So what happened? This young man was parked on the side of the road, reading his Bible, when suddenly the police officer opened fire?

The attorney generals office cleared the policeman for wrongdoing, then he must have had reason to defend himself. Shot 5 times? wow. I dislike articles like this...so vague.

Lesson for all when the man with the gun tells you to do something shut up and do it.

As I recall, the young man ran into the woods during a traffic stop where he was not the driver. There might or might not have been a scuffle. The policeman left the scene of the stop to give chase, and claimed that the boy attacked him so he had to shoot him to defend himself. Now, as to whether or not he was justified...none of us were there. But I know in the state of Maine it is perfectly acceptable to shoot an inebriated woman through the window of her own remote cabin in the middle of the night. Or to shoot a disabled man in a wheelchair, in his own kitchen,armed with a butter knife. So I guess this situation was a slam-dunk for law enforcement.

My prayers are with this young man's family. Perhaps if they finally receive justice some changes might be in the future for the rush to deadly force in Maine.

He looks like trouble, maybe he shouldn't of ran like he did.....

Dogwood hit the nail on the head......

Teach your children to RESPECT the law...and they hopefully won't break it in the first place, and when confronted by police RESPECT his presence. This all could have been avoided.

anyone who's loved one works as law enforcement lives by these words, "better be tried by 12 than carried by 6" law enforcemnt is trained to use their weapons when needed, and when the situation has esculated to need a side arm.

i am sorry for the families loss. we dont know what happened during the scuffle, and publishing articles like this does not help the family heal.

Jaguarsky, well put. Excessive force is never a good idea. I believe that this case was wrapped up WAY TOO FAST. A deeper investigation needs to take place here.

The lawsuit will, if nothing else, bring out the details.

gosh...is that an infamous orange jumpsuit in the photo??? whats the story? hmmmmm!!

I'm sorry for the parents loss but if anyone jumps me in the dark, hits me in the head with a blunt object knocking me to the ground, and then jumps on me trying to hit me again I would put 5 rounds into him also. The guy took off from a cop, and then when chased by the cop into the woods at night he decided to attack the cop instead of giving up. At that moment he made it a life or death choice for himself and the cop. The officer was alone, on the ground on his back, and if I remember he had a head wound from the first part of the attack with the guy still attacking him. Who could honestly say they wouldn't have done the same as the officer if they were in his shoes at that moment. This is why cops carry guns so if you don't want to be shot then don't try to attack or kill them.

Sorry for the parents but I doubt the cop just said hey I need to kill this kid. The parents just want some money now.

Where was the officer's stun gun I thought they liked to shock the offender before they before they kill them.

There were a lot of questions as to what really happened. A lot of conflicting testimony, even from the cop wannabe (he only had the 100 hour course, the level of a corrections officer, he was NOT a full cop). The boy ( a passenger) was shot in the back 5 times, supposedly while he was on top of Curtis beating him up. You figure it out. This boy had never been in trouble before, but was scared and ran.

Curtis chasing him before any backup arrived was uncalled for, he had his name and address. And NO ONE deserves to die because some cop wannabe with a gun and attitude had been called some names.

Shame on you idiots posting spit like he deserved to die, or he looks like trouble: THINK ABOUT HIS PARENTS instead of your miserly existence sitting in front of a computer and posting carp like that. What if it was YOUR 18 yr old son????

Sign me,

Disgusted with you fools.

Did this young prince have a rap sheet to go along with his unfashionable orange scrubs? I'm guess from what I read here he wasn't exactly a good citizen blown away by a gun crazed cop.

He did NOT deserve to die. But never been in trouble before? That's not a hunting vest he's wearing.

I will wait to see what the investigation turns up. If the cop was wrong, he should burn for it.

There are so many thing that the officer could have done to subdue this 18 year old insted of shooting him 5 time and killing him.

He could have tazed him, they are doing it in ER's now. He could have just shot him in the leg or arm to make him realize that he was serious.

I don't believe that he had to shoot him 5 times and kill him.

You people that always say that they are doing what they were trained to do,well they are also supposed to be trained to defuse situation so that death is not the end result. There are too many in law enforcement that have a huge chip on their shoulder from the time that they graduate ffrom the academy they think that they can go out and be above the law and do whatever they want on and off duty, and they get away with murder. There have even been recent cases of domestic violence,stalking and rape and murder of their spouses of these so called above the law abiding officers. You also say that they have such a tough job, well i'm sick and tired of hearing that to, They chose their profession just like you and me and if they can't stand the heat in the kitchen ,,,, get to hell out. If it was your 18 year old you would feel the same as these parents so get off your high and almighty attitude like you as pure as the fresh snow on the ground,because your no better than the next person.

if he was shot in the back 5 times one would think he was trying to get away. not attacking. for all the ones that think these cops are so in the right. you are the cowards that willingly give up your rights to the government and dont care. but thank god some of us dont feel that way. we have a war coming in this country probably sooner then later. and then you cowards will be the ones put in the detention camps and we will be fighting for our freedom to live a free life or die trying

anonon if it was my child revenge is all that i would have on my mind. not just the cop but all of the ones that let him get away with it.

glad he's dead...don't need any more of this filth in Maine

sorry for your loss

Um shot once, okay. Tweice... uh, maybe necessary.

