February 17, 2011 in News, City

Man shot by deputies acquitted of assault

Thomas Clouse The Spokesman-Review

Tags:Airsoft gunpolice shootingSpokane Valley Police Department

Sirens & Gavels

Look for breaking news and regular updates on crime and court issues across the Inland Northwest in The Spokesman-Review’s public safety blog, Sirens & Gavels.

A Spokane County jury today exonerated a man charged with assaulting the two deputies who shot him several times, leaving the man paralyzed below the chest.

David J. Glidden, 28, broke into tears as the jury read the verdict of “not guilty” on two counts of third-degree assault on officers.

“The cops overreacted. They shot me so many times. I was worried that no one would listen to me,” Glidden said after the decision.

The case began on Oct. 30, 2009, when deputies Aaron Childress and Griffen Criswell responded to 4727 E. Third Ave. regarding a call of a suicidal subject in the home. Childress and Criswell are both deputies assigned to work for the Spokane Valley Police Department.

Public defender Kyle Zeller said the deputies went to opposite corners of the home as Glidden came out his door between the two deputies. As he came out at about 1 p.m., Glidden was holding an Airsoft pellet pistol, which is a toy that resembles an actual firearm but shoots plastic projectiles instead of bullets.

“The deputies thought it was real and they testified that they feared for their safety,” said Zeller, who noted that his client said the deputies never announced their presence.

“I didn’t have an idea that the cops came,” Glidden said.

Deputy Prosecutor Patrick Johnson said that when Glidden turned toward one of the deputies with what they thought was a real gun, they both opened fire. Glidden was hit with at least three bullets from Childress’ .45 caliber pistol, but he believes he was also struck with the blast from Criswell’s shotgun.

Some of the rounds went through the wall of a neighbor’s home.

Zeller noted that the evidence of Glidden’s injuries was not admitted during trial.

“Obviously, we are relieved for Mr. Glidden,” said Zeller, referring to his co-counsel Colin Charbonneau. Glidden “will have to live with this action for the rest of his life.”

Glidden, who is confined to a wheelchair, said he will now seek filing a civil suit against the county for the actions by the deputies.

“I’m going to try to find a surgery so I can walk again,” Glidden said. “I don’t want my kids to grow up without a dad.”

57 comments on this story so far. Add yours!

