Woman, 92, dies in shootout with police

[Jacobi]

Actually they have corrected themselves she was 88 I believe--if I heard correctly on the news the other night.

The Fulton Country medical examiners said her records indicate she was 88, but her relatives put her age at 92. She was either born before the great war or after...

What is further troubling about this incident is now the idea that the police may have attempted a cover up:

The informant said police called him and told him "you need to cover our *advertiser censored*."

"It's all on you -- have to tell them about this Sam dude," the informant said police told him.

 

[Masterj]

Anyone who opens fire on the Police, will have to encounter fire power back. This women shot three Police Officers, if she did not die, do you really think that she would not be facing charges.

This was not self-defence, she fired first.

She lived in a high crime area and was terrified to even let her neighbors into her house when they were delivering her groceries. She is 90 years old and was in the residence by herself. Who knows if you she was even able to hear them identify themselves or see them clearly.

 

[crypto6]

My point about giving her a gun was, at that age most are not allowed to drive. What if she were to accidentally shoot her niece or nephew? That is what doesnt make sense to me. Yes, I know ATlanta is not safe--I totally agree with that statement. Seems we are between a rock and a hard place when it comes to the safety of our elders! i don't know WHAT the solution is, but my opinion is that a gun is NOT the answer. Maybe families taking care of their own--the elderly living with them for their own safety. i just dont know, and I too have taken care of the elderly so I understand their need for being self sufficient. Just a very difficult situation all around!

You’re absolutely right. Some of the elderly I knew had no family and some interacted poorly with the one they did have. It doesn’t seem the optimal solution to give an 88 year old a rusty gun, but then again I can’t fathom living where I’m terrorized by the grandkids of the people I grew up with. Some of these elderly can’t even venture outside for groceries without fear of getting robbed and/or beaten, and can’t get to the mailbox before the local hoods have snatched their only check for the month. Maybe in that world a rusty gun looks better.
The 11 years I was in ATL, the city police did well by me, and my interactions showed them to be professional and well trained. I hope this is an aberration and not a trend.

 

[CyberLaw]

Well her eyesight was not THAT bad after all she shot all three officers and did not miss.

Now the "drug informant" has changed his story, he has said: They "forced" me to "tell them" they wanted me to "cover" their story. Gee I wonder if he will share in the "proceeds" of any lawsuit, and he is "enticed" to recant that he gave the cops any information that lead to this event.

I doubt that this informant, wants to be held "indirectly" responsible for the death of this older women.........

Things really just don't add, up but they will in time.......

 

[southcitymom]

Call me warped, but I would love to go out at the age of 92 in a blaze of gunfire!

 

[Ang50]

Call me warped, but I would love to go out at the age of 92 in a blaze of gunfire!

I was going to make the same comment!!

This is the problem with "no knock" policies. There are typos and address mistakes ALL THE TIME. Can you imagine if you're at home with your kids and people break down the door in the middle of the night?? Esp. when they meant to get the people next door??

The reason these "searches" have been upheld is b/c drug dealers will flush or hide drugs unless there is a no knock policy. A search warrant is still required, and a no knock special permission is also required.

However, WI had a HUGE wrongful death judgement (2 million $$) against a small town police dept who got the wrong address, did a no-knock, and when the man went to grab his remote control to turn the sound down so he could hear what police were saying - they shot him dead in front of his two year old.

 

[southcitymom]

Cop gets 4.5 years for lying after fatal drug raid

By JEFFRY SCOTT and S.A. REID
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/21/08

An Atlanta police officer convicted of lying to investigators about the Kathryn Johnston shooting was sentenced Thursday to four years and six months in prison, as well as six months on probation.


The sentence, handed down by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson, was close to the maximum of five years in prison.
Police detective Arthur Bruce Tesler, 42, spoke on his own behalf at the sentencing hearing. Earlier this week, he was convicted of lying but acquitted of two other charges stemming from the botched drug raid in which the 92-year-old Johnston was killed in a hail of police gunfire. (more at link)

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/me...tesler_0522.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

 

[invictus]

A woman dies and he only gets 4 years? Awesome. Justice for all.

 

[Linda7NJ]

A woman dies and he only gets 4 years? Awesome. Justice for all.

right!

A woman dies, and he plants drugs in her house..lies...what a jerk! I can't imagine anyone living to be that old only to have your life snuffed out by some idiot lying cop! It's a damn shame.

