Deputy Killed Man mistook bag of marijuana for gun

There should be stricter protocol for cops to use deadly force. Cops are encased in body armor, so they can afford to wait an extra second or two to make sure that a plastic baggy isn't a glock. IMO, this cop should not be on the force, because he is clearly psychotic in the fact that he shows no remorse for murdering an innocent person. The asshole could have at the very least apologized to the victim's brother, but, it is apparent that keeping his job is more important than upholding any sort of moral virtues. I hope that the victim's family gets the best lawyer possible to sue the sheriff, his family and the force for being so complacent with such a vile, indefensible murder. If this murder doesn't haunt the murderer for the rest of his life, then he will do it again.
 
http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2010-11-16/story/nassau-deputy-cleared-shooting-reassigned-narcotics-detective

The Nassau County deputy who was cleared of wrongdoing last week in the September shooting of an unarmed man has gotten a new assignment: narcotics detective.

Deputy Ernie Cole was assigned to patrol on Sept. 11, the night he fatally shot Franklin "Ray" Bodden, 39, during a traffic stop. The state attorney's office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the shooting and determined last week that Cole was not criminally responsible for Bodden's death.

He was returned to duty as a narcotics detective, Sheriff Tommy Seagraves said, a job he sought before the shooting and supervisors requested him for while he was on routine leave pending the investigation.

"This is a lateral move," Seagraves said. "This is not a promotion."

Detectives are considered the same rank as a deputy and Cole did not receive a pay raise, Seagraves said. But family members feel the deputy has been rewarded. Chuck DeYoung, Bodden's brother, was with a group protesting in front of the sheriff's office for much of the day today.

"Kill my brother, and you get a promotion," DeYoung said. "Seems smart to me."

The shooting occurred while Cole was patting down Bodden's friend after pulling them over on Bodden's motorcycle. A new hire at the correctional facility, David "Bo" Bright, was riding along as a civilian and had a flashlight trained on Bodden, who put his hand in his pocket. Bright yelled at him not to move, and shouted that he had something. Cole shot him twice. The object in his hand turned out to be a tightly wrapped package of marijuana.

DeYoung doesn't buy the idea that Cole's reassignment doesn't amount to a pat on the back, even if there isn't a raise involved.

"I don't believe anything they say anymore," he said.

When told about the family's reaction, Seagraves said he wasn't going to comment on anyone's feelings.

"I run the sheriff's office, and I run it based on what's in the best interest for this community," Seagraves said.

DeYoung and Seagraves had a public discussion last week at a press conference, when DeYoung pressed him for answers on why his brother was killed. DeYoung said it was the first time his family had any contact with the department, and they hadn't heard from anyone since.
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This has to be some sort of sick joke.
 
rincewindrocks said:
^^if the officer asked him if he had anything illegal on him, he might have thought it was a good idea to reveal it now
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do you have anything illegal?

*proceeds to reach into pocket as per request*

omg it might be a gun, *bam*!

-

whole thing sounds so sketchy. i don't see how this could have gone down like the cop explained...
 
Apostacious said:
There should be stricter protocol for cops to use deadly force. Cops are encased in body armor, so they can afford to wait an extra second or two to make sure that a plastic baggy isn't a glock. IMO, this cop should not be on the force, because he is clearly psychotic in the fact that he shows no remorse for murdering an innocent person. The asshole could have at the very least apologized to the victim's brother, but, it is apparent that keeping his job is more important than upholding any sort of moral virtues. I hope that the victim's family gets the best lawyer possible to sue the sheriff, his family and the force for being so complacent with such a vile, indefensible murder. If this murder doesn't haunt the murderer for the rest of his life, then he will do it again.
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body armor? are you serious? how many everyday patrol cops do you see wearing bulletproof vest?
 
caseface99 said:
That's so horrible. Another pointless and preventable death caused by the drug war. :(

Fuck your training, if i was a cop i would shoot to immobilize not shoot to kill in situations like this. and how the hell does a bag of pot come off as silver and shiny. this officer clearly was not trained well. A sad day for cannabis indeed. I have been to a shooting range that conducts firearms evaluations for police officers, and the range officers joke about how poorly the vast majority of police officers actually know how to shoot. That really made me feel safe...
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I'm not for drugs but the drug war is just as stupid as using drugs (rec).
uh... cheers mate...
 
yepyepwoah said:
body armor? are you serious? how many everyday patrol cops do you see wearing bulletproof vest?
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Its underneath their shirt.


Ya, this cop is an idiot, and cops aren't trained to shoot to immobolize. They are trained to shoot in the chest area, most chance to hit and stop a target. But they are supposed to do this when the person has a gun not weed.

I'm tired of seeing cops get away with murder even if it was a "mistake" he should get manslaughter for his stupid mistake.
 
After seeing the video, i now agree as said above this guy deserves 25-40 years not a new job at his long awaited post as narcotics detective. I guess he proved he was willing to kill in the name of drugs.

The poor guy was obviously confused, having 2 people talking/asking him questions at the same time.

Who was this "ride along"? why was he out of the patrol car? Why was he talking/waving around a flashlight? why did the cop shoot twice?
 
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