Little Rock Police know that their actions won't be subject to objective review by certain members of this community. If they are hesitent about cooperating you should consider your own scrutiny of them. It is hardly fair. Sometimes they are wrong but most of the time they are doing their job of enforcing the law and keeping the peace.

Why have security people of any kind at the Mall---private or off-duty cops? If they do anything they will be labeled suspect. If it involves blacks (in most cases it does) then they will be labeled racist and the burden of proof will be on them to prove otherwise. It really isn't worth it. Besides, the bad guys who prey on the law abiding would prefer if you didn't provide any security who actually do something. Let's extend an AT hand of cooperation to them.

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Holmes
" Little Rock Police know that their actions won't be subject to objective review by ANY members of this community."

There, I fixed it for you.

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sholmes is denser than osmium.

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"If it involves blacks (in most cases it does)..."

Guess what you just labeled yourself as? :)

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"If it involves blacks (in most cases it does)..."

"Guess what you just labeled yourself as? :)"

A guy who reads crime statistics. What planet do you live on? You must not live in Little Rock.

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When and if any investigation of this police shooting occurs don't forget the little black box under the car seat. It can tell you the speed of the car and if the driver was putting on the brakes or accelerating. That is, if the police haven't already tampered with the black box.

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"The Little Rock police and their enablers at City Hall believe that actions taken by police officers — even those not on official duty — are not subject to full disclosure unless and until an officer is suspended or fired for those actions."

Enablers? Really?
Max is well known for passing judgement without the supporting facts. Unlike Arkansas Blog the police investigate, before making statements.

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Elwood: "That is, if the police haven't already tampered with the black box."

Innocent until proven guilty---right, sweetheart! I love your brand of 'justice' if the person in question is a police officer. I guess he gave up all his Constitutional rights when he put on that badge. Remember that the only thing between you and the monsters out there is that thin blue line.

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“Are Little Rock police accountable?”

As my dad used to say, there is no situation so bad that with a little effort it can be made worse. Too often, this seems to be the case with the LRPD and other law enforcement agencies when dealing with news media.

That said, I count as a blessing the fact that nobody in my family is a cop. It’s a helluva tough and dangerous and low-paying job. A job made tougher and more dangerous by thugs like Christopher Watkins who made the newspaper again this morning for being in a “shootout” with an LRPD officer earlier this month.

Who’s Christopher Watkins? Why, he’s the guy who stabbed one of his teachers at Parkview High School 63 times back in 1992. Y’know, the guy who was paroled from prison three years ago after serving 14 years of a 30-year sentence for the stabbing.

Watkins, the fella whose parole was fought fang and claw at least two times by prosecuting attorney Larry Jegley because, as Jegley says, Watkins is “a violent and dangerous individual.” So violent and dangerous that he now faces new counts of robbery, theft, and attempted capital murder.

Dealing with people like Watkins as often as they must, I can see why a cop moonlighting as a mall security officer might feel “threatened” at times. Maybe even enough to shoot.

But, yeah, I’d like to know why THIS officer felt so vulnerable at the mall yesterday. Don’t know what I’d do with that information, but I’d like to have it, nevertheless.

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I'm glad you posted this, Max. There appears to be a disconnect b/tw the police and the MSM with electronic media. I can't be 100% sure of what the on-line community says but it seems to me that MSM and the police cannot simply ignore those reports, even if they are still investigating. Do you have a particular take on this, Max?

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I just don't know. But a reluctance on the part of the police to be open is troublesome. "Feel threatened." That's not a standard for use of deadly force. Nor is the presence of a "white powder" and cash in the car -- a late developing tidbit -- ground for use of deadly force. But the old "the-car-was-moving-in-my-direction-at-high-speed" story is now in rotation and it usually leads to exoneration of use of police force. Justifiably, perhaps, in some cases. But if exoneration comes without a release of the entire investigative file, that's not accountability.

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Let the coverup and whitewashing begin!

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In the mid 70s, the Little Rock Civil Service Commission found for an appellent police officer who was fired for using 'deadly force' in a high speed chase in a residential area contrary to the department's policy. No shots were fired from the assailants fleeing vehicle. They reasoned that the use of deadly force was justified per policy and the officer was reinstated. This is the closest I could come to this incident.

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I don't know about police in The Rock but in Bethlehem they -- I mean, at the Church of the Nativity where Jesus was supposedly -- all these priests and monks started beating the -- Men of God and stuff -- People of Faith -- Christians -- beating the living crud out of -- I mean, without the cops coming in there and -- it's like a metaphor for -- with the batons and the robes and the crosses and --

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2011…

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In order to get in behind our police force and defend them and the job they do I need a little info.

