Overnight shooting leaves NOPD officer wounded, suspect dead

[sunny]

I have a few friends on the NOPD, one of them being my best friends husband. These guys put their lives on the line EVERY DAY. While the loss of any life saddens me, what makes me even more angry is when the suspect's family gets on TV yelling "they didn't have to shoot him". What are the police supposed to do when someone they are chasing gets out of the vehicle and points a gun at them?

wwltv.com


Overnight shooting leaves NOPD officer wounded, suspect dead

07:16 AM CDT on Thursday, May 26, 2005

WWLTV.com

New Orleans Police are investigating an incident that left a 27-year-old police officer wounded and a 24-year-old suspect dead. A second suspect, a 32-year-old male, was also arrested.

Officers investigate the scene of a shooting that left one cop wounded and a suspect dead. A second suspect was arrested after the incident as well.

According to police spokesman Sgt. Paul J. Accardo, the shooting occurred just after Thursday morning, just after midnight, in the 2900 block of Elysian Fields Avenue.

Accardo said police witnessed a Dodge Caravan being operated in a reckless manner. When the officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver ignored their signals and fled.

The vehicle was stopped in the 2900 block of Elysian Fields, according to Accardo. The passenger exited holding a handgun, and allegedly raised his gun, at which time two officers opened fire.

Investigators said the suspect suffered gunshot wounds to the body and was taken to Charity Hospital, where he later died. The police officer, a 27-year-old, 2½-year member of the department, sustained a gunshot wound to the groin area. He was taken to Charity Hospital to undergo treatment for the wound.

Accardo said the driver of the vehicle, Jacob Wilson, resisted arrest and had to be subdued by officers using a Tazer. He was taken to Charity Hospital with minor injures. When he’s released from the hospital, the driver will be booked with reckless operation of a vehicle, for resisting arrest, and drug law violations. In addition to those charges, Wilson had two outstanding arrest warrants from Jefferson Parish for resisting arrest and drug law violations.

The deceased suspect was also wanted by Criminal District court for drug law violations, as well as attachments from Municipal Court, Accardo said.

A 9mm pistol was also recovered from the scene.

Accardo said the officer involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative reassignment pending the outcome of the investigation, per procedure. The other officer involved in the shooting is hospitalized.

Police said both the Public Integrity Division and the Office of Municipal Investigation will conduct independent reviews of the case.

[streetsoldier]

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"I have a few friends on the NOPD, one of them being my best friends husband. These guys put their lives on the line EVERY DAY. While the loss of any life saddens me, what makes me even more angry is when the suspect's family gets on TV yelling 'they didn't have to shoot him'. What are the police supposed to do when someone they are chasing gets out of the vehicle and points a gun at them?"


An officer cannot wait to respond if a suspect is armed and points a firearm at him/her...there is an old saying by USBP officer Bill Jordan, "There is no such thing as a second-place winner" in a shootout.

It is incumbent upon the officer to STOP the suspect, using the principle of "force + 1" (whatever he/she has, the officer must meet the threat with one step above in force).

Life...the officer's or other persons in the area... is at stake. "There is no such thing as a second-place winner".

[alicia-w]

No one wins in situations like these. I'm glad the officer wasnt killed and hope for a speedy and successful recovery.