Cop shoots at snake, kills boy, 5

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,145
10
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http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/...y.killed.ap/index.html

NOBLE, Oklahoma (AP) -- A police officer shooting at a snake apparently killed a 5-year-old boy who was fishing at a nearby pond, officials said.


Jack Tracy was fishing with his grandson when a bullet fired by a police officer struck the boy in the head.

Austin Haley was fishing with his grandfather, Jack Tracy, when Tracy said he heard a shot and saw something hit the water just a few feet in front of the boat dock where he was standing.

Moments later, a second shot hit Austin in the head.

A Noble police officer who had responded to a report of a snake in a tree apparently fired the deadly shot while trying to kill the snake on Friday, City Manager Bob Wade said.

"I was told that they tried several ways to get the snake down, but it was still hissing at them and firmly lodged," Wade said. "What I was told is that the owner of the home either suggested or agreed that they should go ahead and shoot the snake, and then everything happened from there."

Tracy thought someone must be trying to kill him and his grandson, so he put the child on the back of a 4-wheeler and drove to his daughter's house about 200 yards away.

"Then two officers came out of the brush over there," he told The Oklahoman. "They didn't tell us they were the ones who had been shooting or that they had shot him. They didn't admit a doggone thing."

The boy was pronounced dead at an Oklahoma City hospital, about 25 miles north of Noble.

Wade refused to identify the officer but said the person had been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

"This is so bizarre it has to be fully investigated," he said. "We're pretty sure circumstantially that it is the bullet from the police officer's gun, but it might be a bullet from someone else."

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Jessica Brown said a state investigation was under way, though it appeared the fatal shot had been fired by the officer.

Tracy has little doubt. "I'm not saying the cop shot him on purpose," he said. "But let me tell you -- if I had a kid and put him in this car and didn't put him in a car seat and he got killed on the way to town, they'd charge me with murder ... and what this cop did is a lot worse than that





WTF? so there is a snake in a tree and the cops decides to shoot it!? Without knowing WTF is behind it? ahh how sickening.


IF the bullet did come from the cops gun he should be fired.
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,387
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Fired? I hope he faces criminal charges.

Any of us would. The fact that he's a cop should make him even more responsible for his actions.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,145
10
81
Originally posted by: vi_edit
Fired? I hope he faces criminal charges.

Any of us would. The fact that he's a cop should make him even more responsible for his actions.

very true.

i agree he should be charged. but he won't.
 

Phokus

Lifer
Nov 20, 1999
22,995
776
126
What a dumbass... isn't it animal control's job to take the snake out of the tree anyway?
 

Beev

Diamond Member
Apr 20, 2006
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Originally posted by: vi_edit
Fired? I hope he faces criminal charges.

Any of us would. The fact that he's a cop should make him even more responsible for his actions.

 
Aug 23, 2000
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OK, the Grandfather has the right to be angry, but the cop can't be charged with murder. Murder implies intent. The cop didn't have any intent to kill the kid. Why the hell they were firing pistols is beyond me though. Just take out the shotgun, point blank on the snake into the stump and you're done and no one gets hurt.

By filing criminal charges against the officer all you're going to accomplish is ruining the lives of a second family. Putting him in jail is not the answer. Should he be removed from duty, Absolutely, he was wreckless with his weapon. He has the rest of his life to deal with how this will affect him mentally (though it might not be that long).
At most he would get negligent homicide, which is not murder.
 

clamum

Lifer
Feb 13, 2003
26,255
403
126
What a fscking moron.

Poor kid. :(
rose.gif
 

TehMac

Diamond Member
Aug 18, 2006
9,979
3
71
I'd suggest firing, and paying up, but I'd also suggest firing lessons. Seriously, what kind of stupid sh!t is that, that a guy misses TWICE. This sorta thing makes me wanna puke.
 

