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September 29, 2011 in City
Officer in fatal South Hill shooting identified
A 16-year Spokane police veteran and member of the SWAT team has been identified as the officer who shot and killed an armed and suicidal man Monday.
Authorities said Thursday that Officer Dan Lesser was the only officer who fired shots during the nearly two-hour standoff with James Edward Rogers, 45, who died of gunshot wounds after he refused a negotiator’s commands to exit his overturned van at East Seventh Avenue and South Hatch Street on the lower South Hill.
Officers could see him “hanging from the driver’s seat, still manipulating the shotgun” after the van overturned, according to a news release by Spokane County sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan.
Lesser feared for his safety and fired his rifle at Rogers after Rogers “waved his hand at Lesser and then raised the shotgun and pointed it at him,” Reagan said.
The sheriff’s office is leading the investigation into the shooting, along with members of the Spokane Police Department and Washington State Patrol.
Family said they spent all day looking for Rogers as he called them from different locations, threatening suicide. His father, Alonzo Rogers, said his son battled alcoholism and was told he needed to pay for counseling to comply with licensing requirements for his job taking care of disabled people through SL Start.
Reagan said today that officers were trying to prevent Rogers from escaping the van into the neighborhood “but their efforts were complicated by the need to evacuate nearby residents and other citizens from within range of the armed suspect.”
“A nearby medical facility had patients requiring transport out of the area, and they required police escorts through the outside perimeter of the crime scene,” according to the news release. “Meanwhile, Rogers had dropped from his seat and was seen seated inside the van, still holding the shotgun.”
The SWAT team was then called to the scene and negotiators spoke with Rogers for about two hours before Lesser fired shots at 8:23 p.m.
Lesser was atop an armored SWAT vehicle and could see Rogers through the rear window of the overturned van, Reagan said.
Rogers had fled police in the van after they were called to a report of a suicidal employee with a shotgun at SL Start, 811 S. Hatch, about 6:28 p.m. A shotgun wad recovered from the parking lot indicates Rogers fired the shotgun once before he drove away.
Investigators recovered three unfired shotgun slugs and a suicide note from the van. They also recovered a U.S. Military police hat – Rogers’ family said he served as a military police officer until the mid-1990s.
Detectives also found a criminal citation in the van. Reagan said Rogers had skipped a court hearing Monday for a recent drunken driving arrest and had warrant for failing to appear, Reagan said.
Lesser was a K-9 officer in 2009 when he shot and killed a suspected car thief, 22-year-old Johnnie Longest, who fired a gun at officers and shot Lesser’s police dog, Var. One bullet grazed the dog’s head and another hit a paw. He retired and later died of a brain tumor after receiving a police Purple Heart.
Spokane County prosecutors concluded Lesser was justified in shooting Longest.
Lesser also was one of three officers who fired their guns at a Lewis and Clark High School student in 2003 after the teen pointed a gun at SWAT team members. The teen was shot in the arm, stomach and jaw but lived.
Lesser was honored with a life-saving award earlier this year for saving a stabbing victim in June 2010.
Human trafficking suspects released 
The_Seer on September 29 at 1:52 p.m.
This is number two for Lesser.
The first time he shot a man IN THE BACK WHO WAS RUNNING AWAY FROM HIM.
Now it’s a man who was in an upside down van.
Lesser must have needed a vacation. Freaking unbelievable.
Shadedmuse on September 29 at 2:07 p.m.
Sounds like a guy that gets his training from LCPD in GTA4.
lowtechmaster on September 29 at 2:11 p.m.
After a through review of all of the evidence…GUESS WHAT!!
zelda on September 29 at 2:20 p.m.
Spokane is a murky town with a rocky bottom. It’s hard to know the punks from the protectors. It helps if you have a Kevlar vest, hip-waders and a gas mask.
I’ll wait and see what the report says, but it sort of nags at me that the recorded audio of the negotiations had kind of a flat, scripted, unemotional tone, almost as if it was being read off a laminated card. Very procedural, but maybe that was the point. You can plead and implore a suicidal person not to do it but dealing with a suicidal guy with a gun is a different matter.
