Youth, 14, Is Fatally Shot in Clash With D.C. Police

[#98QBKiller]

It sucks someone lost their kid, but that's what happens when you shoot at the cops.

A 14-year-old with a gun shooting at off-duty cops just reinforces my opinion that law-abiding citizens should be able to own and carry handguns in the district.

Youth, 14, Is Fatally Shot in Clash With D.C. Police

Off-Duty Officers Were Conducting Probe in Southeast

Click link for full article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/18/AR2007091800697.html

By Allison Klein and Joe Holley

Washington Post Staff Writers

Tuesday, September 18, 2007; 11:16 AM

An off-duty D.C. police officer shot and killed a 14-year-old youth last night while searching for a minibike that the officer believed had been stolen from his home, D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said.

Lanier said the officer, whose name was not released, was notified of an apparent burglary at his home in Southeast Washington, then got into his personal car with another off-duty officer to drive around the neighborhood and see if he could find the missing bike or other items. A few blocks away, in the 600 block of Atlantic Street, the officers spotted a teenager astride the minibike and stopped to question him, Lanier said.

It was not clear, she said, whether the two men had time to identify themselves as police officers.

The teenager allegedly began shooting at the officers, who were not in uniform, Lanier said. One bullet hit the officer's car about a foot below the window. The officer whose bike was missing returned fire, Lanier said, shooting about eight rounds. One shot struck the youth in the head, killing him.

""It's not standard procedure for an officer to investigate a burglary in his own home," Lanier said at a news conference outside police headquarters.

"I can't say he was doing anything wrong looking to see whether the minibike had been dumped somewhere," she added.

The police chief and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) expressed condolences to the youth's family, and said police were continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting. The officer, a member of the police department's helicopter unit, has been placed on routine administrative leave.

Although police spent hours after the 7:30 p.m. shooting searching the courtyard where it occurred, Lanier said, the gun that the officers said the youth used was not recovered. "There was a lot of chaos," Lanier said. "The officer was calling for assistance. It is possible that someone picked that weapon up."

The slain youth's name was not released.

Both Fenty and Lanier responded to the scene last night. A crowd gathered, and youths shouted expressions of scorn and anger at the police who were working nearby.

Regardless of what might have caused the gunfire, Fenty said at the scene that he wished to express his sympathy to the slain youth's relatives.

"We express our condolences to this family. . . . Whenever we lose a 14-year-old, under any circumstances, it is a loss for the city," the mayor said.

Lanier, who arrived at the scene in uniform, had visited the slain youth's family earlier at Children's Hospital, where he had been taken after the shooting. The youth was pronounced dead there.

The incident occurred among modest two-story red brick dwellings on a street in the Condon Terrace area, about a half-mile from the border with Prince George's County.

It was unclear what specific information led the officers to Atlantic Street.

The police officers' specific assignments were not released, but Lanier said each had been on the force more than 15 years.

It was not clear how many people might have seen the confrontation. A number of residents interviewed by reporters said they knew little or nothing about it. Several said the appearance of police and fire vehicles was their first indication that something had happened. Others said only that they heard shots and saw or heard a helicopter.

But as police looked over the scene last night, youths gathered nearby, cursing and making obscene gestures.

Members of the police force investigating team and 7th Police District officers were involved last night in the review of the shooting.

A relatively large number of shootings by the D.C. police was identified several years ago as a significant problem for the force. But new policies, including increased training, were credited with reducing the number sharply.

Staff writers Elissa Silverman and Martin Weil contributed to this report.

[HOF44]

Damn they're lucky they got a bullet hole in the car door, if not they could have ended up in some very hot water without that gun being recovered.

[sacase]

The cops were not undercover. I hope he goes to jail for murder.

Off duty police officer in plain clothes investigating his own motorcycle being stolen....hmmmm. Someone is going to jail. A regular citizen probably would not have had a gun to shoot back. If he would have let the people who were supposed to take care of the issue do it, then perhaps this kid would still be a love. Kind of funny that the gun was missing also, that should have been the first thing the cop should have secured.

