CHICAGO — An off-duty Chicago Police officer whose motorcycle struck a 4-year-old girl in Maywood shot and killed the girl's father after the father and another man attacked the officer after the accident, officials said.

The officer — a 43-year-old, eight-year veteran of the force — was headed home about Saturday evening when the incident began, Fraternal Order of Police Spokesman Pat Camden said.


He was riding north on First Avenue in Maywood near Madison Street when he saw a girl dart into the street. To avoid striking the girl, the officer purposely ditched his motorcycle, putting it down on its side on the pavement, according to a statement from Maywood village spokesman Larry Shapiro.

But it skidded and flipped, striking the girl as well as her 18-year-old cousin, John Passley, who had run into the street to help her. When the officer tried to help the girl, her father, Christopher Middleton, 26, came out of a nearby restaurant and approached the officer angrily, shouting, according to authorities.

The officer told Middleton he was a police officer, but Middleton struck the officer in the face, knocked him to the ground and continued to hit him, according to Shapiro.

Passley joined in and kicked the officer, Shapiro said. The officer then drew his gun and shot Middleton once.

"He was about to lose consciousness to people beating him," said Camden, defending the actions of the officer, who works in a West Side police district. "He fired in defense of his life."

Middleton was pronounced dead at 10:14 p.m. at Loyola University Medical Center.

Middleton's sister, Tina Middleton, said her brother lived in Elgin with the mother of his daughter and was visiting relatives in Maywood, where he grew up. "He was a good person," she said. "I know for sure he wasn't out to harm the man. My brother would never harm anybody. I could understand him [the officer] being upset, but two wrongs don't make a right."

Middleton was due to be married Aug. 18, his sister said. Besides his daughter who was injured, Middleton also had a 6-year-old son and an unborn child, his sister said.

Middleton's daughter suffered contusions and abrasions and was hospitalized overnight for observation.

The officer is expected to recover from his injuries but was left with contusions to his head and body from the attack and a possible broken leg and broken shoulder from the crash, Camden said.

Passley was being held by Maywood police for questioning, Shapiro said.

The Independent Police Review Authority — which examines all Chicago Police shootings — is investigating the incident, said IPRA spokesman Larry Merritt.


http://www.policeone.com/Motorcycle-Patrol/articles/5909671-Off-duty-cop-shoots-kills-angry-dad-after-wipeout/



Do you think the officer is telling the truth?

8/13/2012 5:42:04 PM

what is fishy?

8/13/2012 5:44:30 PM

The story is one sided.

8/13/2012 5:48:50 PM

Sounds to me like everyone involved is to blame.


Also,

8/13/2012 6:06:51 PM

Is there no such thing as shooting to stop someone from advancing? I understand fearing for one's life, but killing someone to stop an advancing attack seems a bit extreme...yet also seems to often be the excuse for police gunning people down.

8/13/2012 7:27:09 PM

At least the circumstances would indicate several witnesses.

8/13/2012 7:30:46 PM

Quote :

"Is there no such thing as shooting to stop someone from advancing?"

Yes, its called killing them.

Also, would anyone care about this if the guy wasn't a cop?

[Edited on August 13, 2012 at 7:41 PM. Reason : ...]

8/13/2012 7:40:18 PM

^^^ it sounds like the guy was doing more than just 'advancing'

Quote :

"Middleton struck the officer in the face, knocked him to the ground and continued to hit him"

honestly if I had just gotten into a crash and had broken arms, ribs, whatever and an enraged father was attacking me I too would be afraid he was going to kill me. based on the way the story is written it sounds like the officer was in the right.

[Edited on August 13, 2012 at 7:41 PM. Reason : .]

8/13/2012 7:40:20 PM

If you are carrying a gun and are about to be beaten unconscious, you have to consider that it could be taken and used against you

8/13/2012 7:41:25 PM

Thread title is intentionally misleading.

8/13/2012 7:47:09 PM

Nah, I'm just saying that popping someone in the legs (although it could still possibly kill them) could be an option that doesn't carry the gravity of knowing you killed someone (who might have just snapped after seeing their kid get hit by a vehicle). I find it weird how acceptable death is in the heat of the moment as opposed to inside a court of law.

