioned, the attempted murderer is full of BS.

Our prayers and best.

Nath · Post by **Nath** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:31 pm

In snow too! That lights everything up. That poor guy.

gamekeeper · Post by **gamekeeper** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:37 pm

Prayers up for that young deputy and his family.

Post by **Old Savage** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 1:02 pm

Prayers for the young man. This certainly doesn't make sense. I am not in law enforcement but one ride along convinced me there is a different world out there. The couple occasions that I have encountered of incidents in progress have made it evident that criminals do things that make no sense.

Hagler · Post by **Hagler** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 1:05 pm

Prayers sent!

Shawn

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 1:18 pm

Payers up! My wife's worst nightmares come to life. The perp's story don't hold water. Keep diggin'; this scum needs to see the inside again for a very long time, like the rest of his life, and may that be as short as possible.

But, I'll keep my engery up for the recovery of your Deputy, and the rest of you guys.

PPpastordon · Post by **PPpastordon** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 3:24 pm

Kim;
Prayers are sent for the young man and his family. We will also be praying for a resolution of the legal issues involved in this situation. From what has happened, there appears to be no "up-side" for anyone; just some outcomes better than others.
Please keep us posted.
Grace and Peace,

505stevec · Post by **505stevec** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 3:51 pm

This is a horible thing

Does your state have "depraved mind" law? Basically it shows that there is now Specific intent or motive. You would have to get many pictures of the exabt scene to prove that there is no way with a 6x scope that a person could mistake a human for an animal. If there is however even a shadow of doubt that this could be the case then the best a can say for you and your department is DO NOT TAKE THIS PERSONAL!!! We are here to Protect and to Serve. Accidents do happen. This may not have been and you may never be able to prove it but that is the life. Justice guarentees all of our rights even an idiot that does something like this. A good freind of mine was murdered on duty while a suspect was fleeing a robbery. This guy got psychological treatment and then 5 years because of his mental capacity.

So I know what you all are going through. Keep up the good fight and maintain your integrity. The only thing sure in life is that BAD things happen to GOOD people everyday.

FALPhil · Post by **FALPhil** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 4:36 pm

kimwcook wrote:Oh, as a closer, the low life is a convicted felon and shouldn't of had a gun in his hands anyway. He won't get stuff for that either. It's just really a sad situation.

Why won't he get stuff for that? Possession by a convict is not just another pile-on charge that DAs use for CYA convictions, it is a serious issue.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:06 am

Prayers up.

Man, does this make me mad...

iceman · Post by **iceman** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:36 am

Prayers sent to everyone concerned. the thing should fry!

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:05 pm

It appears right now that there isn't a connection between the two.

The deputy wasn't wearing anything that would label him as an LEO or associate. He was wearing woodland camo.

The deputy was able to tell his side of the story. There's some issues with it that I won't go into right now. Not that he's being deceptive.

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