Cop shoots drunk driver as he climbs out of wreckage

[ZeroTolerance 582]

http://www.actionnewsnow.com/news/family-of-man-shot-by-paradise-police-officer-speaks-out/

 

 

http://imgur.com/gallery/I2TWcAE <---- video

 

 

The family of a suspected drunk driver shot by a Paradise police officer last month is speaking out.

The family’s attorney has advised relatives of 26-year-old Andrew Thomas against speaking with Action News Now reporters, but the family issued a written statement Friday morning.

“This is a horrible thing and we will get justice for what happened,” the family said.

Dash cam video captured the entire incident, and its release along with a decision not to file charges by the Butte County District Attorney’s Office has sparked outrage.

A Facebook page titled “Justice for Andrew Thomas” was created Thursday night, and its members have organized a peaceful protest for Saturday. “Our plan of action is to peacefully protest this injustice until the Butte County District Attorney files criminal charges against Officer Feaster. Or, until he is fired,” the page says.

A petition shared on the Facebook page calls for the firing of Officer Feaster, and had been signed 940 times as of 4 p.m. Friday.

Thomas was shot in the neck by Paradise Police Officer Patrick Feaster after he was involved in a rollover crash on Thanksgiving.

The crash happened as Thomas and his wife, 23-year-old Darien Ehorn were leaving the Canteena Bar in Paradise. Ehorn was ejected from the car and died on the scene.

Officer Feaster saw the crash, and according to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey, when Thomas “popped” out of the SUV, Feaster drew his gun and “accidently” fired.

Thomas was shot in the C7 and T1 vertebrae and could be paralyzed for the rest of his life. He remains in stable condition at Enloe Medical Center.

Now my opinion of drunk drivers is damn low, but pretty sure you can't try to have them summarily executed. This also might not be a coincidence...

http://www.newsreview.com/chico/personal-mission/content?oid=6579787

On May 29, 1974, in Live Oak, Feaster’s uncle, Patrick Dolan, the brother of former Butte County Supervisor Jane Dolan, was killed by a drunken driver. He was only 27 years old. Patrick Feaster was born exactly 10 years later and named after the uncle he never knew.

 

“I have no idea who the driver was or any details of the case,” said the 28-year-old. “I don’t think I really want to know.”

Feaster first learned of his uncle’s death when he was a young boy growing up in Chico. But the story stayed with him while attending Chico High School, Shasta and Butte colleges and Kansas Wesleyan University. His uncle’s death was and still remains a source of inspiration. “It had some bearing on my career choice,” said Feaster. “But it had more of an effect on what I chose to focus on.”

Recently, Feaster was recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), having been the top DUI-arresting officer in the Paradise Police Department in 2011, citing 33 drunk drivers. Six months into this year, he’s already more than halfway toward his goal of 50 DUI arrests. “I am always looking for DUI drivers,” said Feaster. “I watch every car in front of me for signs of drifting.”

[shotsup 832]

Maybe Andrew Thomas is happy he is a dead. He just killed his GF by drunk driving and would of faced jail time where Bubba would of had his chocolate cheerio look like a chocolate donut by the end of the year.

 

Too soon ?

[fandandy 3,311]

Thank God I made it and I can still move. It's a Thanksgiving day MIRACLE!

 

Bang Bang

[IGotWorms 3,398]

Wow cop should be charged with attempted murder without question. Driver should be charged with vehicular homocide obviously

[Cloaca du jour 2,078]

Just another day in paradise....

[ZeroTolerance 582]

Maybe Andrew Thomas is happy he is a dead. He just killed his GF by drunk driving and would of faced jail time where Bubba would of had his chocolate cheerio look like a chocolate donut by the end of the year.

 

Too soon ?

 

He isn't a dead, he is a paralyzed.

[tanatastic 2,061]

Holy crap that's the most insane story Iv seen all year! Why the hell did he shoot?!

