Del City Police Officer Charged In Shooting Death Of Teen

[Fyrtwuck]

I've got mixed feeling on this one. I don't think the whole story is being told. So far, I've heard nothing about the victims background other than he is a "good kid". Mention has been made of prior contact between the officer and the victim but nothing has been said about what it was. Another statement said that the officer was "harassing" him, but nothing has been said how.

A lot has been left out.

 

[Mr10mm]

I beleive they found drugs in the car and he had an extensive juvenile record.

 

[inactive]

I do also agree that at some point, we have to let things of the past be the past... but there're a whole lot of Native Americans in Oklahoma that still believe they are part of an "unconquered and unconquerable" nation that still deserves independent rights as well...

As one of the "unconquered and unconquerable" I'd be happy with just the above.

 

[Biggsly]

Here is my question. The man ran from the cops. The man fought the cop. The man had a gun. The man got away.
Who can say that this guy would not have hurt or killed someone else in order to get away?

 

[264killer]

just more criminal coddling , if they run they should be shot.

 

[gillman7]

Here is my question. The man ran from the cops. The man fought the cop. The man had a gun. The man got away.
Who can say that this guy would not have hurt or killed someone else in order to get away?

"DEL CITY, Oklahoma - A Del City police captain is charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of a teenager.

Captain Randy Trent Harrison faces one count of manslaughter in the shooting of 18-year-old Dane Scott Jr. last month.

Del City officers say the teenager tried to get away from a traffic stop when he crashed his car after a short police chase on March 14. Harrison shot Scott following the chase. Scott was pronounced dead at the hospital following the officer-involved shooting.

3/14/2012 Related Story: Suspect In Del City High Speed Chase Dies At Hospital

Harrison is now facing a 1st degree charge of manslaughter. According to court documents, Harrison willingly, unlawfully and unnecessarily killed Scott as he was resisting an officer. Court papers also state Harrison fired at Scott twice but missed him. When officers caught up to Scott, one officer tried to use a taser to stop him, while Harrison shot at Scott again, this time shooting him in the back.

3/15/2012 Related Story: Del City Police Identify Teenager Shot, Killed By Police

Officers at the scene say they saw Scott with a gun. But court documents show he was unarmed.

Captain Harrison's attorney, Irven Box, says Harrrison was protecting his own life, the public and trying to stop a fleeing felon.

"I don't think he should have been charged in this particular case," said Box. "No one's walked in his shoes, and if you look at the overall picture of what went on that day I think what he did was certainly within police procedure and certainly within Oklahoma law."

After the shooting, Scott's family told News 9 that their son should not have run, but he didn't deserve to be killed.

The Medical Examiner's office told the Scott family that Scott died from a gunshot wound to his back."


He did run from the cop. I don't see where he fought the cop, running away is what constituted resisting arrest, I think you are reading into it that he resisted.

Court records show he did not have a gun, the article does not say what he did or did not do that would make them think he had a gun. That is a really easy excuse to say, "I thought he had a gun?" Like it or not, police are held to a higher standard, they recieve training to deal with this, so are more responsible.

To your point, he got away, he was not threatening the officer. As to he could have been a threat to society, who is the police to determine that a fleeing suspect deserves capital punishment? He could have been, and he could have been a scared person that reacted as flight to an option to a stressful situation. I am sorry, but with the information presented at this time, this was a bad shoot.

The fact is he did not hurt anyone, and to make a decision based on what he could have, but didn't do is irresponsible. In that line of reasoning, we should execute all drunk drivers that take off running on foot, or a shoplifter that is running from arrest, because they "might" hurt someone while evading? Sorry, that is a really silly line of thinking.

 

[jstaylor62]

To your point, he got away, he was not threatening the officer. As to he could have been a threat to society, who is the police to determine that a fleeing suspect deserves capital punishment? He could have been, and he could have been a scared person that reacted as flight to an option to a stressful situation. I am sorry, but with the information presented at this time, this was a bad shoot.