8/13/2012 7:50:35 PM

So much fail in this. The little girl shouldn't have been able to dart into the road. I know accidents happen, but that doesn't take away the parents' responsibility/fault. There is no excuse for attacking an injured man who was just involved in a motorcycle crash. A six year old boy and an unborn child now have to grow up without their father because he couldn't keep his cool.

The only question in my mind is if the officer is complicit in the initial incident through speeding or some other reckless action. If he was I hope he gets charged just as anyone else would. I can't fault the guy if for the shooting if he really was attacked as the article leads us to believe.

Quote :

"The officer is expected to recover from his injuries but was left with contusions to his head and body from the attack and a possible broken leg and broken shoulder from the crash, Camden said."

[Edited on August 13, 2012 at 7:55 PM. Reason : s]

8/13/2012 7:51:22 PM

Quote :

"I'm just saying that popping someone in the legs (although it could still possibly kill them) could be an option"

Shooting someone in the leg = fine motor skill
Shooting someone in the upper thoracic cavity = more of a gross motor skill

Gross > fine in a stressful situation.

Also, what if you shoot them in the leg and they don't stop? I referenced the 1986 FBI shootout in another thread - its a prime example. Guy took a near fatal shot to the heart and managed to kill 2 agents and wound 5 others while taking several more rounds before he eventually died; he was hit 14 times and had no alcohol/drugs in his system.

8/13/2012 8:01:07 PM

Quote :

"Is there no such thing as shooting to stop someone from advancing?"

warning shots are a bad idea.

8/13/2012 8:06:00 PM

Quote :

"If you are carrying a gun and are about to be beaten unconscious, you have to consider that it could be taken and used against you"

... Or other people. The man attacked the off duty officer. The father had no right to do so. He's pissed because he didn't have a good eye/grasp on his daughter

Quote :

"The little girl shouldn't have been able to dart into the road. I know accidents happen, but that doesn't take away the parents' responsibility/fault. There is no excuse for attacking an injured man who was just involved in a motorcycle crash. A six year old boy and an unborn child now have to grow up without their father because he couldn't keep his cool. ... I can't fault the guy if for the shooting if he really was attacked as the article leads us to believe "

+1


[Edited on August 13, 2012 at 8:07 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on August 13, 2012 at 8:12 PM. Reason : .]

8/13/2012 8:06:28 PM

see
http://articles.cnn.com/2012-05-11/justice/justice_florida-stand-ground-sentencing_1_warning-shot-emotional-sentencing-hearing-florida-woman?_s=PM:JUSTICE

8/13/2012 8:07:21 PM

Quote :

"She said she escaped and ran to the garage, intending to drive away. But, she said, she forgot her keys, so she picked up her gun and went back into the house. "

I can see the reason to why she was sentenced. Sure she didn't have the car keys, but if situations were that bad, fuck going back in the house for the car keys. I'd rather go to a neighbors house or something at that point. Walk or take a bike from the garage. No way she should have entered BACK into the house. That's why she's guilty; she "escaped" and returned. Despite having the option to run, she went back. I'm not advocating that she shouldn't have been able to go back if it's her house. I'm just explaining how I believe the jury came to their verdict.


[Edited on August 13, 2012 at 8:12 PM. Reason : .]

8/13/2012 8:10:30 PM

there's the thought that if the situation didn't warrant you killing your assailant, it didn't warrant a shot of any kind

8/13/2012 8:33:03 PM

the moral of the story is that you shouldn't ever ditch a motorcycle on purpose.

8/13/2012 9:19:50 PM

I'll bet that little girl never, ever, ever, leaves the kitchen again.

[Edited on August 13, 2012 at 9:23 PM. Reason : too soon?]

8/13/2012 9:23:12 PM

Honest question, what is the protocol with off-duty cops carrying a gun? (I am assuming the gun was on his person and not stowed on the bike). Are they limited to the same rights as civilians when off-duty?

8/13/2012 11:08:33 PM

IIRC, in NC, the rules about their firearm carrying are the same as if they were on-duty. i had a class at a community college with a LEO and i remember talking about how he could carry on the campus while none of us could.

of course i couldn't carry anywhere because i was only 18. old enough to carry a handgun in defense of my country, but not in defense of myself.

