-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
After an argument between 19-year-old Tyler Comstock and his father, Tyler jumped in his father’s van and took off. The father called the Ames, Iowa police who located the vehicle. A high-speed chase ensued. When the chase ended, Ames police officer McPherson reportedly ordered Tyler to shut off the van’s engine, although this is not heard from the dashcam video, and shot him six times when he refused to comply. Tyler was killed by two gunshots to the chest.
An audio recording indicates that dispatchers pleaded with the officers to “back off” their pursuit. They knew who the driver was so there was no need to endanger themselves or the public.
James Comstock, Tyler’s father, had refused to buy a pack of cigarettes for Tyler: “He took off with my truck. I call the police, and they kill him. It was over a damn pack of cigarettes. I wouldn’t buy him none. And I lose my son for that.”
H/T: Des Moines Register & Tribune, Natasha Lennard, Scott Kaufman.