[HPN] ALERT: Patrol car video was off when homeless suspect was shot dead, police say FWD dead, police say FWD

[Tom Boland]

CC UPDATES & public repsonses regarding this case, please,
TO: "Homeless People's Network" <wgcp@earthlink.net>

http://www.joplinglobe.com/000212/headline/story1.html
FWD  Joplin Globe - February 12, 2000

     POLICE: SUSPECT WAS HOMELESS MAN
     EIGHT WITNESSES QUESTIONED IN SHOOTING BY OFFICERS

     By Gary Garton - Globe Staff Writer

MIAMI, Okla. - Eight witnesses were being questioned Friday by police in
the investigation of the fatal shooting of a robbery suspect by two police
officers on Thursday.

Police also were gathering warrants to search the dead manís living
quarters at a local homeless shelter and his car, found parked at the
shelter.

Police Chief Gary Anderson said the man who was shot was Douglas Pickens,
44. He reportedly had moved to the area from California and had been living
at the Souls Harbor shelter in Miami.

Anderson said the National Crime Information Computer listed several former
felony convictions for Pickens in other states. He said he would not
discuss details until his department's investigation of the shooting is
turned over to the district attorney's office.

The chief identified the two officers involved in the incident as Sgt.
Phillip Brice, who has been with the department nine years, and Detective
Steve Johnston, a 17-year veteran of the department. Anderson said the
officers are on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the
investigation.

Anderson said a man walked into Loveís Country Store on East Steve Owens
Boulevard at 5:34 p.m. Thursday, went behind the counter and took money
from a cash register. Anderson said store personnel have disputed an
initial report on the amount of money taken in the robbery. That report
said $178 was taken.

He said the store manager confronted the man as he was leaving the store,
and the robber produced a hatchet that had been concealed under his
clothing. The manager did not try to stop the man, who walked away from the
store.

Anderson said Brice, responding to the robbery alert, saw a man fitting the
description of the robber walking east along the side of the street about
four blocks from the store.

As Brice stopped and got out of his patrol car, he was joined by Johnston,
who was off duty but had responded to the robbery alert to assist other
officers.

"Both officers got out of their cars and told the man to stop," Anderson
said. "He ignored their orders, then hesitated and turned, starting toward
Sergeant Brice."

The chief said the man pulled a hatchet from under his clothing and raised
it in a threatening gesture as he started toward Brice.

"He raised the hatchet and started advancing rapidly," Anderson said. "Both
officers again told him to stop, but he had covered over half the distance
between himself and Sergeant Brice, who fired his weapon at that point.
Detective Johnston also fired."

Brice called the dispatcher, reported that shots had been fired and asked
for an ambulance. Paramedics reported the man was dead when they arrived.

"There are six to eight people who have varying degrees of knowledge about
what happened, who either saw all or parts of the incident," Anderson said.

"Their statements are being taken by our detectives, and the investigation
is being monitored by the Ottawa County sheriffís office as an independent
outside agency."

The chief said a videotape from the convenience store surveillance camera
was being reviewed.

He said a video camera in Brice's patrol car was not activated when the
officer got out to confront the suspect.

"Some of the cameras are not keyed to come on unless the officer turns on
the overhead light bar on the car," he said. "Some of these older cameras
are not working properly either. We're trying to determine why the camera
in the patrol car was not activated."

Detective Randy Jameson and three other members of the Miami police
investigative staff were assigned to conduct the probe. Anderson said
Sheriff Dennis King was accompanying them to monitor the investigation."

END FORWARD

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