On Feb 2, 1985, an OKC Police Det was killed by a fleeing suspect that he chose not to shoot. Det Gary Ward was working off-duty at the Holiday Inn at NW 39th & N Portland. The Alvin Parker had asked the desk clerk if he could checkout the room first before he decided to stay. After he did not come back for a while, Det Ward went to check on the subject. As he approached the room, the suspect was leaving the room with the TV in his arms. Det Ward drew his gun and told him to stop. The suspect dropped the TV and ran. With the very recent announcement of "Fleeing Felon" case in his head, Ward holstered his gun and chased the suspect. He caught him, they struggled, Parker took Det Ward's gun away from him and shot and killed him.

So try to tell me again that suspects that are fleeing from non-violent, property crimes are not a threat to society.

 

[gillman7]

On Feb 2, 1985, an OKC Police Det was killed by a fleeing suspect that he chose not to shoot. Det Gary Ward was working off-duty at the Holiday Inn at NW 39th & N Portland. The suspect had asked the desk clerk if he could checkout the room first before he decided to stay. After he did not come back for a while, Det Ward went to check on the subject. As he approached the room, the suspect was leaving the room with the TV in his arms. Det Ward drew his gun and told him to stop. The suspect dropped the TV and ran. With the very recent announcement of "Fleeing Felon" case in his head, Ward holstered his gun and chased the suspect. He caught him, they struggled, the suspect took Det Ward's gun away from him and shot and killed him.

So try to tell me again that suspects that are fleeing from non-violent, property crimes are not a threat to society.

Did I say everytime? You seriously have to pull a single incident from 27 years ago to try and prove your point? Once again, I am not saying we are to automatically assume they shouldn't shoot, but I am also not naive enough to say that because it was a policeman, they should get a free pass.

If you want to show incidents, get statistics on how many times a fleeing suspect has killed someone, versus no injury. As I said, I am an ardent LEO supporter, have several friends in the community, but they are just people as you and I are, and must be held to the same standard as anyone else.

And in your example, he was shot with his own gun during a struggle. This person was running away, and was shot in the back. A huge difference in the type of offense. This kid was shot due to fleeing from a traffic stop, not a burglary.

 

[jstaylor62]

And in your example, he was shot with his own gun during a struggle. This person was running away, and was shot in the back. A huge difference in the type of offense. This kid was shot due to fleeing from a traffic stop, not a burglary.

gillman, I think you are missing my point in referencing Det Ward's death. Det Ward’s killing was right after the Tennessee vs Garner Supreme Court case or Fleeing Felon decision was announced. Police Officers across the country were discussing the various shoot vs no shoot scenarios with suspects fleeing essentially non-violent crimes. Det Ward decided NOT TO SHOOT to stop a suspect that was fleeing a non-violent crime. Subsequently, he struggled with the suspect and was shot with his own gun. The gun was later recovered with Alvin Parker when he was arrested. The suspect, Alvin Parker, was on parole for Armed Robbery at the time when he killed Det Ward. Since Det Ward had no prior contact with Parker, he was not aware of his violent crime past.

Capt Harrison chose TO SHOOT to stop a suspect that was fleeing a non-violent crime. Apparently, Capt Harrison believed that Dane Scott would pose a threat to others if he escaped. Since Scott was already showing a disregard for public safety by resisting and fleeing arrest, who knows what would have happened if he had remained at large. Since Capt Harrison had prior contact with Scott, perhaps that knowledge influenced his decision to shoot to stop the fleeing suspect.

Det Ward is dead.
Capt Harrison is alive.

 

[bigcountryok]

He did run from the cop. I don't see where he fought the cop, running away is what constituted resisting arrest, I think you are reading into it that he resisted.

Court records show he did not have a gun, the article does not say what he did or did not do that would make them think he had a gun.

Based on this story he had a gun that was removed from him while he was fighting with the officers. No telling what happened, and after fighting a man with a gun I'm sure the adrenaline factor was sky high. As usual the details are lacking and we will probably never hear what exactly happened.

http://newsok.com/del-city-police-c...-charge-in-18-year-olds-death/article/3667769