FIVE TIMES?

That was obviosly overkill, no pun intended.

You really think this kid was still going after him (if he was) after the first round?

Where does it say anywhere that he was shot in the back 5 times?

The facts:

Around 2:15 a.m. Sunday, Curtis stopped a car on Route 220, which links Waldoboro with Friendship.

Curtis, after pulling the car over and checking the identification of the passengers, learned that Jackson was not supposed to use drugs or alcohol, as conditions of his release on bail.

Jackson had been arrested in July and charged with operating under the influence and failing to stop for a Portland officer. He was arrested again in August, charged with violating the terms of his release.

Chapman said Curtis had reason to believe that Jackson, who was not driving, was in violation of the bail conditions, so he tried to arrest him. A scuffle ensued, during which Curtis tried to use pepper spray against Jackson, who ran into the woods.

Curtis chased him, they struggled ,and as Curtis was being choked by the 18 year old, the officer shot Jackson multiple times in the chest and head, according findings by the state Medical Examiner's Office.

Jackson, of Whitefield, is listed in court records as 6 feet 3 inches tall and 160 pounds. Curtis is 6 feet tall and slightly overweight,

Since sueing will not bring this young man back to life, what do the parents hope to accomplish by taking this action. if they stated that any and all funds that are won as a result of the suit will be donated to charity, then I would feel better about their motives. i could also see taking this action if he had dependent children that needed to be taken care of, but i didn't read that he had any dependents.

At this point Stewie I doubt the parents will care about what makes you feel better I think it's about what will make them feel better you must be a very selfish individual

stewie:

If it was my 18 year old son and there was unnessesary excessive force leading to the death of my son I would use everything I had till my last breath to make the rest of the persons life a miserable hell on earth.

I hope all of you don't believe every word that an officer says. I'm sure that at one time or another you will read a police report that you or a reletive are involved in and you will see how truthfull the officers facts are about the case in question. The courts and, D.A's and the A.G are fully aware of the schemes that go on between officers and they are handed over the key to the city because they are above the law. There are some good abiding officers out there in this world that you can trust,but there are also ones that you can't trust as far as you could throw them. Oh by the way in the article that a post about the situation if you read it states that the officer was over weight,and maybe if he wasn't over weight he would have been in better shape to aprehend the kid rather than take the lazy way out and shooting him because he couldn't catch him.

anonon: I would do the same, but I have a hard time believing the cop took the "easy way out" by killing this kid.

Remember: this kid, may he rest in peace, could have stopped running afoul of the police anytime he decided to.

The AG of Maine always clears the COPS of murder. Nothing new here. Families have to go to court to get justice in Maine. Sad that money can not bring back the teenager.

The 18 y/o had violated probation or bail terms for the 2nd time. An 18 y/o is an adult, he's wearing prison clothing in the photograph. I would wager that one or both of the parents have a criminal record also. Raise your kids to be law abiding citizens and they won't get into they type of situation. It's sad indeed but hanging a cop for it is not going to help.

logjam, you are a disturbed person and should seek help.

WilliamDS: start holding parents legally accountable for the actions of their kids--especially when they are teenagers.

"It's 10pm...do you know where your children are?" should be "It's 10pm...do you know what trouble are your children getting YOU into?"

wonderingwhy: a taser is not using lethal force. If someone refuses to stop then a taser is acceptable, if the suspect attacks the officer deadly force is acceptable which includes a firearm and or any weapon the officer carries.

michigal not all law enforcement agencies require a college diploma, even some federal law enforcement agencies do not require a college degree. A 100 hour course along with the academy is plenty enough. Do not judge or make comments until you are actually educated on the topic it makes you seem like a fool, well maybe its just showing your true colors.

michigal you really are a fool. The officer had to pursue this kid, what if he was running because he just killed someone and has the murder weapon. What if he had a kilo of cocaine or other drugs that he could of discarded. Yeah sounds drastic to a moron like you but this is everyday danger Officers face. You simply cannot terminate a chase because he was a "good" kid of because he hasnt been in trouble with the law prior. Come on use the little thing inside your head. By the way he is wearing a orange jumpsuit in the picture, looks like he has had prior brushes with the law fool. fmrmti wait for the investigation? the investigation is already done the attorney general investigated the case already. ANONON not all law enforcement agencies have or use tasers. Bottom line is if this officer shot and killed this kid chances are he had every reason. He did not shoot this kid because he simply ran, he was defending his life. The suspect could of easily attacked the officer and got ahold of his duty weapon and killed the cop. Or he could of gotten ahold of his baton and beat him to death. A Officer does not have to wait until deadly force is used to use deadly force themselves, by then its to late. If you are not educated on law please shut your mouth about something you have no clue about.

