Deputy shoots airman after 100-mph chase

cloverleaf762 · February 1, 2006, 11:30 AM

Deputy shoots airman after 100-mph chase
Calif., federal investigators probing incident videotaped by local resident
CHINO, Calif. - A videotape released Tuesday shows a sheriff’s deputy shooting an unarmed Air Force policeman who recently returned from Iraq as he appeared to obey an order to get up off the ground.
KTLA-TV broadcast a 40-second clip it said came from a Chino resident who videotaped Sunday night’s shooting, which followed a 100 mph car chase.
Senior Airman Elio Carrion, 21, was listed in good condition at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. He was shot three times in the chest, ribs and leg, his father-in-law, Ernesto Paz, told KTLA-TV.
State and federal investigators are reviewing the case, officials said.
Carrion was a passenger in a Corvette that crashed following a brief chase, authorities said.
Amateur photographer Jose Luis Valdez told The Associated Press that he made the video after the car crashed into the wall in front of his home. KTLA aired the videotape early Tuesday, then distributed it later in the day.
The dark, grainy picture shows Carrion lying on the ground next to the car, talking to a silhouetted officer who is pointing a gun at him. Carrion supports himself on one arm and his face is brightly lit by the officer’s flashlight.
'Get up'
Carrion is heard telling the officer he is unarmed and is in the military.
At one point, a voice is heard saying several times: “Get up.”
Carrion says: “I’m gonna get up.” As he rises, at least four shots are fired and Carrion collapses, crying out in pain.
“Shots fired! Shots fired!” someone shouts.
In a telephone interview conducted in Spanish, Valdez said after the shooting, Carrion asks the deputy, “Why did you shoot me if you told me to stand up?” That alleged exchange cannot be heard on the video.
The deputy, whose name was not released, was placed on paid administrative leave, a routine procedure in officer-involved shootings.
Carrion was not charged with a crime, although the incident remained under investigation, according to sheriff’s spokeswoman Robin Haynal.
The driver of the Corvette, identified by authorities as Luis Fernando Escobedo, 21, was arrested for investigation of felony evading.
Carrion and Escobedo had left a party at the home of Carrion’s parents to drive to a store, said the airman’s wife, Mariela.
A woman who answered the telephone at the Montclair home of Carrion’s parents said they were headed to the hospital and nobody at the residence wanted to talk.
An Air Force spokesman, Lt. Frank Hartnett, said Carrion is a security officer at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, La. Carrion joined the Air Force in January 2003 and recently returned from a six-month tour in Iraq, Hartnett said.
Chino is about 40 miles east of Los Angeles.

Doug.38PR · February 1, 2006, 11:45 AM

later

GunsnRovers · February 1, 2006, 11:49 AM

The video is damning at best. MP on the ground appears relatively calm and cooperative. Deputy clearly says, "Get up". MP replies, "I'm gonna get up." Then the deputy fires.

Then, while the MP is on the ground moaning, the deputy gets into a verbal arguement with someone off camera.

The rest of the story should get interesting as more news comes out.

Right now, the MP is alive and doing well. Shot in the chest, shoulder and leg. Both he and the driver were released uncharged pending further investigation.

gunhand · February 1, 2006, 12:38 PM

I would like to hear some of your opinions on the recent shooting of Air Force Policeman Elio Carrion by a San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy. They didn't release the deputy's name (is this common?) after the shooting but I know it will come out soon. I'm sure they do this to protect both families at this time. Here's the link to an article and the video on MSNBC. It is fairly dark but you can hear both men's conversations.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10788476/

Optical Serenity · February 1, 2006, 12:41 PM

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=197891

Capt. Charlie · February 1, 2006, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Already a thread on this...

Yep, sure is.

Threads merged

.

**tyme** · February 1, 2006, 01:38 PM

The video seems to have disappeared from that CNN article. I found another copy of the video and mirrored it here:
http://www.thefiringline.com/video/20060131_CA/

Top_Notch · February 1, 2006, 01:44 PM

I saw the video and didn't see any reason the officer should have shot. I believe the officer was 'amped' up after the chase and pulled the trigger accidentally and the following shots were from the surprise of the first one.