valleyman on February 17 at 2:27 p.m.
I’d be laughing if this wasn’t such a crying shame…
The full story on this nut was that he was suicidal and after a friend called police to tell him he was threatening suicide with a gun, he came to the door with a gun after police showed up and knocked on the door.
Simply because a jury found that he did not commit the crime of third degree assault against the police does not in any way indicate the police were not justified in shooting him. It merely means the defense attorneys were able to convince 12 people that he only intended to harm himself.
I hope this guy’s crazy civil lawsuit against the county goes exactly nowhere and he gets stuck paying court costs for wasting the taxpayers’ money.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on February 17 at 2:44 p.m.
This has the feel of “Suicide by Cop” to me… an “AirSoft” looks an awful lot like a real weapon… and given the scenario as I understand it I’d have had my service pistol drawn and likely have fired it as soon as the man raised it to shoot… I feel sorry for anyone who is suicidal… and have talked to lots and lots of them in five years on the King County Crisis line twice a week as a volunteer…
There is some information missing in this article… ie whether the officers were in Uniform, Police Cruiser present and evident? commands to drop the weapon etc… but there may not have been time for any of that… one would wonder why the defendant came out of the house… what/who did he think would be out there…?/ all in all it is a miracle he is not dead… but sad to live the rest of your life in a wheel chair…. John
healinhand on February 17 at 2:45 p.m.
Hopefully this guy will bankrupt the City
valleyman on February 17 at 2:53 p.m.
Hey healinhand: What city would that be?
Orange on February 17 at 3:03 p.m.
healin hand not so healin.
Chefgus is right, this wreaks of suicide by cop.
Witnesses will probably put this one in the bag. sorry, but you’ll still be there for your kids at least.
Cheezwhiz on February 17 at 3:03 p.m.
valleyman, your quote on Jeff Welton being found not guilty. Which is it…. Jury good, or jury bad? You use jury verdicts to justify cops, but criticize them when the victims of bad shoots get acquitted? This man is paralyzed. You don’t think he was punished enough already for being shot, while never knowing the cops were even there? It’s not illegal to carry an Air Soft pellet gun. Maybe they should have announced themselves or asked him to put the pellet gun down before they filled him with lead. Obviously he never pointed it at any cop if he didn’t know they were there. That was never disputed.
valleyman on January 27 at 10:54 a.m.
You folks are nuts… You don’t like any outcome where the police are found not guilty, not liable…
This one went to a jury and he was found not liable… Keep screaming and saying how unfair things are… IT IS THE LAW you are unhappy with so… change the law?
It’s always the same group of unhappy bloggers posting and I’m starting to see a pattern develop… Nothing will ever satisfy you when law enforcement personnel are found not to be at fault, no matter what the facts…
I hear the KoolAid tastes good, but I prefer my tea…
Cheezwhiz on February 17 at 3:04 p.m.
Hypocrite: a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings
Butterfly71 on February 17 at 3:09 p.m.
And people are afriad of TRIBAL COPS abusing their authorities LOL…Tribal cops don’t kill or pull their guns on every little thing….wow. Glad you all are holding your cops accountable…on a reservation-this would not be tollorated at all. Death or permanent injury like this is not tolerated.
valleyman on February 17 at 3:10 p.m.
Hey cheez,
You are wrong… sorry to point it out to you. I never once impugned this jury. I respect the rule of law even when I think the outcome is odious. There was clear sympathy for this man at play and I can understand the ruling in this case. Nothing in my comments impugns any of the fine men and women who served on this jury. My comment relates to the fact he was suicidal and now wants the county to pay him for his choices. That is not acceptable.
Further, you can go back and quote me as often as you like… It saves me the effort of having to go back and look at my quotes for bits of literary genius. Having said this, I stand by my comments then and now.
nitro71 on February 17 at 3:16 p.m.
The police see a gun and they shoot.. Makes me feel safe as a law abiding gun owner. No identifying themselves. No asking the victim to surrender or drop his weapon. What’s next, kids with bb guns getting shot by the police because they are target shooting and they don’t see the police?
On the other hand, the best place for your pistols is in a holster. Not your pants or your hands but in a holster.
PhiltheBibliophil on February 17 at 3:33 p.m.
Just watch and see what happens when Republicans shut down the government on March 4th and world chaos begins! Egypt and Bahrain are gonna look like a picnic! Y’all ain’t see nothing yet!
SpokaneLiberal on February 17 at 3:56 p.m.
I see three big problems with this one.
1. The police are suppose to identify themselves
2. They should have given him a command to drop the weapon