[Edited on August 13, 2012 at 11:13 PM. Reason : da]

8/13/2012 11:11:40 PM

^^^ Yep. This "I had to lay it down" shit is DUMB. If you wreck, then you wreck.

Quote :

"Nah, I'm just saying that popping someone in the legs (although it could still possibly kill them) could be an option "

Terrible, terrible, idea, both legally and tactically.

8/13/2012 11:14:28 PM

Quote :

"The man attacked the off duty officer. The father had no right to do so. He's pissed because he didn't have a good eye/grasp on his daughter"

As much as we can blame him for a lapse in logical judgement, on some levels I understand what he did. Someone makes a mistake (or what you interpret as one) and puts your child in grave danger, you're probably going to react accordingly, even if it was your responsibility to keep the child out of the scenario in the first place.

8/13/2012 11:33:56 PM

i like to think i would've been more worried about making sure my daughter was ok or getting her to a hospital than picking a fight with the dude.

8/13/2012 11:41:13 PM

^ yeah the guy, while he didn't deserve to die (maybe), sounds like a hot headed nut job, with hot headed nutjob friends.

I bet they were drunk...

8/14/2012 12:33:14 AM

jump to conclusions mat is in full effect.

8/14/2012 12:37:50 AM

^^^this.

8/14/2012 12:49:54 AM

everyone knows cops shoot to kill

8/14/2012 12:55:12 AM

GxB strikes again! Nothing wrong with the cop's actions, according to this article and nothing in it sticks out as indicated otherwise. So gg on the misleading thread title!

Quote :

"ah, I'm just saying that popping someone in the legs (although it could still possibly kill them) could be an option that doesn't carry the gravity of knowing you killed someone (who might have just snapped after seeing their kid get hit by a vehicle). I find it weird how acceptable death is in the heat of the moment as opposed to inside a court of law."

No, no, no, no, no. Where do people come up with this warning shot, shoot to wound, etc. bullshit?

In a stressful situation where you're getting your ass beaten, is it better/easy to aim for center of mass or a little knee cap/leg?

If you're shooting to wound then you shouldn't be shooting at all.

You clearly do not understand the concept of using a firearm for self defense.

8/14/2012 8:13:07 AM

the folks who suggest shooting to wound, etc. are the folks whose only firearm experience is what they've seen on tv and in the movies. it's not really their fault, they just don't know.

8/14/2012 8:27:31 AM

I don't see why he identified himself as a cop.

If I'm in the same situation, I'm not going to yell out ”I'M A DAIRY FARMER!”

Being an off duty police officer had no bearing on the situation.

8/14/2012 8:32:33 AM

Uh, yeh it does. Police handle traffic accidents and assaults, both of which occurred here. Also by identifying himself, he's pretty much saying "do something stupid and the consequences will be severe".

He's a cop - he's trained to handle these situations and get the proper help. Sure, he didn't have to say he's a cop, but it's still relevant.

[Edited on August 14, 2012 at 8:39 AM. Reason : .]

8/14/2012 8:38:04 AM

if you are able to make a precision wound shot, a good prosecutor would argue you were not at risk enough to warrant a shot period.

or if you are in a situation where you are at risk, a wound shot would be reckless as it has a much higher chance of missing and hitting an unintentional target, not to mention not doing any good for your current situation.

always aim for body mass if you have to shoot.

8/14/2012 8:40:08 AM

There's also the fact that shooting to wound is bad policy because you are trying to use a lethal weapon in a non-lethal manner. You don't want to have people thinking "I'm going to shoot this guy but its alright because he'll just be injured" because people will be killed.

If you're in a situation where lethal force is not required then use something else, like a taser or pepper spray, or hell a nightstick.

8/14/2012 9:01:36 AM

^ or a motorcycle

8/14/2012 9:09:22 AM

Justin, to me that was an honest attempt to diffuse the situation without having to harm the guy

No one would give a shit if you were some fat dairy farmer, of course that would be pointless

it is a pretty sad situation all the way around, especially since the girl wasnt hurt that badly. I am thniking the dad didnt see the guy laying the bike down as an attempt to save the girl's life but an act of recklessness.