I am going to go ahead and sue individuals who enjoy wasting the systems time on cases like these, when they could be used on a case that needs more attention. It is cases like these that makes your case wait a couple of years.

Not Going to Comment on The Right or Wrong

But Have Any of You Wrestled With A Big Teen Age Boy~Out of Control And On Drugs and Alcohol.

I have, In the ED Observation Area At EMMC

I have Seen 10 people try to restrain out of control Men

I have Seen Heavy Duty Calming Meds Have NO Effect for a few Hours

At any of these Times If Alone~You Could Very Easily Be Dead

When That Person Is Out of Control>Just Think About IT<

Shoulda Woulda Who Really Knows Unless YOU Were There

On 1/5/10 at 12:06 PM, Michigal wrote

"There were a lot of questions as to what really happened. A lot of conflicting testimony, even from the cop wannabe (he only had the 100 hour course, the level of a corrections officer, he was NOT a full cop)."

You are correct, he was not a graduate of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy but a graduate of the 100 Reserve Officers Course. I doubt if the unfortunate youth checked the badge before deciding to run and then attack the officer.

----------------------

Curtis chasing him before any backup arrived was uncalled for, he had his name and address. And NO ONE deserves to die because some cop wannabe with a gun and attitude had been called some names.

As I say, don't run and this wont happen.

End of story.

What no one is saying is that the officer was trying to place this man under arrest when he broke free and ran off. The officer gave chase because the driver wasn't in trouble just the passenger. The officer was trying to handcuff him. the officer was hit multiple times with a log and had to use his baton and pepper spray on this kid. then the kid who was larger in height and weight then the officer got the officer on the ground and started beating him with his fists. then tried to go for the officers gun to the point where he almost had it out of the holster. the officer was able to get the kid off of him and the kid picks up the log again to hit the officer. the officer had no choice.

Hey BDN, where is my comment??? there was nothing in it that should cause it not to be posted!

since the officer knew who he was wouldn't it have been better to wait for him to show up at his home? This could have been avoided with a little common sense by both the officer and the victim.

I can see where this young man should have stayed glued to the ground, and not have moved an inch. Being young and not knowing cost him his life. His age, can justify his actions, but not that of some of the old criminals that jump and run...let's say into a semi on I-95. The only question I have is: Why don't the police just let these punks run and catch them later? This would let things cool down. Since they already have their car, fingerprints, and in most cases video. Why waste the energy and possible injury running after them? There is a lesson here for all, not just young people ,who are being questioned and possibly arrested...shut up, don't run, if so, be arrested, and let your lawyer handle it. Every action and flap of the mouth can be used in a court of law...if you make it that far.

cbpo2858: If you had read and followed the story at the time this happened, you would know that he had no real criminal record. He had not murdered anyone, he had no drugs in his possession, and if you think he deserved to die because Curtis was one of those who'd been picked on in school and couldn't deal with a little name calling, well, then I feel sorry for you.

Also, where does it say a college diploma is needed to be a cop? Curtis had the 100 hour course, period. He did NOT attend the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Waterville, which is required by ALL departments. He was a reserve officer for Waldoboro, which tried to save money by hiring these (fired/resigned) correction officers and giving them a gun. And yes, I know the facts, my husband completed the 100 hour course. So I know EXACTLY what it entails and what it qualifies people for. And that it is offered via television at a local school or community center. So please don't be calling ME a moron, since it seems that it's you that doesn't have the facts.

And once again, this boy, a teenager, did NOT deserve to die, gunned down like some rabid dog. And remember, there is only one version of the story, since the other party is not here to tell his side. And the facts do not fit what Curtis said. But the AG has ALWAYS ruled that every shooting is justified. Even if you're a disabled man in a wheelchair, it's JUSTIFIED. And even if an independent agency finds different, nope. Justified. Yep, the old boys network sticks together.

sounds like he was past the three strike zone. If he was on his 4th arrest and he fought with the cop he was past learning. wen a non rabid dog bites someone a second time maybe it should be put down.