3. They charged him with assault - which made no sense. He didn’t know they were there until he was hit, he didn’t hit anyone, nothing. A cop shoots a pregnant woman and he gets to say oopsies - and nothing happens. But a guy comes to the door and gets leveled and they charge him. It seems like the charge was to cover their butts for a damages trial.
bszottlinger on February 17 at 4:12 p.m.
Orange and Valleyman:
I would think you would both agree that an acquittal on the criminal side helps the civil side. Apparently witnesses didn’t put the criminal charges “in the bag”, so who is to say the witnesses will put a civil jury “in the bag”. I kinda smell settlement, don’t you? The acquittal hurts no matter how you slice it, and valleyman if you don’t blame the jury, who do you blame?
valleyman on February 17 at 4:16 p.m.
Bsz: Prosecutors??????? I think there’s more than enough blame to go around for them…
If the county settles it will be a decision of mathematical calculation. I hope they fight it and stick him with the bill. A man who wants to die and goes to every effort to make sure that happens deserves not a dime of my money.
Asamov on February 17 at 4:29 p.m.
I was on that jury today and it all hinged on his intent to harm the officers. He was not contacted by the cops, they did not knock on the door, and their presence was not announced, obvious or blatant.
Glidden came out of the house with the gun up, supposedly looking for a nuisance cat that was spraying. There was sufficient evidence of the cat and the cat may have even entered the house as the cops photographed the slovenly dwelling of this pathetic looser. (and there were kids living there! yeahh!)
Chilress said he ordered Glidden to drop the gun, Glidden & Criswell both testified they did NOT hear that warning.
It came down to did Glidden have intent to “assault” the officers (ie become such a threat that the cops smoke him). We found for the defendant because the prosecution did not present evidence or a reasonable alternative narrative that Glidden knew the cops were there.
It was not enough that Glidden was drunk, stupid and emotionally raw. According to the evidence, we had a reasonable doubt that he knew those officers were in place.
That being said, I couldn’t give a f*** about his physical state, his future & past pathetic “life”, his emotions, or his disability. He’s fathered two kids already and wants more. Can we put something in the water already??? Shouldn’t there be a better test for parenthood than “functional sexual apparatus” and “corresponding receptacal with viable fertility”? F*ing christ almighty.
The defense used the “perfect storm” analogy to describe how the coincidental steps of this shooting took place, so I hope Glidden is held responsible for putting himself in the path of that hurricane, and the civil trial gives him NOTHING.
And for the record, I am a fiscally-prudent, liberal left winger.
Asamov on February 17 at 4:33 p.m.
“receptacle”
Sorry for the venting.
Bullshapitsca on February 17 at 4:42 p.m.
What justified the assault charge in the first place?
CommonSenseJoe on February 17 at 4:48 p.m.
I would speculate the assault charge was based on the allegations that Glidden turned towards one of the deputies with the gun raised. I really hope that Asamov was really a member of the jury because his post highlights the difference between what’s reported in the Spokesman Review and what actually happened. It also highlights the difference between knowing what happened, and ranting about something you know nothing about - which is what usually happens on these posts.
Kivaari on February 17 at 4:50 p.m.
Jury nullification? I smell a jury feeling sorry for this guy. “He was punished enough”, is what half the jurors were probably saying. From the very little information in this article, I’d say the cops did OK. Police DO NOT HAVE TO GIVE A WARNING. The article doesn’t say much about that, but it did say he turned towards an officer with a pistol. My vote is nullification and nothing more. You want to bankrupt Spokane Valley at the expense of the residents paying the bill? Bankrupt the county?
CommonSenseJoe on February 17 at 4:51 p.m.
One more thing - more for Asamov - you have a partner in the quest for sterilizing criminals so they can’t have 5 kids with 5 different partners and produce 5 different criminals to raise. Criminals breed criminals!!
bszottlinger on February 17 at 5:04 p.m.
Asamov:
Thank you for your jury service and the insight. Based on the jury findings and your description of the presentations it might be very difficult for the county to prove that there wasn’t some negligence or overreaction on the part of the officers involved. So in my feeble mind a settlement isn’t out of the question.
Valleyman:
You are perhaps correct “prosecutors ??????”. But if it is saving tax dollars you are looking for, the savings probably was lost when the first shot was fired. Thank goodness the shotgun blast, which hit the neighbors house, didn’t hit a human or it would be even more costly.
zelda on February 17 at 5:16 p.m.
@Asamov — I have to say that a lot of what’s in the news lately makes a good case for eugenics. (Not that I’m for it.)