I smell lawsuit.

Chris Phelps · February 1, 2006, 01:57 PM

Paid leave? When you shoot an unarmed person 4 times who is obviously cooperating, I think that should be a lot more than paid leave.

Optical Serenity · February 1, 2006, 01:58 PM

Chris, it is just standard policy until you conclude an investigation. There have been thousands of shootings where officers have been put on leave for a few days to a few months and they have been found good shootings. You don't want to ruin someone's financial status just because you investigate them. Remember, innocent till proven guilty?

We are still in the U.S.A. right?

Ben Swenson · February 1, 2006, 02:20 PM

Wow ... that's going to be hard to defend.

choochboost · February 1, 2006, 02:58 PM

Bad juju...bad juju. I saw a report on the news last night where they included the transcribed captions as the video plays. Made it even more interesting.

tjhands · February 1, 2006, 03:04 PM

Yipes.

If an officer ever has me down and says, Get up! Get up!," I believe I'll pretend I've fainted or something and just lie there.

**Mike Irwin** · February 1, 2006, 03:25 PM

I smell a raise, citation, and promotion for a certain sheriff's deputy...

jcoiii · February 1, 2006, 03:41 PM

Looks really bad. If it is as it looks, the officer should be in jail after the investigation.

shield20 · February 1, 2006, 05:01 PM

He's done - he messed up big time - and it looks like he did it on purpose.
Almost like an execution, except the guy lived.

Not good.

choochboost · February 1, 2006, 06:19 PM

"The word on the street" is that he didn't do it on purpose but was so amp'd, he said "Get up!" instead of, Shut up!" Then the guy got up as he was told and the deputy shot in self-defense. As the deputy was yelling at the guy after shooting him, he was saying something about the guy trying to come at him.

Wildcard · February 1, 2006, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Then the guy got up as he was told and the deputy shot in self-defense. As the deputy was yelling at the guy after shooting him, he was saying something about the guy trying to come at him.

HMM....CYA time. From the video, and audio, sounds like attempted murder to me.

Blackwater OPS · February 1, 2006, 06:21 PM

Quote:

State and federal investigators are reviewing the case, officials said.

Yeah, shoot a member of the military and be ready for the FBI to be all over you.

I can't belive this cop, if was an accident, he needs to be reassigned to mopping the floors at county. If not, well he best hope he does not run into any MPs on the street. This thing really ticked me off. The guy survives a tour in a warzone, comes home and gets into a car with the wrong guy only to be shot 3 times by a damn civilian. I might have more to say when I cool off.

Sir William · February 1, 2006, 06:22 PM

Ignore the DS. Watch the so-called AP and his hands. Good shoot. Bad effect, 3 shots connect and the suspect is alive? The moral of this story is simple. Do NOT go for joyrides with idiots at 100 MPH with red lights and sirens chasing you. I saw 0 problems with the shooting.

choochboost · February 1, 2006, 06:31 PM

It wasn't "CYA". The transcript reveals he was seriously in fear for his life and continues to deal with the guy as if he was really coming after him. He was even mocking him...saying, "You think you can try to attack me? I'll kill your f****** a**." (quoted as best as I can remember - its not in front of me). The deputy just messed up bad in telling the guy to get up. His adrenalin was through the roof and he had completely lost control of the situation even before he fired the first shot. There was no oops in pulling the trigger. Just a confused and jumpy deputy giving bad verbal commands.

marks655 · February 1, 2006, 06:33 PM

SirWilliam - I think you are just trying to get a rise out of other members of this forum. The video clearly shows that there was no cause for deadly force. None whatsoever. If the officer believed the man was grabbing for him, perhaps a night stick would have been approrpiate but certainly nothing more.

Some things we know for certain: the airman, if he lives, will never have to work again. The city of Chino, or the California county of jurisdiction, probably doesn't have enough money to cover the multi-million-dollar judgement they will face from the lawsuit. As for the trigger-happy cop, well, if he goes to jail, as he probably should and will, I doubt he will last long there.

I believe most law enforcement officers do a good job and I appreciate the job they do and the risks they take. But when I see a law enforcement officer on a 'power trip' it makes me sick. Those types should not be in law enforcement.

