Post by WaTcHeR on Sept 28, 2006 13:42:36 GMT -5
09.28.2006 - Hendricks County sheriff's officials may review the department's weapons policy after a 26-year-old woman shot herself with a deputy's backup service revolver Tuesday when he left her alone in his squad car.
Deputy Evan Love has not been disciplined for the shooting, but the sheriff's office will investigate whether stricter rules are needed regarding unattended weapons.
The woman, Nicole C. Butler, Brownsburg, was recovering Tuesday evening after stomach surgery at Wishard Memorial Hospital in Indianapolis, said Capt. Brett Clark.
The shooting occurred about 5:30 a.m. after two patrol cars responded to a call of a disturbance at the home of Butler's boyfriend in the 2500 block of South County Road 200 West.
Butler was placed alone in the front passenger seat of Love's car while the deputy talked to Butler's boyfriend, Ryan Randall, 22, according to Sheriff's Department reports.
Butler reached under the driver's side seat, grabbed a revolver and shot herself, Clark said. The gun was issued by the department and was considered Love's backup firearm.
The shooting outraged Randall, who was talking to Love.
"I heard a pop, and I knew what happened because I knew she didn't have a gun,'' Randall said. "I said, 'Why in the world did you leave a gun in the car?' I said, 'You put everyone's life at jeopardy by leaving that handgun in there.' "
Clark said he did not know whether the handgun was partially visible or how Butler knew the gun was under the seat, and he said there was no strict department policy addressing how to secure a backup gun in a patrol car.
"Typically, we are not allowed to leave a vehicle in which a weapon is in plain view," Clark said. "There's a chance some type of policy may result.''
The woman's boyfriend said she shot herself because she didn't want to leave his house.
"Her aunt had called 911 saying I kidnapped her, so she thought they were taking her away,'' Randall said.
Clark said the call was unfounded. A person at the home was charged with underage drinking, but that person was not involved in the shooting.
A Hendricks County firearms review board will sort through information collected by the investigations section and forward its findings to Sheriff James Quearry. He will decide whether to impose discipline.
Clark said Love, who has been on the department for two years, was an excellent deputy.
Henry Karlson, a professor of law at Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis, said he was shocked by the incident.
"To me, that is negligence bordering on recklessness," Karlson said. "Regardless of what the policy is on weapons in a vehicle, he was clearly not following proper police procedure."
Karlson said calls of domestic disturbance are some of the most dangerous for police.
"It is not uncommon that one or both parties turn their anger on the officer,'' he said. "The last thing you want to do is put an emotional person in a car with a loaded firearm. He put himself at great risk."
Daniel W. Phillips II, coordinator of the criminal justice program at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Ky., said many departments have strict rules against officers losing control of their weapons.
"There are a lot of departments out there where if someone uses your weapon, you are in big trouble," Phillips said. "On the other hand, I give the department some credit for not hanging him out to dry right away."
Police officials in other Indianapolis-area counties said they don't have specific policies on how firearms should be secured in their squad cars but leave it up to the officers' common sense.
At least one official said that could change.
"The Hendricks County incident will cause us to review our policy," said Johnson County sheriff's Chief Deputy Doug Cox.
He said the agency has no written policy about how to handle a second weapon. However, he said all department weapons are to be secured when an arrested person is placed in a patrol car.
www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060927/LOCAL/609270509/-1/ZONES04
Deputy Evan Love has not been disciplined for the shooting, but the sheriff's office will investigate whether stricter rules are needed regarding unattended weapons.
The woman, Nicole C. Butler, Brownsburg, was recovering Tuesday evening after stomach surgery at Wishard Memorial Hospital in Indianapolis, said Capt. Brett Clark.
The shooting occurred about 5:30 a.m. after two patrol cars responded to a call of a disturbance at the home of Butler's boyfriend in the 2500 block of South County Road 200 West.
Butler was placed alone in the front passenger seat of Love's car while the deputy talked to Butler's boyfriend, Ryan Randall, 22, according to Sheriff's Department reports.
Butler reached under the driver's side seat, grabbed a revolver and shot herself, Clark said. The gun was issued by the department and was considered Love's backup firearm.
The shooting outraged Randall, who was talking to Love.
"I heard a pop, and I knew what happened because I knew she didn't have a gun,'' Randall said. "I said, 'Why in the world did you leave a gun in the car?' I said, 'You put everyone's life at jeopardy by leaving that handgun in there.' "
Clark said he did not know whether the handgun was partially visible or how Butler knew the gun was under the seat, and he said there was no strict department policy addressing how to secure a backup gun in a patrol car.
"Typically, we are not allowed to leave a vehicle in which a weapon is in plain view," Clark said. "There's a chance some type of policy may result.''
The woman's boyfriend said she shot herself because she didn't want to leave his house.
"Her aunt had called 911 saying I kidnapped her, so she thought they were taking her away,'' Randall said.
Clark said the call was unfounded. A person at the home was charged with underage drinking, but that person was not involved in the shooting.
A Hendricks County firearms review board will sort through information collected by the investigations section and forward its findings to Sheriff James Quearry. He will decide whether to impose discipline.
Clark said Love, who has been on the department for two years, was an excellent deputy.
Henry Karlson, a professor of law at Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis, said he was shocked by the incident.
"To me, that is negligence bordering on recklessness," Karlson said. "Regardless of what the policy is on weapons in a vehicle, he was clearly not following proper police procedure."
Karlson said calls of domestic disturbance are some of the most dangerous for police.
"It is not uncommon that one or both parties turn their anger on the officer,'' he said. "The last thing you want to do is put an emotional person in a car with a loaded firearm. He put himself at great risk."
Daniel W. Phillips II, coordinator of the criminal justice program at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Ky., said many departments have strict rules against officers losing control of their weapons.
"There are a lot of departments out there where if someone uses your weapon, you are in big trouble," Phillips said. "On the other hand, I give the department some credit for not hanging him out to dry right away."
Police officials in other Indianapolis-area counties said they don't have specific policies on how firearms should be secured in their squad cars but leave it up to the officers' common sense.
At least one official said that could change.
"The Hendricks County incident will cause us to review our policy," said Johnson County sheriff's Chief Deputy Doug Cox.
He said the agency has no written policy about how to handle a second weapon. However, he said all department weapons are to be secured when an arrested person is placed in a patrol car.
www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060927/LOCAL/609270509/-1/ZONES04