Well, thanks for making your decision on the merits of the evidence.
Out of all the cases that the county could have prosecuted, why in the world did they press charges against this guy? But as some have said, it probably positions them somehow in the coming civil suit.
bszottlinger on February 17 at 5:21 p.m.
Kivaari:
“Jury nullification?” It sounds to me like one juror wasn’t overly impressed by Mr. Glidden and did what is right by following the law.
You are right, officers don’t have to warn anyone they can just fire away if they can articulate their fear and the immediate need to fire. I realize it’s not always possible, but how about grabbing some cover and talking the guy down? Didn’t that use to work?
eagleproducer on February 17 at 5:21 p.m.
“A fiscally prudent (whatever the hell that means) liberal left winger.”
You left “educated” out of your rant concerning a person you’ve judged based upon conditions of his residence and testimony of the prosecution.
How telling
Being sloppy doesn’t mean you are immoral, a bad parent, or a bad person.
Spokane area cop: “ooo, ooo, ahh, ahh, I can’t discern the difference from a real threat and a ________________
Fill in the blank.
I’m guessing even the computer used on Jeopardy would get that one.
bszottlinger on February 17 at 5:24 p.m.
Zelda:
A guilt verdict would of put them in a better position, a not guilty verdict doesn’t help in the least, and they knew that going in.
Asamov on February 17 at 5:27 p.m.
“the cops do not need to give a warning.”
The guy was on his porch, at his house.
Glidden did not call the cops, his pal did
Childress stated:
He saw the door knob disappear (the door swings inside, to the right)
He saw the gun held up, cocked
In “one fluid, fast motion” (Childress’s own words) Glidden looked right, then moved w/ body left. The porch exits left
Childress opens fire on Glidden hitting him 4 times, Criswell gets off one round (shotgun) immobilizing an iinocent house (criswell’s shot went wild) and Criswell takes the corner out LOF.
Glidden crumples down the, stair and says “it’s an air soft gun”, “I’m dying”
OK US citizens, you come out onto your porch with a toy gun you or your kid owns, you have had a beer or two, you are a moron, and the cops (maybe, we thought not) warn you MID MOTION. That seems a bit too rapid, and I hate to second guess a guy who deals with lowlifes everyday, but being a looser is not yet a crime.
And this all really doesn’t go to the central issue. For it to be 3rd degree assault, he had to know the they were cops and that they were out there waiting for him. The assault part means he put fear on the threat of bodily injury into the minds of the popo. I could not convict him of two felony counts if the prosecution did not adequately prove HE EVEN KNEW THE COPS WERE THERE.
We went over every scenario that you could think of, we looked at everything presented and tried not to speculate on what we could prove. Nobody bought this jokers story, but it was reasonable and the prosecution didn’t give us a better interpretation.
Nobody felt sorry for him, least of all me. But we cared about justice and the law. I still believe in the ideals of our democracy and the rule of law. Not my personal interpretation and vindictive nature.
bszottlinger on February 17 at 5:36 p.m.
Asamov:
Your last post was very telling, and you said quite a bit without saying what I’m sure you would like to say. The fact is, no, they don’t have to warn someone before they shoot if they can articulate they were in fear of their own life or the life of another. As you so adeptly put it, that wasn’t done in this case.
Asamov on February 17 at 5:36 p.m.
tucky,
It was his own testimony, and I’m a juror, should I not be judgmental? The holes were funnel-like.
Sorry pal, “educated” does not equal “makes good life choices”. And my opinions are solely mine, no matter how ugly they may be. I feel pretty ugly. But I feel like it was the right call.
Being sloppy? CPS needed to be called. In his defense, they weren’t his kids.
misjustice on February 17 at 6:42 p.m.
Most likely, the county will offer a settlement to avoid going to trial. I wonder how much they will offer?
Strange how the doughnut eaters chest bump and high five each other when a jury finds in favor of the cops but wail when a jury finds in favor of a citizen. Well, not all that strange; rather telling though.
brianth on February 17 at 6:43 p.m.
Just curious, I see a lot of comments about this being a suicide by cop, did the guy admit to being suicidal? I’m just curious; I just haven’t seen any of the transcripts of the trial. Thing is if he did admit to this fact, more than likely he knew the cop’s where on the way. He probably went out and was getting ready for their arrival, not knowing they were already there. Just a few other thing’s, did it mention where the cops were standing when he came out the door? I know it said they were both positioned on either side of the guy, but where, by the door? Corner’s of the house? Were they shielded or in plain view? I think those facts would be the determining factors in any civil case about who’s at fault. “If the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit”. Sorry, had to throw that in!
