Posted on 11/27/2019 10:27:48 AM PST by Altura Ct.
Micheal Ann Godsey fired at her mother, police, and at least one citizen during a shooting spree in May.
Oklahoma City, OK – A Blackwell police lieutenant who stopped an active shooter during a rolling gunfight has been indicted for second-degree murder.
“It’s a sad day for law enforcement and society,” the lieutenant’s attorney, Gary James, told The Oklahoman.
The incident began at approximately 3 a.m. on May 20, when Blackwell police received reports that someone was firing a gun in the 1300-block of South Main, KFOR reported.
At least one of the rounds had struck a vehicle.
While officers responded to the scene, the dispatch center received additional calls that someone in a white pickup was firing rounds at several locations around Blackwell.
The suspect, later identified as 34-year-old Micheal Ann Godsey, ultimately opened fire on police as they pursued her through the town, The Oklahoman reported.
"She shot at the police twice. She has shot at her mother twice. She has shot at a private citizen. We know she fired other rounds around town,” James told the paper.
Blackwell Police Lieutenant John Mitchell managed to pull in behind the active shooter’s vehicle.
"He took his AR-15 and he started shooting through the front windshield at her,” James said, according to The Oklahoman.
Godsey jerked the wheel and abruptly turned at stopped near Doolin Avenue and 13th Avenue, KFOR reported.
Lt. Mitchell and another officer fired additional rounds at the suspect’s pickup.
They discovered the shooter dead in the driver’s seat a short while later.
One of the officers suffered a minor injury during the shootout, according to the Associated Press.
James said that Lt. Mitchell did what he had to do to stop a “violent, fleeing felon,” The Oklahoman reported.
He noted that the lieutenant had completed active shooter response training shortly before the fatal altercation, and that an independent internal affairs committee had cleared him of any wrongdoing.
On Nov. 21, a state grand jury determined that Lt. Mitchell engaged in “imminently dangerous conduct” towards Godsey without excusable or justifiable cause by firing approximately 60 rounds during the gun battle, The Oklahoman reported.
He faces up to 10 years in prison if he is convicted of the second-degree murder charge against him.
Lt. Mitchell was released on his own recognizance during a bond hearing on Monday, KFOR reported.
He was subsequently processed at the Kay County Detention Center before he was allowed to return home.
Oklahoma Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) President Jason Smith said he fully supports Lt. Mitchell.
“We look forward to this working through the justice system,” Smith told WFOR. “We believe that when the facts of the case are brought out to the public, that LT. Mitchell will be put back to work where he needs to be.”
Using deadly force was the last thing the lieutenant wanted to do, the union president added.
“He didn`t wake up that day with the [intent] to take a human life,” he told KFOR. “It`s the worst thing that he could ever imagine having to do.”
Smith noted that the indictment against Lt. Mitchell marked the “first time in American history that a police officer – or anybody – was charged with the crime of murder for shooting at an active shooter,” KTUL reported.
He said that he believes Lt. Mitchell will be acquitted of the charge against him once all the facts are known, according to KFOR.
Lt. Mitchell’s supporters said they were stunned to learn about the grand jury’s indictment, KTUL reported.
"To me, you return fire until the threat is neutralized,” Sean Ingram told the news outlet. “You don't know if it's going to be one or one hundred.”
“You’re being shot at,” another resident added. “Where do you draw that line?”
Ingram said that Lt. Mitchell is the most honorable person he knows.
“I will back him all the way,” he said.
Lt. Mitchell’s preliminary hearing has been set for Dec. 18
Grand jurors return murder indictment against Blackwell police lieutenant
https://oklahoman.com/article/5647836/grand-jurors-returns-murder-indictment-against-blackwell-police-lieutenant
I say not guilty.
Not all but some of Oklahoma is a meth fueled nut house.
The Lt. should at least be charged with poor shooting. 60 rounds? In town? Sounds a little reckless to me.
Who the hell pushed for an indictment? Is there something missing from this story? This is in OK.
I’m not buying it yet. It sounds to absurd to be true.
I wonder how the GJ was convinced to indict, and what kind of mission the prosecutor is on....
I say not guilty.
Agree.
“I say not guilty.”
I say guilty if leftist, innocent if patriot.
NO!! He shouldn’t be charged with ANYTHING! He should be given a medal and a commendation for stopping a crazed person intent on killing people as is proved by the shooting at of several people in the town.
You weren’t there and have NO idea what the situation on the scene was. In the military we were taught when firing at an enemy you shoot to KILL and you do not stop shooting until you are convinced the enemy is dead or you are out of ammunition. In the event you are out of ammunition you are to use the weapon itself to bludgeon the enemy to death if you can.
Yeah 60 rounds from a rifle should have resulted in several dozen holes in the suspect. At least it was 3 am so the number of people in the street would have been minimal.
Sounds like I'd be voting "are you bleepin' kidding me?"
Lol! Now THAT is being objective!
Definitely prosecutorial misconduct. Time for the county to replace the DA.
But they want to restrict us to 10 round magazines. I constantly read about home invasions that involve 3 or more armed people. This guy used 60 to bring down one and he is supposedly well trained.
doesn’t sound reckless to me when many police lives are on the line from her shooting at them- plus she was endangering the public - he was shooting into the vehicle, a contained area, she on the otherhand was shooting in several different directions at police officers- She was a direct threat not only to the police, but to people in the area, and needed to be stopped as quickly as possible, and like the guy fro m the military said- you shoot to kill and do not stop till you are convinced they are dead- , The police were under a very real threat of not going home alive that day- I don’t blame him one bit for trying to stop her with force-
Two 30 round mags on full auto. That doesn’t take a whole lot of time.
[[This guy used 60 to bring down one and he is supposedly well trained.]]
he was well trained, He stopped a very serious threat and made damn sure she was stopped before anyone else lost their lives!
The job can’t pay enough to put up with this.
Who is on that Grand Jury? A bunch of Anarchists who don’t believe in Law and Order, just want to ‘bring the system down’?
You mean to tell me he can’t find an attorney good enough to stop this? It’s completely crazy. Why have cops at all if they cannot protect the public from exactly this sort of danger?
Exactly- and it’s absolutely the right thing for the police to make sure she is stopped cold, as quickly and effectively as possible- she was a very dangerous threat to everyone- This isn’t a video game- noone gets a ‘Do Over’ at the end of the day- Noone gets to respawn in a couple of seconds if they should die trying to stop her with ‘well placed vital organ shots’- people’s lives were on the line-
you said it brother- which makes it all the more remarkable that millions of people do the job anyways-
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