Shootout Update: COPS TV Show Audio Technician Dies, Hit By Police Fire

[Algernon Moncrieff]

Last edited Wed Aug 27, 2014, 04:13 PM - Edit history (2)

Source: WOWT (NBC 6 Omaha)

Gunfire on Dodge Street left a robbery suspect dead and a COPS television show crew member critically wounded Tuesday night. Dodge between 42nd and 45th streets remains closed Wednesday morning as police continue to investigate.

Omaha Deputy Police Chief Dave Baker said an officer saw a man robbing the Wendy's restaurant near 43rd and Dodge around 9:20 p.m. and called for backup. The suspect held a clerk at gunpoint and demanded cash before walking outside to find police waiting. During the confrontation, shots were exchanged and the suspect was wounded. He was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. His name has not been released.

“The suspect in the armed robbery has since been declared deceased at the hospital,” said Deputy Chief Baker. “The other person transported to the hospital at that time was a member of the COPS television program."

He was hospitalized at the Med Center with life-threatening injuries. COPS has been in Omaha shadowing police since June.

Read more: http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Police-Investigate-Shooting-272815631.html

---

E.T.A. as of 11 AM: Gunfire on Dodge Street Tuesday night left a robbery suspect dead and law enforcement sources tell WOWT 6 News Wednesday morning the COPS television show crew member critically wounded has died.

http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Police-Investigate-Shooting-272815631.html

RIP

[christx30]

1. Considering the show has been on for

25 years, I don't see this as being a safety issue. It seems safer than air travel.

[mpcamb]

12. Been traveling by air since the 50s...

Is the fact that I'm alive an aberration?
Not sure what the statisical point is here.

[SnakeEyes]

17. 25 years and they haven't a death until now

Plenty of air travel deaths in the last 25 years.

[mpcamb]

21. On a tv program, right?

And which program has?
Still don't get a sense of statistical significance.

[Live and Learn]

30. I think you forgot to factor in the numbers here.

How many people have traveled by air travel and how many have filmed for the COPS show in the same time period?

[LiberalArkie]

2. I attribute just about everything wrong with todays police

to the COPS program.

[PeoViejo]

5. Agreed

They all want to be a Star on COPS.

I no longer watch TV. When I did watch it I never remember seeing any of the shows portraying the Police as nice guys, always bad-asses.

It was more like Gang Warfare.

[Art_from_Ark]

25. They used to portray cops as nice guys

but I think that might have died out when they took Adam-12 off the air.

[Live and Learn]

31. Exactly what I keep complaining about. I absolutely hate these new cop shows.

Why do they depict the officers cussing and lying and pretend that those are heroic traits? It may be the reality but if so it certainly needs to end.

[Art_from_Ark]

33. We've certainly come a long way since

"Car 54, Where Are You?", and not in a good way.

I agree, the new cop shows are unwatchable. Bleah.

[freshwest]

42. They normalize brutality and violating rights like '24' did with torture. And like the Sopranos did

Last edited Sat Aug 30, 2014, 01:26 AM - Edit history (1)

a number on middle class people I know who watched it. All they talked about was the family life and not what financed that. Saddam Hussein was said to be a regular viewer, he thought that was what Americans were all about.

Media has shredded the remaining conscience of Americans after an era when they portrayed people as caring, open minded and forgiving. Instead every kind of cruelty is acted out and promoted. I remember when just the hint of a person being killed was treated as a horror. Now it's a treat and viewers lap it up.

Turned it off over a dozen years ago but was never a heavy viewer, anyway. I have a relative who got hooked on TV when there were good shows that valued equality and scientific achievements and watched over the years as they embraced negative progamming.

And then came the cable news shows with hate and group think. Now they are absolute bigots and baggers and that was not how we were brought up to be.

There's been a lot of long term programming to make people act dumb, coarse, insult working people and a host of other ills.

JMHO.