@PhiltheBibliophil, I sure hope your wrong about that, I just won an all expense paid trip for the end of April, PLEASE SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!
hawken on February 17 at 6:49 p.m.
After reading the article and all of the posts above, my conclusion based upon all of the above, recent, prior police history in this city and state, including the most recent fatal shooting of a Native American in Seattle, who failed to drop a 3 inch pocket knife while sitting of a bench whittling, is this:
Too many police officers lack the reasonable, common sense and judgment that in years past was prominent. They are trigger happy, quick to shoot and full well understand that our legal system gives them a huge benefit of the doubt when taking a human life. Even in the most absurd, police shooting incidents.
Effectually, the police can gun down pretty much anyone, as long a they can argue, even in the most slight way, they were in fear of losing their life.
All I can say is that when encountering the police, if you know the police are there, immediately go to a spread eagle position, face down, arms spread and hope for the best. It doesn’t matter whether or not you are the property owner.
If you think you are confronting a burglar or some other criminal on your property, or on your front porch, you are probably more at risk at the hands of the police than you are the criminal. Consequently, that is a split second judgment that each of us will have to make according to the situation.
The problem is that you and I don’t get the huge, benefit of the doubt as do the police. “To Protect and Serve” left the house some time ago in the Pacific Northwest.
Kivaari on February 17 at 6:58 p.m.
I can see how Asamov came to this verdict. If the defendant wasn’t actually aware of the police presence, how could he have committed the crime? This is another of those cases where the initial call coupled with the very real looking pistol, got someone blasted. Kind of like taking the toy gun to a bank robbery. It is a license to get yourself shot for being stupid.
Cheezwhiz on February 17 at 7:55 p.m.
Kalamaari, taking a toy gun to a bank robbery is illegal. Taking a toy gun into your back yard is not. Get it?
PlanB on February 17 at 8:02 p.m.
I’m with those that are perplexed as to why this guy was charged at all. Another huge waste of taxpayer dollars.
I realize the job can be tough, but the cops are the biggest crybabies on the planet. If they are so scared of everything, maybe they should consider a career change.
Kivaari on February 17 at 8:24 p.m.
Cheezhead, Taking a realistic gun to ANY situation having the likelihood of getting yourself shot is bad form. It seems that if the “victim” didn’t know he was suicidal, and his friend called the cops, his not knowing the cops were there, created a real big “Oops”. If he knew the cops were there, then he was asking to get shot. Obviously, the prosecution couldn’t prove its case. Where does that leave the civil case? One more case where I can understand why he was shot. Asamov lays out some fine information.
D Statler on February 17 at 8:55 p.m.
What No Rock?? I am guessing that justification on this case would be easier than trying to justify killing a sick man with a rock supposedly in his hand.KEY WORD SUPPOSEDLY! Truth being Dodd was holding a key ring in his hand when shot. Those BB guns look pretty real. Quentin Dodd was not so lucky.His three bullits drove him home.These HEAVY HANDED police need to have the pants sued off them.I would hope that Glidden would sue the Prosecutors office for MALICIOUS PROSECUTION as well. This charge should be very easy to prove. Where are our county commissioners ? Is there nobody that oversees these departments. This is our tax dollars at work and being spent on huge settlements for these poor decisions.
bszottlinger on February 17 at 9:03 p.m.
Every law enforcement officer knows the right things to say after a shooting. The trick is to determine if the right things they are saying is the truth. Some of things that Asamov points out lead me to believe that at least one of twelve jurors did not believe the testimony of one of the officers. He points out things that would be interesting to know whether or not they were covered in the shooting investigation.
Please correct me if I’m wrong Asamov but your statement that “Chilress said he ordered Glidden to drop the gun. Glidden and Criswell both testified they did NOT hear that warning”. You go on to say “Childress states: He saw the door knob disappear (the door swings inside to the right.)” Then you say “ In “one fluid, fast motion” (Childress own words) Glidden looked right then moved w/ body left. The porch exits left”. This kinda implies to me that there may have been some jurors who didn’t believe everything the officer was saying.
I wonder if the prosecutor took the time to talk with the jurors?
My point is that, regardless of what some law enforcement people would have you believe citizens can in fact review an incident and make a very good judgment as to what transpired and what the right thing to do is.