In a small Maine town my daughter was driving her car, coming home to grab a bite to eat before returning to work. She was pulled over. The local policeman walked to her car and asked her for her identification. Her wallet was on the floor partially under her seat so when she went to pick the wallet up the policeman thought she was going for her gun I guess and opened up her car door, pulled her out, threw her to the ground face down and handcuffed her. Picked her up and then stood her up against her car. Apparently he also called for backup during this because other policemen appeared on the scene. She was raised from birth in this community. She had driven this same car for a year. This car had license plates on it that should the policeman either called in her plate number or punched it into a computer would have been able to identify her long before he ever approached the door. When, after putting my daughter through all of this they discovered who she was and that she was just a law abiding citizen going home for lunch, not speeding, not talking on a cellphone, infact had no passengers in the car with her, 4 miles from her house, they just let her go home after explaining that she could file a complaint if she wanted to. How sad is it when grant money multiplied the number of policemen in this state, then when the grant money ran out the taxpayers had to pick up the tab and there is not enough crime to keep these bozos, oops I mean policemen busy they start harassing the very same taxpayers that are working to pay their salaries. Over inflated egos, poorly educated, fearful of people that weigh more than they do, whatever their reason, their training should never end because they give their own profession a black eye. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is innocent until proven guilty. It is time that the local policemen start treating people better so that the general public can feel good when being stopped by an officer and not fear. In my daughters case she was taught by this local policeman to have fear for her safety when she sees the blue lights flashing !

Remember the Hank Williams Jr. song.

I fought the law and the law won.....

This seems to be the case here.

Michigal: "This boy had never been in trouble before" ummmmmmmm, take a closer look at the above pic. he's sporting department of corrections clothing, and for your information, the reason why he ran from the police officer was because there was a warrant for his arrest. Get your facts straight.

Integrity...I have been in similar situations regarding law enforcement officer's. It is almost like my family car (clean, neat, and in order) is seen as a drug dealing pimp's wheel's in my hometown here in Maine. I know officer's all over this state. I have lived here all my life (before day one). I can travel through every state and major cities on the east coast without a single problem. I drive through my town a bit to late for an officers liking, or just simply because, and the cruiser's lights come on. Power and Control...the same and not a bit different then wife and husband beaters. We are considered subjects, and not citizens. They are given full authority and told they are the hammer, and we are the nails. How many times does anyone ever hear of the Miranda being read up here in Maine these days upon a person's arrest? You go to court and the officer will swear under oath that they read you the Miranda to avoid dismissal of the charges by the court. Isn't that lying?

Just want to make a correction, the Maine Criminal Justice Academy is in Vassaloro.

ravenh2001, and a probation violation / VBC from a OUI is cause for death? Perhaps you should move to China. And I'm not talking about China, ME.

Michigal...does your husband know how little respect you have for the course he completed?

acadian...many departments do NOT want a suspect read the Miranda warning prior to a detective being involved. It is also NOT mandatory to be read on arrest, just before questioning.

JD2008...where does it say I have little respect for the course? The point is, it is not the full course. Neither my husband nor Zachary Curtis are actually qualified to work as police officers. Curtis had the gun course, and what did that give him? A license to shoot as a reserve. Well, to me a reserve does traffic control for special events, handles parking complaints and the like. They are NOT qualified to patrol.

For what's it worth, there are good cops and bad cops. I've worked with both. And Integrity and acadian (or their daughter) have met some of the bad cops.

And I ask you all, does being a little mouthy to a cop justify being shot? Especially during a traffic stop, when you felt you've done nothing wrong? I was pulled over once for driving 35 in a 50 zone. Needless to say, I was a bit irate at the cop. According to you and others, I should have been shot on the spot.

Oh my how one story leads astray. Maybe all the cops should just stay home and let all the good people do as they do. Come on. With all the issues the current police force has to deal with it is a wonder more people aren't shot. They ask you obey. Plain and simple. Right wrong or indifferent a young man is dead and the police officer will forever live with the memory. Unless you've walked in a policeman's shoes don't ever say anything you have no idea what they are dealing with day after day and night after night.

I think Excessive force should be used against the parents 1. for raising their kid to be this way and 2 for bringing up such a stupid lawsuit and wasting our tax dollars. It's sad the young man lost his life. However you attack a cop this is what could possibly happen.

Michigal

Said

And I ask you all, does being a little mouthy to a cop justify being shot?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What part of running away and then fighting with the cop don't you understand?

Stevy Dee :--Bobby Fullerton - not Hank Wlliams -died two years after cutting the record -shot by a cop

**Hank might have 'covered' it.

I was not there - only two people know the truth - and one is dead.

Shot FIVE times -- five times -- did he run out of bullets.

All you 'Blue Line dudes just keep preaching [your] gospel --but this dog don't hunt.

Hank had a version of the song CeeBlue...

I'm far from a cop lover...

Personally I think there is never one around when you need one.

Always one around when you don't need one.

This guy shouldn't have fought, he would still be alive.....

Life is hard, life is even harder when your stupid like this guy....