All in all, a SWAT team officer has a higher probability of using his weapon than a regular cop — or one would think so. Not wise to rush to judgement on this one.
CommonSenseJoe on September 29 at 2:58 p.m.
This is the rest of The Seer’s information -
“Deputy Prosecutor Jack Driscoll determined the location of the bullet wound was “consistent with what (a witness) saw - Longest being hit in the back as his arm was extended toward the officers and the dog as he was firing.””
Nice try. I didn’t agree with many of your posts, and you leaving out key information supports my inclination.
brianrbreen on September 29 at 3:11 p.m.
@Valleyman
Well, as I alluded to earlier I was worried about the double triple. I was hoping it wasn’t this but I suspected it was. So now what?
zelda on September 29 at 3:15 p.m.
KHQ is reporting that James Rogers left a suicide note which was found in the van. Content of the note was not disclosed.
brianrbreen on September 29 at 3:15 p.m.
@Zelda
I have no idea what to do, any ideas?
meadman on September 29 at 3:16 p.m.
Seer apparently only “sees” what Seer wants to see…… typical. Objectivity and honesty would be a nice thing to have from many of you folks, but that would take away from your agenda of cop-bashing, wouldn’t it?
avboden on September 29 at 3:40 p.m.
EVERY time a cop kills someone it isn’t automatically wrong people. Cop was 100% in the right here.
Kivaari on September 29 at 3:54 p.m.
Seer, is a pathetic person. A police officer can shoot a fleeing felon, if that felon poses an imminent threat to others. You don’t shoot at unarmed shoplifters, but you can shoot at BARK criminals, especially those that have shown a tendency to shoot at anyone.
meghannc on September 29 at 4:12 p.m.
Zelda, we’re reporting that, too. It’s in the article that’s posted above your comment.
JayNW on September 29 at 4:24 p.m.
Kivaari- Not sure it applies to just BARK felonies, but As determined by the US Supreme Court, in Tennesee v Garner,
“conclude that such force may not be used unless it is necessary to prevent the escape and the officer has probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others”
In this case, if someone points a gun at an officer, that officer is justified in shooting. We see many tv shows where suspects are pointing guns at cops, who just stand there and talk them down. That is TV, this is real life.
In the issue of Ofc Lesser shooting the guy who shot at him and K9 Var, he was absolutely, 100% justified in that shooting. How can anyone in their right mind think that he wasn’t? Oh wait, we have some in this town that will hate on the cops no matter what they do.
Officer Lesser is a veteran cop, extremely well trained and I trust that he made the best decision in this situation. It sucks yes, both for the family, and Officer Lesser who must live with that decision. But he did nothing wrong. He is still a hero in this town, and absolutely appreciate him putting his life in the line of fire so the rest of us can sleep at night.
Thank you Officer Lesser, and thank you to the rest of SPD.
The_Seer on September 29 at 4:27 p.m.
You can call me whatever you want but you’ll notice not one person refutes that Lesser shot his previous victim in the back. For taking a shot at a police dog. That’s what is pathetic.
The_Seer on September 29 at 4:30 p.m.
And this is his third victim. My bad. I didn’t know about that he was involved in the L.C. incident as well.
jddavis on September 29 at 4:35 p.m.
“…Longest being hit in the back as his arm was extended toward the officers and the dog as he was firing.”
So what if he was shot in the back Seer. He was firing in the direction of “officers and the dog.” You act as if Lesser was supposed to have shot Longest face-to-face at 40 paces.
The_Seer on September 29 at 4:41 p.m.
Really JayNW? How many murders have occurred in Spokane in the last 18 months? How many people killed by police? The SPD has lied repeatedly in cases like this (Remember Otto) and now we are supposed to trust their every word? Why? I also have a HUGE problem with the way they release information. When all the “facts” are known, call a presser. In the meantime, quit parceling it out like rations to a ravenous hoard.
