Yes, we’ve got another episode today. As opposed to our last episode, this shoot is without a doubt a righteous one. Here a Kentucky police officer chases an armed convict through a Shively neighborhood. When the convict turns and points a gun at the officer the convict gets ventilated. And a heads up to our BLM friends, the suspect is white. Sorry to disappoint you.
Shively police release body camera video after officer shoots suspect
Shively police released body camera footage on Friday from a Thursday incident in which a suspect was shot and injured by an officer during a chase.
During a press conference Friday, police identified the officer as Steve Becker and the suspect as Terry L. Sams.
Sams, 26, was shot Thursday morning by Becker near Grandview Drive and San Jose Avenue, Shively Police Chief Kevin Higdon said.
Sams was “conscious and talking” following the shooting and later underwent surgery at University of Louisville Hospital, where he remains in stable condition, police said.
Ha! More like screaming and crying. And here it is! This one definitely calls for popcorn, Milk Duds, and beverages. Skip to about 2:05 if you want to get directly to the shooting.
Becker, an 11-year Shively Police Department veteran with no prior disciplinary action in his personnel file, was also taken to the hospital for evaluation but was not injured, Higdon said.
Becker has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation into the shooting, which is standard procedure, Higdon added.
“This individual placed himself in a high-risk situation whereby an officer had to make a split-second decision to pull and fire his weapon,” Higdon said. “We as officers never want to be placed in a situation where we have to draw our weapon and possibly take someone’s life or injure someone.”
Higdon said officers initially responded around 10:18 a.m. Thursday to the area of Grandview Drive and San Jose Avenue on a report of a male suspect “walking in the middle of the street, acting erratic and causing alarm to several residents” in the area.
Officers found Sams going in and out of backyards, and Sams began fleeing from officers, Higdon said.
Police finally located Sams about six or seven minutes later at the corner of Grandview Drive and San Jose Avenue and told him to show his hands to officers, Higdon said.
Sams refused to follow orders, so officers drew their weapons, which is standard protocol, Higdon said.
Sams pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Becker, who then shot Sams several times in his torso, hip and leg, Higdon said
Footage released from Becker’s body camera shows the officer hopping over a home’s fence and then running toward a street. According to the footage, Becker then sees Sams at approximately 10:25 a.m.
“Show me your hands motherf*****. Show me your hands,” Becker yells as he moves toward Sams.
Sams can be heard yelling, “F*** you,” in response and is then seen turning toward Becker, who fires several shots about one second later. Sams falls to the ground.
“Shots fired, shots fired,” Becker says to his radio while moving toward Sams, who can be heard yelling while on the ground.
What happened to the tough guy who a moment ago was telling Becker to fuck off a second ago? Now he’s a little pussy screaming and wailing while writhes on the ground. Instant attitude adjustment.
“Call EMS,” another officer can be heard saying on Becker’s radio.
“Get the gun away,” one officer says as Becker and other officers move toward Sams.
A second clip released from a different officer’s body camera shows that officer picking up a handgun on the ground a few feet away from where Sams is lying. The officer “clears” the gun by removing a clip [sic] from it.
Haha! They said clip. But here’s the second video.
Here’s the second clip of body cam footage that Shively Police have released. It shows an officer finding the suspect’s gun and clearing it shortly after the shooting. pic.twitter.com/B1joit44IQ
— Billy Kobin (@Billy_Kobin) February 8, 2019
Lt. Col. Josh Myers, a Shively Police spokesman, said Sams’ gun was loaded and will be sent to a state crime lab for further inspection.
Police also found drug paraphernalia in Sams’ possession, Higdon said.
While an investigation is still ongoing, police have “good reason to believe (Sams) was intoxicated on something,” Higdon said.
Once he is released from the hospital, Sams will be charged with first-degree wanton endangerment, fleeing and evading police, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, criminal trespassing and possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.
Shively police had previously “dealt with” Sams on nine or 10 different occasions, Higdon added.
He said Sams has an extensive prior criminal record going back to when he was 18, including several felony convictions.
Becker is “understandably shaken up” following the shooting, Myers said.
“He is a person. He is a human,” Myers said. “And he’s going to have to run the gamut of all the human emotions that come along with this.”
Shively police have used body cameras since 2016, Myers said.
As for the profane words that Becker and Sams were heard using, Higdon said “that’s going to happen in a heightened situation of chasing someone for six, seven minutes and jumping five or six fences.”
Becker was confronting an armed felon and you’re worried that he used a naughty word? Please.
“You’re adrenaline is going to be high,” Higdon said. “That’s for sure.”
Based on the body camera footage, Higdon said he thinks that Becker “has done what he should have done in this instance” but that the investigation will determine if officers followed proper protocol.
Indeed he has done what should have been done. If only his accuracy had been just a tad better. But even at that, I have to admit it was fun to hear that thug cry.