[FiveGoodMen]

7. Yup.

Absolutely disgusted that that show was EVER on.

[Sparhawk60]

19. I Learned a LOT

I learned a lot from watching that show:

1) Never give the cops permission to do any thing
2) Never admit to any thing
3) Never walk out of my double wide; drunk, wearing a wife beater, holding a can of beer, and then start harassing cops.


A LOT of people are in jail are there because they didn't follow the above rules.

I also saw a lot of truly disgusting behavior by police on that show.

[Fix The Stupid]

20. Heh... ever watch "The First 48" on A/E?

That show is a primer on how NOT to act when questioned by police...


They bring the suspect in, threaten them to talk, and 95% of the time the dumbasses open their mouths and talk...

When they don't talk, the detectives have nothing, and they get all bent out of shape about it...

Oh yeah, then when the case seems to be going cold, a miraculous phone call from an "anonymous source" or 'anonymous tipster" happens and then they have the probable cause to take the case farther...

EVERY.DAMN.TIME.

Seriously, watch this show and you will see the same pattern...everytime....

[msanthrope]

22. They never shut up. Ever. nt

[eppur_se_muova]

43. 4) If you're going to run from the cops, you might as well strip naked first. nt

[Joe Shlabotnik]

46. +1

Its porn for the vengeful, perpetually scared, law and order segment of society.

[gopiscrap]

28. I tend to agree

this fucking show made it popular and acceptable for Cops to become fucking pigs and have the sheeple laugh about it. The blatant disrespect for suspects that I hear on this program pisses me off. What about innocent until proven guilty?

[Live and Learn]

32. +1 nt

[gopiscrap]

40. Thank you

[heaven05]

3. oh well

[JohnnyRingo]

4. My heart goes out to his family.

Even though it may seem obvious that this could happen, I'm sure he didn't get up each day wondering if it would be his last. Most of his job was just following cops around while they dealt with drunks and misdemeanors. I don't know if they even wear a vest, but they will now.

As far as being a photojournalist, I credit him with getting in close for the story. I would never run toward armed robbery situations.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

8. At 11, news sources announced that the COPS crew member has passed

[tblue37]

44. He was wearing a vest, but the bullet entered through the opening under the arm.

At least that is what I read in an article about the case when it first happened.

[JohnnyRingo]

45. I saw that...

I know bullets can do odd things when they enter the body. They can take strange turns.

So sad that he died, or for that matter the fact that anyone did.

On one hand I'm incensed that police apparently overreacted to a robbery, but I know how gunfire is contagious. In a tense situation, when one person fires it leads others to open up. Emptying a magazine is not uncommon when tensions are high. Even Seal Team Six unloaded everything on Bin Laden's lifeless corpse, and they're trained to be disiplined.

On the other hand, no one should act as though the pellet gun they wield is a real gun. There's a certain amount of responsibility for one's actions, and this situation ended tragically for all concerned. I'm going to assume that the cops didn't fist pump and revel in high fives after the incident, and I hope I'm right.

[geomon666]

6. Omaha Deputy Police Chief Dave Baker said...

Ok so what's the real story?

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. as in ...who shot the COPS show guy?

Except when being aimed at black people, police shootings are notoriously off the mark.

[Corey_Baker08]

18. Really? WTF

[Omaha Steve]

10. UPDATE: Officials: 'Cops' crewman killed by police in Wendy's shooting; all shots fired by police

http://www.omaha.com/news/crime/officials-cops-tv-show-crew-member-dies-after-being-shot/article_a919c242-2d98-11e4-9cee-001a4bcf6878.html

By Emerson Clarridge and Jay Withrow / World-Herald staff writers

A suspect was shot dead and a crew member with the “Cops” television show later died after the apparent disruption of a robbery Tuesday night at a Wendy’s restaurant in midtown Omaha, police said Wednesday morning.

