Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
In darkness and chaos, deputy killed by friendly fire
From https://www.apnews.com/7156af6b5be84f939f672dda8dedf4c7
In darkness and chaos, deputy killed by friendly fire
By AMANDA LEE MYERS
December 7, 2018
FILE - In this Nov. 15, 2018 file photo the flag draped casket of Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Ron Helus arrives on stage for a memorial service for Helus at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, Calif. Helus who died in a mass shooting at a California bar was shot five times by a gunman who massacred 11 others, but the officer was killed by friendly fire, authorities said Friday, Dec. 7. (Al Seib /Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool,File)
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — As terrified people scrambled out of broken windows, screaming and bleeding and fleeing a mass shooting inside a California bar, Sgt. Ron Helus and a highway patrolman decided to try to stop the gunman, running in together with assault-style rifles to what turned out to be an ambush.
Almost immediately inside the dark and smoky bar, the gunman fired on the officers, hitting Helus five times. They retreated and returned fire.
What happened next is every officer’s worst nightmare: One of the patrolman’s bullets hit his fellow policeman, piercing his heart and killing him.
That Helus was killed by friendly fire emerged for the first time at a somber news conference Friday, exactly one month since 28-year-old Ian David Long attacked country-music lovers at the Borderline Bar and Grill in the Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks, killing 12 and wounding 22 others.
...
By AMANDA LEE MYERS
December 7, 2018
FILE - In this Nov. 15, 2018 file photo the flag draped casket of Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Ron Helus arrives on stage for a memorial service for Helus at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, Calif. Helus who died in a mass shooting at a California bar was shot five times by a gunman who massacred 11 others, but the officer was killed by friendly fire, authorities said Friday, Dec. 7. (Al Seib /Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool,File)
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — As terrified people scrambled out of broken windows, screaming and bleeding and fleeing a mass shooting inside a California bar, Sgt. Ron Helus and a highway patrolman decided to try to stop the gunman, running in together with assault-style rifles to what turned out to be an ambush.
Almost immediately inside the dark and smoky bar, the gunman fired on the officers, hitting Helus five times. They retreated and returned fire.
What happened next is every officer’s worst nightmare: One of the patrolman’s bullets hit his fellow policeman, piercing his heart and killing him.
That Helus was killed by friendly fire emerged for the first time at a somber news conference Friday, exactly one month since 28-year-old Ian David Long attacked country-music lovers at the Borderline Bar and Grill in the Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks, killing 12 and wounding 22 others.
...
More at link.