Dekalb police are admitting this week that “we made a mistake” but that does not seem to capture full extent of the blunder perpetrated by three officers who mistakenly entered the home of Chris and Leah McKinley in response to a 911 call. Not only did the officers enter the wrong home, but they proceeded to shoot the family dog, then shoot the unarmed father, and then shoot one of their own officers.
Chris McKinley, 36, (right) and his wife and their one-year old boy were watching the movie Serendipity on their sofa when three police officers entered their kitchen. The officers were responding to a burglary call and entered through an open kitchen door. They immediately shot the family dog (a 10 year old female Boxer named Yana) and killed it. When Chris ran into the kitchen, he was also shot–in the leg. They then shot one of their own officers. Chris made it outside and told a neighbor that he was shoot and reportedly said “Why did they shoot me? Why did they shoot my dog?’ He says, ‘I opened the door to see what the dogs were barking at, and I see black uniforms and I hear pop-pop-pop-pop.’”
In the aftermath of this mess, DeKalb police Chief James Conroy said “Without getting into the specifics of this case, that’s one of the challenges when people call 911, we often don’t know where they are . . . We want officers to go out and investigate crimes like this rather than react. We want to go out and actually apprehend criminals and help people.” DeKalb director of public safety Cedric Alexander added “Are we perfect? Absolutely not. But when we find a mistake, we own it. We own the fact that we were at the wrong house. We didn’t hide it. We didn’t mismanage it. We were at the wrong location based on information that was given to us.”
The family has a different view and has denounced the police report which they say is false in saying that Chris burst through the door and ran towards them in a threatening way.
Officer Travis Jones (left) was in “serious but stable condition” at Grady Memorial Hospital, officials said. Officer Quhanna Lloyd (below) and Officer Timothy Harden (right) have been placed on paid administrative leave with Jones pending an investigation.
stevegroen – I am sure the cops made so much noise they alerted the burglar, who then escaped.
Keystonian. I wonder if the burglar was apprehended? The only worse outcome would have been had the burglary 911 call been a prank,
A kid I coached in American Legion baseball got his degree in police science and was recruited by the Atlanta police[Dekalb County]. He quickly made SGT. and then got the hell out. He hated the police work in Atlanta, and is much happier now, having moved to Texas and the Austin Police. He’s a good man and the kind of cop any department would want.
Filtering. Have a dog assess the candidates before they can be admitted to some police training academy. Do not admit to the academy dorks who just got out of the military. They had PTSD before any trauma. Each department should have a dog alert dog. If the dog says no then they cannot be hired.
I have commented several times previously on similar police shoot first episodes (especially killing the dog). Anymore the police are not your protector. Many are power hungry, Rambo shoot first type of cretin individuals who get their jollies from a feeling of superiority………the absolute last type of person that should be carrying a gun.
Despicable! At least they missed and hit the man in the leg. You know police are trained to aim center mass. Danger to the kid, too. What a horror. And yes since we have been trained to observe race so closely by the “BLM” agitators, yes we notice the cops were all black and the VICTIMS white.
On the one hand, if the house was being burglarized, why would they shoot the dog? Do burglars take their dogs to work? It seems that this is a case of three police officers that are simply too stupid to be police officers. This should act as a filtering for the department: the three officers must be taken off the force and away from guns, the moment must serve as an example of how to avoid this happening again, the incident must be part of a ‘what not to do’ training for new officers. That is to say, do this and you’re off the force, not “Everybody makes mistakes.”
DeKalb citizens need to force action by their elected leaders – these incidents are symptomatic of poor police training, a culture of incompetence, and a governmental tolerance of incompetence.
Everybody has the government they deserve.
Cops need retraining. Here’s a 1944 US Army booby trap training film.
DeKalb director of public safety Cedric Alexander said: “In light of everything going on in the country right now, anytime officers have to respond to a call, they’re checking and double checking themselves,” he said Tuesday. “A lot of the criticisms and mockeries they’ve sustained across the country and even locally is just unfair.”
This is the fourth controversial police shooting in DeKalb in just under two years.
On Sept. 2, 2013, a DeKalb officer mistakenly shot and wounded a 16-year-old Southwest DeKalb High School student he believed to be a burglary suspect.
On Dec. 29, 2014, another DeKalb officer, Joseph Pitts, fatally shot 44-year-old Kevin Davis after killing his dog.
Davis, who had called 911 for help, had a gun when he was killed, but was not pointing it at Pitts, authorities have said. He was reportedly demanding to know why the officer had killed his dog.
On March 9, DeKalb police Officer Robert Olsen shot and killed 27-year-old Anthony Hill, an Air Force veteran who was unarmed and naked outside his Chamblee apartment complex. Police have said Hill ran at Olsen and ignored warnings to stop during an apparent mental breakdown.
Source: ajc.com
Armed criminals surreptitiously entered a home and shot the homeowner, killed his dog, then shot one of their own.
These homeowners should find a good attorney and become rich. As for as the officers are concerned, I bet they are ill educated and none of them even have at minimum, a two year degree. My understanding is that some officers only have 6 months of training at the police academy and that’s it. Makes me think of the old Police Academy movies. They should make it a law that officers need at least a two year degree in law enforcement.
Three black policemen rampage a white household without warning instead of looking in or taking blocking action at exits. Possible hostages including a small child.
Charge the officer in charge for A&B etc and fire him.
Suspend others.
Chief resign…fire?
Mayor resign.
Now, where are marchers? Oh sure WLDMAM. Maybe the wrong people have guns in that town…need gun control. Officer..please control your gun!
Oh wait…blame the white guy for defending his castle and family. Imagine if anyone of us thought our child was in danger.
Not having all the particulars I suspect that in the end the investigation will conclude badly for the officers and the city. The resulting findings will not determine only if they were liable or not but it will set the degree for which sanctions ultimately against the officers and department officials.
Incidents like this are often, and I suspect usually, symptomatic of structural failures at the department for training, supervision, and officer selection.
Everyone say it with me. It is a mistake to have police. Guilt giving bungling police are as bad as a Muslim enforcing Islamic sharia law. Policemen don’t work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. See what happens when people don’t do that?
There should be some minimum requirements. Cops should be 1) married with children 2) a lifelong resident of the town or county, and 2) able to sink at least 10 foul shots out of 25. That would at least make him a member of the human race, and not some alien zombie.
If these police officers aren’t fired, should Chief Conroy be removed?
dougkinan@yahoo.com
PTSD for that family.
DeKalb police Chief James Conroy said “ . . . We want officers to go out and investigate crimes like this rather than react.”
Wow, could you imagine what would have happened had they “reacted”.
Hmm. Blazing Saddles: “Where da white women at?” and : “But Not the Irish!” Much more
Blazing Saddles is a movie.
All three officers wrote conflicting reports……the investigation is on going