[mmmmm...beer 692]

Wow cop should be charged with attempted murder without question. Driver should be charged with vehicular homocide obviously

Muuuurrrrdddderrrr. How could we ever guess you'd call for that?

 

Shocked I tell ya!

[shotsup 832]

 

He isn't a dead, he is a paralyzed.

I missed that. Thank you.

[IGotWorms 3,398]

Muuuurrrrdddderrrr. How could we ever guess you'd call for that?

 

Shocked I tell ya!

Attempted, yes. Can you really dispute that?

[fandandy 3,311]

The cop was startled when this dude popped out of the wreckage and the gun accidentally went off. That's how I took the story at least.

 

He accidentally shot him in the neck. Whoops.

[MDC 5,939]

Why did the cop have his gun out and pointed anyway? Is this how cops are taught to deal with an auto accident?

 

Honest question. I can buy the idea that he fired the gun accidentally, I just don't know why he drew it. The fact that he said the man was refusing to leave the vehicle after shooting him looks pretty bad too.

[IGotWorms 3,398]

Did you guys watch the video? The guy is clearly getting out of the car before the cop walks over there and shoots him. No accident about it

[Hardcore troubadour 12,884]

I watched the video, and It looked like Rick taking out a walker. Hard to justify it.

[fandandy 3,311]

I just watched now. I didn't realize there was a video. Wow.

[ZeroTolerance 582]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmK8Ify3vi8

 

 

*After shooting driver*
"I've got an unresponsive female, I've got a male in the car refusing to get out."

[Reality 2,710]

That video is unreal. How the fock is his first response to pull his gun and pump 2 shots into a dude climbing out of his car after a wreck?

 

The dude, probably knowing he just ruined his life, looked like he was trying to climb out to check on his wife that he just killed.. Unreal situation..

[RLLD 3,522]

Why did the officer approach the wreck scene with gun drawn?

[mighty_thor 115]

Pretty bizarre video. Wtf was the cop thinking?

[mmmmm...beer 692]

Why did the officer approach the wreck scene with gun drawn?

Pursuit... we do it all the time. If the guy was DUI.. a decent chance he ran... turned into a pursuit... thats a felony in most states. Unfortunately pursuits with drunks sometimes end up in wrecks.

 

You don't know why this car is running from you. Is he drunk? Did he just kill his wife? Rob a store?

 

In a pursuit you roll up super charged cause you just don't know what your facing.

 

I can see being amped up and making the wrong decision or accidentially zigging when you should have zagged.

 

Bad situation regardless.

[TimmySmith 2,782]

He'll be fired. The family will collect a 7 figure settlement and life will go on for the rest of us.

[shotsup 832]

Does the driver get charged with manslaughter or do time for DWI or does he get a mulligan for being shot and "refusing to leave the vehicle" ?

[kilroy69 1,019]

Muuuurrrrdddderrrr. How could we ever guess you'd call for that?

 

Shocked I tell ya!

I normally am one to give cops wide latitude when it comes to traffic stops. However I have to agree. This is attempted murder. Not only that if there was no dashcam I 100% believe this would have been covered up.

[mmmmm...beer 692]

I normally am one to give cops wide latitude when it comes to traffic stops. However I have to agree. This is attempted murder. Not only that if there was no dashcam I 100% believe this would have been covered up.

Could be... there are some things I'm curious about though. Why was he running code prior to us seeing the wreck? Was he dispatched to it? Did he see the car somehow off camera?

 

No charges yet, but usually they won't come out immediately.

 

Also a bullet in the spine is pretty hard to cover up. Haha...

[ZeroTolerance 582]

He shot the guy, made no mention of it until they removed him from the wreck and found the GSW at which point he mentions that he may have accidentally shot him. He didn't even flinch when he shot him either, which sure makes the accident claim reek of BS (I'm not a law enforcement officer but I would think you would have SOME kind of reaction if your gun discharges by mistake). Also beer, the DA already said no charges would be filed and that it was accidental but not criminal.

