Detectives won't face charges in shooting of handcuffed man

The Courier Journal ^ | 02/25/03 | Andrew Wolfson

[lotus]

When I lived in lousianna I remember a cop beat up a city bus driver while off duty over a parking space.

The driver made the tv news as he had to be hospitalized.

Then the cop went to the hospital and beat him up again made tv news again, but with further investigation. Seems he had multiple rape charges against him that were never brought to court.

He went on admin leave until internal affairs took care of it...a paid vacation.

I really think they should face same consequences of their actions as you or I but they dont.

Heck, one of the worst drunk drivers I've ever been behind up here was in a sheriffs car with DUI patrol on the back of it. Myself and my carpooler were too chicken to try to flag him down and issue a citizen arrest. Good thing we didn't...

[eyes_only]

Break the code of silence...

[RonPaulLives]

"The Rev. Louis Coleman of the Justice Resource Center said: ''This city . . . is no better than a plantation.'' "

And if you look it up, you will see that the Reverend Louis Coleman doesn't even live in Louisville; he resides in Shelbyville, Kentucky.

[MattAMiller]

All I know is that if a civilian shoots another civilian eleven times after having handcuffed him. Your gonna have a tough time claiming self-defense. Boxcutter or no your gonna get prison time.

Argument from hypothetical situations is pretty easy. Has this ever happened before? It seems to me that guy with a knife, even if he's handcuffed could be pretty dangerous. If I were on a jury I could see acquiting this hypothetical person.

[Nov3]

It seems to me that guy with a knife, even if he's handcuffed could be pretty dangerous. If I were on a jury I could see acquiting this hypothetical person.

What is the chance you are on the jury? When the DA is making political points prosecuting you as a racist and he offers you that murder 2 plea bargain it is the best you are going to get, unless you are a cop.

So you think that if you shot a handcuffed man armed with a box cutter 11 times the DA won't prosecute?

OK,tell me this, A buddy and you chase a 14 year old punk out of your house that he has broken into. While climbing a fence your bud falls and discharges his weapon. You then freak out and incorrectly conclude that he has been shot by the unarmed 14 year old who you proceed to plug in the back and kill. Do you think the DA is going to let you off?

OK how about this, you have an innocent 13 year old handcuffed face down on the floor at shotgun point. He has done nothing, mind you. You then shoot him in the back and claim it was an accident. Do you think the DA is going to let you off?

I will clue you in. You are going to jail and your family is going to be left destitute from the civil action that the DA is going to De-facto support by trying your case.

Here is what happens if you are a cop: You are cleared by the DA and returned to duty. Now I don't begrudge the police protection if the DA would protect law abiding citizens with the same zeal. You know what, he prosecutes them with the same zeal that he lets the cops go. That is not right.

[MattAMiller]

Here is what happens if you are a cop: You are cleared by the DA and returned to duty. Now I don't begrudge the police protection if the DA would protect law abiding citizens with the same zeal. You know what, he prosecutes them with the same zeal that he lets the cops go. That is not right.

Be angry at the DA then. You have a point, there's an attitude that cops have a right to weild deadly force but citizens don't. But I don't blame beat cops for this state of affairs.

[MattAMiller]

Here is what happens if you are a cop: You are cleared by the DA and returned to duty. Now I don't begrudge the police protection if the DA would protect law abiding citizens with the same zeal. You know what, he prosecutes them with the same zeal that he lets the cops go. That is not right.

Be angry at the DA then. You have a point, there's an attitude that cops have a right to weild deadly force but citizens don't. But I don't blame beat cops for this state of affairs.

[Nov3]

Be angry at the DA then. You have a point, there's an attitude that cops have a right to weild deadly force but citizens don't. But I don't blame beat cops for this state of affairs.

The only cops I universally begrudge are the "TACT" squads and the lowlife squads who illegally search vehicles by the expressway. The reason I begrudge this line cop is that I would be in prison and my family left destitute in the same situation. Cops should not be above the law. As a matter of fact they should be held to a higher standard than private citizens. The opposite is true. Thay can get away with murder literally. Just ask the DA what he calls it when you do the same thing.

When the DA's get their heads out of their asses and treat law abiding citizens the same as cops, I will support REAL cops with a passion.

[Fred Mertz]

In general, I don't care much for Reverend Coleman. But in this incident, I am in agreement with him 100%.

There is a major coverup going on, and this thing is far from over.

[philetus]

Couple of questions.

Do Louisville cops have Tazers?

If the knife was in back, couldn't one of the cops kick the guy in the nuts from the front?

[185JHP]

If all six of those shot needed shooting, commendations, not indictments, are in order. There's a lot of violent, criminal scum out there.

[Fred Mertz]

What amazes me is that the smart cop, the one who backed off, is now being hung out to dry. This is classic bait and switch tactics. It takes the attention away from the killer cop.

What is happening here is PR, damage control, propaganda, all of the above. Unfortunately it's working.

[Fred Mertz]

One black, handcuffed man was fired at 12 times and hit and killed by 11 bullets by an idiot cop.

I don't believe you're reading the same article I am.

[185JHP]

Why did you mention in your reply that the criminal was black? Are you trying to imply that this was a racially-motivated shooting? And the number of shots fired is meaningless - the felonious assault with a deadly weapon was stopped.

[Nov3]

And the number of shots fired is meaningless

When you are facing murder charges for doing the same thing this cop did and the DA is repeatedly saying you shot a handcuffed man 11 times, tell me the same thing.

[xm177e2]

how could a handcuffed man be a threat?

Maybe it's because
a) he had a knife in his hands
b) he was charging the officer
c) he had the officer cornered
d) there was at least one other guy there, who could have taken advantage of a distracted police officer