When I go to sleep at night I’m much more concerned about the local gestapo kicking in the doors than I am any local criminal element. And I mind my own business and the law. This guy was in an overturned van. If he gets out of the van, blast him. Otherwise, take cover and talk him out.
I feel for anyone who has on their conscious the taking of another life. But I also had an Uncle who was a street level police officer in a much larger city than Spokane who retired with nearly forty years of service without ever firing his weapon. He was involved in dozens of situations like this.
Kivaari on September 29 at 4:45 p.m.
Seer, A police officer cannot shoot a suspect for killing his dog. The K9 officers know that. There was much more going on then an idiot shooting a police dog. Where else was the suspect shooting, was he fleeing after engaging in an exchange of shots? Did the suspect continue to be a threat to others, not just the police, but the public?
I couldn’t care less if a cop shoots someone in the back. If the circumstances are right, an officer can take a mans head off from the back. It is OK to kill someone that represents a threat to others - and you don’t even have to give any warning at all. Just silently and gently squeeze the trigger while the sights are lined up on the bad guy. You need to get off of things such as verbal warnings and back shooting. You give me an opportunity and I would gladly shoot anyone trying to kill another. No nice warning or anything. People that pose such threats give up all of their rights when they attempt to deprive others of life.
Kivaari on September 29 at 4:50 p.m.
Jay NW you are right. What seer fails to understand is in the last year SPD hasn’t murdered anyone. To say otherwise is just a simple minded lie. I tried to limit my response. If you remember these things take along time to teach.
Others are worried about the “double-triple” I suspect, but don’t know. Maybe the officer was using a SMG or rifle with a three round burst feature. If so, two taps, and six rounds are out. I have no problem with that. If it takes 60 rounds, it takes 60 rounds. Our MP5s had two 30 round magazines stacked side by side. I carried 45 rounds for my pistol. And carried another 5 rounds in a M642.
misjustice on September 29 at 5:48 p.m.
“Lesser was atop an armored SWAT vehicle and could see Rogers through the rear window of the overturned van, Reagan said.”
Hmm, would that mean that Lesser was behind the victim; and shot him from that rear position? And that the victim was in the front seat, still, and turned to the rear of the vehicle to “threaten” Lesser positioned above him from atop the SWAT vehicle?
I dunno, but the positioning of the victim and the shooter (as in the Creach homicide) seems suspicious to me…
Steve Eugster on September 29 at 5:57 p.m.
It is time for the Spokane City Council to weigh in on these matters.
Tinkering with the so-called ombudsman “system” is useless and meaningless. The council should commence an investigation into the Spokane Police Dept. At least, it should investigate the Police Department as to the protocols it is using regarding what has become known as the phenomena of “suicide by police.”
Yet another community tragedy is unfolding in Spokane. The man who died this week was not alone in his anguish. Nor are his family members, in the anguish of their loss.
What has happened is not unique, and probably was not necessary.
See Spokane Register at http://spokaneregister.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/spokane-police-another-distraught-man-dies/.
Dazzeetrader11 on September 29 at 6:08 p.m.
Verner wont Steve. Election time and all that. Such a coward and a manipulative politician.
Steve Eugster on September 29 at 6:13 p.m.
Dazzee … The council doesn’t need Mayor Verner’s permission to investigate the Police Department. The council is separate from the mayor. It has its own investigative powers and authority. The mayor will not act, the council can and should. Pressure should be brought on the city council members to act.
Kivaari on September 29 at 6:33 p.m.
Detroitdude, You commented about video games. Dude, I don’t play kids games. When GTA 4 is brought up by one of you kids I have to laugh. Join the real world where bullets are real, and knives kill, and getting run over by a car hurts real bad. Video games, really now, kids and their video games.
detroitdude on September 29 at 6:35 p.m.
Despite my comments at the cop apologist, Kivaari. It would be prudent, nonetheless, to wait for all the facts.
Though from what I am reading if this guy had a truck full of ammo and a shotgun, and was pinned upside down, why kill him? The same team that fired fatal rounds could have fired teargas, disorient the man, move in and secure him. He IS NOT a threat to the public when in such a precarious position, no matter what he might say. You HAVE to talk a big game in a standoff with the SPD, because their game is we will shoot your ass.