[mmmmm...beer 692]

He shot the guy, made no mention of it until they removed him from the wreck and found the GSW at which point he mentions that he may have accidentally shot him. He didn't even flinch when he shot him either, which sure makes the accident claim reek of BE (I'm not a law enforcement officer but I would think you would have SOME kind of reaction if your gun discharges by mistake). Also beer, the DA already said no charges would be filed and that it was accidental but not criminal.

Hrrmmm... what do they know we don't?

[KSB2424 3,086]

Hrrmmm... what do they know we don't?

 

No sure, but in this case they need to be transparent and tell the family (public) then.

 

Look, I give cops the initial benefit of the doubt. Because more times than not they are in the right and they have a difficult job. BUT that doesn't mean there are not A. dirty (racist) cops or B. unfit/poorly trained cops.

 

My approach is to give law enforcement the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. I think that's the best approach. But in this case and a couple others we may be proven otherwise.

[mmmmm...beer 692]

Does the driver get charged with manslaughter or do time for DWI or does he get a mulligan for being shot and "refusing to leave the vehicle" ?

This will be interesting to see...

 

Also I wonder if this doesn't get looked at again from the State AG's office with enough public outcry. Just because it's been declined once, doesn't mean it can't be charged later. It's not like he was found not guilty in a court by a jury or judge. Double jepordy doesn't apply.

[Mookz 1,288]

Suspect is refusing to breathe or pump blood to his extremities.

[IGotWorms 3,398]

Hrrmmm... what do they know we don't?

Most likely what they know is they don't want to charge a cop and don't want to set the driver's family up with s guaranteed multi-million dollar judgment against the county. It's a joke having local prosecutor's offices review these things - in no way are they even close to impartial

[mmmmm...beer 692]

Most likely what they know is they don't want to charge a cop and don't want to set the driver's family up with s guaranteed multi-million dollar judgment against the county. It's a joke having local prosecutor's offices review these things - in no way are they even close to impartial

Oh I don't think anything will not set up the fam with a multimillion dollar lawsuit.

[RLLD 3,522]

So this idiot drives drunk, survives his own stupidity in a wreck only to be paralyzed by some dumbashell cop?

 

Also, should we protest? Just wondering.

[nobody 2,091]

He was obviously going for the cops gun.

[Strike 4,066]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/mistakenly-shot-suspect-not-charged-article-1.2464035

 

 

When Feaster’s backup arrived, the officer did not mention anything about having fired his weapon.

According to Ramsey, Feaster notified his commanding officer about the discharge only after Thomas’ gunshot wound was found, approximately 11 minutes later.

 

 

WTF? Beer, care to comment on whether it's SOP for a LEO to not notify other officers at the scene that he had discharged his weapon, especially when it hits someone in the neck?

[mobb_deep 919]

focking pigs. fock them all. including mmm...beer

[mmmmm...beer 692]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/mistakenly-shot-suspect-not-charged-article-1.2464035

 

 

WTF? Beer, care to comment on whether it's SOP for a LEO to not notify other officers at the scene that he had discharged his weapon, especially when it hits someone in the neck?

Uhhhhhhhh....

[nobody 2,091]

The cop is obviously a little screwy. He dedicated his life to catching drunk drivers based on an event that happened 10 years before he was even born. I say cut him slack.

[tanatastic 2,061]

He clearly drew and fired precision shots then put the weapon away like he had done it plenty of times. Hes good with the gun and confident, not a scared rookie on the job. It did look like Rick taking out a walker. Hes not black so the story will go away, but man thats as clear a shady move as iv seen from police. I usually give them every benefit of the doubt.

[Drizzay 648]

In some jurisdictions, you are relieved from the scene/investigation if you fired your weapon. Maybe that is why he didn't say anything initially.

[TimmySmith 2,782]

In some jurisdictions, you are relieved from the scene/investigation if you fired your weapon. Maybe that is why he didn't say anything initially.

He didn't say anything because he wanted to talk to the FOP before anyone else. This guy is a heck of a shot, he has no accidents with his firearm.