Honestly i feel like as a father if i perceived some guy acting stupid and hurting my child i would confront the person in a similar manner, especially not knowing the extent of her injuries...she was probably wailing like a banshee because thats what kids do when they get hurt. The cop did the best he could in the situation of the child running out and with the guy attacking him, IMO.

What frustates me is the need for the damn media to try and fit "cop" into the header of this story so that the vultures (Green Jay) can once again pick away at the police without even having to read the facts contained in the story makes me sick.



[Edited on August 14, 2012 at 9:35 AM. Reason : u]

8/14/2012 9:21:13 AM

not knowing the extent of my kid's injuries, the first thing I'm going to do is tend to my child.

8/14/2012 9:49:10 AM

Quote :

"everyone knows cops shoot to kill"

Absolutely. Because, as has been said about 20 times now, if you pull the trigger you need to accept that the person on the receiving end of the shot will die. If you don't want to kill the person, don't shoot them. If you're not going to shoot center of mass, don't shoot them. If you're not in a situation where your own life or the lives of others are threatened, don't pull the trigger.

I don't even own a gun (though, as I'm about to move to Richmond, I probably need to reconsider that) and this is still clear and reasonable to me.

The cop in this situation was defending his life. Did he make a mistake by laying the bike down rather than taking another evasive maneuver? Likely, but he was trying to avoid injuring the girl and put his own safety in jeopardy in the process. By the time the situation devolved, if he hadn't shot, he probably would have been beaten to death, shot with his own gun, or at the bare minimum left with serious injuries and likely brain damage. It's sad that a concerned father had to die, but when he made the choice to begin beating an injured man who identified himself as an officer, he crossed the line and "my life or yours" came into play.

8/14/2012 9:52:53 AM

^

8/14/2012 10:24:21 AM

Quote :

"No one would give a shit if you were some fat dairy farmer, of course that would be pointless"

bahahaha yes i am so fat.

and him being a cop is completely fucking irrelevant.

i've already said there is plenty of blame to go around. the girl shouldn't have been out in the street. the dad/cousin should have been watching her better. the guy on the motorcycle should have been paying more attention and slowed down sooner so he wouldn't have to ditch his bike.

8/14/2012 10:30:51 AM

8/14/2012 10:33:04 AM

I feel bad for the little girl, more than anything. However, I think the Officer was perfectly fine to use his weapon, although a warning shot into the air or leg or something would have been sufficient.

8/14/2012 10:38:17 AM

I dont care if youre fat or not, i dont even know your occupation at all. thats what i think of when i think of a dairy farmer.

a fat guy sitting on a stool squirting milk in a bucket, deal wit it. And how slow does he have to go?? 5 miles an hour? Do you know the lay out of this street or the demographic of the residents? And him being a cop is not relevant to you...the reader, but to a guy that is being beaten after having already been injured youre gonna try to make the guy stop and reconsider. He tried it the nice way...didnt work so he had to get his hands dirty. Its not like he was saying he is going to detain him or arrest the guy or anything. its the same thing as a woman yelling "dont rape me i have aids!" Even though it is not relevant because she doesnt have aids, maybe that will make the guy stop or hesitate enough to get away

warning shots arent a great idea...same as shooting someone in the leg. To fire a shot into the air while youre being thrashed about is wreckless as hell



[Edited on August 14, 2012 at 10:46 AM. Reason : w]

[Edited on August 14, 2012 at 10:49 AM. Reason : r]

8/14/2012 10:44:16 AM

Quote :

"I feel bad for the little girl, more than anything. However, I think the Officer was perfectly fine to use his weapon, although a warning shot into the air or leg or something would have been sufficient."

I hope you are just trolling.

8/14/2012 10:50:25 AM

I don't want to call the guy a moron or anything

But fat dairy farmers have never been the brightest

8/14/2012 10:52:03 AM

If only the father was packing heat, he would have been able to properly defend himself.

8/14/2012 10:57:36 AM

My roommate in college was a dairy farmer... he was a pretty smart guy (he wasn't fat though so that's probably why)

8/14/2012 11:13:02 AM

What richthofen said. Though I don't think he was a concerned father, someone else pointed out that his first act was to jump the cop rather than get help for his little girl who shouldn't have been in the street.

8/14/2012 11:14:23 AM

IBT racism

8/14/2012 11:15:14 AM