Sunday, December 19, 1999
Shots fired: The cases
Cincinnati Police have shot and killed eight people and wounded 13 since 1994. Here's a look at each case:
FATALS
Carey Tompkins, 28. Oct. 16, 1999. West End. Officer Craig Ball said he shot and killed Mr. Tompkins after the two struggled over a 9mm Ruger in the man's waistband. The case is under investigation.
|
BREAKDOWN
|
Since 1994 Cincinnati police have fired weapons 93 times. This is
the breakdown:
• 8 fatal shootings
• 13 woundings
• 11 times police fired at someone and missed
• 3 accidental shootings (injured one civilian and two recruits)
• 16 accidental shootings (no injuries)
• 38 shootings at animals
• 4 warning shots
|
James E. King, 44. Aug. 20, 1999. Corryville. Sgt. Randy Webb, Spc. Jason Drach, and officers Adrian Gibson and Rachel Folk said they shot at Mr. King, a suspect in an armed bank robbery, after a car chase. Mr. King was ordered to drop his gun and get out of the car. Mr. King got out with the gun in hand. Officers fatally shot him. The case is under investigation.
Michael Carpenter, 30. March 19, 1999. Northside. Officers Brent McCurley and Michael B. Miller II said they fired into the car after Mr. Carpenter refused to get out. He had been stopped for expired tags. Officer Miller reached into the car and was dragged when the car moved. Officer McCurley said that when the car lurched backward toward him, he fired nine shots to protect himself and his partner. Officer Miller pulled free and thought Mr. Carpenter was shooting, so he fired one shot. It missed. Officer Miller resigned. The division said Officer McCurley was justified in shooting, but disciplined and ordered him to training for tactical errors. Cincinnati's Office of Municipal Investigations ruled the shooting unjustified. The FBI and U.S. Justice Department are investigating.
Randy W. Black, 23. July 17, 1998. Corryville. Officer Joseph Eichhorn said he shot twice at Mr. Black, a bank robbery suspect, after a foot chase. The man threw a brick at another officer and a piece of concrete at Officer Eichhorn, injuring his right arm. Mr. Black raised a 4-foot long board with protruding nails on each end and charged the officer. Several Cincinnati investigations cleared Officer Eichhorn in the shooting.
Jermaine Lowe, 21. June 30, 1998. Corryville. Officers Scott Krauser, Scott Bode and Michael Amman said they tried to stop Mr. Lowe for driving a stolen car. He led the officers on a low-speed chase. Mr. Lowe wrecked the car at McMillan Street, leaned out of the car and fired six shots at the officers. Officers returned fire and the fatal shooting was ruled justified.
Daniel Williams, 21. Feb. 2, 1998. Over-the-Rhine. Officer Kathleen “Katie” Conway Hood said she shot Mr. Williams twice after he attacked her in her police cruiser. He hit her in the face, then shot her three times. He got in the car, pushed her to the passenger side and began to drive before Officer Hood shot him. The officer was exonerated.
Lorenzo Collins, 25. Feb. 23, 1997. Corryville. Officer Douglas Depodesta (and University of Cincinnati officer John Engle) said they shot Mr. Collins after the man, an escaped psychiatric patient threatened officers with a brick. Officers told him more than 10 times to drop the brick. An FBI and Justice Department investigation found no criminal wrongdoing by officers.
Harvey Price, 34. Feb. 1, 1995. North Avondale. Sgt. Randy Rengering shot and killed Mr. Price during a SWAT standoff. Earlier, police found the partially decapitated body of 15-year-old girl. Mr. Price, the murder suspect, charged another SWAT team member with a steak knife when Sgt. Rengering shot him five times. The officer was exonerated.
WOUNDED
Darnell E. Brown, 33. Feb. 3, 1997. Avondale. Officer Orlando Smith, dressed in plain clothes, said Mr. Brown tried to ram him with his car before he shot the man in the jaw. Mr. Brown is suing the city and police. Officer Smith received a written reprimand for shooting after he was out of danger.
Anthony Mays, 23. Riverside. Sept. 30, 1996. Officer David Brown injured Mr. Mays, who was sitting in his car with a gun. The officer was ordered to shoot at the tires to keep Mr. Mays from driving away. Pellets or debris from the shotgun blast struck Mr. Mays in the jaw. No disciplinary action resulted.
