More About The Shooting In Headland Where The Headland Officer Was Required To Use Deadly Physical Force

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
rstokes1450@aol.com
334-790-1729
Date: Feb 04 2012 12:04 PM

HEADLAND:  Thursday night there was a candlelight vigil held in Headland in memory of Opatrick Fitzgerald Humphrey. Humphrey was shot and killed in Headland this week in an altercation with family, fire medics, and then police.

RSN covered the vigil with Matt being there. I was out of town and did not attend the vigil. I have spoken to Matt and read the comments made by media sources about the vigil.

My friend, Kenny Glasgow was quoted in one article as follows:

“She (Opatrick’s mother) called them and said ‘my son is schizophrenic, I’m having problems and I need ya’ll to come and take him to the hospital,’” the Rev. Kenneth Glasgow said at the vigil Thursday evening. “She didn’t say, ‘I need ya’ll to come kill him.’”

SPECIAL NOTICE BEFORE I CONTINUE:

If you have read this web site for any length of time, you will know that I support law enforcement at times, and at times I take issue with enforcement. You know that I will point out positive issues and negative issues, and have never backed away from any issue that was controversial. I have challenged the Governor, Attorney General, and Gambling Task Force Czar. Chased the Gambling Task Force through air flight services in Dothan with a camera.

Over the years I have taken law enforcement officers to task. Over the years I have taken law enforcement commanders to task.  It is not something I am proud of but something I felt was needed to be done.  As a result of evidence I uncovered, some law enforcement officers are not law enforcement officers today.

When needed, over the years, RSN has taken issue with Judges and the District Attorney. I have chased the District Attorney down the hallways of the courthouse in Houston and Henry County when I took issue with him and felt he was mistreating or abusing his power. Yet I have supported and stood for him when I felt he was right.

Currently, because of a position I have and am taking, have been subjected to a tremendous amount of powerful heat against me. But, that is a part of life when you stand for something or someone.

None of the above has been said to brag, but I felt needed to be said before I continue with this article. Because I am taking issue with some people who have decided to attempt to bring injustice against law enforcement when they do not know all of the facts, or they have personal agendas to create turmoil as a result of a bad situation.

TO THE FAMILY OF Opatrick Fitzgerald Humphrey

My heart goes out to you for the loss of your son, brother and friend. No one wants to lose someone to death. In no way does this article intend to lessen the tragedy that has occurred. A tragedy that has occurred on all sides of the issue.

To Opatrick’s mother, I feel for you. I feel for your pain. You have tried to get your son the medical treatment he needed and deserved. While I did not know Opatrick, I know, when he was on the appropriate medications, he was a fine son. But when the medication failed or he failed to take the medication, your life was a living turmoil. I understand your pain and frustration. I realize your recent attempts with medical providers to get the medications right so that Opatrick could live as peaceful of a life as possible, and so that you could lead as peaceful of a life as possible.

I realize the morning all of this happened, that was not the son you loved, but the son that without medication, which caused a chain of events that has been a nightmare.

I do not know you, but have to feel you are a loving woman or would have never wanted this chain of events to have occurred. A woman who just wanted to live a peaceful life.

MY MAIN POINT

First, Rev. Kenneth Glasgow a calling to seek out wrong. But he has made some dangerous statements at this vigil that can invoke civil disobedience and cause danger to persons. His statement as quoted by DothanFirst.com is a dangerous statement.

On Friday night I spoke to Kenny about this issue. He was asked to speak and we had a very good conversation. I consider him a friend, and he and I have the relationship to talk about issues. In my opinion, Kenny was not/is not aware of all of the facts.

One thing I will agree with Kenny about is relationships can always be improved upon. But what took place on Hollan Street in Headland Alabama this week had absolutely nothing to do with relationships or racial issues.

What took place on Hollan Street was about, a person that had a severe mental illness, was not on his medication or was on the wrong medication, and had gotten out of control. It was about a person that had already assaulted two ladies, to include his mother, two fire medics there to help him, had ambushed a police officer before he could get out of his car, assaulting the officer, and was running towards the other police officer in an aggressive manner which placed the officer in fear for his safety and life.

That morning the fire department was called to respond to a medical emergency on Hollan Street. When the fire medics arrived, Patrick assaulted the fire medics. The fire medics called for police to respond.

When the first officer responded, before he could ever get his car door open Opatrick is reported to have jerked his car door open and started assaulting the officer. The officer could not get out of the car. And the officer is very much a man and had he been upright and out of the car, he probably could have manhandled Opatrick. But he was caught inside his car and assaulted. The first responding officer never made it out of his car in order to attempt to gain control of Opatrick.

