Handcuffed and buckled into seat, man shot and killed inside police cruiser
Associated Press
January 28, 2020
TEMPLE HILLS, Md. -- A man who had been handcuffed with his arms behind his back by police in Maryland was shot and killed inside an officer's cruiser.
Prince George's County police officers responded Monday night to reports that a driver had struck multiple vehicles near the Temple Hills community, spokeswoman Christina Cotterman told news outlets during a news conference.
When officers located the driver, they smelled PCP and believed the man was under the influence, Cotterman said.
The suspect was buckled into the front passenger seat of the vehicle, which Cotterman said is normal for Prince George's County police. The officer then got into the driver's seat.
Two independent witnesses told police they either saw or heard a struggle, and heard loud bangs coming from the cruiser, according to Cotterman.
The man was shot multiple times by the officer's service weapon, the police spokeswoman said. Officers performed lifesaving measures and took the man to a hospital. He died a short time later.
Police haven't publicly identified the suspect because family members had not yet been notified.
The shooting wasn't caught on body-camera video because the officer didn't have one, Cotterman said. Investigators were looking for surveillance cameras in the area that may have recorded the shooting.
The officer involved has been placed on administrative leave. Cotterman said the officer was expected to be identified Tuesday.
UPDATE
Maryland cop charged with murder in shooting of handcuffed man
CBS News
January 28, 2020
A Maryland police officer was arrested and charged with second-degree murder Tuesday after the fatal shooting of a man who was handcuffed in a police cruiser, according to CBS affiliate WUSA-TV. Corporal Michael Owen Jr. is also being charged with manslaughter and associated weapons charges in the death of William Green.
Chief Hank Stawinski called the announcement "the most difficult moment of my tenure as your Chief of Police," according to WUSA-TV.
Police initially said Monday that they received a 911 call at about 8 p.m. reporting a male driver who had struck multiple cars, WUSA-TV reported. Officers said they located Green and thought he was under the influence after smelling what they believed to be PCP in his car.
Police added that they handcuffed Green and buckled him into the front seat of a police cruiser. Two independent witnesses claimed they heard or saw a fight in the front seat and heard loud bangs, according to police. They added that Owen shot Green multiple times, and that lifesaving measures were attempted before he was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Stawinski walked back some of those claims on Tuesday.
"We do not believe PCP was involved, we do not have independent witnesses that observed a struggle and we do not know for certain that Mr. Green was seat-belted in that cruiser," Stawinksi said, according to WUSA-TV. He added that seating Green in the front of the car is standard departmental procedure when the vehicle does not have a transport partition, which Owen's cruiser did not.
Police said Owen was not wearing a body camera. He has worked with the department for 10 years, and is assigned to the Bureau of Patrol.
Green's family is represented by Billy Murphy, the attorney who represented the family of Freddie Gray, according to Murphy's office.
7 comments:
Why not, each time a police officer is killed BGB rants about how the police are abused and not afforded their proper respect. Seems like police haters should do the same.
It looks like the city didn't give the officer the proper tools to safely transport a prisoner. Handcuffed and seat belted while providing some restraint doesn't control twisting, headbutting, biting and kicking. I once had a prisoner kick the radio head out of my unit in a similar situation. I pulled, over, got out and telephoned for assistance. By the time help arrived the entire front seat area was destroyed including the windshield. But I sure as shit didn't stay in the car with that lunatic.
Since he's already charged I doubt it was a "safety" issue.
Anonymous, Being charged has nothing to do with how a person is transported to jail. I don't understand your comment.
Trey, the cop wouldn't have been charged if he could have made any credible safety argument.
Anonymous, I don't know. 1. Why wasn't a transport unit called? 2. Why wasn't a street cop wearing a vest? 3. Not a crazy fucker on PCP? 4. The only reason he should shoot him is if the cop was in fear of his life. Maybe kicked in the head and blacking out or something. I think more will come out at trial because I'm sure the cop's union lawyer told him to clam up and the other guy ain't talking.
Sorry I meant not wearing a camera.
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