I believe law enforcement officers should use deadly force only as a last resort. When evidence shows that they act otherwise we should get them out of the job and if appropriate, behind bars.

BerettaCougar · February 1, 2006, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Ignore the DS. Watch the so-called AP and his hands. Good shoot. Bad effect, 3 shots connect and the suspect is alive? The moral of this story is simple. Do NOT go for joyrides with idiots at 100 MPH with red lights and sirens chasing you. I saw 0 problems with the shooting.

SW, you're kidding right?

I mean....you have to be....

The moral of the story is... cops can now execute you in the middle of the street if you break a traffic law?

Come on...get a clue.

BerettaCougar · February 1, 2006, 06:43 PM

And also SW, the cop tells the man to get up, he tells the cop he is getting up, then the cop shoots him...

I see several problems with the shooting...

first of all, the guy is laying on the ground, which indicates he probably was told to get on the gorund by the cop, (typical for felony stops).

So he's told to lay down, then to get up....
The victim here, being an MP probably knows standard procedure for felony stops, so that could be the reason why he was so hesitant when getting up...it just doesnt make sense....

But he (the MP) did comply, and as he got up, he was shot....several times?

How can you not see a problem with that?

He was'nt even the driver of the car, so technically he broke 0 laws, he was following orders and was nearly murdered for it?

marks655 · February 1, 2006, 06:54 PM

As I said, I believe SirWilliam is just trying to generate a longer thread.

I believe that audio surveillance and to the extent physically possible, video surveillance, should be mandatory for any response to an alleged crime or incident by law enforcement officers.

Just think of the money we would save on court trials and investigations. And it would no doubt contribute to a much cleaner law enforcement community and a safer public.

February 1, 2006, 11:30 AM	#1
cloverleaf762 Member Join Date: March 19, 2005 Location: WI Posts: 87	Deputy shoots airman after 100-mph chase Deputy shoots airman after 100-mph chase Calif., federal investigators probing incident videotaped by local resident CHINO, Calif. - A videotape released Tuesday shows a sheriff’s deputy shooting an unarmed Air Force policeman who recently returned from Iraq as he appeared to obey an order to get up off the ground. KTLA-TV broadcast a 40-second clip it said came from a Chino resident who videotaped Sunday night’s shooting, which followed a 100 mph car chase. Senior Airman Elio Carrion, 21, was listed in good condition at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. He was shot three times in the chest, ribs and leg, his father-in-law, Ernesto Paz, told KTLA-TV. State and federal investigators are reviewing the case, officials said. Carrion was a passenger in a Corvette that crashed following a brief chase, authorities said. Amateur photographer Jose Luis Valdez told The Associated Press that he made the video after the car crashed into the wall in front of his home. KTLA aired the videotape early Tuesday, then distributed it later in the day. The dark, grainy picture shows Carrion lying on the ground next to the car, talking to a silhouetted officer who is pointing a gun at him. Carrion supports himself on one arm and his face is brightly lit by the officer’s flashlight. 'Get up' Carrion is heard telling the officer he is unarmed and is in the military. At one point, a voice is heard saying several times: “Get up.” Carrion says: “I’m gonna get up.” As he rises, at least four shots are fired and Carrion collapses, crying out in pain. “Shots fired! Shots fired!” someone shouts. In a telephone interview conducted in Spanish, Valdez said after the shooting, Carrion asks the deputy, “Why did you shoot me if you told me to stand up?” That alleged exchange cannot be heard on the video. The deputy, whose name was not released, was placed on paid administrative leave, a routine procedure in officer-involved shootings. Carrion was not charged with a crime, although the incident remained under investigation, according to sheriff’s spokeswoman Robin Haynal. The driver of the Corvette, identified by authorities as Luis Fernando Escobedo, 21, was arrested for investigation of felony evading. Carrion and Escobedo had left a party at the home of Carrion’s parents to drive to a store, said the airman’s wife, Mariela. A woman who answered the telephone at the Montclair home of Carrion’s parents said they were headed to the hospital and nobody at the residence wanted to talk. An Air Force spokesman, Lt. Frank Hartnett, said Carrion is a security officer at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, La. Carrion joined the Air Force in January 2003 and recently returned from a six-month tour in Iraq, Hartnett said. Chino is about 40 miles east of Los Angeles.