MartyMcFly3

Lifer
Jan 18, 2003
11,436
29
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www.youtube.com
Damn it, there are people out there who should NOT be police officers. This is one of them. Sad that an innocent 5 year old had to die because the officer was an irresponsible idiot. :(
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
62,892
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Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
OK, the Grandfather has the right to be angry, but the cop can't be charged with murder. Murder implies intent. The cop didn't have any intent to kill the kid. Why the hell they were firing pistols is beyond me though. Just take out the shotgun, point blank on the snake into the stump and you're done and no one gets hurt.

By filing criminal charges against the officer all you're going to accomplish is ruining the lives of a second family. Putting him in jail is not the answer. Should he be removed from duty, Absolutely, he was wreckless with his weapon. He has the rest of his life to deal with how this will affect him mentally (though it might not be that long).

I agree that murder would be the wrong charge for this, but the cop SHOULD be criminally charged with the boy's death. Manslaughter may be the right charge considering the circumstances.


"Hey y'all, WATCH THIS!"
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,145
10
81
Originally posted by: Phokus
What a dumbass... isn't it animal control's job to take the snake out of the tree anyway?

why take the snake out of the tree?

why kill the snake?


IF you want to kill it why not get a stick or something.


 

Mermaidman

Diamond Member
Sep 4, 2003
7,987
93
91
Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
OK, the Grandfather has the right to be angry, but the cop can't be charged with murder. Murder implies intent. The cop didn't have any intent to kill the kid. Why the hell they were firing pistols is beyond me though. Just take out the shotgun, point blank on the snake into the stump and you're done and no one gets hurt.

By filing criminal charges against the officer all you're going to accomplish is ruining the lives of a second family. Putting him in jail is not the answer. Should he be removed from duty, Absolutely, he was wreckless with his weapon. He has the rest of his life to deal with how this will affect him mentally (though it might not be that long).
:confused:
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,145
10
81
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
OK, the Grandfather has the right to be angry, but the cop can't be charged with murder. Murder implies intent. The cop didn't have any intent to kill the kid. Why the hell they were firing pistols is beyond me though. Just take out the shotgun, point blank on the snake into the stump and you're done and no one gets hurt.

By filing criminal charges against the officer all you're going to accomplish is ruining the lives of a second family. Putting him in jail is not the answer. Should he be removed from duty, Absolutely, he was wreckless with his weapon. He has the rest of his life to deal with how this will affect him mentally (though it might not be that long).

I agree that murder would be the wrong charge for this, but the cop SHOULD be criminally charged with the boy's death. Manslaughter may be the right charge considering the circumstances.


"Hey y'all, WATCH THIS!"



yeap i agree. manslaughter or such. the guy needs to be charged with something. oh and fired and not allowed to have any guns ever again. he is to fucking stupid to have them. fireing at a snake in a tree? WTF!
 

TheUnk

Golden Member
Jun 24, 2005
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So he was shooting upwards into a tree at a snake? I assume the bullet hit the kid due to a richochet?
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
52,856
5,729
126
Originally posted by: TheUnk
So he was shooting upwards into a tree at a snake? I assume the bullet hit the kid due to a richochet?

I doubt it was richochet because the first shot landed near the kid and his grandfather. that would be some coincidence if 2 bullets richocheted (sp?) and hit that close to the same spot.

I too don't understand how he was firing into a tree (probably too high for a person to reach) and the bllet hit a kid fishing, which would imply he was probably at sea level.
 
Feb 24, 2001
14,550
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FWIW, on another forum someone from the town (5k people) said that it's a woman and everyone talks badly about her publicly, even the chief. That she is an affirmative action screw-up waiting to happen.

Self-fulfilling prophecy perhaps.
 

dabuddha

Lifer
Apr 10, 2000
19,579
17
81
Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
OK, the Grandfather has the right to be angry, but the cop can't be charged with murder. Murder implies intent. The cop didn't have any intent to kill the kid. Why the hell they were firing pistols is beyond me though. Just take out the shotgun, point blank on the snake into the stump and you're done and no one gets hurt.

