You shot 3 cops, who cares if you're 90+

Wagner · #1 11-22-2006, 09:12 AM

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/22/wom....ap/index.html

A 92 year old lady opens fire on officers serving a warrant and now her family is upset that officers returned fire and killed her.

She shot 3 officers! Exactly how are the police not justified in returning fire? Any lawyer that takes this on should be doused in gasoline and set ablaze.

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ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- Narcotics officers were justified in returning fire on a 92-year-old woman they shot to death as they tried to serve a warrant at her house, a police official said.

Neighbors and relatives said it was a case of mistaken identity. But police said the woman, identified as Kathryn Johnston, was the only resident in the house at the time and had lived there for about 17 years.

Assistant Chief Alan Dreher said the officers had a legal warrant and "knocked and announced" before they forced open the door. He said they were justified in shooting once they were fired upon.

As the plainclothes Atlanta police officers approached the house about 7 p.m. Monday, a woman inside started shooting, striking each of them, said Officer Joe Cobb, a police spokesman.

One was hit in the arm, another in a thigh and the third in a shoulder. The officers were taken to a hospital for treatment, and all three were conscious and alert, police said.

Sarah Dozier, identified as a niece of the woman, told WAGA-TV that there were never any drugs at the house.

"My aunt was in good health. I'm sure she panicked when they kicked that door down," Dozier said. "There was no reason they had to go in there and shoot her down like a dog."

The Rev. Markel Hutchins, a civil rights leader, said Johnston's family deserves an apology.

"Of the police brutality cases we've had, this is the most egregious because of the woman's age," Hutchins said.

Hutchins said he would try to meet with Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington and would also meet with lawyers.

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GUINNESS · #2 11-22-2006, 10:56 AM

Ummm.... are you kidding me? Open fire on police, you're gonna get f'ing shot. Pretty simple really.... and how can you panic or mistake who is at the door when they say it's the police with a warrent. A whole group of people don't show up wearing badges to rob you.

Roc3b · #3 11-22-2006, 11:57 AM

It did say they(cops) were in plain clothes.

Black folks that age in the south are scared to death of police. Anyone that is going to post a comment about this issue needs to remember she was old enough to remember when the local sheriff could legally lynch a black person accused of a crime. Back in 1920 she had to witness things that we could not even imagine happening today. Yesterday Micheal Richards was admonished all over the country because he called two people the N word. She remembers when people were called the N word and then beaten or shot and most of the people carrying out local justice was the local Roscoe P Coltrain.

I am of the opionion that the plain clothes detectives may have failed to do thier due diligence, and should it come out that she was dealing to make ends meet or there was a nephew or a grandchild dealing from the house than so be it, but if it was just her and they stormed the house with no probable cause and with a warrant for the wrong address or the wrong person then I smell a big lawsuit. Here comes the ACLU and the NAACP.

Thunder22 · #4 11-22-2006, 12:00 PM

Whether the woman was 9 or 92, you shoot at cops, they're going to return fire, it's just that simple. It's a tragic situation....

BMW X5 · #5 11-22-2006, 12:06 PM

whats tragic is that she was allowed to have a gun at 92 i'm sure she didnt hit them in 3 random places because she actually aimed g-d forbid the shot hit someone in the head and killed an officer then what? oh poor old lady? like the line from Bad Boys goes "guns dont kill people stupidg mother fu$kers with guns kill people" and well case and point

AutoXer · #6 11-22-2006, 12:52 PM

I read that story this morning too and can't help feeling sorry for all the parties involved. It's a whole different ball game when you realize that you are the ones being shot at!

blondboinsd · #7 11-22-2006, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roc3b

It did say they(cops) were in plain clothes.

Black folks that age in the south are scared to death of police. Anyone that is going to post a comment about this issue needs to remember she was old enough to remember when the local sherrif could legall lynch a black person accused of a crime. Back in 1920 she had to witness things that we could not even imagine happening today. Yesterday Micheal Richards was admonished all over the country because he called two people the N word. She remembers when people were called the N word and then beaten or shot and most of the people carrying out local justice was the local Roscoe P Coltrain.

I am of the opionion that the plain clothes detectives may have failed to do thier due diligence, and should it come out that she was dealing to make ends meet or there was a nephew or a grandchild dealing from the house than so be it, but if it was just her and they stormed the house with no probable cause and with a warrant for the wrong address or the wrong person then I smell a big lawsuit. Here comes the ACLU and the NAACP.

I agree, sad situation indeed but not so black and white (no pun intended)

nupe10123 · #8 11-22-2006, 02:45 PM

I'm sure she was in a panic - a bunch of Plain Clothes officers breaking down her door. I understand why she shot at them, how was she to know they were legit? How do we know that she even heard them prior to breaking in? There are a lot of variables that are not known.

However, the cops did have a warrant and three of them were shot! Seems perfectly reasonable to me that they would return fire. If I was a cop in that situation and saw three of my buddies get shot, I'm sure I would return fire too.

PersonaNonGrata · #9 11-22-2006, 03:04 PM

I'm sure the woman panicked and though she was repelling an attack and I'm sure the officers followed procedure. Of course we don't have all the facts and are working from sketchy news info. I do find it unusual that she, especially at 92, was able to retrieve a gun and engage the officers before they entered and were able to control the situation. If the officers did "break in the door" as alleged, the speed with which that is done usually doesn't give anyone inside a chance to arm themselves and the overwhelming force prevents anyone from getting stupid. That's why dynamic entries are done. Having been present on numerous occasions when such an entry was made, it's so quick and so overwhelming that the bad guys are usually like deer in headlights. Was she sitting there in a chair with a gun in her hand? It's just strange. The fact that they were plain clothed doesn't mean that they were wearing distinctively marked police raid gear. Anyway, it's a sad situation and the political fallout will be very inflammatory I'm sure. And if they make it a race issue, that will jus sicken me even more.

blondboinsd · #10 11-22-2006, 03:34 PM

I agree K, I think we're missing many facts

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