When you run from a law officer, on foot, or in a car, you put yourself in jeopardy. I read where some people said chases weren't necessary. I don't agree with that at all. When you run from an officer, you are admitting that you have done something wrong. If you are innocent, why would you run? How did the officer know that the boy just didn't kill someone? If you let a fleeing person go, you also run the risk of that person harming someone else in order to get away. Many carjackings are the result of a criminal who just committed a crime and needs a getaway vehicle. It is always sad when a young person loses their life. Unfortunately, the mug shot of the boy (minus the number), says it all to me. How many times have you looked at a photo of a criminal and literally saw the evil in their eyes and on their face. To me the photo is worth a thousand words. He looks sullen, his eyes are cold, and he appears angry. I know we are not supposed to judge, but, mugshots convey a lot about the person. Have you noticed that the faces have the same look? It is unfortunate that the 18 year old's life was taken. I am sure, as always, there is much more to the story than is being reported. BDN doesn't always do their homework, and many people have watched too much NCIS.

Frankly, I'm not sure how suing anyone would benefit the parents, it doesn't bring their son back, just makes them richer. I also highly doubt that this officer shot him without a good reason and am really sick and tired of a society of people that are so sue happy they will take any chance they can to get a little extra cash, even if the person they were suing wasn't in the wrong.

Integrity...your daughter should have also been taught by you that it would be best to explain to the officer what she is doing if she has to reach for something. Given what officers are faced with every day and the very real possibility that she could be reaching for a weapon (yes, even people previously known to be law abiding citizens have done stupid things) then the officer needs to act to protect his and others safety.

Michigal, there's a difference between being mouthy and fleeing and attacking the officer.

anonymousE :

For 1 nobody exacly knows what the circumstances were that night, and I can say that the officers do not always admit to wrong doing even if they did.

I have seen police reports after a couple incideces and I can say that they stretch the truth more than offen. By the time the officers get back to the station which could be as much as an hour or 2 the thruth gets stretched out more and more to falsifying information.

Also as you had mentioned which if you look at my last comment I said that some of you say what the officers go through in their line of duty,and I said that they chose their profession just like you and me and if they can't handle it get another job.

I don't think that they are fully trained to handle certain situation and in this case feel that it was excessive force when not needed. I think that there are so many officers not all but so many out there in this state that have a chip on their shoulder since they leave the academy and they believe that they are above the law and push people to the point of screwing up so they can bag them and feel good about it.

I have been provoked by an officer to speed one night when he got within inches of my bumper at 9:00pm at night with his high beems on. Now what I did? I slammed on the brakes and he hit the back of my car making it his fault and the town had to pay the damages to my car. When he came up to my car I said try that again and I will so the same thing. He didn't have much to say after that. Some are good and some are bad,just like criminals,but I don't think that death should have been the end result. he could have shot him in the leg, arm,anywhere that would have put the kid down without killing him.

tominbangor thank you for clearing what happen up. thank you GMCsucks for that fact. Michigal yes beating a cop with a log is means for lethal force. By the way Law Enforcement Officers get dumped on all the time. Have you ever met someone who will take a bullet and defend your life and that person is a stanger. Well police officers do they every day for a small salary.

michigal your missing a L. Also all law enforcement in maine does not go tot he MCJA. Ever here of FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center) outside of brunswick georgia. Oh thats right you are not in law enforcement so until you are educated on the topic shut up!!!!

It's pretty simple, Officer Curtis had a RIGHT to go home that night without being seriously harmed or killed. No cop wants to kill someone, exactly for this reason. Every dirt bag who should be shot has a family willing to sue the officer for protecting HIS OWN LIFE. This criminal forfeited his RIGHT to live when he placed Curtis in a position where ANY REASONABLE PERSON would assume serious bodily injury or death would result. Cop or not, if I am attacked with a log, choked, and punched while on my back I'll use deadly force everyday of the week.

Jackson 160 lbs VS Curtis slightly over weight: usually most times in a scuffle the more bulk the more force,why did they state the kids actual weight and not the officers? Just saying that he was slightly over weight.

Most of the officers I have seen could use some body conditioning along with training to learn how to defuse situations as in this case without haveing to use deadly force. How did the officer know if jackson was drinking or useing drugs while out on bail? The article above said that a car was pulled over in which jackson was a passenger in ,,,not driveing. There are too many officers out there in this country That Have Reason To Believe that people are doing something wrong which gives them Probable Cause to stop you at any given time and at times that is harassment. There is a friend of mine who is a councelor in the town I live in and she said that she has never and I mean never had a drop of alcohol in her life because she grew up around alcoholic parents, she said that she was comming home one night from being at the hospital with one of her dieing parents and when she arrived back in her town @ 11"00pm she was pulled over by an officer and when he walked up to her car the first words out of his mout was (And How Much Have We Had To Drink?) She said I don't know about you but I have never consumed alcohol, after prolonging her evening and as stressed as she already was putting her through the tests anyway,,he said the reason for pulling her over was because it was 11:pm and that was probable cause.

