Woman called for a medical response after fiancé took too many pills, police arrive and shoot him

[Ban Hammer 13,619]

WAYCROSS, GA — 43-year-old Jack Lamar Roberson was a father, son, and military veteran who was engaged to be married. His life ended abruptly when he was gunned down inside his own home by police responding to a 9-1-1 call regarding a possibly suicidal man. His family members, expecting a medical response, received a combat response. The distraught family is left with the regret of calling the government for help.

Roberson’s fiancée, Alicia Herron, made the call to 9-1-1 on the evening of Friday, October 4th, to request an ambulance because she was worried after he had swallowed “a couple of big handfuls” of pills he used to treat his diabetes, mixing them with alcohol. His mother and 8-year-old daughter were also present in the home.

Herron was asked if Roberson was being combative, and she responded “Yeah,” explaining that he had broken his TV and the refrigerator.

The operator then asked if Roberson had said anything to indicate that he might be suicidal. Herron told the operator, “He says he wants to die, but I don’t know.”

Towards the end of the 9-1-1 call, and specifically out of concern for Roberson’s diabetic condition, Herron specifically asked the operator, “Just the ambulance is coming, right? No police, right?” Yet, it was the police, not the ambulance, who arrived at their home instead.

Officer Casey Caswell and Lt. Scott Rowell were sent to the home in response to a report of a suicidal man and were informed before arriving that Roberson had become combative and was damaging items in his home.

Police arrived around 4:30 p.m., and were evidently let into the house. As officers entered the living room, they saw Roberson emerging from the kitchen. What happened next remains in dispute, but it resulted in Roberson being shot multiple times.

Roberson’s mother, Diane Roberson, said to a local news channel, “We called 911 for my son cause he wasn’t feeling good so instead of 911 coming, the police came . . . I was here — and my son was coming from the kitchen. He saw the officer over there. The officer didn’t say anything. My son raised his hands. The officer took his gun, fired — one, two, three. I heard four shots. My son fell. Nothing in his hands.”

Each witness insists that Roberson’s hands were empty. But officers wrote in their report that he was holding weapons – a large meat fork and what appeared to be a knife — and claim they shot in self defense.

According to Chief Tony Tanner:

“The officers yelled repeatedly for Mr. Roberson to stop and drop the weapons. Mr. Roberson gained ground on the officers and raised one of the weapons in a threatening manner toward the officers. Both officers fired to stop Mr. Roberson from assaulting them.”

But his family says that no commands were given to Roberson. They claim that neither he nor the police said anything before shots were fired, and that Roberson’s arms were raised in submission and he was shot without cause.

Alicia Herron gave First Coast News her account of the events:

“He didn’t have nothing in his hands at any time or period at all before they came, any time while they were here, anything. They just came in and shot him. He didn’t say nothing, the police didn’t say nothing, anything, it was like a silent movie. You couldn’t hear anything, all you could hear were the gun shots go off and I seen them going into his body and he just fell down.”

The only agreement between the witnesses and the police officers was where the confrontation happened. His family members maintain that he was shot unarmed and without aggression. Officers claim that he was dual-wielding kitchen utensils and charging at them like a maniac, ignoring multiple commands him to drop what he was holding.

Channel 4 News reported that over 100 people gathered in the neighborhood immediately following the killing to condemn the actions of the police saying that, “(they) didn’t need to shoot and kill Jack Lamar Roberson.”

Neighbor Bernara Benson described Roberson as “a nice man who never caused any trouble.”

This is yet another in what seems to be a recurring theme of inappropriate police action when confronted with non-violent, non-compliant citizens who pose a greater risk to themselves than to those around them. Here we have a seemingly disturbed individual who desperately needed the help of professionals trained to deal with his specific problem. Instead, what he got was the inept and unqualified “assistance” of the Waycross Police Department. The officers responded to the scene, despite specifically being asked not to come by the caller, and promptly did what they were best trained to do. And rather than being treated and given the help he needed by qualified professionals, 43-year-old Jack Lamar Roberson was shot and killed inside of his own house and in front of his family.

When it comes to the use of deadly force, police officers are necessarily given wide latitude because of the split-second nature of the life and death decisions that they are required to make. The Supreme Court has ruled that police officers may use as much force as is reasonably required to subdue offenders who resist arrest. For deadly force to be considered justifiable, it must be the reasonable choice given the circumstances at the time of arrest. In other words, deadly force can only the reasonable option when there are no other options will succeed in making the arrest.

The legal standards for deadly force vary depending on whether the offense is a misdemeanor or felony, how much of a threat the suspect poses, and the suspect’s attempts to resist or flee the police officer. However, one fact is constant; if it is proved that an officer used more force than was necessary, the officer can be held criminally and civilly liable.

