I'm sure by now most everyone has heard of the Officer involved shooting that occurred in Muskogee last Friday. If not, I've posted it below. This may be more a get-it-off-my-chest post than anything, but after reading several comments from some of the news sites such Tulsa World and News on 6, I'm disgusted by the number of people that automatically assume Officer Bemo was wrong in her actions. The accusations include the fact that she is a female and could not handle this situation, that it was racial, that it was accidental and the cops are covering it up. To me it's pretty simple, you get belligerent with an officer, attempt to beat and injure him, put your hands in his mouth in an attempt to rip his jaw off and then attempt to pull his own gun on him, deadly force is a necessity. I'm very proud of our Police Officers, they do an amazing job and believe that it is very sad that so many folks assume from the very beginning that they are crooked and automatically in the wrong when something like this occurs.
From Muskogee Daily Phoenix:
The officer-involved Friday shooting death of Letha Coretta Adams will be investigated by the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation.
State agents assigned to the case will be in Muskogee County District Attorney Larry Moore’s office this morning, Moore said.
The shooting that killed Adams, 38, occurred at the home of her mother at 301 S. N St. Adams was pronounced dead at Muskogee Regional Medical Center.
“My investigator Richard Slader went to the scene and began his investigation,” Moore’s letter states. “However, certain circumstances have arisen since the shooting that I believe warrant your office’s participation.”
After a request from the Phoenix under the Open Records Act, Moore provided a copy of the letter but would not elaborate about the circumstances he alludes to in the letter.
Police Chief Rex Eskridge said he welcomes any outside investigation.
“If (Moore) thinks it’s necessary, then we support his decision,” Eskridge said. “The OSBI does a lot of these cases (officer-involved shootings), and they’re good at it.”
The dash video on the two officers’ police cars who answered a domestic disturbance call showed none of the struggle between Adams and police officer Perry Galvin. It did not show Officer Ginny Bemo shoot Adams.
The cars were parked parallel to front of the home on South N Street. But the disturbance and shooting were at the front part of the house.
The audio and 911 call and the officer’s body mikes revealed what was said. The 911 call began at 10:19 a.m.
“Somebody just broke into my house,” Adams’ mother told the 911 operator.
“Broke in right now - with you in the house?” the operator asked. “Do you know them? Is it a family member?”
“Yes - she’s gone crazy and broke in.”
“Any weapons?”
“I don’t know what she has.”
“Is it your daughter?”
“Yes, but she’s very schizophrenic.”
The mother said she was afraid her daughter was going to push her down.
“I’ve got the children - she’s not supposed to be around the children.”
“Two officers are on the way,” the 911 operator said.
Galvin arrived on the scene at 10:23 a.m. Bemo arrived at 10:24:13 a.m.
Both immediately asked for more units to be sent to the site. By that time Adams had Galvin on the ground and trying to pull his gun out of its holster.
“Get some units over here - he’s getting my gun,” Galvin said.
By then Galvin realized he was struggling with a woman, not a man.
“Shoot her,” Galvin said.
Two shots were fired that hit Adams in the side, officials said.
“Get up Perry - get up Perry,” Bemo could be heard yelling.
“Call for EMS,” Bemo said at 10:25:08 a.m. “Two shots fired.”
Galvin was wearing a body mic and could be heard gasping for air.
Command Sgt. Maj. Chad Farmer said Adams had hit Galvin in the mouth with her fist and then scratched his face and had her hands inside of his mouth. They were rolling around on the ground.
Then, he was on the ground and Adams was straddling him and he couldn’t get her flipped over, Farmer said.
“His mouth was bleeding heavily - he looked like someone in a vampire movie,” Farmer said.
Scott Wood, an attorney with Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group (the city’s insurance) said he represents Bemo.
“I feel very comfortable about the justification for this shooting - that was a life and death situation,” he said.
“It’s standard operating procedure for the OSBI to investigate such a shooting,” he said.