I still say that the officer still could have shot him in the leg,or anywhere that would have have wounded him rather than shooting multiple times going to the chest and head and killing him.

anonon - you try to sound very knowledgeable about law enforcement, however, the more you type the more foolish you make yourself look. There are many things you have written that are completely untrue, I will attempt to correct some of the more obvious wrongs. Only full time law enforcement officers are required to attend and graduate from the MCJA. The 100 hour course is all that is needed to become a part time or reserve officer, corrections officers are not required to complete the 100 hour course. Combine the 100 hour course with passing a firearms qualification and you have the authority to carry a service weapon and are empowered to enforce the law. I have completed the law enforcement pre-service class, or 100 hour course, I agree that it isnt enough and that you need some sort of other training to accompany it. The state is working on revamping the program with plans to increase it to around 300 hours. Many of the smaller agencies in this state will hire officers as part time and then take those who perform well and send them to the academy to become a full time officer. It is very expensive for an agency to put an officer through the academy, a figure that is between 30-40 thousand dollars for 18 weeks of training, so agencies want to have some confidence that they are sending the proper candidates to the academy.

Probable cause is not required in order to make a traffic stop, only reasonable suspicion that you believe a crime has or may have been committed. That is a pretty small burdon of proof. Sounds to me like you have some vendetta against law enforcement, you might want to remember that the next time you are in need of an officer.

Irregardless this is a very tragic event for all involved, the family is grieving for the loss of their son while the officer has to struggle everyday with the fact he was FORCED to use deadly force by this young mans actions. It is very easy for all of us outside the situation to attempt to defend our views of what happened. What you need to remember is that none of us were there and know what really happened. A more experienced officer probably wouldnt have chased this young man into the woods. This officer did what he felt was necessary at the time, used his discretion as an officer, and did pursue the suspect into the woods. When the fight ensued the officer followed the use of force continuem and eventually was left with the only remaining option and that was kill or be killed. Officers are not trained to shoot someone in the leg to wound them, that is tv drama BS. In the real world, any time a firearm is discharged it is considered use of deadly force and officers are trained to stop the threat by aiming for the center mass.

It is my belief that when it comes down to the life of an officer or a person breaking the law that the life of the officer is more valuable. I can guarantee you that there is not an officer out there who wants to be faced with having to make that decision.

As parents it is very easy to still see your teenage son as the innocent little boy he used to be and look past his mistakes. This is very natural but does not change the fact that this individual may be falling down the wrong path into a life of crime. If parents would take more responsibility to instill good values into their children and actually punish them when they are bad I think we would have fewer dirtbags in our society. Instead you get the perpetual cycle of scum breeding scum.

The Cop shot 5 times at this kid, sounds like an execution instead of an arrest.

Knightscross - execution usually involves one shot strategically placed. An officer who was fearful for his life and quickly fired 5 rounds

Have you ever shot a semi automatic hand gun? 5 shots can be fired in a matter of seconds. I wouldnt be suprised if I had heard that the officer emptied his magazine of 12+ rounds depending on the weapon he was carrying. Real life isnt like the movies, just because somebody has been shot doesnt mean that they are not going to continue attacking you. Some people here watch too much tv and think they know what happens in the real world. In real life you can solve crime in less than an hour including commercial breaks. The bad guys dont simply stop when you have shot them. You cant scan a finger print into a laptop and have a persons face pop up in a matter of seconds....

So many of you people simply amaze me in your responses...What if the officer not pursued this suspect and then we all find out that the young man ran away from the officer, broke into someones house and killed them and stole their car. Many of you would be complaining then that the officer didnt do his job.

Until you have the guts to go out every day and put your lives on the line for people you dont know stop pretending like you know how the officer should have handled this situation. Go back to sitting at your comfy desk safe from all the evils in the world and drink your coffee.

GixxerRider :

What you say right here is the problem,so you did not correct anything I said,,, you confirmed it. I said that there needs to be more training.

Your belief that when it comes down to the life of an officer or a person breaking the law that the life of the officer is more valuable. That is an assinine statement especially comming from sombody who is training in law enforcement. So what your saying anybody breaking the law,speeders,clepto's,traffic violations that they deserve to die and that the officers life is more important than theirs. No wonder there are so many problems in law enforcement if thats the way you are being trained to believe then the training really needs to be revamped.

Your Words:

Only full time law enforcement officers are required to attend and graduate from the MCJA. The 100 hour course is all that is needed to become a part time or reserve officer, corrections officers are not required to complete the 100 hour course. Combine the 100 hour course with passing a firearms qualification and you have the authority to carry a service weapon and are empowered to enforce the law. I have completed the law enforcement pre-service class, or 100 hour course, I agree that it isnt enough and that you need some sort of other training to accompany it. The state is working on revamping the program with plans to increase it to around 300 hours. Many of the smaller agencies in this state will hire officers as part time and then take those who perform well and send them to the academy to become a full time officer. It is very expensive for an agency to put an officer through the academy, a figure that is between 30-40 thousand dollars for 18 weeks of training, so agencies want to have some confidence that they are sending the proper candidates to the academy.

