Man Shot by Police at station

[hobbeeman]

This happened a week ago, and the news stories are not very forthcoming. Has anyone heard about the circumstances of this? Certainly not the smartest man in the world, but I would like to know that the authorities did not overreact.

Man shot in Childress
Resident carried shotgun into police station

A man who was shot by a police officer after he allegedly carried a shotgun into the Childress police station Sunday night was in stable condition Monday afternoon at Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo.
Trooper Daniel Hawthorne of the Texas Department of Public Safety said Jeff Whitten, a lifelong resident of Childress, refused an officer's order to put down the shotgun he carried into the station at about 8 p.m.

When Whitten failed to comply, the officer fired and Whitten received a bullet wound in the left arm, Hawthorne said.

An ambulance transferred Whitten to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo, where his was in stable condition Monday afternoon after undergoing surgery to remove the bullet, Hawthorne said.

"He's doing OK," Hawthorne said.

The Texas Rangers are investigating the case, Hawthorne said, and additional information will be available today.

- Staff writer Dan Packard

I guess I would probably not wait too long for an answer from an armed man coming into my home or office either.

I suppose what I really want to know is that if some misguided soul were to walk into a police station to perhaps turn in a "dangerous gun" they would not be fired upon Or...maybe that should be the interpretation, and people should bring their guns to me for "disposal"

 

[WeedWhacker]

More details would be helpful.

The police stations I've visited in two very different towns have looked more like prisons than offices - aside from any folks who happen to be in the foyer at any given time, everyone is behind thick sheets of bullet-resistant glass and locked doors.

I wonder about the laws in force in that town - as I recall, in at least several cities where open carry is not verboten (Constitutionality aside), there are no prohibitions on firearms by citizens in police stations, just in federal buildings, courthouses, jails, etc.

 

[hobbeeman]

Childress, Tx is only 2 hours from my home in Amarillo, Tx, and the laws are pretty much the same out here...Concealed carry only for handguns, with the proper license...and open carry of long guns is not forbidden but will likely get you cited for causing a civil disturbance, unless you are going hunting.

 

[Valkman]

In Vegas you have to get your handguns registered, and you take 'em to the police station. But after you walk in the first set of doors there's a drawer you put the gun(s) in and a person takes them. I think if you walked in the second set of doors with a gun in your hand you'd replay what happened in the story. I wonder if they'd have just as bad aim as the officer in the story!

 

[WeedWhacker]

Granted, I wouldn't normally choose to walk into a police station with a slung rifle, but perhaps there might be good reason for someone, sometime, to do just that.

Yes, when you "miss" the Vegas deposit drawers, the cops get all bent out of shape, which is actually pretty amusing considering they're usually behind more armor than most national guard depots have.

Was the man who was shot pointing his shotgun at anyone? Yelling, acting crazy? Did he just walk in the front door like any other person and *bang* get shot because he had a shotgun slung over his shoulder?

Much too light on the details.

 

[fireflyfather]

Hypothetical (unlikely): Man walks into police station.
"PUT THAT DOWN!"
"Who, me? *looks around*
"BANG"
"***!??!?! I Just got shot!"

 

[Avenger]

The article does state that he refused the officer's order to put the shotgun down. Now, as to what that actually MEANS....maybe he was deaf, just didn't hear the officer, and the officer (possibly, just for the sake of argument) over-reacted. Or he was pointing the gun at people, yelling about the government stealing his tinfoil hat, and the officer shot him to prevent potential carnage. No way to know, and the truth is most likely somewhere between those extremes.

 

[jeepmor]

No way to know, and the truth is most likely

....never going to be known by anyone but the officer and the person shot. The truth won't come out IMO unless it was videotaped, even then, I'd have my doubts.