I agree with misjustice, settlement down the road. It would be interesting to take the statements given by the officers in the shooting investigation and compare those with the trial transcripts, something the plaintiffs attorney is sure to do. It would also be interesting to see if the shooting investigation documented the door knob issue.
Hawken:
As much as I hate to say it because I have a lot of respect for law enforcement folks, but you could be right. I don’t think it is limited to the Pacific Northwest however.
Asamov on February 17 at 9:57 p.m.
First off, I apologize for the comments about Glidden. He’s not my favorite guy and I don’t think he was truthful, but I feel I was pretty unfair in my personal attacks. That’s really nasty. His actions were pathetic, but he may be redeemable (with or without a large settlement). I’m certainly not the finest citizen.
Glidden consistently said he was not suicidal. Multiple witnesses who talked to him through out the day said he was not suicidal. One witness said he was. There were no texts or evidence confirming if he was or wasn’t. I think he was just crying out for attention and was planning on getting it, though maybe not in this fashion. And here come my anger, so I better quit. It’s just so pathetic. We only had the evidence before us, and there was nothing saying “I want to end it”. The evidence showed he didn’t call the cops or media.
We were not shown any of his texts or heard any messages left by him. We could not speculate.
bsz, I don’t think anyone bought Childress’s testimony that there was a warning. Both Glidden and Criswell testified to NOT hearing that warning. That makes me think Childress did not make the warning or it was drown out by the 4 shots and 1 shotgun blast. Criswell has some guts for being honest and saying he didn’t hear it. Most if not all jurors felt this way.
But it wasn’t about the cops, it was about Glidden’s supposed intent to instill fear in them, and the prosecution did not prove this adequately.
Yeah he should have dropped the gun if there was a warning. Was there time? Was there a warning? Will Childress get any sleep tonight? Will Criswell be ostracized for tell the truth? IF YOU SERVE ON A JURY, WILL YOU COMMENT ABOUT IT FOR THE ARM CHAIR QBs? I hope so.
I also hope Mr. Glidden improves his position without getting a cent from the state. I’m sorry he is physically handicapped in the same way a I would feel disappointed if drunk driver rolled his or her car and became a paraplegic. Drunk & dumb = bad outcome. warn your kids. out
bszottlinger on February 17 at 10:20 p.m.
Asamov:
Again thank you for serving on the jury, and thank you for providing some insight here.
bszottlinger on February 17 at 10:26 p.m.
Asamov:
BTW, did the prosecutor talk with the jurors?
lewis8457 on February 17 at 10:27 p.m.
The cop rampage is in just about every city in our country, after 911 we all became possible terrorists.
And some how our big tough cops all were turned into fudge. It is funny in a sick way that the big tough cop in their black uniforms, punk kickin boots, taser, baton, and gun to match……..are such pussies. Have to cry self-defense in order to get off for killing some poor guy. Bunch of high priced crybabies.
But we have a ghost avenger coming up behind them in the mist and they cannot escape. Poverty. Yes our country is on the skids, it was just reported last week 4 out of the 6 top employers in Spokane are government. What is going to happen when all the private sector guys are so strapped for cash they cant give anymore? The high priced wages paid to our unions simply go away, and with that the greedy cops that need more and more money in order to drink themselves into oblivion to forget all the people they have killed and all the families they have destroyed in the quest for a bigger pay check.
It is coming sit back and wait, California, New Jersey, Chicago it has already begun.
PlanB on February 17 at 11:02 p.m.
It gives me hope that so many people who typically disagree strongly have shown at least some amount of unity on this.
Cops simply can’t just blast away people and say they were ‘afraid’.
I hope Glidden receives a huge monetary settlement. Maybe it will get our elected officials to take control back from the military… err… law enforcement.
greenlibertarian on February 17 at 11:04 p.m.
“recent fatal shooting of a Native American in Seattle, who failed to drop a 3 inch pocket knife while sitting of a bench whittling, is this:”
Some people haven’t a clue. The man slain by Officer Birk was walking down the street. He was standing 12-15 feet away when Birk murdered him.
If you can’t pay attention to the most basic facts, and you can’t demonstrably so, your hackneyed opinions are worthless.
lewis8457 on February 18 at 8:17 a.m.
Glidden better hurry up Thoma wants 4 million from he city. Sure it is going to cost a fortune but if the cities insurance premium goes through the roof they will have to curtail the killing just to get insured.
Cheezwhiz on February 18 at 8:29 a.m.
Kalamaari, anyone should feel safe enough to carry a toy gun in their back yard. Anywhere really. As far as I know, the only place you aren’t allowed to take a toy gun is into a school. Technically, I should be able to carry a real gun anywhere, without getting shot, except a Government building or a bar.