Thomas Adams, 41. Nov. 16, 1995. Walnut Hills. Officer Thomas Raglin said he shot Mr. Adams in the arm after the auto theft suspect nearly ran over Officer Raglin's partner, trying to escape. The other officer had opened the van door and tried to pull Mr. Adams out of the van. Police said Mr. Adams appeared to reach for a weapon and started to drive away. Officer Raglin's partner broke free and fell to the ground with his legs partially under the van. After he was wounded, Mr. Adams crashed the van into a nearby residence. A knife was found in the van. The officer was exonerated.
Timothy Blair, 43. Nov. 6, 1999. Walnut Hills. Officer Daniel Carder said he shot Mr. Blair, a shoplifting suspect who assaulted the officer and a security guard, while trying to drive away. Officer Carder punched through the car window, tried to pull Mr. Blair out, became entangled and was dragged. The wounded suspect's car rammed into a van, injuring a 5-year-old bystander. The division ruled the shooting justified but said the officer made tactical mistakes. Discipline is pending.
Nickdarrylondo Crew, 17. Jan. 3, 1994. Over-the-Rhine. Officer Johnny Martin said he shot the youth after the suspect robbed patrons at an unlicensed social club at gunpoint. Officer Martin had heard one shot from inside the club and assumed a defensive position on the sidewalk. The officer saw the youth run from the club with a gun in his hand, identified himself, and ordered the youth to stop. The youth fired at the officer who returned fire. po. The youth was hit in the right buttock.The officer was exonerated.
Eric Brand, 21. Aug. 3, 1998. Over-the-Rhine. Officer Calvin Johnson said he shot the armed robbery suspect in the arm after Mr. Brand pulled a gun from his waistband during a foot chase. The suspect turned toward the officer, who fired six shots, hitting once. Police ruled the shooting justified.
Vincent Henderson, 38. April 30, 1995. Avondale. Sgt. Douglas Ventre said he shot Mr. Henderson in the abdomen during a SWAT standoff, after the barricaded suspect shot a canine officer with the officer's gun. Police ruled the shooting justified.
Blain Hileman, 18. Nov. 8, 1994. Price Hill. Officers David Hall, Michael Dunn and Peter Ridder said they shot Mr. Hileman after he walked down the street brandishing a rifle. He refused to drop the weapon and repeatedly pointed the rifle toward the officers, who fired and hit him twice. The shooting was ruled justified.
Anthony L. Jackson, 37. Nov. 4, 1998. Avondale. Sgt. James Whalen shot Mr. Jackson, aburglary suspect, after a struggle for Mr. Jackson's gun. The suspect tried to run away. Sgt. Whalen ordered him to stop. When Mr. Jackson turned around, Sgt. Whalen said, he had the gun in his hand and the officer shot him in the leg. Police exonerated the sergeant.
Ralph Schellhammer, 44. Dec. 24, 1996. College Hill. Officers Michael Savard, Brenda Kelly Beyersdoerfer, Lisa Myers Dotson and Julie Johnson-McReynolds Shearer said they shot Mr. Schellhammer after he threatened officers with a Civil War sword. A police review exonerated the four officers who wounded the man.
Gregory D. Sears, 31. April 23, 1995. Fairview. Officer Joseph Milek said he shot Mr. Sears, a suspect in a domestic violence situation, after the man charged another officer with a knife and screwdriver. Mr. Sears was hit in the leg. The shooting was ruled justified.
Kyron Thomas, 20. Nov. 12, 1995. Price Hill. Officer David Russell said he shot Mr. Thomas after the man stabbed the officer in the eye with a sharp object and severely beat him. The officer's injuries forced him to retire.
Calvin Way, 30. Sept. 13, 1997. Over-the-Rhine. Sgt. Andre Smith said he shot Mr. Way twice after the man pointed a gun at him during a foot chase. The shooting was ruled justified.
Deadly force, weak controls
Shots fired: The cases
A mistaken shot in the dark
Toughest decision takes a split-second
No one knows national figures on police shootings
About this series
Agencies with review power
Experts who reviewed shootings