Also your comment about the cycle of scum breeding scum and dirtbags that is the kind of people we have training to protect and serve ?

It doesn't matter how well or how hard you raise your children to do what is right some things you can't change. It sounds to me like your a rookie who already has a chip on his shoulder which will eventually get you trouble. I had one incedent with an officer and you can read my comment above to see how I handled being provoked by an officer to speed in a 25 mile an hour zone when he was within inches from my bumper with his high beems on trying to get me to speed up ,,, I slammed on the brakes and he hit the back of my car and guess who was at fault,,, not me,,, the town had to pay for the damages. he was not pulling me over,no blue lights or siren,just trying to get me to pick up and speed through a 25 mile an hour zone... That was the only time I have ever in my 48 years had a problem with the law,and I won,,lucky that it was only a minor accident and that I didn't flop out on the ground and claim injuries,,,

So no I don't have a problem generally with law enforcement just with idiots like you who state that scum breeding scum and dirtbags as you stand high on your pedistal of ignorant logic

please dont twist my words to suit your twisted view of reality.

What I said was simply that the men and women who protect us have the right to go home to thier familys at night. If a criminal puts you in the position where you have to decide to chose your life over theirs....sorry easy answer, my life will win every time. Law enforcement officers have strict rules to follow regarding use of force. Any officer will tell you they would rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6. Your comment "So what your saying anybody breaking the law,speeders,clepto's,traffic violations that they deserve to die and that the officers life is more important than theirs." is what is asinine. My statement was poised at those individuals who make poor decisions that force law enforcement officers to escalate to deadly force. Are you telling me that if somebody was beating you with a log that you are not going to try and defend your life? I would and suspect most anyone reading this would as well.

Im sorry if my comment about the individuals in this state who abuse the system, and neglect thier children upsets you....its reality so get over it.

I dont work in law enforcement, sorry to dissapoint you. I do have a very high regard for those who do.

As far as your childish behavior behind the wheel, you are lucky that you were not charged with a crime. If you slammed on your brakes to intentionally cause an accident you are responsible for the accident. No matter how you want to twist in your mind the circumstances, even if an officer was following too close that does not excuse your actions. I would have arrested you for driving to endanger. Your statement about wanting to "flop out on the ground and claim injuries" makes me wonder if you are not one of the individuals I spoke of who abuse the system in our state.

I hope that you realize how ignorant and childish you sound, especially for a 48 year old woman.

GixxerRider:

Try going back and reading your comment again,,, I did not twist your words

Copy and paste :

It is my belief that when it comes down to the life of an officer or a person breaking the law that the life of the officer is more valuable.

You say and copy and paste again:

I have completed the law enforcement pre-service class, or 100 hour course, I agree that it isnt enough and that you need some sort of other training to accompany it.

Then in the next comment to me you state,,, Copy and paste:

I dont work in law enforcement, sorry to dissapoint you. I do have a very high regard for those who do.

You maybe don't work in law enforcement ,,,most likly because you couldn't finish the training required.

As far as my actions with slamming on the breaks,,, I had probable cause because a cat ran out in front of me,, I can play the same game as he played with me,,, maybe he shouldn't have been provoking me to speed up in a 25 mile an hour zone. The person that hits another vehicle from behind is at fault maybe he should have been the legal distance from my car. Try your logic with the state about who is at fault when your hit from behind when sombody id following to close idiot.

as far as me being one of the people you spoke of that abuse the system, I am not that is another assumption that your wrong about along with you claiming I'm a woman.

Also claiming that I was at fault for the accident , wrong again.

Oh and another thing for you to asume that I'm a woman just make you more of an idiot because I'm a male,,,so what made you think I was a woman?

Also you assumeing that the child was neglected by his parents and that why he was the way he was. I don't know if your just plain ignorant or what.

You assume to much and your comments about scum breeding scum and calling people dirtbags,, i don't know who to hell you are to claim that your so high and mighty on this earth,but I hope that sombody some day knocks that chip right of your f-in shoulder.

The only one that sounds childish and ignorant is you.

wow I see I struck a nerve, its nice that you can be so tough with your language on the internet. thank you for proving your intelligence to all of the reading audience. Please dont try to bully me mr internet tough guy.

You should probably work on your reading comprehension skills as well, but I dont have the time nor the energy to explain any more to you.

Have a good day, I will be on the look out for the tough guy who will one day knock the nonexistant chip off my shoulder.

As I said before you assum to much and I'm not an internet bully, your just upset because You Assumed I was a woman and I'm not, You are Assumeing that the parents of this kid raised him wrong and that why he was in trouble. You have no concideration that this kids parents are reading comments like your ignorant comment saying scum breeding scum and referring to people as dirtbags, I would just like to know how you got so full of yourself to think that you are so much better than anybody else.

You clearly are the one that is not worth spending another breath on how to actually be compassionate in a comment when the parents have lost their son to a tragic killing.