Condolences to the family, this man wasn’t a rapist, child molester, or death dealer, let us focus on what he was and WHY he went to these lengths.
Kivaari on September 29 at 7:09 p.m.
detroitdude, No it wasn’t a hostage situtation, You objected to police saving lives, by sometimes taking a life. A threat to anothers can existed, if Rogers took a random shot. When he pointed the shotgun at the police, they were at risk. Had he pointed it at a home or medical facility, a threat to innocent people existed. I have already done my college time. I am now retired. I am a bigot, not a racist. I have no good feelings toward the Muslim religion with its rampant anti-western BS. I don’t like Muslims shooting missiles into Israel, or setting off bombs killing innocent people. You can take the terrorist out of the sand pile and he is still a terrorist. Just what race are Muslims? Just what religion are white people? What religion are black people? I also don’t like the Black Panthers, the KKK, neo-nazis, the GJB (mixed race terrorists), and I really hate those people that throw the race card, when I am just a bigot. I hate - people that hurt innocent people of any race or religion. American jingoism? No, it is western culture versus killers of all stripes. If you are white and try to hurt innocent people, you are worthless. If you are a white Christian and support hurting Jews, blacks, Asians, Native American you are worthless. If you are any race, color or creed be nice to everyone.
D Statler on September 29 at 7:42 p.m.
It would be nice to read the police officers reports before passing judgement here. If that shotgun was coming around in my direction.I would have shot first also. I don’t believe in the three shot burst protocol being used in Spokane and Spokane County. It is excessive force ! I don’t shoot three times when I kill a deer. It is not necessary for police to spray three at a time either. It is high time for our cheifs to do something about it.
Kivaari on September 29 at 7:42 p.m.
detroitdude. Will tear gas stop a person from firing a gun? Are you willing to move closer then 21 feet to shoot a TASER at him? Will TASER probes reliably work, if you made it to the interior of the van? What type of delivery system would you use for the tear agents? Would you use, CN, CS, OC, or DM? Do rubber baton, sponge baton or other impact projectiles, reliably go through auto glass? If hit does the suspect then comply all the time? If tear agents, TASER or impact weapons fail, can you be sure the person with the gun is not a threat? Were the police trying to negotiate and deescalate the situtation?
nslopeofw on September 29 at 7:50 p.m.
Kivaari-
Did you miss, or just ignore the “Lesser was atop an armored SWAT vehicle and could see Rogers through the rear window of the overturned van, Reagan said”?
You cops will always back the play of your buddies, even when wrong, so dont look for any validity here.
Too many suspicious civilian killings in Spokane to not be down on the PoPo. People allegedly attacking with pop bottles, attacking with rocks held high, or just thinking about moving towards a cop while on your own property means instant death in this town. Even asking for a ride home from a bar can get you shot in the head, and no jail for the shooter.
Keep trying to muddy the waters, maybe we will just forget about it…………….or not!
Kivaari on September 29 at 7:57 p.m.
Undooly, Deer don’t shoot back. Multiple gun shots to stop a criminal threat is the accepted standard world wide. More times then not a person shot DOESN’T DIE. In particular when using a handgun or submachine gun (they shoot pistol caliber ammo) single hits DO NOT stop nor kill the person. It is very normal in a one on one shooting for the officer to fire his weapon many times. A quick double tap to the chest if body armor is not visible, followed by shots to the head if the person has not gone down. There are thousands of cases over the years where people are shot half a dozen times, never dieing, remaining on their feet and continuing the attack or defense. Some live, some die hours or days later, some drop like a rock without even being hit. Small caliber carbines (.223 - 5.56mm NATO) often don’t kill quickly, for that matter neither does a large caliber weapon always result in instant compliance. Randy Weaver was shot with a .308 Win. 168 gr. Sierra HPMatch bullet and was only wounded insignificantly. The point being a three shot burst would be normal when using a small bore rifle. Because of the many battlefield and police shootings where even the .308 (7.62mm NATO) has failed to stop the threat, the US military and police are issuing more self-loading sniper rifles.
