Dallas Police Department Brass Calls a Police Shooting "Reckless"

By Sky Chadde Tue., Nov. 25 2014 at 2:29 PM

Dallas News | myFOXdfw.com
In December of last year, Kelvion Walker became another black teenager shot by a police officer. He had jumped into the passenger's seat of a car his friend had stolen without his knowledge, but his friend bailed when Officer Amy Wilburn approached. This left Walker alone in the car. He put his hands up, but Wilburn shot him. Now, according to documents submitted in Walker's federal court case Monday, Dallas Police Department brass believe Wilburn acted "recklessly."

"I really believe leading up to the event, she violated so many of our rules and procedures that exposed herself to an unnecessary situation," Assistant Chief Thomas Lawrence, who was promoted to the position in 2010, said during a deposition. "I believe at the point the shooting occurred, she just -- I just don't believe she was justified [in shooting him]. I don't think she was reasonably in fear to the level that we expect a reasonable officer to be."

Lawrence went on to say that the shooting itself wasn't just reckless, but that Wilburn's behavior leading up to it was as well.

"The reckless part of it characterizes the context of the whole event, not just the shooting," Lawrence said. "The jumping out, running up there, immediately engaging, not doing the things that we teach them to do, not taking any kind of safety precautions, that's -- taken as a whole, I believe that was just a -- in terms of -- I'm not using the term reckless in terms of the legal term you're used to; in reasonable terms the way police act, that she acted recklessly as far as police conduct would be concerned. I believe it was kind of careless disregard for the rules and procedures and stuff."

The newly filed documents also show that Wilburn rushed to the car Walker was sitting in despite information that Walker was armed, which was false. However, believing that he was armed, Wilburn should have stayed away from the vehicle, in adherence with the department's use of force policy.

Wilburn, who had been on the force since 2001, was fired soon after she shot Walker.

Send your story tips to the author, Sky Chadde.

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WaitWhat

Is it even conceivable that a black man doesn't have his hands raised in that situation?

http://youtu.be/IKq3Gm1mbT8

I am reaching for my wallet, cause I don't want to be no motherfucking accident.

noblefurrtexas topcommenter

The race to more diversify the Dallas Police Department has largely been a disaster. It suggests that all people are equal, have equal strength and metal and emotional acuity, and have the same talents in every other field. Any rational psychologist and family medical doctor will tell you that is NOT the case.

Being able to pass a test and make it though the police academy is not enough of a screening device. We MUST change the system to reflect only personal strengths and talents, and ignore race, gender, and other demographics in selecting people who will carry guns and be expected to protect the rest of us, and vigorously go after the bad guys.

kierrahlewis

I do not know how to react. I hate to say it that the people whom we put our trust with are the people who would violate. Why do you think she was fired after the incident. Something must be wrong. It's hard to believe, but when I came across with this article, http://bit.ly/1ojmb3k I came to realize that we just have to be careful.

everlastingphelps topcommenter

Two things to remember -- first, Wilburn was one of the cops who was already on the public's radar for stopping off at 7-11 and filling out a few reports before showing up at the domestic violence call that Deanna Cook had made while she was being murdered. Of course, we didn't know that for two days because Wilburn and her partner just knocked on the door, left the murder victim a voicemail, and left.

Second, the police union, as near as I can tell, still insists that this was a good shoot.

Charlie

@WaitWhat THIS! This is the EXACT thing I've been saying since Aug. 9. I live in St Louis and apparently the general thought among the white suburban folks is that black people just up and attack the police on sight with absolutely no self control. No one wants to ask the simple question: Given that this systemic racism has existed in the area for decades, possibly centuries, and black people know they are in greater danger of being injured or killed by officers, WHY THE FUCK DOES IT MAKE ANY SENSE THAT THIS KID, WHILE RUNNING AWAY(Even if he committed a robbery, even if he jaywalked) WOULD JUST DECIDE TO TURN AROUND AND ATTACK THE MAN SHOOTING A FUCKING GUN AT HIM? Even if he "tried to go for the officer's gun"(another variation of "i was in fear for my life", by the time the second shot occurred and he started running, IT WAS PRETTY FUCKING OBVIOUS HE DID NOT HAVE THE GUN AND IS NO LONGER A THREAT. I'm sitting here watching the police in the area essentially declaring war on the community and all anyone wants to focus on is the possibility that the deceased stole cigars. Between the coverup, evidence tampering, oppressive response to mourners(this entire extended protest began because the police had their dogs urinate on the memorial the locals set up, and then they ran it over), press conference after press conference full of obvious lies and half truths, the prosecutor essentially joining the defense team, every step of the process being described as either "bizarre", "unprecedented", "unusual" and any other name for strange and weird you can come up with, and the police union trying to silence anyone who disagrees with them, this entire sad saga has been rotten and corrupt from the very beginning.

dsmithy3211

@noblefurrtexas How does the race to diversify even remotely suggest that all people are equal, have the same talents, or any other such nonsense? That's one hell of a logical leap.

noblefurrtexas topcommenter

@everlastingphelps As far as I'm concerned, this was ample reason for dereliction of duty complaints, and firing.

The police union (DPA) is nothing more than an apologist for bad policing. It didn't used to be, but that's what it is today.

noblefurrtexas topcommenter

@dsmithy3211 @noblefurrtexas The standards for the Dallas Police Department have been changed, over and over, to accommodate more diversity. That's an absurd thing to do.

We don't need police officers who speak Ebonics. We need police officers who understand the law, know how to deal with criminals, know when NOT to use deadly force, and who are skilled at dealing with people.

Being stopped by a policeman, these days, is very stressful. It didn't used to be. What changed was cops who forget they are public servants.