Ron_the_Cop on February 18 at 8:50 a.m.
Brad, Asamov and all,
Very good discussion. The key common denominator here is what a recent S-R LTE termed:
Absence of leadership
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/feb/16/absence-of-leadership/
This has all to do with police accountability and training. Yes perhaps these recent OISs don’t rise to the level of criminal prosecution of the police involved but there were many mistakes re police policy, procedure and training that need to be addressed.
Without strong and effective police leadership willing to seriously search for the truth, to identify mistakes when their made, change policy and training, we are destined to have these problematic shootings.
Det. Ron Wright (Retired)
valleyman on February 18 at 10:26 a.m.
So Det. Wright… When are you going to step up and run for office? Sheriff maybe? If you have the answers from your years of service and you know how to solve the difficult problems no one else seems to know how to, I am convinced the citizens of Spokane County would benefit from your electoral pursuit.
I say we start the petition now: Recruit Ron Wright! Wright the Wrongs! Make Things Wright!
The “problematic” thing with these situations comes with trying to apply a one-size-fits-all ‘we did it this way where I come from’ standard to everything.
Ron_the_Cop on February 18 at 11:00 a.m.
LOL Valleyman.
If folks are interested in bringing real change, they should recall Tucker for his demonstrated incompetence. It’s my belief he’s actually guilty of malfeasance in office and rendering criminal assistance.
See my criminal complaint re Steve Tucker in this link (in my opinion you committed malfeasance in office)in my post:
Creach OIS - Tucker makes decision on incomplete report/investigation
http://tinyurl.com/4hrat8h
Check out this FaceBook site:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002054800286&sk=wall
ChefGus/ John Olsen on February 19 at 7:07 a.m.
CheezWhiz… there is no such thing as a “Toy Gun”… Your finger pointed at me in the manner of pointing a gun IS a gun… because of the simple fact that a KelTec .32 cal is small enough and light enough to fit right in the palm of a hand and be concealed and not “visible” as a weapon….
NRA training 101 …. gun safety… Never point the weapon at anything that could be harmed… always assume Every weapon IS loaded until you have racked the slider and looked into the breech your self… Even if someone just did that in front of you, and you are handed the weapon…. Check it again… Do Not point a weapon at a targent/creature until you are going to use lethal force… An Automatic Pistol is NOT a rock or a stick and you won’t get very far using it as a “threat”…. If it is out of your holster for “cause” and you are fearful for your life… and it is your job or need to protect your self or someone else… then you use it effectively… If Mr Glidden was swinging his “toy gun” at me I’d have responded in the same way as these officers..
The message in this case, as well as the case with dear Pastor Creech, for anyone carrying or brandishing a weapon is You are at risk for the other party to take you out… yeah, just like in the old wild west… If there is a racked round in the chamber you are but one simple step or two (taking off the safety perhaps) from killiing or harming another human being…. Anyone who has killed another human being has their life changed in ways that the rest of us cannot possibly even fathom. john olsen
bszottlinger on February 19 at 8:00 a.m.
Valleyman:
I kinda find your oblique shot at Mr. Wright a bit funny. You are right one size doesn’t fit all, but you perhaps didn’t know that the people that write the policy and procedures for the Spokane Police Department are ex-California Cops. The police department uses a company that writes policy and procedure manuals etc for small law enforcement agencies on the west coast (Lexipol). The Spokane Police Department and the community would be better served if they utilized their own expertise and experience, with some help from the federal folks in Quantico.
Ron_the_Cop on February 19 at 10:42 a.m.
Thanks Brad,
Yes SPD uses Lexipol for its policy and procedures. I don’t know specifically if its Lexipol’s model policy re OISs to delay interviewing subject officers after a shooting that SPD is relying on. There is information to suggest that the Guild has such a delay in its MOU.
From an email contained in the KREM Cage Fight report there is this statement:
… We have a Guild contract, Lexipol and Officer Involved Shooting Protocol that we follow. If the SO is lead on an SPD-involved shooting, they also are bound by the policies, contracts and agreements SPD has set in place. They have to follow our guidelines if it’s an SPD-involved shooting [Craig Meidi to Tim Burns 10-01-10]
The delay in the first formal interview in the Creach OIS investigation was a fundamental flaw in this investigation. To his credit Sheriff Knezovich has acted to allow his deputies to be interviewed without delay after an OIS.
Det. Ron Wright (Retired)
Cheezwhiz on February 20 at 10:55 a.m.