 

[golfmom]

From the link above:

Johnston was fatally shot after she fired at police as they burst into her residence using a "no-knock" warrant. Tesler, stationed at the rear of the house, fired no shots but admitted in court that he participated in a cover-up of the illegal warrant and of the planting of narcotics in the house to hide the wrongdoing.

So, there really was no consequences for murdering the woman, but he convicted and sentenced for lying.

 

[invictus]

From the link above:

Johnston was fatally shot after she fired at police as they burst into her residence using a "no-knock" warrant. Tesler, stationed at the rear of the house, fired no shots but admitted in court that he participated in a cover-up of the illegal warrant and of the planting of narcotics in the house to hide the wrongdoing.

So, there really was no consequences for murdering the woman, but he convicted and sentenced for lying.

His actions cost a woman her life. I don't care if he pulled the trigger that made the fatal shot. He is responsible for her death. Lying here is obviously a crime. Is it a felony? He should be charged with felony murder (any murder resulting in the act of a felony).

 

[golfmom]

His actions cost a woman her life. I don't care if he pulled the trigger that made the fatal shot. He is responsible for her death. Lying here is obviously a crime. Is it a felony? He should be charged with felony murder (any murder resulting in the act of a felony).

It blows my mind ... the sentence for a member of law enforcement planting drugs, and covering up the murder of a woman should be far stiffer than just 4 years.

 

[philamena]

SNIP
...He was convicted of lying but aquitted of two other charges stemming from the botched drug raid in which the 92-year-old Johnston was killed in a hail of police gunfire.

How sad.

 

[southcitymom]

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/me...page_tab_newstab&cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

Ex-Cops Get Prison in Woman's 2006 Killing

 

[KarlK]

Lying here is obviously a crime. Is it a felony? He should be charged with felony murder (any murder resulting in the act of a felony).

Perjury is a felony but in order to charge someone with felony murder the prosecutor must prove that the commission of a felony was the original intent that lead to a situation where someone is murdered. For example someone who takes part in a robbery where a victim ends up being killed can be charged with felony murder (in many if not most states) even they aren't the one directly responsible for the death because the original intent was to commit a felony, in this case a robbery.

In the case at hand felony murder cannot be invoked against Tesler because he did not know beforehand that the warrant was illegal, and that the three narcs were intent on committing a felony (planting of evidence) to cover their butts if need be. Tesler's involvement was after the fact.

Regarding the relatively lenient sentences handed out to the narcs who did the shooting one must keep in mind that judges can only sentence someone for the crime(s) they have been found guilty of, not the original charge which is often far more serious. Voluntary manslaughter -usually this means manslaughter with aggravating circumstances such as negligent use of a firearm- rarely nets someone without a previous record more than 10 years so the sentencing is within federal guidelines considering that even if they hadn't been cops these guys would likely have received similar sentences on such a charge. The judge also took into consideration that cops in jail do hard time: they are segregated from general prisoner population for obvious reasons and must serve their sentences with unsavory characters such as child molesters, rapists, snitches and the like. Another factor is that federal courts usually hand out shorter sentences than state courts on similar charges because federal convicts are not eligible to parole. Whereas a 20-year state sentence can translate into as little as 3 years of actual jail time a 5-year federal sentence usually means five years behind bars.

 

[Angels_Not_Forgotten]

I was going to make the same comment!!

This is the problem with "no knock" policies. There are typos and address mistakes ALL THE TIME. Can you imagine if you're at home with your kids and people break down the door in the middle of the night?? Esp. when they meant to get the people next door??

The reason these "searches" have been upheld is b/c drug dealers will flush or hide drugs unless there is a no knock policy. A search warrant is still required, and a no knock special permission is also required.

However, WI had a HUGE wrongful death judgement (2 million $$) against a small town police dept who got the wrong address, did a no-knock, and when the man went to grab his remote control to turn the sound down so he could hear what police were saying - they shot him dead in front of his two year old.

When I was 6 and my brother 8, one night we heard a heavy pounding on the door, we followed my father to the door to see who it was and immediately we all had guns drawn on us by a yard full of policeman and were told to lay down on the ground, not even the courtesy to NOT point a gun at a child. they had the wrong address. so yeah, that happens a LOT so i agree with you!