Rider shot in the back

[Alex]

Sorry if this was posted earlier but this is shocking. The following video took place last year, but the evidence was just released a few days ago.

2 riders pull away from a stop sign at a good clip and get busted. One of the riders loses control and hits a curb. The other rider stops for the police officer then gets shot in the back, paralyzing him for life. Sickening.

https://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=...&id=7433661

 

[FJRGuy]

Hope that cop has a fun time in jail!

 

[wfooshee]

We can't hear the audio of the clip because the newscaster is speaking over it, but there's absolutely no aggressive act by the rider. The only possible problem the officer had is disobedience to commands (which we can't hear,) but shooting him is still not the answer to that.

If there had been any provocation prior to this, such as other incidents before they took off from that stop sign, then he'd have reason to worry about something from the rider. We don't see any of that since the newscast cuts 2 minutes out. There's also the question of why another police car was already on scene, only 12 seconds after the lights and sirens started, and then it was only another 10 seconds to the shooting!

The video clip presented isn't the whole story by any means, but still, I wanna be on that jury!!!

 

[FJR-RemingtonRider]

Never seen this...

But the video is quite compelling; in showing the officer was a bit too trigger-easy. It clearly shows the guy not making any violent movement, and he was holding up his bike. This officer must have gotten caught up in an adrenaline rush after having to chase them a short while. Still, that being said, nothing justafiable about that shooting...

 

[wfooshee]

I just watched the more complete clip, there's a link at the bottom of the story, but still no audio. The guys were riding along for quite a while, looks like a 25 zone. No speed, they stopped at every stop sign. At that last one, they looked back, talked to each other in a little discussion, and left in a hurry. At the end, the victim his lifted his bike, by himself (pretty good task for a paralyzed shooting victim) but was on the wrong side to put the stand down. The officer grabbed hold of the tail, then let it fall over to the left before the rider could walk around. The rider walked around and started to lift it again, but went to the curb, possibly as instructed by the cop.

 

[LAroo]

That is very disturbing.

 

[user 213]

All too familiar. I predict he'll get a slap on the wrist instead of the max. jail time he deserves. Have to wonder if the rider was wearing ear plugs too. Despite the fact that he stopped immediately when the codes came on, the LEO exited the vehicle gun drawn?

Pretty sad all the way around. Wonder if the guy that crashed got a citation too? FWIW, the shot rider is not the one picking up the bike, it appears to be another person that's trying to help. The shot rider's leg is still visible over the bike when it's being picked up the first time, he appears to be trapped under it during the bulk of the video.

We don't know the details, but it sure smacks of 'It's after 2am, lets follow these two bikers until they do something I can pull them over for and see if they are DUI.'

 

[Malve]

Wow, unsettling.

 

[phroenips]

I just watched the more complete clip, there's a link at the bottom of the story, but still no audio. The guys were riding along for quite a while, looks like a 25 zone. No speed, they stopped at every stop sign. At that last one, they looked back, talked to each other in a little discussion, and left in a hurry. At the end, the victim his lifted his bike, by himself (pretty good task for a paralyzed shooting victim) but was on the wrong side to put the stand down. The officer grabbed hold of the tail, then let it fall over to the left before the rider could walk around. The rider walked around and started to lift it again, but went to the curb, possibly as instructed by the cop.

The guy lifting the bike was not the shooting victim. You can still see his leg over the bike as he's on the ground. I'm guessing the guy lifting the bike is the other motorcyclist that apparently lost control previously and continued to ride into the background of the shot where the other police unit was.

 

[wfooshee]

I figured out later it was probably the other guy, came back to post my correction, see it already done.

I still would like to hear their answer to "Why'd you guys take off at that last stop sign?"

I'm not sure they were speeding yet when the lights went on, just a snappy move from the sign.

Did anybody else notice in the full video that the LEO never stopped for his turn at the signs, just followed the bikes through?

 

[FJRBluesman]

Absolutely horrible!!

Need to hear all the audio etc.

The reason for an officer using deadly force is if his life is in danger. Well.....

I watched this many times the guy merely turned at best, no arm movement. The cop needs to go to jail and pay $$ for his stupidity.

 

[FJR-RemingtonRider]

Double Whoa!!!

Looked at the full video....That LEO did so many things wrong.

*He clearly as I could see had no PC, however he did call it in, and hit the light when he knew his fellow LEO's were up the block. So perhaps there were warrants.

*After the shooting, if he felt the suspect/MC rider had a gun, the first thing he would have done was gone over after the suspect was hit and fell to the ground; LEO should have attempted to secure the weapon. He just let him lay there, never checked for any weapon of any kind.

*He then after someone checked the victim(I guess), reacted in no hurry to make up for his mistake. I mean, all of the LEO's just let the other suspect/mc rider, lift the bike off of his unarmed, wounded buddy....this wreaks of something smelly by the LEO's.

A great supporter of our LEO's, but this thing stinks. When, the fellow LEO's realized this was a bad shoot, they should have moved more swiftly and attempted to rectify the situation...this is what is going to weigh negatively against him in the verdict/punishement phase.