A quick couple answers and I am their most devout defender.

Car was backing at a high rate of speed - yet DemGaz picture shows front of car crashed into building?

Officer was feeling threatened yet passenger side BACK window shows two bullet holes?

3 people in car and two of those shot, were all three threatening the officer or others?

I can dream up various scenarios where this works but if officials will not supply details I am unable to come to their defense.

Car was heading toward others so officer fired through back side window.
After shooting car proceeded forward and injured driver lost control and hit building.

Police can release information as preliminary without jeopardizing the investigation and that allows the citizens that support our police to feel confident that reckless police abuse is not occuring.

It is tough to argue in the LRPD defense if they use the Nanny nanny booboo defense from the Ferneau beating video that you can't make us tell you what we found.

What about the nanny nanny booboo defense that since the assistant chief is retiring we can't tell you anything about the unmarked cop car that reportedly was a hit and run victim yet parts of the car were found IN A PARK NEAR A DAMAGED TREE just a bit down the road.

What the Heck?

We want to come to your defense LRPD but your RECENT past makes us leary of being embarrassed!

This is distressing to me because I have friends in the LR and NLR police force, I give the benefit of the doubt to those people that take on the tough job of police officers.

With the feeling that we can trust our police force with giving us the details as they have them with the understanding that some inaccurate details may be revised after the fog of frenzy disipates, we can then understand and DEFEND those we have entrusted with deadly force for our protection.

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I am all for police accountability, but serious stuff happens in the Plaza garage. A few years back my daughter was victim of attempted carjacking there. She foiled them but they got another young woman and kidnapped her. Story had a good ending. I would not have had a problem with an officer drawing down on them whatsoever. Especially if they had put in the time at the shootin' range and didn't mis.

My daughter was a good witness in the prosecution and conviction of the thugs. I am sure they are out now. We want safety but we dont want to be smart about who goes to jail and who gets other remedies.

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"I have asked for a drawing or description on the location of the car before the shooting and about distances between the officer and the car when the shots were fired. I'm curious, too, where he was standing when he fired shots at the passenger side of the car."

Let's not forget to explain the puff of smoke from the Grassy Knoll.

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Little Rock is frequently named as one of the highest crime rate cities in the US along with Memphis. I'm sure there are numerous stories out there that would verify this fact. It appears as the evidence comes in since this story was first printed on this Blog that the officer was dealing with a serious crime.

The police are investigating and they know what they are doing. They are experts at it. Just be patient as they gather and verify---which they must do---the information. As soon as they can it will be released if permitted. There is no reason to doubt the officer and I ask you to give him the right of assumed innocence. He is out there on the front lines and it is tough and dangerous. He is probably pretty shaken as well. Remember it could have been your daughter.

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Just curious...when did it become okay for thugs in a parking lot to approach a juvenile female minor and entice her to enter the vehicle with them (probably not wanting to take her to Starbucks for a drink, or the library to ponder the great works of philosophy), and THEN after being alerted by the girl's mother, the LRPD officer approaches the car, orders it lawfully to stop (suspicious behavior, at the very least), and then seeing the officer, throw it in reverse and stomp on the pedal in an attempt to get away? This is acceptable behavior now? We are condoning this and casting a guilty verdict on the officer in question for using unacceptable amounts of force? WTH??

I'm guessing folks that sit in their ivory towers and don't have to rub shoulder to shoulder with this kind of thuggery can sit back and pontificate on the merits of the case before the investigation is really even started. Great for you. As SHolmes points out, it very well could have been my daughter. Hot news tip, it hit a lot closer to home for me. The 17 year old in female works with my daughter, a 17 year old female. Thank GOD for the quick actions of Mall Security and the LRPD in this case. I agree, it would be a nice rosy little sweet world if we did not need the security or the LRPD on site at Park Plaza but once again, hot news flash, the bad guys are out there, and they are relentless in their pursuit of injustice.

Laws are in place, laws were enforced, we are a nation of laws and not the law of the jungle, or the whim of what is politically correct or least distasteful. Sorry gang, if this had been MY daughter that was approached, and then I saw the carelessness that the bad guys demonstrated towards the public at large, including law enforcement, I would have been mildly upset that all three thugs didn't catch a bullet. We The People are angry, and demand justice (that's right, if the officer is wrong, then push it to the max. If bad guys are wrong, push it to the max once again. True justice is blind.)

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dcvandiver, thank you! A breathe of fresh air on a blog that rarely sees that. I have experienced the monsters out there so I know what that thin blue line means for those of us who obey the law and rely on the Police for our protection. Thank you, Officer Johannes for holding the line.