The COP lost it and executed the kid. Ironic the only other witness was killed by the COP.

Ok I admit I was wrong in assuming you were a woman...aparantly I read sooo many of the rediculous comments on this article and confused you with another person who was whining. But believe me I am in no way upset.

I made a generalized statement that if parents would take more responsibility in the way they raise there children there would be fewer criminals - didnt at any point say that was the case in this situation. The parents of this young man may very well read my comments, if you actually read everything that I have written instead of simply the words you want to twist around you would see that in my original post I shared what little compassion I could muster given the circumstances. If you stopped making inferences from what I wrote you would see that I at no time called this young man a dirtbag or scum. I was making general statements about the degredation of our society. What I will call this young man is a person who made some very foolish choices and that it was the decisions he made that led to his untimely death and not those of the officer. Had this young man taken responsibility for his actions and not ran off into the woods he would still be alive today. The parents I am sure are devastated by the loss of their child however this lawsuit is not going to ease their pain. Even if they win a civil judgment against the officer or the town what will they gain? I can honestly tell you that if this was my son who was killed that I would be devastated, however my anger would be at my son for making such foolish decisions. I wouldnt take it out on the officer who had to make such a horrible decision.

I guess if by being a law abiding citizen who takes responsibility for my actions makes me come across as a person who is full of myself then so be it. Im sorry that I am not a leach on the states liberal welfare system and that I actually work very hard to provide a high quality and nice lifestyle for myself and my family. I am not ashamed of who I am and the hard work I have put in to where I am in life. I am only 30 years old, I own my own home (no I dont mean I make my monthly mortgage payments....I own it free and clear), I own a number of antique cars, I have two college degrees, i am a successful hardworking productive member of society, I make contributions to countless charitys and try to lend a helping hand to those who truely need it. What I am not is a supporter of people who engage in even the smallest criminal activity. I dont feel that criminals should have as many rights as they do. I feel all of our prisons should be modeled after Sheriff Joe Arpaio's "Tent City" at the Maricopa County Jail in Arizona. I think it is high time this country cracked down on criminals at all levels. Maybe if we offered severe punishments that outweighed any possible benefit of committing the crime it would actually deter criminal activity.

I respect the law and those who enforce it, when my child breaks rules he gets punished. He has been taught right from wrong as well as a healthy fear of the consequences that come from breaking the rules. I'm sorry that I feel that the way a child is raised will have a lot to do with the type of person they become. You need to pay close attention to they type of people who you let your children associate with and quickly put a stop to any negative influences. Until your child turns 18 they are your legal responsiblilty and a good parent doesnt let it stop there. I am not saying that there wont be cases where even the best parenting skills will prevent criminal activity but it sure is a much better start than the parents who let their kids run around doing what ever they want with no discipline.

You know the beauty of this country is that I am entitled to my opinion of the events in question, just as you are entitled to yours.

oh one more thing.... this is a quote from your post "I had probable cause because a cat ran out in front of me,, I can play the same game as he played with me"

This is the same quote with the definition of probable cause in place of the words....you tell me, does it make any sense?

I had "Apparent facts discovered through logical inquiry that would lead a reasonably intelligent and prudent person to believe that an accused person has committed a crime, thereby warranting his or her prosecution, or that a Cause of Action has accrued, justifying a civil lawsuit" because a cat ran out in front of me,, I can play the same game as he played with me

I dunno just doesnt work for me... would have been better if you said "I lied about a cat running out of me so that the police officer wouldnt arrest me" You were lucky there was no dash camera. Thank you for admitting to all of us that you intentionally caused an accident because of your ego!

reading back through it looks like I was combatting a lot of the information posted by Michigal as well. So a small amount of apology from me towards anonon since I put the burdon of my rebuttal towards him.

GixxerRide:

No need to apologize.

I would also like to let you know that if anybody gets within inches of my bumper being a police officer or anybody,if they are driveing that close to my bumper so that I cannot see their headlights,they will be sure as hell eating my bumper. If they can't drive like they are supposed to then I will slam on my brakes to bring them back to reality and if they happen to hit the back of my car,,,that is their problem and their cost. In any accident if a car is rear ended it is the person that hit from behind thats at fault.

Also if you own your own house at 30 either your parents bought it or you inherited it,because at 30 if you own your own house without a morgage and owning a number of antique cars and have had to pay for college not even possible for a person to do from scratch without help from family fortune. There had to be an inheritence or either you married into money.

No family wealth or inheritance involved...I worked 3 jobs for a very long time and my wife works full time, I am still paying for my college education. I restore antique cars as one of my jobs and that is fairly lucrative. With the right skills and a strong work ethic one can earn a lot of money in short order purchasing antiques that need restoration, restoring them and then selling them with a large profit margin. Many old mopars when well restored can fetch 20k+ easily.