 

[SPORT]

That's BULLSHIT!!!!

The attorney said, "he could have just as easily put his hands above his head". Ah, I don't know about you, but it looks like his left hand may have been holding the grip to keep the bike stabilized. Usually a bike becomes less stable with bars turned and hands off the grips...especially if your a bit tipsy. Besides, having to twist your body to that right THAT much to shoot is unstable, if not impossible. If you were gonna shoot at that angle, it is more convenient/logical/easier, to twist left and shoot under your left arm.

I sure hope there are motorcyclists on the jury!

 

[FjrVfr]

Jesus. He followed them for 3 minutes before they decided to get away from the cage that was following them (look at the raw, no-sound clip). They probably didn't even know it was a cop. I would have goosed it to get away from a nutcase following me at 2am, too. Then I'm sure I would have stopped when the lights and music started. And I'd be in a wheelchair now as well. How very disturbing to watch a person of trust hunt down and nearly kill a defenseless human being.

I try to keep in mind that there are good law enforcement agents and bad. Cases like this make that increasingly difficult.

 

[03silverbullet]

That cop was so wrong to shoot the biker in the back.

I hope he becomes Buba's girl friend for a long time.

 

[madmike2]

From the video, the rider is stopped, adjusts his helmet (or scratches his head) and then puts his hand on his thigh while waiting for the officer. Sorry, as dangerous as this is for officers (and not knowing any background information he might have received over the radio before the stop) this doesn't seem any more dangerous to me than what I see motorcyclists doing as "habit" when stopped. Why didn't the officer use his loud speaker and order the cyclixt off his bike? We're repeatedly counseled to stay on our bikes until an officer gives us instruction. I'm at a loss as to why this stop escalated (notice the "back up"units were on scene in seconds).

Evidently the jury wasn't buying the defese argument:

TOLEDO, OH (WTVG) -- After several hours of deliberating, the jury has found Officer White guilty of felonious assault with a gun specification. He could face up to 11 years.
At around 8 pm on Friday, 13abc learned White was found guilty. That morning, the prosecutor and defense attorney gave closing arguments. Prosecutors say Officer Thomas White failed to protect and serve when he shot Michael McCloskey Junior in the back and paralyzed him. The jury had to decide if Officer White was justified in the shooting.

This is tragic all around. If he was a troubled officer he should have been placed under a mentor or received help (available through the department). Too bad, now there is a paralyzed victim and a jailed victim (by his own decision process).

 

[exskibum]

No way that's justified, cop or not. It's so out of line that I have to wonder about a couple circumstances that might make this something other than an intentional shooting with NO justification. Was this a relatively new cop with adrenalin pumping because he just found out there were warrants for something serious after calling in the plates a couple minutes earlier? And if so, was that by any chance an accidental discharge (AD)?? I'd like to know what kind of pistol that was (e.g.,, DA/SA, SA, DAO) and a little more about how that gun was discharged. Keep in mind that the other rider came over and tried to get the bike up after his friend had been shot. Must've been something in the cop's demeanor that didn't have him fearing that he was next -- like maybe the cop had an OH SHIT expression?

Dunno -- hard to understand from what we know. It'll be interesting to find out what the jury decides and the evidentiary bases they rely upon in reaching that decision.

 

[Big-D]

When someone decides to become a cop, they are fully aware of the risk, the stress and the possibility of being killed in the line of duty. Speeding, running a stop sign or riding a motorcycle (including a Harley) is not an offense punishable by death or paralysis.

He should be convicted and placed in the general population in any prison. If that was the case, perhaps others would think of the consequences of their over reaction. Cops in prison are usually placed in protective custody.

Too many people are being shot by police these days. Nowadays, being pulled over for a traffic violation opens the risk of being killed in a justified shooting incident.

 

[Tenchi]

Just looking at this video, I see a few things that contributed to this situation, both rider and cop. First, the biker just stopped, rather than pulled over at the first safe location they could. I used to get pulled over a lot (all black, sport bike rider), and step 1 was always pull over at a safe location in a slow predictable manner (if there are hazard lights, turn them on and use hand signals to signal intention, if not, use right indicator). Step 2 was turn off the bike and step off. From there, it kind of depends on the situation or instructions.

As madmike pointed out, the cop should have used his speaker to order the rider off the bike, and while I understand that life in the line of duty is dangerous and requires split second decisions, like SPORT says, it's nearly impossible to draw, then fire accurately (in to headlights) behind you, in any reasonable frame of time. The cop, if he absolutely had to have his gun drawn, should have remained near the vehicle for cover, and given audible instructions - this gives one additional advantage in that if the biker decides to gun it and run, he can reenter the car and pursue quickly.

I hope that the cop gets absolutely nailed. This is so full of holes from the cop's sode of things it will just take a decent prosecution lawyer to bring all kinds of hell down on him. As a side note, Australian Police suggest making three right turns instead of a left turn when you think you're being followed, and then proceed somewhere safe.