Toddler Shot By Police Aiming for Suspect

Toddler Shot By Police Aiming for Suspect

www.news4jax.com

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A 2-year-old hit by police gunfire that killed a suspect fleeing a Baymeadow Road bank robbery remains in critical condition 12 hours after emergency surgery.

Police said a masked man carrying a .357 revolver ran out of a Wachovia bank just after 3 p.m. Friday, across the street and forced his way into a car in the drive-through lane of a Wendy's restaurant.

A woman, a boy and a girl were in the car as the man began to drive off after an officer fired a shotgun at him.

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Sadly this appears to be a trend for the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO). This is a horrible incident and obviously the JSO needs better training and possibly some sort of federal review of the entire agency and prison system. Firing a shootgun into a vehicle with children negligent in my opinion. I believe the officer's side of the story is he thought the armed suspect was going to kill the passenger of the vehicle so he was justified in using deadly force. The end result is tragic nonetheless.

Again as a (former) resident of Jacksonville, Fl incidents like this happen often, this one especially tragic. I understand it is a difficult jurisdiction, something is not right with the way crime is handled and too many officer's seem to be trigger happy. That said JSO is not completly out of control and most of their officers do a fine job but there are major flaws that I believe can be improved upon.



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(visit the link for the full news article)

My thoughts and prayers go out to the officer.
I can't even imagine the hell of living with the death of a child on my conscience - the action causing the death 'justified' in my mind or not.
As for the parents of the child? I hope they too can find peace.

peace

As a resident of Orlando, I haven't seen any other incidents like this in the news about JAX. So they are on a toddler killing spree are they? This is a VERY unfortunate and tragic mistake. My heart goes out to the parents and officer. But to say that JSO is regularly having these types of incidents is untrue. So unless something of this nature is being covered up at a local level I think you need to alter your statement.

The bloody idiot, what's he doing firing in a populated area? Trigger happy I bet.

I think most people on ATS are aware that a shotgun, when using shells, fires a spread of pellets making the weapon not very effective at discriminating against a target in a crowd!!

The word "idiotic" springs to mind... However, I’m sure that this cop never meant any harm to the family and probably panicked!

I hope that Child makes it... for the sake of everyone concerned!

reply to post by Hawkwind.


Once again another post by someone who doesn't understand the amount of training these officers go through. They are not these mercenaries who kick in doors and kill everything that moves. This was an accident.

Unless the suspect killed someone in the bank, I don't think the excuse to fire because the officer thought the suspect would kill the occupant of the vehicle is a vaild one. Especially a shotgun when there is someone innocent in the vehicle. Whats with the shoot first and ask later motto... Just because you rob a bank does not mean that you are a killer! Maybe he was a good guy who just needed some cash for a good reason.

[edit on 27-3-2010 by (C2C)]

The police person should be charged.

Amazing these people destroy any life they want and they are never charged for it.

"just make it all up about someone and we will kill them"

Thats the police motto. Why should anyone be surprised about another police person destroying another life for no reason. Scum.

reply to post by djvexd


So, they were trained that it is ok to shoot a SHOTGUN off at a suspect when there are hostages RIGHT THERE in same area as the suspect? Surely they are trained that a shotgun shell and a bullet are not the same thing right?

Now, I'm sure the cop meant nothing by it and I'm sorry that he made such a grave error. But I was always under the impression that a cop has to THINK under pressure and not just react.

I really hope the child will be ok. I'm gonna go hug my son now.

reply to post by angrymomma


First and foremost they do think and training helps them make decisions when thoughts can't react fast enough. Second the boy was hit and ISN'T dead. I agree that this officer needs punishment, you don't use a scattergun on something like this. But of alll the rounds fire into the vehicle who wound up dead after saying I am gonna kill you? The perp. Bad choice of engaging with a scatter good choice of firing. These guys are not robots whom stick to programming. These are human .. accidents happen when adrenaline and stress is involved.

[edit on 27-3-2010 by djvexd]

This is one of the worst cases I've seen since living here. JSO opening fire under questionable circumstances was what I meant when I said this happens too often in Jacksonville. Almost everyone who lives here agrees.

Originally posted by Muckster
I think most people on ATS are aware that a shotgun, when using shells, fires a spread of pellets making the weapon not very effective at discriminating against a target in a crowd!!

The word "idiotic" springs to mind... However, I’m sure that this cop never meant any harm to the family and probably panicked!

I hope that Child makes it... for the sake of everyone concerned!

I wonder why cops still carry shotguns in their cars. They are far to indiscriminate to be used in most situations. They may serve well in that it creates an intimidation factor but, once the shooting starts, you are stuck with a weapon that's almost useless.

The shotgun is a hunting weapon and has no place in a police patrol car.


Collateral damage may be allowable in the military but, it has no place in civilian policing circles.

This is one case where I believe the officer should be charged with negligence and careless discharge of a firearm. If I am out hunting and through a poor judgement call on my part, a person is shot... I am charged with a crime. Obviously, the officer failed to follow due dilligence here.

That said, anyone who points to this as some sort of sign that police are out of control or uses it as a means to incriminate law enforcement as a whole is a grade 'A' imbecile.

Originally posted by burdman30ott6
This is one case where I believe the officer should be charged with negligence and careless discharge of a firearm. If I am out hunting and through a poor judgement call on my part, a person is shot... I am charged with a crime. Obviously, the officer failed to follow due dilligence here.

That said, anyone who points to this as some sort of sign that police are out of control or uses it as a means to incriminate law enforcement as a whole is a grade 'A' imbecile.

Agreed. It is called a balanced opinion. The officer made a mistake, however, one mistake, especially in this instance, is one too many.

You shouldn't open fire on a vehicle when innocent people are also inside.

They could have waited and apprehended this individual when it was safe to do so.

Instead, a child is now fighting for his life, and a family is left in ruins.

Quick question[SNIP].

Does anyone think that the ass-hat with the 357 that just robbed the freakin' bank ought to be charged with anything???

The cop will be investigated for this. Love to see how a lot of posters just want to take him out and throw him in jail [SNIP].



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[edit on 30-3-2010 by TheBorg]

You know what else needs overhauling in this country? Law enforcement.

Almost every other day you hear someone getting beaten by a cop for no reason or arrested for no reason. Cops these days are brutal, reckless and careless. The only thing they care about is making their monthly quota, getting a check and making peoples lives miserable.

Few good cops, but 90% are scum.

How much is your 2 year olds life worth??

A sack of cash ... kids in critical condition.

Bank Robbers with a load of cash aren't normally killers.

When was the last time you threatened someone "I'm going to kill you"

Hopefully it wasn't with a loaded weapon but with so many unknowns under the circumstances the officers had enough reasonable doubt.

Now that kid is critical and certainly won't have a normal life... for what???

To protect a sackful of the banksters loot. That's the officers job is to protect the elite's loot at all costs.

Forget the innocents that oops got in the way.

So will you be.

How ungodly stupid do you have to be to fire a shotgun into a car with more innocent passengers than accused?
Honestly I think they should take that pigs badge away and the family should sue.

Originally posted by jerico65
Does anyone think that the ass-hat with the 357 that just robbed the freakin' bank ought to be charged with anything???

No of course not; he was sending the same message to the big bankers we all wish we could.