Do you remember the Good Guys killings. The snipers first bullet broke on the glass and missed. The suspects killed at least 5 hostages. All on video. This stuff is much more complex then it is on TV. But if two bursts of three shots each is too much for the police, can you make the crooks only use enough force when they kill innocents and police?
Kivaari on September 29 at 8:31 p.m.
Nslope, So the officer was in a position to observe and determine the suspect was getting ready to aim and shoot. If Rogers was aiming at other cops, can another officer, from a point of advantage (concealment and partial cover) take the shot to stop the threat? YES!
Does the police officer have to do or say anything before shooting? NO!
Can a police sniper firing from two hundred yards away, totally unknown to the suspect, shoot to protect the life of another person? YES!
When faced with a lethal force situtation does the officer need to give a warning? NO!
Does the officer have to let the suspect fire the first shot? NO!
Are officers often killed by the suspects first shot? YES!
Are officers wise to let the suspect aim his/her weapon at another person? NO! Think Groom.
Is aiming or attempting to aim a weapon at another person or in a direction that endangers others justification for shooting a suspect? YES!
Are multiple shots TOO MUCH force? NO!
What is TOO MUCH force? If the suspect is dead and you wait 1/2 hour before shooting them again, that might be too much force. but then again he might be alive.
People this isn’t a movie or video game. I know of one case where a police chief used .38 Spl bird shot in his gun. He thought that would work. He shot a suspect at contact distance, he shoved the gun into the mans gut, and all 6 shots didn’t stop the man. The chief died.
The earlier case I reported where the man in Bremerton shot his girlfriend 6 times with a .38 Spl. 6” S&W M14, well she lived. The troopers hit the man 12 times, and he was still up. A Kitsap deputy fired several times and hit the suspect once. That 13Th bullet was ruled the killing shot. But the man stayed on his feet shooting at the trooper (Bill Messing) until that shot stopped the fight. It isn’t TV. The trooper that traded shots with the killer of 4 people, traded shots with Greyhound bus side window glass between the suspect, the trooper and Seattle officer. The .357 rounds the trooper fired did not go through the glass, The buckshot was on the seat of the bus. The suspects .22 pistol did not penetrate. All in seconds at mile post “0” on I-90. The killer of Don Burke shot him in the heart and lungs at the intersection of Myrtle Street and Port Dock road in Hoquiam. Burkes heart was destroyed, yet he exited his car, moved to the rear and emptied his revolver at the robbers. In the ensuing chase and shootout, an Aberdeen officer fired the last shot from his shotgun as the suspect rushed him and his partner. Each officer shot or dropped 18 rounds each, and used up all of the 12 ga. ammo. Cop killer Hagadorn took the last pellet in the forehead. Had he not been hit, the two cops would have been shot. It is messy and painful stuff, and yet they go out to do it daily.
misjustice on September 29 at 8:40 p.m.
SWAT shot down, from atop their tank, and were behind a vehicle that was on it’s side. And by the time they killed the victim it was dark.
I dunno but the angle, the lack of light, and the position of the victim all lead me to doubt the cops’ version.
Maybe it did happen the way they say. All I know is that we’ve been LIED to before so it’s not stretch to suspect that we could be LIED to again…and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again….
Kivaari on September 29 at 8:46 p.m.
@GDodd, Just a rock? Was the radio call and 911 report of a man with a knife? YES!
Had Dodd tried suicide before? YES!
Had Dodd repeatedly asked to be shot? YES!
Did Dodd make a rush at the officer? YES.
Did the officer shoot? NO!
Did Dodd, from under 10 feet away, then raise his “knife” (that is all the police knew, as they responded to a knife call)? YES!
On this last and fatal rush, did Dodd get shot? YES!
Would OC, CN, CS or similar agent stop an attack? Not likely!
Would a TASER effectively and reliably stop a knife attack? NO!
