The Athens Shooting

[jlw]

The recent shooting in Athens-Clarke County has been getting a lot of web commentary. The apartment complex where it took place is separated from my county by a creek. Some of our guys responded to assist in the immediate aftermath.

This piece was written by Clark Sparrow. He is the current #3 on the Casino Drill in class.

Sparrow Article

I offered a few words as well:

link

So there he was…

A rookie cop who graduated from the academy in December of 2018. I’m told that his classmates and the staff at a regional academy serving 10 counties voted to award him the class flag.

In March of 2019, while still in field training, he was involved in a shooting. He rode the bench for a couple of months while the shooting was investigated. He was only recently cleared to resume field training.

And then 1 July 2019 happened…

That rookie cop, still in field training, responded to a call along with his field training officer (FTO). I haven’t listened to the dispatch recordings first hand, but it is my understanding that the call was originally an unknown problem call involving someone covered in blood. The dispatch was later updated to the bloody suspect wielding a knife in a confrontation with a maintenance man who had fired shots. I do not know the timeline of the update and the arrival of the officers on scene.

What happened next was a tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving situation; a situation which has been torn apart with 20/20 hindsight of numerous keyboards.

Yeah, there are some nits to pick, but there are also two undeniable facts:

-Two officers tried their best to not kill a guy.

-A rookie cop who hadn’t even completed field training and who had been put the ringer of a shooting investigation already made a chips on the table head shot to save his fellow officer.

[Artemas2]

That is incredibly well written. Would it be ok if I share this on Facebook (close friends and family only)?

[jlw]

That is incredibly well written. Would it be ok if I share this on Facebook (close friends and family only)?

Sharing is fine.

[HCountyGuy]

I’m curious as to how the rookie is handling everything. Two OISes while you’re still in field training most certainly will test one’s mettle and commitment to working LE. I just hope his agency doesn’t screw him over in the end.

[paherne]

Thank you for posting this.

[Gray01]

I just hope his agency doesn’t screw him over in the end.

Hope?

Bet on it.

As soon as whatever he does, regardless of facts and evidence supporting him, require courage and loyalty from either the agency heads or the political leadership.

You are expendable and disposable.

[andre3k]

I think a lot of the drama surrounding these cases would be reduced if department or the DA's office didn't release the BWC video.

I've had two of my officers involved in two OIS's in two months and both shootings were righteous and and justified. My department doesn't release BWC video of a shooting unless they absolutely have to and its not done very often. The public scrutiny and MMQB that comes along with releasing the video puts more stress on officers that were already involved in a stressful situation. Would we even be talking about this shooting if the video wasn't released?

One thing that I noticed in both of my officers shootings, the command staff, IA, DA's office all want to see the video first, before they even talk to the officers. Their statements seem to be secondary, it's all about the video now.

[ssb]

Carbine training really isn't a budget priority, but I think I'll need to take a class from Mr. Sparrow at some point in the future.

Well-written.

[feudist]

Hope?

Bet on it.

As soon as whatever he does, regardless of facts and evidence supporting him, require courage and loyalty from either the agency heads or the political leadership.

You are expendable and disposable.

If you get murdered, the chiefs and the politicians get to look sad and give solemn speeches about sacrifice.

If you kill somebody they have to look sweaty and nervous on camera.

And it's always election season.

[Gray01]

If you get murdered, the chiefs and the politicians get to look sad and give solemn speeches about sacrifice.

And they have to break out another can of Crocodile Tears® for the event.