LEO shot and killed by homeowner.

[OH58D]

When I read of these tragedies, I try to find the address on Google Maps and look at an aerial view, and a street view. The area has four larger houses with big lots on a cul-de-sac. The alarm went off in a house at the end of the cul-de-sac and has a long driveway which doesn't provide a clear view of the street. These seem to be expensive homes with pools. If the PD cars were on the street, the homeowner may have had an obstructed view of the vehicles and not realized PD had arrived.

Also, what was the age of the homeowner? An elderly person at a time shortly after 2am may not be clear-headed or confused by what was going on. It seems the front door was ajar when the PD officers approached. Was the house actually broken into, or the homeowner opened the door in response to the alarm before PD arrived to investigate?

We don't have enough info at this point to make an intelligent analysis. The manslaughter charge could be something that ends up being dropped if it turns out to be a confused and scared old man shooting at what he thought was a threat.

[SteyrAUG]

Again, who said that the cop was outside?

The police came inside unannounced? That would change "some" things.

[NWPilgrim]

The police came inside unannounced? That would change "some" things.

The article states they did announce, but unclear if they entered at that point or not. But they must have opened the door enough for the flashlight to shine in and the homeowner to shoot out.

As OH58D suggests, an older guy woken up at 2am may not be fully alert and may be hard of hearing.

Often in stories like this it turns out the responding officers are given very cryptic information from dispatch. Maybe the assumed the homeowner called it in or was in communication with dispatch. At any rate, confirming comms with the homeowner and verifying they know police are in the scene would avoid such tragedies. That is kind of the point if registered alarms is that the police have contact info, no?

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Was the alarm still running, making noise?

Is five years enough time to be an instructor? Granted, we turn out docs faster than that which will be 'teaching'. It just seemed that was pretty short time, but I guess this isn't a hot bed of mayhem?

[SilverBullet432]

When I read of these tragedies, I try to find the address on Google Maps and look at an aerial view, and a street view. The area has four larger houses with big lots on a cul-de-sac. The alarm went off in a house at the end of the cul-de-sac and has a long driveway which doesn't provide a clear view of the street. These seem to be expensive homes with pools. If the PD cars were on the street, the homeowner may have had an obstructed view of the vehicles and not realized PD had arrived.

Also, what was the age of the homeowner? An elderly person at a time shortly after 2am may not be clear-headed or confused by what was going on. It seems the front door was ajar when the PD officers approached. Was the house actually broken into, or the homeowner opened the door in response to the alarm before PD arrived to investigate?

We don't have enough info at this point to make an intelligent analysis. The manslaughter charge could be something that ends up being dropped if it turns out to be a confused and scared old man shooting at what he thought was a threat.

He is a local oil & gas CEO. 37 years old.

https://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Ma...506737871.html

[OH58D]

He is a local oil & gas CEO. 37 years old.

Ok, based on the house it looked like someone with money. And some of that Permian Basin wealth being generated in the Midland-Odessa area.

So, we can remove age as a factor. What about fear and confusion? The homeowner was charged with Manslaughter. Does his actions rise to that level? There is also Involuntary Manslaughter, which in New Mexico would be negligence without intent or premeditation to commit a crime. As a life long gun owner, and someone who was around all kinds of weapons in the Army, I understand personal responsibility regarding the use of a firearm, but the average person, in their own home, may not have received any formal training. Combine that with fear and confusion and they'll be shooting at any noise they hear or flash of light. Did the homeowner fear for his life when he fired? Would we be discussing this now if the homeowner had shot an actual intruder (burglar) at the front door with a flashlight?

Unless we have more information about the state of mind of the homeowner, to me it seems like Manslaughter could be a way to stack the charge higher for a lower plea in the future.

[jsbhike]

Officer involved shootings are very often investigated by outside agencies. That in and of itself means nothing.

I do find it interesting that the same people that would complain about and assume officer Misconduct or abuse when they shoot someone in similar cases to this one are now defending the actions of this homeowner. Seems like you have to pick a side on this type of incident regardless who fired the shot. What would you have to say if the same officer shot the homeowner because he was walking around the house with a flashlight and a gun? The homeowners alarm went off, so he very likely knew it went off. What is a reasonable expection to happen when your alarm goes off. Police showing up seems reasonable to me, especially when you pay for that service expecting the police will be called and respond.

Officers going to the front door may or may not be unusual depending on a departments policy for alarm response. My department wants you to park away from the house, call in any tags of vehicles at the house, check the vehicles, check the perimeter, check the doors and windows, if a door is found to be unsecured clear the house. This is pretty much what every department remotely close to here does.

I don’t know exactly what happen or why. I’m not going to make assumptions either way, maybe some of you consider curbing some of that anti-police bias. I get that some people don’t like he police, and I get some people have a good and justified reason they don’t like the police. However, a vast, vast, vast majority of cops are good people doing the job the right way for the right reasons. This is similar to an active shooter event, all gun owners get blamed for someone else’s actions. All of us here complain and bitch about it, but yet some will turn around and do the same thing to cops.

Looks like the homeowner got charged the same day.

If shooter versus shot got flipped, would that be the case?

8 hours away in Houston, will Goines or any of his crew get charged this quarter?

[Firefly]

I doubt he is going to get true billed. The officer effed up and paid for it, I would wager the Rangers being involved is as a direct result of them charging old buddy.

Sucks that he got shot but had he used some tactics; nobody would have gotten shot.

The department is trying to save face and whomever the chief is; he is making a bad situation worse

[flenna]

He is a local oil & gas CEO. 37 years old.

https://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Ma...506737871.html

A 37 year old CEO in his house with his family and his burglar alarm going off meets someone inside pointing a flashlight in his face. I know how I would react.

[docsherm]

I doubt he is going to get true billed. The officer effed up and paid for it, I would wager the Rangers being involved is as a direct result of them charging old buddy.

Sucks that he got shot but had he used some tactics; nobody would have gotten shot.

The department is trying to save face and whomever the chief is; he is making a bad situation worse

This sums up the entire situation.