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Amarillo, Texas, Police Allegedly Shoot a Man Who Disarmed a Suspect in a Hostage Situation

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Amarillo Police Department police cruiser (Photo: Labeled for reuse)

On Wednesday, February 14, 2018, officers with the Amarillo Police Department received an emergency call that approximately 100 people were being held at a local church in a hostage situation. When the officers entered the chapel, they opened fire at a man seen holding a gun. It turned out, however, that the man with the gun had just disarmed the suspect. The man who was allegedly shot was identified as a bystander who took away the suspect’s firearm. The injured man was transported to a nearby hospital by ambulance. According to police, the man’s injuries are not life-threatening. The 35-year-old suspect was taken into custody. No one else at the scene was hurt.

It is standard procedure that when an officer fires a weapon, the officer is placed in an administrative capacity while an investigation into the incident is conducted. The actions of police officers are evaluated. Sometimes, it is determined that an officer acted outside the realm of proper procedure. Not only do officers sometimes lose their jobs in such instances but sometimes they are charged with crimes.

An example of a controversial shooting occurred on July 23, 2017, in Southaven, Mississippi. Police officers went to the wrong address as they were searching for a suspect in an assault case. A man who lived at the wrong address ended up allegedly being fatally shot in the back of the head by police as the officers tried to gain entrance. The incident stirred a great deal of public outrage. As the family has continued to seek answers, the latest news came out in December 2017, only to say that the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is still ongoing. The names of the officers involved were never released to the public.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor

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smchugh

A Suspect is Fatally Shot Allegedly by Officers with the Amarillo Police Department

Amarillo TX

On Friday, September 8, 2017, SWAT team members and negotiators with the Amarillo Police Department (APD) were called to a home in the 800 block of North Forest just after 4 p.m. They had received a report that a suspect was in possession of a handgun. According to Officer Jeb Hilton, an attempt was made to make contact with the suspect with both a bomb robot and a canine officer with APD. The suspect was hiding in the crawl space inside the home. The sound of muffled gunfire was heard, after which officers removed the canine officer from underneath the house. Police next used a chemical irritant in the crawl space. The suspect came out of hiding at around 7:39 p.m., and he was allegedly pointing a handgun at police officers. The officers opened fire, and the suspect was struck multiple times. Medical attention was immediately given at the scene. The suspect was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The K-9 SWAT officer had allegedly been shot by the suspect, and he was transported to the Small Animal Emergency Clinic. The dog was treated and released.

The name of the deceased suspect was withheld so that relatives could be notified.

All of the officers involved in the alleged police shooting were placed on a three-day administrative leave, per department policy. The Special Crimes Unit of the APD is investigating the incident.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor

author avatar
smchugh

On a Domestic Disturbance Call, an Armed Man is Allegedly Fatally Shot by Amarillo Police

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On Tuesday night, June 27, 2017, a police officer with the Amarillo Police Department (APD) allegedly shot and killed 35-year-old Jason Magana Herrera while responding to a domestic violence and trespassing call. The deadly incident occurred west of the Tri-State Fairgrounds at the Nelson Street Apartments. At about 6:07 p.m., police arrived at the scene. Officers encountered Herrera in the parking lot of the apartments, and they attempted to detain him. Herrera allegedly fought with the officers, and a Taser was allegedly used in an attempt to get him under control. According to the Amarillo Police Department, Herrera pulled out the Taser probes and escaped the officers. At that point, Herrera allegedly pulled out a handgun from somewhere on his person, ran from the police briefly, and then turned and allegedly directed the gun at the police. A news release from APD says that one police officer allegedly fired his handgun at Herrera, as a way of protecting himself and the other officer at the scene. The number of times he allegedly fired was not specified. Herrera was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police reported that a gun allegedly used to threaten police officers was recovered at the scene. Also, the call for police assistance was made by a woman who supposedly knew Herrera. One of the officers suffered minor injuries during the altercation with Herrera. At a local hospital, the officer was treated and released.

According to a witness at the apartments, four or five gunshots were fired during the incident.

Both of the officers at the scene are now on paid administrative leave, and the incident is being investigated.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor

author avatar
smchugh