February 1, 2006, 11:49 AM	#3
GunsnRovers Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2002 Location: Lost Angeles Posts: 781	The video is damning at best. MP on the ground appears relatively calm and cooperative. Deputy clearly says, "Get up". MP replies, "I'm gonna get up." Then the deputy fires. Then, while the MP is on the ground moaning, the deputy gets into a verbal arguement with someone off camera. The rest of the story should get interesting as more news comes out. Right now, the MP is alive and doing well. Shot in the chest, shoulder and leg. Both he and the driver were released uncharged pending further investigation. __________________ Jeff The reason we're all here is that we're not all there.

February 1, 2006, 12:38 PM	#4
gunhand Member Join Date: February 1, 2006 Posts: 66	Airman Elio Carrion Shooting I would like to hear some of your opinions on the recent shooting of Air Force Policeman Elio Carrion by a San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy. They didn't release the deputy's name (is this common?) after the shooting but I know it will come out soon. I'm sure they do this to protect both families at this time. Here's the link to an article and the video on MSNBC. It is fairly dark but you can hear both men's conversations. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10788476/

February 1, 2006, 12:41 PM	#5
Optical Serenity Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2005 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 513	Already a thread on this... http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=197891

February 1, 2006, 01:38 PM	#7
tyme Staff Join Date: October 13, 2001 Posts: 3,355	The video seems to have disappeared from that CNN article. I found another copy of the video and mirrored it here: http://www.thefiringline.com/video/20060131_CA/ __________________ “The egg hatched...” “...the egg hatched... and a hundred baby spiders came out...” (blade runner) “Who are you?” “A friend. I'm here to prevent you from making a mistake.” “You have no idea what I'm doing here, friend.” “In specific terms, no, but I swore an oath to protect the world...” (continuum) “It's a goal you won't understand until later. Your job is to make sure he doesn't achieve the goal.” (bsg)

February 1, 2006, 11:45 AM	#2
Doug.38PR Junior member Join Date: January 18, 2005 Posts: 3,298	later

February 1, 2006, 01:44 PM	#8
Top_Notch Member Join Date: October 22, 2004 Posts: 59	I saw the video and didn't see any reason the officer should have shot. I believe the officer was 'amped' up after the chase and pulled the trigger accidentally and the following shots were from the surprise of the first one. I smell lawsuit.

February 1, 2006, 01:57 PM	#9
Chris Phelps Senior Member Join Date: December 15, 2005 Location: South China, Maine Posts: 814	Paid leave? When you shoot an unarmed person 4 times who is obviously cooperating, I think that should be a lot more than paid leave. __________________ Bushmaster Superlight AR-15 5.56mm / Custom 24" Heavy BBL Varmint AR-15 5.56mm / Ruger M77 .257 Roberts / Ruger MKI 22LR Pistol / EAA Witness 9mm Pistol / Daisy 2202 22LR / Remington Viper 522 22LR / Stevens 200 .223 / Savage 10FP 24" .308 / Mauser 98 Sporter 30-06

February 1, 2006, 01:58 PM	#10
Optical Serenity Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2005 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 513	Chris, it is just standard policy until you conclude an investigation. There have been thousands of shootings where officers have been put on leave for a few days to a few months and they have been found good shootings. You don't want to ruin someone's financial status just because you investigate them. Remember, innocent till proven guilty? We are still in the U.S.A. right?

February 1, 2006, 02:20 PM	#11
Ben Swenson Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2000 Posts: 1,210	Wow ... that's going to be hard to defend.

February 1, 2006, 02:58 PM	#12
choochboost Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2005 Location: orange county, ca Posts: 610	Bad juju...bad juju. I saw a report on the news last night where they included the transcribed captions as the video plays. Made it even more interesting.