“One-fourth or one-fifth of all police officers shot and killed are shot and killed with their own gun,” he said. “It’s very serious when a suspect has the intent to disarm you. Unless you have the physical wherewithal to overcome them quickly and safely, deadly force is the only option that you have.”
Wood was a longtime Tulsa policeman before becoming an attorney.
Funeral services for Letha Adams are pending with Ragsdale Funeral Center.
From Muskogee Daily Phoenix:
The officer-involved Friday shooting death of Letha Coretta Adams will be investigated by the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation.
State agents assigned to the case will be in Muskogee County District Attorney Larry Moore’s office this morning, Moore said.
The shooting that killed Adams, 38, occurred at the home of her mother at 301 S. N St. Adams was pronounced dead at Muskogee Regional Medical Center.
“My investigator Richard Slader went to the scene and began his investigation,” Moore’s letter states. “However, certain circumstances have arisen since the shooting that I believe warrant your office’s participation.”
After a request from the Phoenix under the Open Records Act, Moore provided a copy of the letter but would not elaborate about the circumstances he alludes to in the letter.
Police Chief Rex Eskridge said he welcomes any outside investigation.
“If (Moore) thinks it’s necessary, then we support his decision,” Eskridge said. “The OSBI does a lot of these cases (officer-involved shootings), and they’re good at it.”
The dash video on the two officers’ police cars who answered a domestic disturbance call showed none of the struggle between Adams and police officer Perry Galvin. It did not show Officer Ginny Bemo shoot Adams.
The cars were parked parallel to front of the home on South N Street. But the disturbance and shooting were at the front part of the house.
The audio and 911 call and the officer’s body mikes revealed what was said. The 911 call began at 10:19 a.m.
“Somebody just broke into my house,” Adams’ mother told the 911 operator.
“Broke in right now - with you in the house?” the operator asked. “Do you know them? Is it a family member?”
“Yes - she’s gone crazy and broke in.”
“Any weapons?”
“I don’t know what she has.”
“Is it your daughter?”
“Yes, but she’s very schizophrenic.”
The mother said she was afraid her daughter was going to push her down.
“I’ve got the children - she’s not supposed to be around the children.”
“Two officers are on the way,” the 911 operator said.
Galvin arrived on the scene at 10:23 a.m. Bemo arrived at 10:24:13 a.m.
Both immediately asked for more units to be sent to the site. By that time Adams had Galvin on the ground and trying to pull his gun out of its holster.
“Get some units over here - he’s getting my gun,” Galvin said.
By then Galvin realized he was struggling with a woman, not a man.
“Shoot her,” Galvin said.
Two shots were fired that hit Adams in the side, officials said.
“Get up Perry - get up Perry,” Bemo could be heard yelling.
“Call for EMS,” Bemo said at 10:25:08 a.m. “Two shots fired.”
Galvin was wearing a body mic and could be heard gasping for air.
Command Sgt. Maj. Chad Farmer said Adams had hit Galvin in the mouth with her fist and then scratched his face and had her hands inside of his mouth. They were rolling around on the ground.
Then, he was on the ground and Adams was straddling him and he couldn’t get her flipped over, Farmer said.
“His mouth was bleeding heavily - he looked like someone in a vampire movie,” Farmer said.
Scott Wood, an attorney with Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group (the city’s insurance) said he represents Bemo.
“I feel very comfortable about the justification for this shooting - that was a life and death situation,” he said.
“It’s standard operating procedure for the OSBI to investigate such a shooting,” he said.
“One-fourth or one-fifth of all police officers shot and killed are shot and killed with their own gun,” he said. “It’s very serious when a suspect has the intent to disarm you. Unless you have the physical wherewithal to overcome them quickly and safely, deadly force is the only option that you have.”
Wood was a longtime Tulsa policeman before becoming an attorney.
Funeral services for Letha Adams are pending with Ragsdale Funeral Center.