[Zguy28]

The cops were not undercover. I hope he goes to jail for murder.

Umm...no, nevermind. Dude, your :insane:

[sacase]

Umm...no, nevermind. Dude, your :insane:

Read your own article. Being a cop doesn't give you a vigilante permit.

It sucks someone lost their kid, but that's what happens when you shoot at the cops.

A 14-year-old with a gun shooting at undercover cops just reinforces my opinion that law-abiding citizens should be able to own and carry handguns in the district.

Youth, 14, Is Fatally Shot in Clash With D.C. Police

Off-Duty Officers Were Conducting Probe in Southeast

Click link for full article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/18/AR2007091800697.html

By Allison Klein and Joe Holley

Washington Post Staff Writers

Tuesday, September 18, 2007; 11:16 AM

An off-duty D.C. police officer shot and killed a 14-year-old youth last night while searching for a minibike that the officer believed had been stolen from his home, D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said.

Lanier said the officer, whose name was not released, was notified of an apparent burglary at his home in Southeast Washington, then got into his personal car with another off-duty officer to drive around the neighborhood and see if he could find the missing bike or other items. A few blocks away, in the 600 block of Atlantic Street, the officers spotted a teenager astride the minibike and stopped to question him, Lanier said.

It was not clear, she said, whether the two men had time to identify themselves as police officers.

The teenager allegedly began shooting at the officers, who were not in uniform, Lanier said. One bullet hit the officer's car about a foot below the window. The officer whose bike was missing returned fire, Lanier said, shooting about eight rounds. One shot struck the youth in the head, killing him.

""It's not standard procedure for an officer to investigate a burglary in his own home," Lanier said at a news conference outside police headquarters.

"I can't say he was doing anything wrong looking to see whether the minibike had been dumped somewhere," she added.

The police chief and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) expressed condolences to the youth's family, and said police were continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting. The officer, a member of the police department's helicopter unit, has been placed on routine administrative leave.

Although police spent hours after the 7:30 p.m. shooting searching the courtyard where it occurred, Lanier said, the gun that the officers said the youth used was not recovered. "There was a lot of chaos," Lanier said. "The officer was calling for assistance. It is possible that someone picked that weapon up."

The slain youth's name was not released.

Both Fenty and Lanier responded to the scene last night. A crowd gathered, and youths shouted expressions of scorn and anger at the police who were working nearby.

Regardless of what might have caused the gunfire, Fenty said at the scene that he wished to express his sympathy to the slain youth's relatives.

"We express our condolences to this family. . . . Whenever we lose a 14-year-old, under any circumstances, it is a loss for the city," the mayor said.

Lanier, who arrived at the scene in uniform, had visited the slain youth's family earlier at Children's Hospital, where he had been taken after the shooting. The youth was pronounced dead there.

The incident occurred among modest two-story red brick dwellings on a street in the Condon Terrace area, about a half-mile from the border with Prince George's County.

It was unclear what specific information led the officers to Atlantic Street.

The police officers' specific assignments were not released, but Lanier said each had been on the force more than 15 years.

It was not clear how many people might have seen the confrontation. A number of residents interviewed by reporters said they knew little or nothing about it. Several said the appearance of police and fire vehicles was their first indication that something had happened. Others said only that they heard shots and saw or heard a helicopter.

But as police looked over the scene last night, youths gathered nearby, cursing and making obscene gestures.

Members of the police force investigating team and 7th Police District officers were involved last night in the review of the shooting.

A relatively large number of shootings by the D.C. police was identified several years ago as a significant problem for the force. But new policies, including increased training, were credited with reducing the number sharply.

Staff writers Elissa Silverman and Martin Weil contributed to this report.

[Brad_Edwards_Fan]

The only thing that I see has anything to do with him being a cop is explaining why he was legally carrying a handgun within the city.