February 1, 2006, 03:04 PM	#13
tjhands Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2005 Posts: 1,718	Yipes. If an officer ever has me down and says, Get up! Get up!," I believe I'll pretend I've fainted or something and just lie there. __________________ "If the sole purpose of handguns is to kill people, then mine are all defective." - Uncle Ted Nugent

February 1, 2006, 03:25 PM	#14
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	I smell a raise, citation, and promotion for a certain sheriff's deputy... __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

February 1, 2006, 03:41 PM	#15
jcoiii Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2002 Location: TN Posts: 556	Looks really bad. If it is as it looks, the officer should be in jail after the investigation. __________________ Truth knows no political correctness. I do not aim with my hand.......

February 1, 2006, 05:01 PM	#16
shield20 Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2005 Location: Hudson Valley, New York Posts: 1,371	He's done - he messed up big time - and it looks like he did it on purpose. Almost like an execution, except the guy lived. Not good.

February 1, 2006, 06:19 PM	#17
choochboost Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2005 Location: orange county, ca Posts: 610	"The word on the street" is that he didn't do it on purpose but was so amp'd, he said "Get up!" instead of, Shut up!" Then the guy got up as he was told and the deputy shot in self-defense. As the deputy was yelling at the guy after shooting him, he was saying something about the guy trying to come at him.

February 1, 2006, 06:22 PM	#20
Sir William Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2004 Posts: 3,261	Ignore the DS. Watch the so-called AP and his hands. Good shoot. Bad effect, 3 shots connect and the suspect is alive? The moral of this story is simple. Do NOT go for joyrides with idiots at 100 MPH with red lights and sirens chasing you. I saw 0 problems with the shooting.

February 1, 2006, 06:31 PM	#21
choochboost Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2005 Location: orange county, ca Posts: 610	It wasn't "CYA". The transcript reveals he was seriously in fear for his life and continues to deal with the guy as if he was really coming after him. He was even mocking him...saying, "You think you can try to attack me? I'll kill your f**** a." (quoted as best as I can remember - its not in front of me). The deputy just messed up bad in telling the guy to get up. His adrenalin was through the roof and he had completely lost control of the situation even before he fired the first shot. There was no oops in pulling the trigger. Just a confused and jumpy deputy giving bad verbal commands.

February 1, 2006, 06:33 PM	#22
marks655 Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 363	SirWilliam - I think you are just trying to get a rise out of other members of this forum. The video clearly shows that there was no cause for deadly force. None whatsoever. If the officer believed the man was grabbing for him, perhaps a night stick would have been approrpiate but certainly nothing more. Some things we know for certain: the airman, if he lives, will never have to work again. The city of Chino, or the California county of jurisdiction, probably doesn't have enough money to cover the multi-million-dollar judgement they will face from the lawsuit. As for the trigger-happy cop, well, if he goes to jail, as he probably should and will, I doubt he will last long there. I believe most law enforcement officers do a good job and I appreciate the job they do and the risks they take. But when I see a law enforcement officer on a 'power trip' it makes me sick. Those types should not be in law enforcement. I believe law enforcement officers should use deadly force only as a last resort. When evidence shows that they act otherwise we should get them out of the job and if appropriate, behind bars. Last edited by marks655; February 1, 2006 at 07:14 PM.

February 1, 2006, 06:43 PM	#24
BerettaCougar Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 1,224	And also SW, the cop tells the man to get up, he tells the cop he is getting up, then the cop shoots him... I see several problems with the shooting... first of all, the guy is laying on the ground, which indicates he probably was told to get on the gorund by the cop, (typical for felony stops). So he's told to lay down, then to get up.... The victim here, being an MP probably knows standard procedure for felony stops, so that could be the reason why he was so hesitant when getting up...it just doesnt make sense.... But he (the MP) did comply, and as he got up, he was shot....several times? How can you not see a problem with that? He was'nt even the driver of the car, so technically he broke 0 laws, he was following orders and was nearly murdered for it?

February 1, 2006, 06:54 PM	#25
marks655 Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 363	As I said, I believe SirWilliam is just trying to generate a longer thread. I believe that audio surveillance and to the extent physically possible, video surveillance, should be mandatory for any response to an alleged crime or incident by law enforcement officers. Just think of the money we would save on court trials and investigations. And it would no doubt contribute to a much cleaner law enforcement community and a safer public.