More than 30 shots were fired, officials said. The fatal shots apparently were fired by an Omaha police officer. Officials said it appears the only shots fired came from police.

Officials said the robbery suspect apparently had an Airsoft gun, a type of gun that often looks like an actual firearm.

The victim was described as the crew member who holds the microphone. He was taken from the scene in extremely critical condition.

FULL update at link.

[geomon666]

11. I knew it, I knew the fucking cops were lying.

How could I tell they were lying? They opened their mouths.

[Omaha Steve]

13. Just what did they lie about?

???

[gopiscrap]

29. +1,000,000

[Ruby the Liberal]

14. "More than 30 shots were fired"

[Earth_First]

15. "More than 30 rounds were fired..."

For perspective...depending on the model...at the minimum...two full service weapons were fully discharged during this situation.

30 god-damned rounds?

To serve and PROTECT?!

A 30 round barrage of bullets conjures up a very unsafe public safety situation in my mind and these officers have quite a bit of explaining to justify the discharge of so many rounds while in pursuit of a suspect...

[Omaha Steve]

16. The robbery suspect apparently had an air gun, a type of BB gun that looks like an actual firearm

The suspect held a (unarmed) clerk at gunpoint and demanded cash. He fires at police and runs. They return fire. Suspect would be alive IF he had just dropped the gun period. I don't see any early info that lies, or at the follow up press conference.


Video: http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Police-Investigate-Shooting-272815631.html


http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/A-Look-at-the-Gun-272956621.html




http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Police-Investigate-Shooting-272815631.html

The first two audible shots were from Mr. Washington’s gun,” the chief said.
Officers returned fire. Washington was shot.

Look at the holes in the window. They were firing at a running not stationary target obscured by the building at times.

[Corey_Baker08]

27. In This Pic It Looks Like They Tried Shooting The Weapon From His Hand...

but of course this is of course just one picture of a police officer impersonating the place of the shooter...

[Calista241]

23. It's like they just sprayed the place with gunfire.

Have they ever heard of fire discipline?

[Omaha Steve]

24. Look at the pattern in the glass

All are about the same height on the glass. They go from side to side as the suspect was running.

[Corey_Baker08]

26. May He Rest In Peace & My Thoughts Are With Her Family, This Is A Tragic Situation!

I have always appreciated the show COPS because it shows real police dealing with everyday situations and allows the audience to view what the police do on a day to day basis without bias.

Regardless of your opinion on Police I think we can all agree this is a very tragic and isolated incident....

[Live and Learn]

34. Good Gawd, 2 deaths because of a low level robbery (with a bb gun)

at a fast food joint? How much money could the (now dead) suspect even have gotten? We really must re-evaluate our priorities here.

And, take the friggen police reality shows and prison reality shows off the air as entertainment and return them to news reporting.

[Omaha Steve]

35. BB gun

Tell that to the young mom that had it pointed at her head at point blank range. She wondered IF she would ever see her baby again.

[Live and Learn]

36. I don't doubt she was traumatized and I never said it should be legal to do so but

the "young mom" is still alive, the suspect never killed anyone nor did he have the means to do so and the officers killed 2 people.

You don't see a problem with that?

[Omaha Steve]

37. TWO shots at officers with what acted like a deadly weapon

And what would YOU do when somebody took two shots at YOU?

You don't see a problem with that? Had he froze or dropped the gun he would be alive.

You weren't there. The COPS video was!

OS

[geomon666]

38. And hopefully, one day that video will be released.

So that we can actually know what happened.

[Omaha Steve]

39. COPS owns the video

It is their contract with the city. I'm sure with the audience it will draw that is a sure thing.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

41. It does not look like a BB gun from any distance.

You'd have to have pretty expert knowledge to look at it in someone's hand up close and distinguish it from, say for example, a .22.

I can't blame the cops. They did what they were trained to do. Should we rethink having them empty their whole clip? Perhaps. Bullets ended up in the tanning salon in the neighboring building.