Police kill 92 year old woman after she opens fire.
Moms View Message Board: The Kitchen Table (Debating Board): Police kill 92 year old woman after she opens fire.
Police had a warrant to search this woman's house, in which she had been the sole occupant for several years. They knocked, and announced who they were. She didn't answer, so they kicked down the door. She then opened fire, and shot each of the three officers in the thigh, arm, etc. They fired back and she was killed.
Now some are demanding an apology and stating the police officers were in the wrong here for shooting her. What do you think?
Here's the link. It has commas in it, so I can't post it as a link. Maybe someone else can...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,231364,00.html
She had a gun and was firing at them,what else could they have done?I think it is sad that she got killed, but she had no respect for the law.I would hate to have the job of a police officer never knowing if your going home to see your family again,because someone got stupid with a gun.
I agree with Sherri. It's terrible, and it seems fishy, but she still fired on police and that leaves them no choice. It seems fishy to me though, why they would have a warrant to search this woman's house? What did they suspect? I wish we had the whole story.
It's very unfortunate and I feel terrible for the family, but I don't see that the police had any other choice.
Fox Story
I also agree. She was shooting at them!
I agree Deanna it does sound fishy & I wonder what the warrant was for. It is a sad that she was killed, but they had every right to fire back at her after she shot them first.
I am sure that every one of the officers will be haunted by her death, when they were only doing their job.
Wonder how long before the family sues.
The warrant was for drugs and drugs were found in the home.
ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- Many people on the run-down northwest Atlanta street where Kathryn Johnston lived fortify their windows with metal bars and arm themselves for protection.
Johnston, 92, was no exception.
Alone in her home, she was waiting with her gun on Tuesday night when a group of plainclothes officers with a warrant knocked down her door in a search for drugs, police said.
She opened fire, wounding three officers, before being shot to death, police said. (Watch niece's fury at police shooting Video)
Assistant Police Chief Alan Dreher called the killing "tragic and unfortunate" but said the officers were justified in returning fire.
"You don't know who's in the house until you open that door," Dreher said Wednesday. "And once they forced open the door, they were immediately fired upon."
The Rev. Markel Hutchins, a civil rights activist and spokesman for Johnston's family, said he could understand why the elderly woman would arm herself.
"She was afraid," Hutchins said. "This is a horrifying situation in a neighborhood where crime happens often. This incident is a result of a mix-up."
The officers had gone to the old woman's house with a search warrant after buying drugs there from a man known only as Sam, police said. (Watch what police and family say about the shooting -- 2:53 Video)
Police issued a "John Doe" warrant on Wednesday for the arrest of Sam, believed to be in his early to mid 30s, who allegedly sold the drugs to the undercover agent.
Dreher would not say how the dealer knew Johnston.
Investigators also said they found drugs in the home after Johnston was killed.
Officer Joe Cobb, a police spokesman, said the type of drug involved would not be disclosed until it was verified by the crime lab.
District Attorney Paul Howard said his office is looking into the shooting but that a preliminary review indicated the officers had a right to search the home.
Crime and drugs are a part of the landscape in the rough neighborhood where Johnston lived, and her neighbors said they do what it takes to protect themselves.
"It's the roughest neighborhood in Georgia," said 56-year-old Allen Pernel, who lives a few blocks from Johnston's home. "If she thought somebody was coming into her house, she did what any of us would have done."
Al Harley, a 50-year-old homeless man who hangs out in front of a neighborhood convenience store, said residents follow a sort of credo: "Don't let anyone disrespect your door."
The police chief said the officers had identified themselves and then forced open the door of Johnson's house where she had lived for 17 years.
Investigator Gary Smith, 38, was shot in the leg and Investigator Cary Bond, 38, was struck in the arm.
Investigator Gregg Junnier, 40, was hit in the leg, the face and his bulletproof vest. They were taken to the hospital and are expected to recover.
Johnston had no children and her closest relative was a 75-year-old niece, neighbors said.
"She hardly came outside her home," said Tameka Walker, 28, who lives behind Johnston's house and used to visit her. "She's not a 92-year-old grouchy old woman you think she was. She's a very nice person."
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
All I can say is- duh.
It doesn't matter what the warrant was for, the fact is that they had a warrant and they announced themselves as police officers. What more were they supposed to do- Call ahead of time and schedule an appointment for a search?
Ditto Lisa (cocoabutter)
Ditto Emily-How long until the family sues?
From the article quoted above and what else I've read, it appears the police had a valid warrant based on solid police information, and "knocked and announced". It's very sad a 92 year old woman (or any age any gender person) was killed, but I don't see what else the police could have done, based on what we know at present.
It's entirely possible that "Sam", the man who sold the drugs to the police, either intimidated the woman into allowing him to sell drugs from her house, or paid her. That is not an uncommon scenario. Either way, it sounds like the police had a good warrant based on making a drug buy from her house.
I suppose someone could sue, but I don't really know who. As I understand it, her only relative is a cousin. The cousin could open an estate for the purpose of suing on behalf of the estate of the dead woman. But, this is Atlanta, and I suspect that unless the Atlanta police have a strong reputation for reckless behavior (as the Los Angeles police did for quite a while), such a lawsuit wouldn't get much sympathy from a jury.
It is a shame that a death resulted, but, as I said, based on what has been published, I don't see that the police had any real choice. It's possible she didn't hear the "announce and knock", but I am assuming the police were in uniform - and you just don't fire a gun at police without a strong (and appropriate) response.
And also we have a this stero type in our head that a 92 year old lady is this sweet innocent lady. It is true that officers would not of had an issue in a physical battle, but that is not the choice she gave them. She very might of the mother of sam, who knew what he was doing, support what he was doing, and possibly spent her whole life doing the same thing. Bad people can grow old too 
I am sorry she was killed and there are so many unanswered questions, but if you shoot, you fully expect to be shot at.
Ditto Kaye... we have no idea what this woman was doing, she very well may have been involved in criminal activity before the warrant was executed. Elderly people have been convicted of selling drugs, robbing banks, etc...
Then again, she could have been a law-abiding citizen, and had the gun for protection. However, when a police officer announces himself, and you fire at him, what exactly do you expect to happen??
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