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As more details of this incident come out it sounds like Officer Johannes deserves a commendation for his actions that resulted in the capture of some violent criminals.
 
I don't expect an apology from Max or the regular stooges in the comment section.  That would be too rational a response.

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How 'bout them Hawgs?

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Damn, let's send the Officer to target practice so he can Kill the sorry
f--kers next time.

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"when did it become okay for thugs in a parking lot to approach a juvenile female minor and entice her to enter the vehicle with them"

If they were some white college kids on break from UofA, it wouldn't make it right, but I suspect there would be real outrage had they been gunned down by mall security...

"the LRPD officer approaches the car, orders it lawfully to stop (suspicious behavior, at the very least), and then seeing the officer, throw it in reverse and stomp on the pedal in an attempt to get away?"

So under this scenario, instead of calling the report in, the right action is to unload your revolver into a car with 1 driver and 2 passengers? I mean, instead of calling in the make, model, plate numbers...interview the girl and her mother, get descriptions, etc... Really? The bullet holes are in the back window.... I think people are justified in asking questions about this, and the LRPD should be forthcoming, as they would in any other shooting at Park Plaza. If I had done this, I'd be sitting in jail, probably without bond.

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"Two of the 3 in the vehicle were on parole, with a long history of major parole violations. Next time you libs are being threatened with violence dial 911 and ask for Max Brantley to come to your aid."

Not a liberal or a conservative here, but did this security guard have clairvoyance? Had it turned out that two of the 3 in the vehicle were just displaying poor judgment, but had no "long history" would you still be castigating Max for simply asking questions about this???

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Police spokesman reported a drug arrest on record of man shot by police. She didn't mention violations of parole on that charge.

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DCVandiver,


Most people who post on this blog don't have alot of reason or logic. They are just always out to crucify the police or those who don't agree with the AR Times agenda (gay rights, occupy LR, anything tied to the Central High Fiasco). Max just stirs the pot to try to stay relevant. He has an axe to grind with LR/NLR officials and constantly whines about how he hasn't been given information.

The police officer was justified in using the force. The end.

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Update on NPR from the LRPD spokeswoman. The juvenile in question was 17, and there was no attempt to physically abduct her. The car was backing up. That's pretty much all LRPD has to say today.

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Also, there was no report of a threat of violence against the 17-year-old. She apparently didn't respond to the invitation to join the men and was apparently free to tell her mother about it. I'm not going to argue it wouldn't be unsettling in the world we live in for a young woman to be asked by three young men unknown to her to join them in a car in a mall parking deck. But, help me here, is it a crime?

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"The police officer was justified in using the force. The end."

Um....just because? Maybe he did, maybe he didn't, but how can you make that judgment based on the evidence before us now?

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The day that they confirm there were guns and cocaine in the car is the day I'm good with this. I've been in this town long enough to be grateful for having gangbangers taken off the street regardless of how it went down.

It took several attempted carjackers getting blown away to help somewhat reel in that threat in the river market. If this makes the mall safer for the rest of us I say Godspeed, Officer.

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Blam! Blam! Stop or I'll shoot!

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"If it was your daughter!"... acosted.

What if it were your son shot?

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Deep down in places you don't talk about at cocktail parties you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall.

Okay, bad quote/paraphrase 'cause Nicholson was in the wrong. But the truth is we need the thin blue line and most of us aren't ready to live without it. There's nothing wrong with asking for police accountability when deadly force is used. But it's sad how many on here (hopefully at least before Max posted the report) see conspiracies around how many folks are shot, why the back window, how did the car crash in front, etc. We now know the car was backing up - whether to attack or get away doesn't much matter. The car was at best fleeing and subject to being stopped by force. That covers the shots in the back window. Turns out the guy got it in Drive - that covers the wreck in the front. The one critically injured was the driver, not the back-seat passenger. Anyone who has tried to hit a moving target with a handgun (while possibly moving yourself) would recognize it is not biathlon target shooting. Kudos to the officer for (apparently) landing all the rounds in the suspect vehicle and most of them in the driver. By all means ask for open records; let's just wait for judgment 'til they come.

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"What if it were your son shot?"

You expect it, since your convicted felon son likes to circle the mall parking lot with cocaine looking for jailbait.

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"if it were your son...?"