ChefGus, toy guns have been around since the 1800’s or maybe even before that. Every kid has had one and pointed them at someone. My point is that you should not have to worry about being shot if you go out your back door with one. This man never pointed it at anyone.
I have taken too many gun safety classes to count, so I know the rules. One class was a total of 36 hours, with a two hour test. Scored 98 percent on it, which was highest in the class. I could teach a class on gun safety. I have huge respect for firearms and know what they do.
My point is that cops can’t go around shooting every kid who points a toy gun at them, because it will happen. Air Soft guns have an orange plastic plug in the end, which I am sure this one did. I have never seen a real gun that had an orange plug in the barrel. Eagle Michael was shot when he pointed a BB gun, and the cop was told that it was a BB gun. BB guns look like BB guns and have an itty bitty hole in the end. I have been shot by a BB gun and the proper procedure is to call that shooter an idiot and other names and tell them to knock it off, not kill them. I have been shot many times with an Air Soft gun. It just stings a little bit.
You should not have to worry about sending your kid out to play. You should not have to worry about anything you do in your own yard, as long as it’s legal. It’s pretty clear to me that this man was not given the time needed to put his weapon down, nor was he warned that the cops were even there. This is the case in several cop shootings.
Hcklbery on February 22 at 10:38 a.m.
Since the shooting of police officers a few years back the police seem to of adopted a “shoot um all let the jury sort it out” mentality.
This is most unfortunate as it will backfire into an animosity that will feed on itself with violence begetting violence and thugs in uniform against thugs on the street.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on February 22 at 11:16 a.m.
Cheezwhiz… I guess i’ll defer to your greater breadth and depth of training… but sincerely disagree with your opinion that someone can “tell” if a thing that looks like a pistol is “REAL” or “Loaded”… so I’ll still assume anyone pointing even a finger at me might have a KelTec .380 in their hand and be lethal… even though I cannot and do not actually see a weapon….
I took a photo of mine, in my hand and you can only see a tiny bit of barrel at the tip of my fingertip… and would be hard pressed to tell it was there.
The Only reason to have a sidearm out its holster is to shoot it…. period… Captain John
bszottlinger on February 22 at 1:25 p.m.
Captain John:
I agree with you regarding the identification of a toy vs. a real weapon. In most cases you can’t make a determination. However, I also think it is important to take a look at all of the factors involved in an OIS involving a gun, a toy gun, or for that matter a knife or other weapon. The only thing we know about this case is that the jury decided that Mr. Glidden was not aware of the police presence, there was a concern on the part of the jury whether any warning was given at all, there appears to be a question as to whether or not one of the officers was telling the truth, and the jury apparently took a good look at some issues that were not covered in the prosecutors presentation or in all likelihood the investigation into the OIS. If this case ends in a settlement, the public will never know whether or not the matter was handled appropriately by law enforcement. There is a big difference in the rules of engagement for a police officer and that of our servicemen and women in combat ( even though some of the recent combat rules of engagement are stupid). The standard is much higher for police officers, and rightfully so. The only thing that I and some others that blog here are interested in is re-establishing community confidence in law enforcement when it comes to situations that call for them to address areas that involve judgment, training, leadership, and respect for those they serve.
Although I consider myself “independent” I’m pretty conservative in most areas, despite that I did vote for Frank Malone. The problem in Spokane is that the head elected law enforcement officer in Spokane County is a lump on the log, and as the old adage goes would not make a pimple on a lawyers hind end.
That having been said, how did the meeting go?
valleyman on February 22 at 4:29 p.m.
Hey Cheez,
If you can paint an orange ring around the tip of an airsoft gun, can you also paint it black? Can you paint an orange ring around the tip of a real gun?
Just a casual refutation of the obvious error in your statement.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on February 22 at 10:07 p.m.
BSZ…. I had a LONG day at Shalom 13 hours on my feet to do two meals…I’m 66 years old and a volunteer so…( self care) . on my way up the hill decided i’d done my community service for the day… so I had a drink and a nice meal fixed by mary….rather than run off to the meeting… it was of interest to me that there was NO article in the paper today that i could find about the meeting…so i cannot say “how it went”…. i will attend tomorrow at the KHQ gathering at Lincoln Center at 18:00 and let you all know how that went……. thanks for the notes and interest… best j