BY ADAM WEINTRAUB
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Lorenzo Collins case spawned numerous questions in the community about use of force, treatment of the mentally ill and the investigation itself.
Any time Cincinnati police use force, they are bound by rules that reflect training, police policies and the law. This report answers questions from the perspective of investigators.
The answers are based on legal precedents, Cincinnati Police Division procedures and training, and interviews.
Q: Lorenzo Collins didn't have a gun and he didn't hurt anybody. Why did police shoot him?
A:Cincinnati Police policy says:
"When officers have the right to make an arrest, they may use whatever force is reasonably necessary to apprehend the offender or effect the arrest, and no more. . . .
"If an offender resists, the officer may use such force as required under the circumstances to overcome the resistance, even to the extent of taking life. . . . The use of deadly force to prevent escape of felony suspects is constitutionally unreasonable except where the escape presents an immediate risk of death or serious physical harm to the officer or another."
Officers are trained to consider a blunt object as a deadly weapon. Police on the day of the shooting said Mr. Collins "charged" them, although some witnesses dispute that.
Witnesses say Mr. Collins was shouting, holding the brick in the air, and telling officers they would have to kill him. Officers are trained to recognize all such behavior as a possible threat.
Q: Lorenzo Collins was dressed in pajamas and acting crazy. Why did they shoot a man with mental problems?
A: One question that arose early in the investigation was why police didn't know Mr. Collins had a history of mental problems. The information appears nowhere in Cincinnati radio transmissions before the shooting.
It is unclear whether University of Cincinnati police gave Cincinnati any information about his mental state. Radio calls show that officers knew only that Mr. Collins had escaped and was wanted by Springdale. Tapes of radio transmissions show confused and fragmented communications.
Cincinnati police receive a dozen hours of recruit training in dealing with mentally ill people, both as victims and as suspects, and regular refresher courses. The training, which has won praise from consultants to the New York City police but criticism from some local advocates, is aimed at preventing assumptions by officers that the mentally ill are prone to violence.
Q: Why is the investigation taking so long?
A: Three months is a typical duration for an investigation. It may take longer if witnesses are uncooperative or unavailable. The investigation of the shooting of Ralph Schellhammer, a man with mental problems shot by police Dec. 24 while brandishing a sword in College Hill, lasted until April.
Q: When are police justified in shooting someone?
A: Court precedents set the law on the use of force by police. Two critical U.S. Supreme Court cases are Tennessee vs. Garner (1985) and Graham vs. Conner (1989). All U.S. police agencies must follow them.
The 1985 case created a test for the justified use of force: The officer must have probable cause to believe there is a threat of harm to the officer or another person, and the use of force must be necessary to prevent the suspect's escape.
The 1989 case held that an officer's action must be judged "from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, rather than with the 20 - 20 vision of hindsight."
Q: Why didn't police tackle Mr. Collins or use a stun gun?
A: Chemical irritant is preferred for subduing a suspect in Cincinnati. Mr. Collins was sprayed with irritant at least three times, twice just before he was shot. Police said the chemical did not subdue him.
Officers called repeatedly for a "Taser" stun gun. In Cincinnati, only police supervisors carry Tasers. No supervisor arrived before the shooting.
Officers are trained that a suspect can close a distance of 21 feet before an officer can unholster his gun, aim and shoot. The distance is 10 feet if the gun is out and aimed. Mr. Collins was 8 to 15 feet from the officers, who had him at gunpoint, when he was shot. Tackling an armed suspect or getting close enough to use a PR-24 baton puts the officer within his "kill zone," or the area where the suspect can harm the officer.
Q: Lorenzo Collins was shot three times, all in the central part of his body. Why didn't officers shoot the brick out of his hand or shoot him in the arm?
A: Officers are trained to use deadly force to stop a threat. The most effective shot to stop a threat is to the body's "center mass."
Firearms trainers sometimes refer to shooting a weapon from a suspect's hand as a "Wyatt Earp shot," popular in movies and television but almost impossible in the real world.
NINE MINUTES OF CONFUSION
Previous stories
WHY DID THE COPS KILL LORENZO? Peter Bronson column, May 25, 1997
BORGMAN CARTOON May 25, 1997
PUSH FOR POLICE REVIEW FEARED May 9, 1997
FBI TO REVIEW COLLINS CASE May 8, 1997
MARCHERS VOW SEASON OF DISRUPTIONS May 5, 1997
PROSECUTORS GET REPORT ON FATAL SHOOTING April 29, 1997
SHOOTING PROTESTERS ALLEGE POLICE BRUTALITY April 17, 1997
DEMONSTRATORS CITE SHOOTING OF MENTAL PATIENT March 24, 1997
BAPTIST MINISTERS PROTEST AGAINST POLICE March 20, 1997
LAWSUIT SEEKS $5 MILLION March 13, 1997
PUNISH POLICE, MARCHERS URGE March 5, 1997
FATAL SHOOTING CONCERNS COMMUNITY March 2, 1997
PROBE: POLICE FIRED FOUR SHOTS AT MAN WITH BRICK Feb. 25, 1997
MAN SHOT BY POLICE AFTER CHASE Feb. 24, 1997