Why do tear agents fail? They only blur the vision and cause coughing.
Why do TASERs fail? Often one of the probes misses. Often clothing stops the effect.
Can a man at arms length still kill you? YES!
Does an officer owe it to himself, the chance to go home at the end of the shift? YES!
Why do people persist in aiming guns, attacking with edged weapons, clubs, hands and feet, knowing the police may kill them? They are suicidal, in a rage, or want to get away with murder.
GDodd on September 29 at 9:32 p.m.
@again JUST A ROCK(key ring)
avboden on September 29 at 9:33 p.m.
as for the previous shooting in the back thing, he was in the right there as well btw
but just saying
you take a shot at my dog and i’m going to shoot you in the back too, or in the front, doesn’t really matter to me.
Kivaari on September 29 at 9:41 p.m.
Police officers can not shoot a person to defend a dog. Dogs are property. That is the law. Personally if a suspect hurts the dog, they should expect getting hurt real bad. Your K9 is probably you most important partner.
GaryP on September 29 at 10:23 p.m.
Way to go Steve Eugster! “Probably not necessary”. Why didn’t you tell people you were there? I don’t remember reading any articles about your “eye witness” observations. You must be super smart to know what happened without having been there. Wow! What I wouldn’t pay to have half your intelligence. Do you ever wonder why you never get elected for anything?
Kivaari on September 29 at 10:34 p.m.
Who asked you to cry for the dead and wounded cops? Who asked you to shed a tear for the suicide-by-cop crowd? I understand that the hatred of police runs deep in Spokane. Hatred of the police is common. Every time a cop killed a bad guy, the worms come out to complain - before the facts are known. It is just part of society, to have ignorant complainers, that will always hate the police. So, what? If you make a ridiculous statement about murder, or not using tear gas, of a TASER, or waiting them out, why not first investigate how those devices work. Maybe you could read a good book on suicide by cop cases. Some studies show they amount to 50% or more.
It is the stuff that TV uses as plot lines. The poor down trodden worker has to strike out at the man, because they screwed up their own life, Was Rogers a likely candidate for suicide? Yes, he had tried before. He was talking to people all day saying he was going to kill himself. He made a point of shooting, crashing and waving a gun around. A history of substance abuse, felony convictions. three marriages, 7 kids and no stability in his life.
These are the type that just kill themselves, or make a cop shoot them. This would be odd, if it was a stable family man. What else was wrong in his life.
valleyman on September 29 at 10:41 p.m.
@GDodd: Stop posting your website on here… It is neither germane to this discussion, nor helpful. It is pictures taken out of an investigatory context that have been inappropriately subjugated to your pathetic attempt to create an issue where none exists. The captions you’ve added to the pictures prove only that you have not a shred of objectivity nor honesty.
Sunshinegurl on September 29 at 10:46 p.m.
It’s always alarming when a particular officers name keeps getting brought up. Makes me wonder why he signed up for this job and if he’s really the right person for these stressful situations.
greenlibertarian on September 29 at 10:52 p.m.
They also recovered a U.S. Military police hat – Rogers’ family said he served as a military police officer until the mid-1990s.
Another factor to consider, especially since the suicide rate for veterans is sky-high, sadly.
I’m not saying this was a justified shooting beyond a shadow of a doubt, not sure anybody can really determine that with the facts that are currently in evidence.
But people are rightly skeptical of police behavior these days, and it’s not a black and white, anti-cop, pro-cop dichotomy, there’s much more gray area involved.
valleyman on September 29 at 10:54 p.m.
It seems many of you are missing from the story above:
1) “Officers could see him “hanging from the driver’s seat, still manipulating the shotgun after the van overturned”“
2) “Lesser feared for his safety and fired his rifle at Rogers after Rogers “waved his hand at Lesser and then raised the shotgun and pointed it at him”
3) “Rogers had dropped from his seat and was seen seated inside the van, still holding the shotgun.”
4) “Lesser was atop an armored SWAT vehicle and could see Rogers through the rear window of the overturned van.”
