Criminal law, Society

Houston Police Officer Shoots and Kills Double Amputee In Wheelchair Armed Only With Pen

Officer Matt Marin shot and killed Brian Claunch, a one-armed, one-legged man in a wheelchair who turned out to only have a pen in his hand. Nevertheless, Police Department spokeswoman Jodi Silva insisted that “fearing for his partner’s safety and his own safety, [Marin] discharged his weapon.”

Claunch was threatening people with a pen and “advanced” on Marin’s partner after “trapping” an officer with this wheelchair. Officers warned him to show them his hands and he failed to yield to their commands, according to the police reports.

Claunch had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. He was reportedly upset when one of the caregivers refused to give him a cigarette and a soda.

Police say that Claunch attempted to stab the officer with the pen, but they were not sure what the object was at the time.

This is the second shooting incident for Marin who in October 2009 shot and killed a man with a knife after the suspect had stabbed his girlfriend and a neighbor.

In fairness to the officers, this is a highly disturbed individuals who they say was trying to stab an officer. The question is whether (given the fact that he is a double amputee confined to a wheelchair) it was not possible to subdue him given the multiple officers present at the scene.

Source: CNN

45 thoughts on “Houston Police Officer Shoots and Kills Double Amputee In Wheelchair Armed Only With Pen”

  1. Thanks for finally writing about >Houston Police Officer
    Shoots and Kills Double Amputee In Wheelchair Armed Only With Pen | JONATHAN
    TURLEY <Liked it!

  2. The cop who killed Claunch should not have to be disciplined; he should have already died of shame.

  3. My brother actually lives directly across the street from the group home. There were actually THREE officers that showed up and the third officer (that the media keeps failing to mention) took the caregiver OUTSIDE of the home to “speak” with him. Officer Marin and the cornered officer were not in the home for 2 minutes before Claunch was shot and killed. My brother and his room mates were sitting out side and saw and heard the entire thing. I dont understand why all the facts are not being reported. There is NO REASON Brian Claunch should be dead.

  4. Pete9999 : “the pen is mightier than the sword
    but don’t bring a sword to a gunfight”

    To mangle a line from Jaws:
    Forget the wheelchair, you need a bigger pen!

  5. Professor, shame on you. The gun shot was to the back of the head, and the “pen” was a felt-tipped sharpie. There is NO excuse for the police in this instance.

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