In Tennessee v. Garner (1985), Justice Byron R. White opined,

“We conclude that such force may not be used unless it is necessary to prevent the escape and the officer has probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others.”

Jack Lamar Roberson and his family needed an emergency response qualified to handle his specific medical needs. What he received, instead, was the practiced response of police officers specifically trained to neutralize any and all threats using “as much force as is reasonably required to overcome the resistance.” When it comes to the destruction of property and the taking of lives, the efficiency of the police is second only to that of the United States Military – though that gap grows narrower with each passing day. But that training was of no benefit to Mr. Roberson and completely inappropriate to the needs of his personal circumstance. Perhaps the police are not the right people to call on in situations such as this.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is looking into the killing of Jack Lamar Roberson.

Even if you believe the account of the incident provided by the police department and accept that Mr. Roberson was armed, one must wonder if there were no other means by which the police could have subdued him. And regardless of whether the pending GBI internal investigation and possible criminal and civil trials decide in the favor of Mr. Roberson or the police officers who shot and killed him; ultimately nothing will return Jack Lamar Roberson to his family. The cops involved have been placed on administrative leave during the investigation, but the system they serve is unlikely to rule against them unless there is a truly overwhelming supply of evidence and an even larger public outcry.

http://www.policestateusa.com/2013/jack-lamar-roberson/

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

I read this story last week, there is something missing.

[Teddy B 17,252]

Towards the end of the 9-1-1 call, and specifically out of concern for Roberson’s diabetic condition, Herron specifically asked the operator, “Just the ambulance is coming, right? No police, right?” Yet, it was the police, not the ambulance, who arrived at their home instead.

Roberson’s mother, Diane Roberson, said to a local news channel, “We called 911 for my son cause he wasn’t feeling good so instead of 911 coming, the police came . . . I was here — and my son was coming from the kitchen. He saw the officer over there. The officer didn’t say anything. My son raised his hands. The officer took his gun, fired — one, two, three. I heard four shots. My son fell. Nothing in his hands.”

Last I checked, the police are part of 911 and the people who call for emergency services do not get to pick and choose which departments show up for their emergency.

I was wondering where the anti police slant in this article was coming from, "policestate.com."

Edited October 21, 2013 by Teddy B

[Ban Hammer 13,619]

Last I checked, the police are part of 911 and the people who call for emergency services do not get to pick and choose which departments show up for their emergency.

I was wondering where the anti police slant in this article was coming from, "policestate.com."

maybe it's just me, but i'm not real sure what police can do about a pill overdose - other than shoot the individual.

as for the linked site, feel free to find another source that carries the story.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/10/08/Police-shoot-kill-man-in-need-of-urgent-medical-assistance/3011381254501/

Georgia woman who placed a 911 call so that her boyfriend could receive urgent medical attention claims police officers who responded to the call shot and killed him.

Alicia Herron said she called the emergency response service to request an ambulance for her fiance Jack Lamar Roberson, 43, because she was worried about the diabetes medication he had taken. However, police arrived at her house instead of paramedics.

"He didn't have nothing in his hands at any time or period at all before they came, any time while they were here, anything. They just came in and shot him. He didn't say nothing, the police didn't say nothing, anything, it was like a silent movie. You couldn't hear anything, all you could hear were the gun shots go off and I seen them going into his body and he just fell down," Herron said.

The Waycross Police Department said officers were dispatched to the home after receiving a report of an attempted suicide. While en route, they were updated that the man had become combative.

Police Chief Tony Rogers said Roberson lunged at the officers with two items described as weapons. He added that the man ignored requests to drop the items.

Rogers went on to say that officials opened fire after Roberson raised one of the weapons in a seemingly aggressive manner. However, the man's mother, Diane Robertson said her son was not holding weapons when police shot him.

"If you're any type of man you'll come to me and you'll tell me why you stood up there and told a lie. Two knives, we don't own two decent knives," said Roberson's mother.

A Waycross Police Department Incident Report says that, "Near Roberson's head was a black handled, two prong meat fork and another black handled kitchen utensil." The latter could not be identified because the metal part was reportedly covered by a shoe.

The Waycross Police Department requested the GBI take over the investigation. An autopsy was performed Monday, but the results are not available yet.

"It's pain, it's a mother's pain, her first born to be shot down in her face. My granddaughter's got to have intense therapy," said Roberson's mother.

[JohnR! 5,495]

maybe it's just me, but i'm not real sure what police can do about a pill overdose - other than shoot the individual.

as for the linked site, feel free to find another source that carries the story.

