Midland PD officer shot and killed. Edited

[G.A. Heath]

This is a developing story but an officer with the Midland Texas Police Department was shot and killed while responding to a residential burglar alarm. The homeowner reportedly did not hear the officers identify themselves and thought the officers were burglars. The deceased was hit above his vest which he was wearing. Please the keep the deceased and surviving officers in your prayers as well as the homeowner.

Edit to add a link to a news story:
https://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Midla ... 05051.html

[Odinvalknir]

Very unfortunate. I wonder could the officer have radioed to dispatch to call the homeowner? Obviously I don't know if that had actually been done or not but it seems like it could have helped if the homeowner had been notified upon entering and did not hear the officer he could have gotten a dispatcher to phone the homeowner and let them know an officer was there. Of course what ifs and could have and would have have no bearing now. Very unfortunate outcome for the officer and his loved ones.

[G.A. Heath]

Currently I am hearing the homeowner has been charged with manslaughter. I have not heard if the officers identified or not, just the home owner never heard them identify.

[baseballguy2001]

Which is worse? A Home Owner getting killed by police in his own home? (and the officer not being charged with a crime) Or an officer being killed by a Home Owner protecting his home thinking they were intruders? (Home Owner being charged with manslaughter is being held on a $75,000 bond.)

[SewTexas]

you call 911, you're going to be watching out for them....I know, I've done it. That's just odd behaviour. And if he thought there were still people in his house, what the heck was he doing in the house?

[crazy2medic]

What about identify your target before pulling the trigger?

[Keith B]

There's has to be more to this story than just what we are seeing so far on the surface. Wondering if this was a setup to get officers to the house? Just a theory.....

[WTR]

What about identify your target before pulling the trigger?

You mean like the Police did in CO.

[G.A. Heath]

Not sure on any details currently, my understanding is Midland PD was responding to a burglar alarm, not a call from the homeowner. Latest I have heard is the homeowner either did not hear, or did not believe, the officers when they announced that they were LEOs. One rumor is the homeowner was asleep when officers entered.

[apostate]

you call 911, you're going to be watching out for them....I know, I've done it. That's just odd behaviour. And if he thought there were still people in his house, what the heck was he doing in the house?

Where does it say he called 911?

This is a tragic event but if I'm in my own house, the alarm goes off, and a MWAG enters my house without my express permission... I'm not going to assume he's there for milk and cookies.

To me, the most interesting thing in the news coverage is the following statement, especially given the current situation in Houston.

The Texas Rangers will be investigating the shooting.

[G.A. Heath]

you call 911, you're going to be watching out for them....I know, I've done it. That's just odd behaviour. And if he thought there were still people in his house, what the heck was he doing in the house?

Where does it say he called 911?

This is a tragic event but if I'm in my own house, the alarm is going off, and a MWAG enters my house without my express permission... I'm not going to assume he's there for milk and cookies.

To me, the most interesting thing in the news coverage is the following statement, especially given the current situation in Houston.

The Texas Rangers will be investigating the shooting.

Rangers investigate ALL officer involved shootings in Texas.

[baseballguy2001]

The whole story hasn't come out yet obviously, but a story I saw said the cops were responding to a residential burglar alarm, not a 911 call. In a town next to mine, LEO's responded to the incorrect house of a residential alarm, shot & killed the home owner in his garage. The killer and his partner claimed they didn't know the odd numbers were on one side of the street and the evens on the other. They assumed the home numbers were consecutive. They also claimed they announced their identities just before they put nine rounds into the home owner. With all the nonsense coming out of Houston, I take anything LEO's say with a healthy dose of skepticism.

[Jusme]

you call 911, you're going to be watching out for them....I know, I've done it. That's just odd behaviour. And if he thought there were still people in his house, what the heck was he doing in the house?

Where does it say he called 911?

This is a tragic event but if I'm in my own house, the alarm is going off, and a MWAG enters my house without my express permission... I'm not going to assume he's there for milk and cookies.

To me, the most interesting thing in the news coverage is the following statement, especially given the current situation in Houston.

The Texas Rangers will be investigating the shooting.

Rangers investigate ALL officer involved shootings in Texas.

Evidently not in Houston, apparently 5 officers shot, along with homeowners, and it took the evidence of a crooked narc officer, to even get the FBI involved. I think the Rangers should investigate all officer involved shootings, if for no other reason, than to remove any cloud of a cover-up. I have seen their investigations first hand, and they leave no stone unturned, and do not cut LEO, any slack. Their reports, are often used verbatim, for any prosecutions.

[philip964]

My sincere condolences to the murdered officers friends family and colleagues.

At night homeowner shot at flashlight.

I’m going to assume an elderly man. Who set his burglar alarm to Stay went to bed.

Had doors unlocked and potentially not even latched.

Alarm Company called the phone number when one of the doors blew open from the wind we had last night.

Phone maybe was not enough to wake him.

So with no response alarm company sent for police.

BTW his alarm panel is screaming beep beep beep the whole time, but not enough to wake him what 5 10 minutes. Plus if he has an outside alarm it’s also going.

Police enter with flash lights through unlocked or door adjust, announce Police. That now wakes him and he now hears alarm screaming. Grabs his gun, but not HIS tactical flashlight. Sees a shadow moving with a flashlight and fires without identifying a target.

Yes manslaughter.

BTW hold your flashlight way out to the side.

A wonder the other officers didn’t shoot back at the target shooting at them and kill the homeowner.

[WTR]

Picture of suspect looks more like mid 4os, not elderly.