Ex-officer sentenced to 25 years for killing suicidal man

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Aug. 20, 2021
Updated: Aug. 20, 2021 10:11 p.m.



FILE - This Friday, May 7, 2021, booking photo provided by the Madison County, Ala., Sheriff's Office, shows Huntsville police officer William Darby. Darby was sentenced to 25 years in prison Friday afternoon, Aug. 20, 2021, for the murder of a man he shot while on duty in 2018. (Madison County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)Madison County Sheriff's Office/AP


HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A judge sentenced a former Alabama police officer to 25 years in prison Friday for the shooting death of a suicidal man who was holding a gun to his own head.

Former Huntsville police officer William “Ben” Darby was convicted in May of killing Jeffrey Parker in 2018. Darby shot Parker while responding to a call after the man phoned 911 saying he was armed and planned to kill himself.

Darby and others pleaded for leniency, saying there was no evil intent when he pulled the trigger. Prosecutors argued during the sentencing hearing that Darby’s lack of willingness to admit wrongdoing and the “gravity of what he did to Jeffery Parker” deserved a long sentence, news outlets reported.

“Jeff was in a mental state. Jeff had issues. Jeff asked for help,” Bill Parks, Jeff Parker’s friend, told reporters after the sentencing. Parks said another officer had the situation under control until Darby entered and shot Parker within seconds.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/article/Former-officer-to-be-sentenced-in-killing-of-16400412.php

[hlthe2b]

1. Cops shooting "within seconds" when mental health crisis is predetermined on the 911 call

is so damned disturbing to me. I'm sure it is "panic" for some officers (who should never BE officers) but for many of the rest, it just feels like power-driven sociopathy.

We have to have appropriately trained mental health responders take this role from the police and require them to be (distant) back-up ONLY.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Yup. Sure is an indication of a black-hearted cop looking for an excuse to kill someone. . . nt

[Farmer-Rick]

2. Even here in idiot country the police like to shot first

There was this couple, they had only been married a year, who were having a fight and the man was depressed. He ran off into the woods saying he was going to kill himself. His wife, afraid for his life, called the police. The police followed his tracks and found him up a tree just sitting on a branch. The police told him to get down. He said, "No". So they shot him. He fell out of the tree with a gunshot wound, 2 broken ribs and a broken leg.....but at least he lived.

Makes no sense.

[LiberatedUSA]

4. No don't kill yourself!

Let me do it for you!

25 years well deserved.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

5. It is awful

How many Mentally ill people get killed and abused by police.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/policing-mental-health-recent-deaths-highlight-concerns-over-officer-response-n1266935

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2991059/

[TNNurse]

6. Was 25 years all they could sentence him for???

Seems like life would have been better.