The police will always accompany the EMTs in all calls where an overdose or drugs are reported. It is part of their protocol to ensure that no lawsuit is brought upon the EMTs for malpractice in case of death. They also do so to protect the EMTs because oftentimes they have to remove someone from a venue where drugs are being produced and/or distributed. There is also the additional factor that oftentimes patients become belligerent and violent, in which case restraints and other means of confinement may need to be used on the patient and the police can ensure no undue measures were used to subdue an agitated addict.

[Teddy B 17,252]

maybe it's just me, but i'm not real sure what police can do about a pill overdose - other than shoot the individual.

as for the linked site, feel free to find another source that carries the story.

But this wasn't just a pill overdose. Roberson was not passed out from the pills he took, By the callers own words, Roberson was up and being combative, breaking things in his home.

Herron was asked if Roberson was being combative, and she responded “Yeah,” explaining that he had broken his TV and the refrigerator.

As for the linked site, there is no other site that carries the story written this way. It's an op-ed written by one of the site members. Here's a link to the story from another site with a more level sense of reporting to it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/08/jack-lamar-roberson-police-fatally-shoot_n_4065116.html

[Ban Hammer 13,619]

The police will always accompany the EMTs in all calls where an overdose or drugs are reported. It is part of their protocol to ensure that no lawsuit is brought upon the EMTs for malpractice in case of death. They also do so to protect the EMTs because oftentimes they have to remove someone from a venue where drugs are being produced and/or distributed. There is also the additional factor that oftentimes patients become belligerent and violent, in which case restraints and other means of confinement may need to be used on the patient and the police can ensure no undue measures were used to subdue an agitated addict.

but there were no emt's at the scene. so just what were the police accompanying?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I would say a meat fork qualifies as a weapon.

[Ban Hammer 13,619]

I would say a meat fork qualifies as a weapon.

if he was holding one

Each witness insists that Roberson’s hands were empty.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

This is nothing new. Black men dying by police under unusual circumstances have been going on for quite some time now.

[JohnR! 5,495]

but there were no emt's at the scene. so just what were the police accompanying?

Chances are the police and the EMTs are not co-located which may account for different travel times.

[JohnR! 5,495]

This is nothing new. Black men dying by police under unusual circumstances have been going on for quite some time now.

That also plays a part. In some parts of The South police are somewhat trigger happy when dealing with some people.

I read somewhere that only last year a group of students had to organize in order to get an integrated prom at their local high school. That ought to give you an idea...

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

That also plays a part. In some parts of The South police are somewhat trigger happy when dealing with some people.

I read somewhere that only last year a group of students had to organize in order to get an integrated prom at their local high school. That ought to give you an idea...

You probably read that here. SMOKE posted the link in which he contributed to make it happen. It's in a lot of places, here as well. I have told my wife to not make any sudden movements in the car if we are stopped. I keep my hands on the wheel and try my best to just answer questions properly. It's always upsetting when they start asking questions like where are you going or why are you out this late at night?

Last Ramadan, on the weekends, we usually go to IHOP or Dennys since they're open 24 hours on Saturdays and Sundays to break fast at 0230 in the morning. On base, I was pulled over by the base police. I told my wife to have her ID card ready and just stay calm. The cops pulled me over because my license plate light was out in the back of my car. He asked me to get out of the car so he could show me, so I oblidged him. Once we were back there, he asked me why we were out so late. I told him we were going to eat at IHOP. He asked why at that hour. I had to explain to him about Ramadan and our eating schedule. Took about 2 minutes. My wife asked after we left why I had to do that. I told her, being black will always cast suspicion on you so I went the extra mile to ensure there were no issues.

[JohnR! 5,495]

You probably read that here. SMOKE posted the link in which he contributed to make it happen. It's in a lot of places, here as well. I have told my wife to not make any sudden movements in the car if we are stopped. I keep my hands on the wheel and try my best to just answer questions properly. It's always upsetting when they start asking questions like where are you going or why are you out this late at night?

Last Ramadan, on the weekends, we usually go to IHOP or Dennys since they're open 24 hours on Saturdays and Sundays to break fast at 0230 in the morning. On base, I was pulled over by the base police. I told my wife to have her ID card ready and just stay calm. The cops pulled me over because my license plate light was out in the back of my car. He asked me to get out of the car so he could show me, so I oblidged him. Once we were back there, he asked me why we were out so late. I told him we were going to eat at IHOP. He asked why at that hour. I had to explain to him about Ramadan and our eating schedule. Took about 2 minutes. My wife asked after we left why I had to do that. I told her, being black will always cast suspicion on you so I went the extra mile to ensure there were no issues.

Although I know what you say happens all the time I can't bring myself to understand why, especially on base!

The right answer in this case should be: Officer, you stopped me for a reason. Can we go about tending to that, instead of concentrating on the why/whither/whence of my private life? To be sure, I think many would get in trouble for that, but realistically it is not their business at all. Give me the ticket and let me go already.