Saturday, October 19, 2013

Police officer "victim" shoots man standing at distance with hands at his side

Here's a case out of Dallas that shows why police body cameras would be a great idea ("Video shows Dallas officer shooting man standing with arms at his side" (Oct. 17):
Family and friends of a mentally ill Rylie man want answers after a Dallas police officer shot him for no apparent reason Monday in broad daylight outside his home.

A police report says that Officer Cardan Spencer fired on Bobby Gerald Bennett, 52, after Bennett walked toward him and his partner with a “knife raised in an aggressive manner.”

But a neighbor’s video surveillance camera recording obtained by WFAA-TV (Channel 8) shows something different: It shows Bennett, who was seated in a chair, initially rolling back from officers as they advance on him. Bennett then stands up but does not move. His hands remain at his side and he is standing still when Spencer shoots him, firing his service weapon four times.
Normally, when officers claim a suspect approached them with a “knife raised in an aggressive manner,” that's the end of the story. Their word will be taken over any and all other witnesses. In this case, luckily, a neighbor's surveillance camera captured the episode. There was another officer on the scene. It'll be interesting down the line to see if his written report jibed with the video or the shooter's version. My guess would be the latter, assuming it was written before police knew the video existed.  Body cams would protect officers from false accusations and simultaneously provide documentation when their training and judgment fail them, as clearly happened here. Video serves as a general prophylactic for testilying and an antidote to post hoc confusion about what happened in the heat of the moment.

The episode also demonstrates the need for specialized police units to handle calls dealing with the mentally ill. The justice system too often serves as the front-line response to mental health crises, putting police in situations they don't understand and aren't trained to handle. That doesn't excuse what happened here, however I do empathize with officers confronting a mentally ill man with a knife.

Still, given the video, it's strikingly absurd that the arrest warrant affidavit lists Officer Spencer as the "victim." That's certainly not how it looked from a camera's-eye view. Dallas Police Chief David Brown has since ordered that aggravated assault charges be dropped. Go here to see the video (which irritatingly includes unrelated ads before and after the clip).

12 comments:

Robert Langham said...

What can be wrong with LEO culture that two intensely trained, highly paid and fully equipped police officers walk up and kill a helpless man? -And then casually falsify the report? What benefit are they receiving by pursuing this action? What goals are driving the shooter? What is the pay-off for them?

Anonymous said...

Cop hating Grits is on his warpath against those who protect him and his family from criminals. It's a good thing that citizens who make up the majority of grand jurors understand that when an officer is indicted it only serves to help the criminal get a large judgment that taxpayers will pay.

Anonymous said...

@8:30, that is no reason not to indict. It is a good reason not to indemnify officers convicted of causing harm during a criminal act.

Anonymous said...

@ 8:30 a.m. - you must be a pig yourself. The evidence on this tape is tale-telling. The cops lied on their report and shot and wounded an innocent man. The victim (the guy that was shot and not that cop) never approached that officer and kept his distance. There have been way too many instances of police lying on their reports except this time, that *Rambo* was caught. The tape doesn't lie my friend. I agree with GFB that all of you need cameras placed on your body so you will know you will be held accountable. It's the only way to keep you from lying on those reports. Good thing this man never died at the hands of you out-of-control cops. So with that, you can go to hell.

Anonymous said...

I smell bacon @ 8:30! Only cowards and the weak depend on police officers for protection.

Robert Langham said...

This is so astonishingly brazen and their cover-up in the report so craven, that any investigation should include anyone who trained them, supervised them, works a shift or was partnered with either, a review of all previous cases involving either and a complete re-training and reset of their whole department. These people are NOT police nor are they following police procedures or practices yet there they are- certified, badged, paid top dollar, equipped and accredited.

rodsmith said...

Chicken!

Rowan said...

Technology is a wonderful thing that people seem to forget about. It's everywhere and now people have to be a lot more careful about what they say and do.

Anonymous said...

I just love it when cops come on here and rag on Grits for posting stories like this. I mean..damn...the cops SHOT and UNARMED man and then LIED about it. Then someone from law enforcement comes on here to run their mouth because Grits ran the story? Makes me wonder the true character of the cop that posted their comment.

Anonymous said...

Until , Cops .prosecutors, judges and any one else who works for the state in our so called justice system an is held criminally accountable for their crimes .Shootings false convictions . innocent people being executed will continue . Robert they do it because they can and the institutional mentality is us (cops) against them . Then being every one who is not a cop or some one they believe to be on their "side". The one thing those in the system fear it is incarnation .The prisoners will administer their version how ever brutal on them . There is not a safe place in any prison for them.

Robert cops do this because they can and they have a US V Everyone else mentality along with the "officer safety " attitude . If they are afraid of getting hurt they do not have to be a cop .They are public servant cops and their apologists resist recording them and any body or car cameras so forcefully . When cops, prosecutors and judges cross the line . thy need to spend a very long time in prison . Cops using his or her position to commit crimes is far worse than all but a few prisoners . Any questionable case involving a shooting or no knock raid needs to be re investigated by a independent party in Dallas

Anonymous said...

In addition to body cams, every officer involved in a shooting should immediately be tested for steroid and/or amphetamine use.

Broden Mickelsen said...

There are legal remedies to take. As civilians, though, we must realize that if we want this type of behavior to change, we must take action. It is important that our voice be heard. For example, here are 2 steps you can take:
1. Call the Dallas Mayor's Office at (214) 670-4054.
2. Sign the petition at http://www.change.org/petitions/pull-officer-cardan-spencer-off-paid-leave-and-place-him-under-arrest-for-shooting-an-ill-patient-bobby-gerald-bennett-whom-the-officer-was-called-for-to-help