carsalesguy
February 27th, 2008, 09:40 PM
Friends: JPD shooting victim 'a teddy bear'
By Kathleen Baydala • kbaydala@clarionledger.com • February 27, 2008
Friends of 23-year-old George Harris say they don’t believe he was the type of man who would pose a threat to a police officer.
Yet police officials say he led an officer on a high-speed chase and threatened the officer twice with a gun before the officer shot him down.
“He was really sweet. He was like a teddy bear,” said Harris’ friend Ciara Daniels, 20, who lives in the apartment across from Harris and his mother. “He didn’t meet no strangers. I would go eat at his house or he’d come here. He would always ask my mama to make him some banana pudding.”
Daniels and her mother were awakened by gunfire this morning. They watched from their window as police and onlookers surrounded Harris’ building.
Police Chief Malcolm McMillin, who is also sheriff of Hinds County, said the fatal shooting appears to be justifiable.
“A preliminary investigation indicates this was a righteous shooting and a good shooting,” McMillin told his command staff during a morning meeting at headquarters.
Harris is the eighth person to die in the metro area in the last 11 months during or after an encounter with law enforcement.
During the meeting, McMillin outlined the officer’s account of what led up to the shooting.
A veteran officer in Precinct 4 attempted to pull over Harris, 23, around 1 a.m. today near I-55 north and Briarwood Drive.
Harris, behind the wheel of a blue Oldsmobile Cutlass, was driving recklessly and speeding, McMillin said.
“The officer attempted to stop the vehicle which proceeded to the area of North State Street and Beasley Road,” he said.
The driver, still refusing to yield to the officer’s signals, drove into Willow Point Apartments off Beasley Road.
“The driver jumped out of the moving vehicle, causing it to crash into a parked black Toyota Camry near Building 28,” McMillin said.
That’s when police say Harris pulled a gun and aimed it at the officer.
“The officer ordered him to drop his weapon,” McMillin said. The officer fired shots at Harris but missed.
Harris then fled to Building 22 and again pointed his gun at the officer, the chief said.
“The officer fired and struck the suspect who died at the scene as a result of the gunshot,” McMillin said.
Harris died in the yard near the apartment he shared with his mother. A large-caliber gun was found near his body.
A single bouquet of flowers and tattered yellow crime scene tape now marked the scene this afternoon.
Harris’ neighbor, Shannon Sims, said the young man was not known as a troublemaker. However, he was not surprised that Harris tried to out run police.
“I think he didn’t have a license,” Sims, 26, said. “He knew he’d get in trouble.”
Daniels said she thinks Harris didn’t stop for police because he was scared.
“Black men are just scared of police. They aren’t going to stop. They don’t know what (police) are going to do to them,” she said. “He was just trying to make it home to his mom.”
Police officials are not releasing the name of the officer involved in the shooting. However, they say as a matter of protocol the officer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation.
Before McMillin left his command staff meeting this morning, he issued a warning to his force.
“I want to caution everybody in this room. This is one of those events that we deal with on a regular basis. We don’t have a milk route, a paper route. Ours is one that is fraught with danger,” he said. “We must make sure we have the equipment with us to do the job we need to do. I have never had to attend the funeral of an officer that worked under my direction and control. I want to retire with the same record.”
By Kathleen Baydala • kbaydala@clarionledger.com • February 27, 2008
Friends of 23-year-old George Harris say they don’t believe he was the type of man who would pose a threat to a police officer.
Yet police officials say he led an officer on a high-speed chase and threatened the officer twice with a gun before the officer shot him down.
“He was really sweet. He was like a teddy bear,” said Harris’ friend Ciara Daniels, 20, who lives in the apartment across from Harris and his mother. “He didn’t meet no strangers. I would go eat at his house or he’d come here. He would always ask my mama to make him some banana pudding.”
Daniels and her mother were awakened by gunfire this morning. They watched from their window as police and onlookers surrounded Harris’ building.
Police Chief Malcolm McMillin, who is also sheriff of Hinds County, said the fatal shooting appears to be justifiable.
“A preliminary investigation indicates this was a righteous shooting and a good shooting,” McMillin told his command staff during a morning meeting at headquarters.
Harris is the eighth person to die in the metro area in the last 11 months during or after an encounter with law enforcement.
During the meeting, McMillin outlined the officer’s account of what led up to the shooting.
A veteran officer in Precinct 4 attempted to pull over Harris, 23, around 1 a.m. today near I-55 north and Briarwood Drive.
Harris, behind the wheel of a blue Oldsmobile Cutlass, was driving recklessly and speeding, McMillin said.
“The officer attempted to stop the vehicle which proceeded to the area of North State Street and Beasley Road,” he said.
The driver, still refusing to yield to the officer’s signals, drove into Willow Point Apartments off Beasley Road.
“The driver jumped out of the moving vehicle, causing it to crash into a parked black Toyota Camry near Building 28,” McMillin said.
That’s when police say Harris pulled a gun and aimed it at the officer.
“The officer ordered him to drop his weapon,” McMillin said. The officer fired shots at Harris but missed.
Harris then fled to Building 22 and again pointed his gun at the officer, the chief said.
“The officer fired and struck the suspect who died at the scene as a result of the gunshot,” McMillin said.
Harris died in the yard near the apartment he shared with his mother. A large-caliber gun was found near his body.
A single bouquet of flowers and tattered yellow crime scene tape now marked the scene this afternoon.
Harris’ neighbor, Shannon Sims, said the young man was not known as a troublemaker. However, he was not surprised that Harris tried to out run police.
“I think he didn’t have a license,” Sims, 26, said. “He knew he’d get in trouble.”
Daniels said she thinks Harris didn’t stop for police because he was scared.
“Black men are just scared of police. They aren’t going to stop. They don’t know what (police) are going to do to them,” she said. “He was just trying to make it home to his mom.”
Police officials are not releasing the name of the officer involved in the shooting. However, they say as a matter of protocol the officer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation.
Before McMillin left his command staff meeting this morning, he issued a warning to his force.
“I want to caution everybody in this room. This is one of those events that we deal with on a regular basis. We don’t have a milk route, a paper route. Ours is one that is fraught with danger,” he said. “We must make sure we have the equipment with us to do the job we need to do. I have never had to attend the funeral of an officer that worked under my direction and control. I want to retire with the same record.”