Florida police shoot unarmed man, Roy Middleton, looking for a cigarette in car, then blame the man
Florida deputies are in hot water after shooting an unarmed man, Roy Middleton as he was looking for a cigarette in his car. Officers were on the scene after a neighbor called the police to report Middleton as a possible car thief.
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The cops demanded that Middleton turn around with his hands up. Middleton claims he thought it was a joke and didn’t realize there were real police officers on his lawn as he got up and turned around with his keys in hand.
Mistaking his keys for a gun, officers opened fire, wounding Middleton severely and sending him to the hospital where he is luckily expected to make a full recovery.
Sheriff David Morgan said, ”The tragedy of this is the noncompliance to the directions of law enforcement officers, of Escambia County, Florida. “Had that occurred we wouldn’t be having this discussion. It’s a tragedy all the way around. He is both a suspect and a victim.”
The AP Report states: “The deputies reported they told Middleton to show his hands multiple times, but he lunged out of the car and spun toward them. Morgan said the deputies feared for their safety and opened fire, hitting Middleton in the leg.”
PNJ.com reports that Middleton is in good condition and expected home on Wednesday.
The thing to do would appear to be wire all cops for audio and video. During a 12 month trial (Rialto, CA) where officers were wired for audio and video, the use of force dropped by 60% and complaints against police officers dropped by 88%. Seems like a no brainer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/07/business/wearable-video-cameras-for-police-officers.html?_r=4&
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