By filing criminal charges against the officer all you're going to accomplish is ruining the lives of a second family. Putting him in jail is not the answer. Should he be removed from duty, Absolutely, he was wreckless with his weapon. He has the rest of his life to deal with how this will affect him mentally (though it might not be that long).
At most he would get negligent homicide, which is not murder.

So you think this cop should not spend a day in jail?
 

Looney

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
21,941
5
0
Actually, this falls under manslaughter. Negligent homicide is inaction that causes a death. This is action causing an unintentional death.
 

Tyrant222

Senior member
Nov 25, 2000
802
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This just boggles the mind. What is an officer even doing responding to something like this. I think they would laugh at me if I called 911 about a snake.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,145
10
81
Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
FWIW, on another forum someone from the town (5k people) said that it's a woman and everyone talks badly about her publicly, even the chief. That she is an affirmative action screw-up waiting to happen.

Self-fulfilling prophecy perhaps.

got a link?

 

jandrews

Golden Member
Aug 3, 2007
1,313
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lmao charged with what? Maybe wreckless endangerment at most but certainly not manslaughter. This is just a ridiculous series of events that ended very badly.
 

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,599
19
81
Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
OK, the Grandfather has the right to be angry, but the cop can't be charged with murder. Murder implies intent. The cop didn't have any intent to kill the kid. Why the hell they were firing pistols is beyond me though. Just take out the shotgun, point blank on the snake into the stump and you're done and no one gets hurt.

By filing criminal charges against the officer all you're going to accomplish is ruining the lives of a second family. Putting him in jail is not the answer. Should he be removed from duty, Absolutely, he was wreckless with his weapon. He has the rest of his life to deal with how this will affect him mentally (though it might not be that long).
At most he would get negligent homicide, which is not murder.
Or at the least, gross negligence. Firing guns upward, without knowing what's on the other side is just plain stupid. Doing it to bring down a snake in a tree....really stupid. Go to Walmart and buy a damn paintball gun, or maybe one of those "airsoft" things I hear about if you're really bent on harassing the snake. Or, as was mentioned a few times, keep an eye on the snake and get someone in the animal control business to stop by. Try to identify the snake, too. It may well have been a fairly benign, non-venomous constrictor.
 

Aharami

Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
21,294
148
106
Tracy has little doubt. "I'm not saying the cop shot him on purpose," he said. "But let me tell you -- if I had a kid and put him in this car and didn't put him in a car seat and he got killed on the way to town, they'd charge me with murder ... and what this cop did is a lot worse than that

that is very true. wonder if the cop will face some kind of criminal charges
 

Canai

Diamond Member
Oct 4, 2006
8,016
1
0
Originally posted by: jandrews
lmao charged with what? Maybe wreckless endangerment at most but certainly not manslaughter. This is just a ridiculous series of events that ended very badly.

If you're firing a weapon ANYWHERE, you check to see what's behind it. Even if it's an accident, there's still a five year-old boy who will never see his sixth.

I think manslaughter at the very least, possibly with a reckless endangerment charge for almost hitting the grandfather.
 

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,599
19
81
Originally posted by: Canai
Originally posted by: jandrews
lmao charged with what? Maybe wreckless endangerment at most but certainly not manslaughter. This is just a ridiculous series of events that ended very badly.

If you're firing a weapon ANYWHERE, you check to see what's behind it. Even if it's an accident, there's still a five year-old boy who will never see his sixth.

I think manslaughter at the very least, possibly with a reckless endangerment charge for almost hitting the grandfather.
It happened here in the past few years, a hunter fired at a groundhog, but missed. In the line of fire was a residential area, and the shot hit a pregnant woman in the head as she was driving home. It did result in criminal charges against the hunter - fines, probation, and he was forbidden from using any guns during his probation. She did survive the shot, and the resulting surgery.