From there, i see this as an ordinary citizen being shot at and returning fire...with a gun that his status as an officier allowed him to carry legally

[zoony]

The cops were not undercover. I hope he goes to jail for murder.

Off duty police officer in plain clothes investigating his own motorcycle being stolen....hmmmm. Someone is going to jail. A regular citizen probably would not have had a gun to shoot back. If he would have let the people who were supposed to take care of the issue do it, then perhaps this kid would still be a love. Kind of funny that the gun was missing also, that should have been the first thing the cop should have secured.

This kid stole a minibike and then pulled out a gun and started shooting at the owner.

[dwbiggs]

Kid screwed up, made a bad choice, and he paid for it...nuff said. Sounds like the parents did a bang up job raising the kid.

[sacase]

This kid stole a minibike and then pulled out a gun and started shooting at the owner.

Where's the gun?

[zoony]

Where's the gun?

There is a bullet lodged in the door of the car.

[sacase]

There is a bullet lodged in the door of the car.

Where's the gun that put it there?

Look, its pretty simple, after they shoot the kid they are supposed to secure the scene, they are police officiers after all, that means they move the gun out of reach, check the victim, then clear the weapon. The gun disappearing is awfully suspicious.

Granted the kid is wrong if he shot at them. However, think about it for a second. Its dark out, someone jumps out of a car and starts yelling at you about stealing a bike. Are you really going to think they are the police?

[laxpck]

Where's the gun that put it there?

Look, its pretty simple, after they shoot the kid they are supposed to secure the scene, they are police officiers after all, that means they move the gun out of reach, check the victim, then clear the weapon. The gun disappearing is awfully suspicious.

Granted the kid is wrong if he shot at them. However, think about it for a second. Its dark out, someone jumps out of a car and starts yelling at you about stealing a bike. Are you really going to think they are the police?

So as long as they ARE NOT cops you are allowed in this society to start shooting? Especially after you have been caught red handed stealing something?

Come on.

The Kid stole the bike

The Kid rode the bike down the street

The Kid pulled the gun

The Kid started shooting.

I am sorry to see a youth die always. But the lapse in Judgement caused this...NOT the cops.

[Destino]

The gun missing is highly suspicious. I don't know if the crap they do on CSI is even remotely true but they need to check that kid for evidence that he did indeed fire a gun. I hate to say it but that bullet hole could have been placed in the door after then fact. The gun could be "missing" because the kid never touched it and if it were to be recovered his prints wouldn't be on it, or it would be matched to a gun owned by one of the officers in the car.

If the cops are innocent then an investigation will show this to be the case. I think they are but you never know. I'm certainly not going to assume the kid opened fire suddenly just because he stole a bike or that the cops are completely credible. Priests don't even get the benefit of the doubt anymore no reason to extend it to anyone when an honest investigation can provide an answer.

[Zguy28]

Where's the gun that put it there?

Look, its pretty simple, after they shoot the kid they are supposed to secure the scene, they are police officiers after all, that means they move the gun out of reach, check the victim, then clear the weapon. The gun disappearing is awfully suspicious.

Do you actually think that the weapon is absolutely necessary in this case to prove the criminality of the kid's act beyond reasonable doubt?

Granted the kid is wrong if he shot at them. However, think about it for a second. Its dark out, someone jumps out of a car and starts yelling at you about stealing a bike. Are you really going to think they are the police?

Should it matter if its the cops or not?

[twa]

Where's the gun that put it there?

Look, its pretty simple, after they shoot the kid they are supposed to secure the scene, they are police officiers after all, that means they move the gun out of reach, check the victim, then clear the weapon. The gun disappearing is awfully suspicious.

Granted the kid is wrong if he shot at them. However, think about it for a second. Its dark out, someone jumps out of a car and starts yelling at you about stealing a bike. Are you really going to think they are the police?

The missing gun is a good question,but if someone jumps out of a car and starts yelling are you gonna shoot or run?

Added

Des they can check for powder residue easily.

[Destino]

Do you actually think that the weapon is absolutely necessary in this case to prove the criminality of the kid's act beyond reasonable doubt?