@Misjustice - You not only imply that Lesser shot Rogers in the back, but you claim because it was dark that how could he possibly see what Rogers was doing? POLICE SPOTLIGHTS!
@detroitdude: Your comment about cops getting blown away shows you to be without any redeemable quality and makes anything you say unworthy of any serious consideration.
@brian: I’ve got no problem with the double triple as that is how the police train. Shoot until the threat stops being a threat. Two to the body and one to the head - repeat if it didn’t stop the threat. This was done once and repeated… The threat stopped. What impresses me about the audio is that you can actually hear the bang bang bang… slight pause… bang bang bang… Many officers when they fire go - bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang click…… Lesser was showing good firearms discipline. If one thing troubles me about the Creach shooting, it was the lack of at least two to three shots. One shot isn’t how the police train.
misjustice on September 30 at 6:52 a.m.
Okay, Ozzie, whatever you say.
I said that maybe it happened the way that your independent “investigation” has pre-determined but since (some) local cops have been proven to be liars and cheats it is difficult for me to believe anything that cops do/say…I mean, how does an ordinary citizen seperate the liars and cheats from the good guys/gals?
Lyin’ has consequences. And losing citizens’ trust is one of them.
Just sayin’…
valleyman on September 30 at 7:29 a.m.
I’m flattered you think I’m the Sheriff… Thinking that behind every story is a conspiracy also holds consequences misjustice… I do hope you have a good psychologist because the anxiety must be killing you…
Do you treat every person with the same open contempt you do law enforcement because EVERY person has lied and cheated at some point in their life, or just police officers because they chose to enter a profession that stands for everything you seem to oppose?
brianrbreen on September 30 at 7:57 a.m.
@Valleyman.
Like I said, I have no idea what happened. My concern, regarding the sound of the shots was that it was a sniper position, and it sounds like it may have been. Then the poor county investigators will have to get into all the rules of engagement , shot call, etc. There will be a million questions, and a million second guesses, but there always is.
nslopeofw on September 30 at 8:59 a.m.
Kivaari-
In any town, the worms do come out. But in Spokane, the common citizens come out because of your heavy handed belief that you can kill at will.
brianrbreen on September 30 at 10:05 a.m.
@Valleyman
I used to go bam,bam,…bam,bam,…bam, bam, then I had to reload the damn thing. I kept mine all the way through even after they passed out the Glocks. I loved making those young guys on the range have to wait while I got all my rounds off, and the moniker “Dinosaur” didn’t bother me one bit.
Ron_the_Cop on September 30 at 12:13 p.m.
Ms. Justy @ 6:52AM
Interesting but I don’t think so. Obviously Valleyman has LE experience. I do like to debate with him in so doing those reading here can understand what goes on in real life police work instead of the fictional representations by the media. Unfortunately these fictional media portrayals create unrealistic expectations of LE that they can’t do.
Just sayin’
Ron_the_Cop on September 30 at 1:42 p.m.
There is a later thread for this article:
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/sep/30/officer-dan-lesser-fired-shots-that-killed-man-in/
misjustice on September 30 at 8:27 p.m.
I dunno, Ron. I think Brian is correct and that Ozzie trolls these threads and comments; and he sure gets touchy when one of us gets too close to the truth. And why wouldn’t he?
I mean, he’s using County time and equipment to try and justify some questionable actions by (some of) his officers; when he should be cleanin’ house, leading training or in most cases re-training, and generally goofing off on the tax payers dime. When I was a solider we would call that type of behavior “misappropriation”…
Why, right now he’s probably trying to figure out a way to get my (and other posters) IP address. Ozzie, you can Google it…
; )
Just sayin’…
misjustice on October 01 at 4:50 p.m.
GDodd, I am sorry for the killing of your family member.
I went to your link and am more than troubled by the questions that your family has raised about your loved one’s death. However, please, in the future when you put up the link warn the viewing public that there are autopsy photographs. I was shocked to see those and would have appreciated a warning due to how graphic they are.
Again, I am sorry for the killing of your family member.