As the second officer arrived, he is reported to have heard a gunshot and saw the first officer lying on the ground beside his police car and man in black running away. The second officer runs towards the passenger side of the police car, yelling out at the first officer lying on the ground, on the left side of the police car, are you shot, are you okay. The officer never responded.

Picture the scene, the house was the left of the police car. The first officer is on the ground on the left side of the police car. The man was seen running to the left of the police car behind the house.

When the second officer was approaching, he was approaching to the right of the police car. At that time reports are Opatrick came from around the house towards the second police officer. The second officer told the Patrick to stop…stop. He and as the patient continued into the safety zone of the officer, the officer had no choice but to stop the patient from assaulting the sixth person, being himself.  And at this point Opatrick failed to yield to the warning and continued towards the second officer. Once Opatrick entered into the officer’s safety zone, and continued in an aggressive manner, the officer felt his life and the life of others was in danger, and fired his weapon striking Opatrick in the abdomen.

Both police officers had to be transported to the hospital. The first officer with injuries sustained when he was ambushed in the car before he ever got out. The second officer was on the ground throwing up and emotionally distraught over the fact he had to shoot Opatrick.

While officers are trained for safety measures and what to do in situations, officers do not like to use deadly force. Emotionally, this has caused this officer to be sick, crying, and seeking GOD’S wisdom over the choices he had to make in seconds. Choices made not in minutes, but in seconds. The choice was not one the officer wanted to make, but choice that he was left no alternative to make.

Was this shooting justifiable? In the words of a black leader Ron Wilson, “deadly force should only be used when someone else’s life is in threat or feel their life is in danger”.  That was the situation in this case. Prior to the second officer’s arrival, Opatrick had assaulted five people, to include his own mother.

What would a reasonable person do in this situation?

This shooting was justifiable. Could it have been avoided? Absolutely. Had the patient been on the medication, it would have been avoided.

But under the circumstances, and with the ACCURATE facts of what happened, the Headland shooting on Hollan Street of Opatrick Humphrey was a justifiable shooting.

I refuse to allow some people with personal agendas cause a racial divide in this situation. I refuse to allow people who do not know the facts to be critical of the police in this situation.

This situation is an unfortunate situation. Mental illness is a serious problem and causes people to make bad choices that lead to bad results.

But for people to recklessly call this a police murder, for people to reckless criticize law enforcement in this situation, for people to recklessly create a situation of hostility between citizens and the police over this case, is wrong.

This has nothing to do with race. And those hollering that issue know this is not about race. The mother did not call for her son to be shot, the fire medics and police did not respond to shoot Opatrick. But under the circumstances, any reasonable and prudent person, presented with the true facts and situation, would have made the same decisions, decisions made in seconds.

This situation has had a dramatic emotion effect on everyone involved. The officer has cried his eyes out, thrown up, not been able to eat, and sought answers from GOD and what GOD’S judgment of him is for using deadly force. But it was a decision he was forced to make for the safety of him and others.

IN CONCLUSION

I was on the scene that morning. Whether you call me media, blog or whatever, I was the first of whatever I am on the scene.

I serve as Deputy Coroner in Henry County, but was there in the news capacity. When I was Houston County Coroner, I have worked probably 1,000 death cases. Cases that have included where the Napier Field Police Chief murdered the Napier Field Mayor. When I was a cadet with Houston County Sheriff Department I have been involved in murder investigations where a train engineer was murdered her in Dothan as the train was coming down the railroad tracks. Over the years I have been involved in murder cases where the body was dumped in creeks with concrete tied to them.

As Houston County Coroner I graduated from Police Academy in the 1980’s.

What I am attempting to say, I have been on many death scenes and involved in many death investigations. I looked at the scene on Hollan Street when I was there; I looked at some evidence markers and evidence in the street. I saw where items were, and listened to what was briefly described to me. The evidence I viewed, while I was not conducting an investigation, matched what I was told.

I have checked into this case before I wrote this article. I have asked questions.

Without a doubt in my mind, the officer of Headland Police Department was left WITH NOALTERNATIVE but to use deadly force at that moment and time.

To those who are talking and leading the issue and playing on the emotions of Patrick’s mother, your efforts in this case destroy your credibility. There are enough fights and issues, enough issues when things are wrong, that you focus your efforts on. But right now, you are wrong, and your continued efforts will destroy your credibility down the road on issues that matter.

It is time to stop and refocus.

Rickey Stokes

EMAIL: Rstokes1450@aol.com

334-790-1729

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