Yes because you need to prove he fired a gun. I'm sorry but I'm not going to take anyone's word for it. A bullet in a door can be put there by anyone at anytime.

[Destino]

Des they can check for powder residue easily.

Then they need to do that. If the kid opened fire then the cops did what they had to do. If there is no proof he fired recently and no gun.... time to look real close at the two cops.

[Buddy Dude]

Umm...no, nevermind. Dude, your :insane:

Agreed. The little punk **** got what he deserved. Anyone who thinks the cop was in the wrong here is a fool.:2cents:

[twa]

Then they need to do that. If the kid opened fire then the cops did what they had to do. If there is no proof he fired recently and no gun.... time to look real close at the two cops.

Of course if they are smart they can also place a gun in his hands and fire off a round...of course then they would also be prepared with a throw down.

Of course sometimes it is as simple as reported.

[terpskins]

Where's the gun?

I really have no problem with what the officer did if this is a true story, but that was my first reaction also. How do you lose the gun, seriously.

"There was a lot of chaos," Lanier said. "The officer was calling for assistance. It is possible that someone picked that weapon up."

That has to be on of the stupidest things I've ever read. Wasn't the scene secured?

[sacase]

Sorry I just don't trust the DC police department. My GF lives in Trinidad. One night about 4 am we heard some arguing outside. Since I am nosey I opened the window and listened to what was going on. Some chic mad that her BF was cheating. Anyways he got tried of her talking and went inside. The girl pulled out a knife and slit his tires. I asked the GF for her phone to call the police to report it. She jumped out of the bed and was like don't use my home phone use my cell. The dispatchers and police know many of the criminals and tell them when people call the police on them. Some lady down the street from her was threatend because the police told the drug dealers she called on them. Told her if she called again they would kill her and her kid.

Why has the Mayor and Police chief went to apologize to the family? How come the department isn't backing up the officer? No gun found? To many things just don't make add up right. The officer hunted down this kid. Reguardless if the kid stole the bike he was murdered for a $200 bike that is illegal in DC anyways.

[Zguy28]

Yes because you need to prove he fired a gun. I'm sorry but I'm not going to take anyone's word for it. A bullet in a door can be put there by anyone at anytime.

And if he has residue on his hands?

Remember, we're talking reasonable doubt.

[Destino]

Agreed. The little punk **** got what he deserved. Anyone who thinks the cop was in the wrong here is a fool.:2cents:

I'm not as trusting as you... then again I've seen cops selling drugs in DC clubs and beating people up in the stairwell while threatening them with charges if they report it.

Large groups of humans not all being trustworthy just because of their job titles? Nah... couldn't be. I mean it's not like priests, doctors, elected officials, or judges ever do anything wrong.

[Destino]

And if he has residue on his hands?

Remember, we're talking reasonable doubt.

Then there is no way the cops could be charged with anything unless the evidence existed that showed they acted wrongly. I'm not saying they are guilty, I just refuse to assume they are innocent. This world is full of bad people man and they take all manner of career paths.

[Destino]

Sorry I just don't trust the DC police department. My GF lives in Trinidad. One night about 4 am we heard some arguing outside. Since I am nosey I opened the window and listened to what was going on. Some chic mad that her BF was cheating. Anyways he got tried of her talking and went inside. The girl pulled out a knife and slit his tires. I asked the GF for her phone to call the police to report it. She jumped out of the bed and was like don't use my home phone use my cell. The dispatchers and police know many of the criminals and tell them when people call the police on them. Some lady down the street from her was threatend because the police told the drug dealers she called on them. Told her if she called again they would kill her and her kid.

They had a radio "townhall" on PGC a while back with the police chief and some public official. I was shocked at how many people called with stories about the police in DC leeking the names of those that call the police or come forward with evidence. There were 10 back to back stories from people with friends and family hurt or threatened by criminals that found out they had called the police from dirty cops. The chief admitted that they've had problems with it.