I'd try to get Sam Perroni or John Wesley Hall - which would probably mean my son was guilty. If it turned out there was no white powder or the "gun" was a throw-down weapon then this guy, the two other guards, the mall and it's holding company, and anybody else I could find to include would be in one massive civil suit and hopefully my son would live to see the verdict. But "my son" could have avoided all of this by standing outside the car and talking respectfully to the nice officer. There does not seem to be any suggestion that the officer drew down on him in plainclothes and that the young man thought he was threatened by anything other than the presence of an officer.

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"Police spokesman reported a drug arrest on record of man shot by police. She didn't mention violations of parole on that charge." - Max

What?!? Don't you mean...

"The Little Rock police and their enablers at City Hall believe that actions taken by police officers — even those not on official duty — are not subject to full disclosure unless and until an officer is suspended or fired for those actions." - Max

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Does anyone know the LRPD polcy on use of deadly force? Certainly it can always be used to protect the lives and safety of an officer or the public.

Does "fleeing" -- on the back end of loitering or crude (shoot, even nasty and insulting) pick-up attempts -- justify deadly force? Under the policy, I mean; not in the minds of folks like me posting to a blog.

Even if the driver sought to use the vehicle as a deadly weapon, I have to shudder -- in a "there but for the grace of God" kind of way -- for the passengers. I'm afraid I've sought transportation in the company of fools more than once in my youth.

I'm willing to wait on all the facts (for instance, I didn't assume the officer wasn't black before his picture was posted), but I'd say this: LRPD has deadly force policies for good reasons. One reason is for the protection of the public. Another is for the protection of the department.

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Max knows the LRPD deadly force policy so well he tried to make a joke about it in the comment section.

Clearly he is just a blogger and no journalist.

He has no respect for officers who are working two jobs to support their families.

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As someone said, few of us want to do without that "thin blue line". That said, I've known several police officers well enough to say the investigation needs to be thorough and open. Something about wearing a gun to work every day seems to go to some heads. A pretty close quote of a young police officer many years ago: "This gun makes as big as anyone out there." Well, it didn't.
Point is, for those of you who have to be led by the hand, each incident must be carefully examined, and the results should not be hidden from the public. When the public gets the impression they are not being told all the facts, the likeliest conclusion is that the department is attempting to backstop an officer who may or may not acted appropriately.

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The first thing I saw in this artical is the sentence that says . "It does not instill faith in the Millions by Little Rock Taxpayers." I had no idea that there was Millions of people that lived in Little Rock. So how long have there been Millions of people paying taxes in Little Rock?

Now as for the officer that fired at this vehicle. The moment the driver floored it in reverse that makes him guilty of disobeying an officer. Now as far as the officer firing shots at this car, this car at that time was a danger to the public at large and the officer had every right to try to stop that vehicle any way possible and I am glad he did.

Now as for giving out all of the details of this incident to the public, the department is not obligated to do so as it may harm their case against the charges to the parties that will be charged in this case.

Be glad that the Little Rock Police Department is doing their job as best as they can. From what I have been reading Little Rock streets need some cleaning up, be glad the PD is there to help, you can help them too. Be their eyes and ears and make calls when you see criminal activity.

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PaperMisspelling:

You need to re-read Max's lead-in. He doesn't say there are millions of taxpayers, he says a "police force recently given additional millions by Little Rock taxpayers."

See the difference?

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I do get the feeling that over the last couple of years, bullets between police and thugs have been flying moreso through our fair city. And while I generally do not trust the police, in this situation, I am more inclined to do so. And in my screwed up thinking, if a cop beats a person, I immediately suspect the cop. But if a cop shoots a person in a tense situation, I'm more inclined toward investigation. Most cops know a beating can be covered up, which is one reason cops swoop in on Occupy camps at night. A shooting? Not so much.

I've worked around many of these thug types, and they have no regard for you, me or anyone else. It's THEIR world, and you just happen to be in it. They will take what they want when they want it. Sure, you may always have more than they do, but they'll always return to take what they want.

Many have drug habits to support, which is why I advocate for legalizing certain street drugs and allow government supported drug houses where addicts can get their fix for nearly free and not have to steal or shoot for it. Others thugs simply commit crimes as a way of life: some just do it for fun and notoriety among their peers. Those are the ones I want punished.

We're all poor in this country nowadays, thanks to the 1%, so I don't want to hear about "growing up hard on the streets." Old story, same 1970's lyrics. Many people are trying to help those who need it. But those who need help aren't always listening. If you want out of that lifestyle bad enough, you'll find someone to help.

A car can be a deadly weapon. And just as surely as drawing a pistol and not firing it--a car revved up in the presence of a policeman trying to sort out a possible crime will get you the same results: trigger pulled. It doesn't matter that the pistol has no bullets, nor does it matter that the driver had no pistol.

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