Report of Alabama Bureau Of Investigation Report Released To District Attorney On Headland Shooting

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 6060

Posted by: RStokes
thehoustonnewspaper@yahoo.com
334-790-1729
Date: Apr 11 2012 10:07 PM

HENRY COUNTY:    Twentieth Judicial Circuit District Attorney Doug Valeska has received the investigation report from agents of Alabama Bureau of Investigation involving a Headland Police Officers use of deadly physical force.

Valeska told RSN this morning that he received the report some 10 – 12 days ago.  After he received the report and read it 5 times, he called the family of O’Patrick Fitzgerald Humphrey to his office, along with their attorney and went over the report. Joining the mother and attorney in the meeting was NAACP Henry County President Dorthy Culver and Kenny Glasgow.

Valeska went over word for word in the report with the mother, attorney and others present. Valeska read the statements in the report and offered to play the video of the statements.

Valeska told the family the case would be presented to a Henry County Grand Jury. A routine practice in the Twentieth Judicial Circuit.

Valeska offered the family the opportunity to provide additional information if they had any.

INCIDENT

On January 31, 2012 Headland Fire EMS units were called to Hollan Street. There was a medical emergency sometime around 5 AM.

When the Firemedics arrived they found two females which had reported to have been assaulted. The medics were then assaulted. The medics called for police.

When the first Headland Police Officer arrived on the scene he was reported to have been assaulted by O’Patrick Fitzgerald Humphrey. The reported assault occurred before the officer could stop and get out of his vehicle.

On January 30, 2012 Headland Police and Henry County Sheriff Deputies responded to a death case off Highway 134 West. Agents from Alabama Bureau of Investigation was called into investigate the January 30^th death.

As a result of the January 30^th death, investigators with Abbeville – Henry County Task Force and Headland Police Officers were out and on duty working in an effort to seek leads on the January 30^th death. Which was January 31^st, the day of Humphrey’s death.

When the officer’s heard the call on Hollan Street they responded.

As the second officer arrived on the scene, the officer is reported to see the first officer on the ground and heard a gunshot. The first officer was on the driver’s side of the patrol car on the ground. Humprey’s house was on the left side of the patrol vehicle of the officer on the ground.

Reports are the second officer ran to the right side of the officer’s car, yelling out to him attempting to get him to answer. At that time reports are Humphrey came from around the house towards the officer on the right side of the patrol car.

Reports are Humphrey was ordered to stop and failed to stop. As Humphrey failed to obey the order and continued to the officer, the officer is reported to have shot Humphrey in the groin area.

The medics that were just assaulted by Humphrey immediately began emergency medical treatment of Humphrey and transported him to a Dothan hospital where he later died.

AND THEN

RSN was on the scene shortly after the shooting. Agents from Alabama Bureau of Investigation were called in to conduct the investigation because this was an officer involved shooting.

District Attorney Doug Valeska will not release a copy of the report of Alabama Bureau of Investigation. We have not seen the report.

However, what we have learned is, the first officer on the scene is a large officer. He was reported to have been snatched from his patrol car before he ever got a chance to put the car in park. The officer had to fire his weapon in order to get Humphrey off of him. Someone else had to place the officer’s car in park after he was laying on the ground outside of his patrol car.

The officer that fired the shot gave commands to Humphrey to stop.  Humphrey failed to yield to those commands to stop. The officer that fired the shot did not do a center chest shot but a lower shot.

Following the shooting, reports are the officer who fired the shot was distraught for having to fire his weapon. Not something the officer wanted to do.  Reports are Humphrey’s mother went to the officer who was throwing up on the ground and distraught, and told him there was “nothing he could do.”

Both police officers involved had to be transported to a Dothan Hospital to be treated following the incident.

Humphrey had a history of mental illness. According to information his mother had contacted the doctor a couple of days prior to this incident because of problems with Humphrey and his medications.

AND THEN…

This is going to make some of my friends mad, but sorry!

Some people started running to the mother of Humphrey and the family and started attempting to turn the shooting into a racial incident. They were saying the officer should have used a taser.

Some of the persons attempting to start the issues are disgruntled with Headland Police.  A former African American Headland Police Officer is seeking election as Headland Mayor. He is the only person running against the incumbent Mayor.

Then Kenny Glasgow comes into the picture. And then attempts to turn this incident into a racial incident. Arguments the officer should have used a taser.

No reasonable law enforcement officer or human being, if you rolled up on the scene and saw a fellow officer, especially the officer of the size of the first officer, on the ground, you would have pulled a taser.  Any officer, regardless of color, would have pulled a taser. They would have pulled their firearm.

Was Humphrey a good person? From all accounts, when he was on his medication, he was a good person. However, when he was not on his medication he was not thinking correctly. Unfortunately, on January 31, 2012 O’Patrick Humphrey, from all information, was not on his medication.

It is an unfortunate situation as to what happened on January 31st.

But for anyone to attempt to make this shooting a racial incident is doing a disservice to the community and citizens they serve. This incident was not about race. It is about an unfortunate situation, which developed rapidly. The rapid development forced decisions in seconds. Unfortunately, those decisions which were forced to be made had deadly consequences.

Race played no factor whatsoever in this case, other than those who have persuaded this family to attempt to make this a racial incident. A move to further themselves and not the community or family.

Grand Jury

In Henry County Grand Jury only meets twice a year. This case will be presented to a Henry County Grand Jury in the immediate future.

The report should be released and let the community of Headland read the report. The people of the community do not deserve the divide in the community.

The Humphrey’s, the officers, the firemedics, deserve the community to know the true facts and not the political fiction being distributed around the community.

SHAME…SHAME…SHAME…to those working to divide the community on such an incident.

<- back