Officer Shoots, Kills Stabbing Suspect
Update: The stabbing victim has died at the hospital, according to Douglas County Sheriff Phil Miller.
Update: 7/23 7:58 p.m.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that Douglas County Coroner Randy Daniels has identified one of the men. Leon Alfred, 23, of the Atlanta area stabbed the other man. The coroner said the victim was a homeless person identified as "John Doe." Read the complete story here.
A Douglas County sheriff’s officer fatally shot a 24-year-old man wielding a knife at approximately 6:45 p.m. at the QuikTrip gas station on Thornton Road, according to Douglas County Sheriff Phil Miller.
The man with the knife is suspected of stabbing another man moments before during a fight.
The stabbing victim was taken to Grady Hospital, where he died, Miller said. His name has not been released because the family has not been notified.
The slain stabbing suspect's name also has not been released.
The officer is uninjured.
“A call was placed at 6:34 p.m. that there was a fight at the QuikTrip, and the officer arrived at 6:36 p.m.,” Miller said.
The officer “saw a bleeding body on the ground,” he continued. “The man had apparently been cut with a knife. When the officer went around the building, he found a man wielding a knife. He talked to the man for several minutes, in hopes he would put the knife down.
“Witnesses said they heard the officer say, ‘Drop the knife, drop the knife,’ but the guy didn’t do it and kept walking toward the officer. The officer had no choice but to fire on him, which resulted in a man being dead.”
Miller said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been notified because it handles all officer shooting incidents.
He said seven or eight witnesses were on the scene.
“Witnesses and a family member said the guy was schizophrenic or delusional,” Miller said. “It’s a terrible thing. I wish there was a better system to handle people like that so they’re not out on the street."
Miller said the officer involved in the incident has been put on administrative leave and will undergo counseling.
Sarah E. Anderson
8:44 pm on Friday, July 22, 2011
Wow, that whole area is just getting so bad. Good work by the DCSO.
Natosha Ledbetter
9:34 pm on Friday, July 22, 2011
I know, right?! I feel like I can't even drive down Thornton without seeing someone pulled over or in trouble with the DCSO. I'm glad there is a police presence there, but it just feels so unsafe. First Wal-Mart last fall and now Quik-Trip. We're making the news too often! I will say, though, that I am really impressed knowing there was only a 2 minute response time. Wow!
Bruce
1:37 pm on Saturday, July 23, 2011
A gun versus a knife. The gun will always win. Why didn't the officer shoot the man in the leg?
James Bell
5:26 pm on Saturday, July 23, 2011
Nice shot! I have no problem with putting a bullet in the forehead of Jack tha Ripper. Thornton Rd. is one of the safest places in metro Atlanta. There are Douglasville Police and S.O. patroling everywhere. Crime happens everywhere. The TV news only shows a small portion of crimes committed in metro. Anyone thinking of committing a crime on Thornton Rd. has to be crazy! Apparently, Thornton Rd. just became a little safer with "Jack" in the grave. If the family knew he was sick they should have taken him off the street.
Kebo Ras
12:14 pm on Sunday, July 24, 2011
Bell, people like you are the real problem with this country. You don't know any of the people involved but yet you pass judgment. Maybe you're just glad another black man is dead. What if it was your family member, would you call a cop killing a man with a knife justification? Come people, I've seen people get tasered for worst. Top Cat is right. How do they determine who gets killed and who gets tasered? Is it a race thing or a status thing. What if Leon, not Jack, was defending himself you ignoranus? And, you know nothing about his family so why even bring them up. Maybe if the cops take you out, we could really have something to rejoice. Bell, you suck, the cops suck and system sucks. Jah ain sleeping, Babylon got it coming.
Cmsdar
9:12 am on Sunday, July 24, 2011
Mr Bell I hope and pray that yourself or any family member never fall victim to any mental health issue... Instead of making senseless remarks do your research and try to educate yourself! First off Leon not "Jack" was shot in the back as he turned way from the officer....there should of been an alternative measure used to detain him and deadly force was not necessary. Secondly, in regards to your comment about Leons Family keeping him off the street....There are currently no systems in place that
require a mental health patient to first of all be treated or remain in treatment facility... After three days off being admitted the are released on their on reconnaissance. Persons with mental health disease in particular bi-polar or schizophrenic patients are most often threats to themselves than others. So again learn the facts instead of making unkind comments. I againsincerely do hope and pray that you or family member never become victim to this dibilating disease or worse yet the victim of any police brutality no matter what the situation ! Spread knowledge not hate!
Advocafe
6:20 pm on Monday, July 25, 2011
I work in the area of human service with people (black & white) diagnosed with mental health and developmental dissability. First, lets give our condolscent to both victims, as both of them are victims.
Thornton Road is just like any areas, Buckhead, Roswell and Alpharetta. Crime happens any and everywhere, when you least expects it.! Now, please take the time and educate you self about chronic mental health. Leon struggles with mental health issues and this is a illness that can hit any of us any day or time.
We all work with people that have mental health issues and many of us don't know it!!!! The illness doesn't define a person or if they belong on the street or elsewhere. Mental health if undiagnosed or not treated can de detrimental to the person or others around them.
Leon didn't commit this crime, it's his illnes, he may not even be aware or would have been aware of the crime. With that being said, when proper treatment, care and love is given, the sky is the limit. Please don't pass judgement.
The police also needs training on handling people with mental health issues. Why deadly force ? Does two wrong makes it right ? Why not taser him ? Why didn't they shoot him in his foot or hand ? I understand that they may have felt threaten, buy why aim to KILL!!!
Bruce
7:21 pm on Monday, July 25, 2011
Just wondering... What if the alleged crazy person, and all we have is the sheriff's word on that, just found out that the man he cut or stabbed had raped his sister or ripped off his mother for money? There are all sorts of things that could be behind this.
James Bell
3:25 pm on Thursday, July 28, 2011
The criticism of my comments on the shooting was expected and welcomed. I posted with the intent to provoke some thought and decision on a tragic situation. Mission accomplished!
I did make a lot of assumptions. When I posted, I had no idea what race the alleged perpetrator or the victim was. I had no idea if he was shot in the foot or head or the back. I had no idea if he was mentally ill, drunk, on drugs or just angry, nor did the officer.
I do agree that perhaps a taser could have been used as reasonable force. But again we were not there and did not witness it. I would agree a man with a knife standing several feet away from another with a gun is not a direct threat unless he was to throw the knife. You could simply back up.
As to the mental health issues, to say Leon did not commit this alleged crime is disingenuous. If a drunk driver kills someone because the alcoholic could not control his actions, did he commit the crime? If a person on meth freaks out and kills someone do we give them a free pass and say oh well he was not thinking right at the time therefore a crime was not committed?
Do we really expect police officers to diagnose a perpetrator in the field?
Sheriff Miller advocates and trains his officers to shot to kill. Perhaps new training is needed so officers are not so trigger happy. Police shootings seem to be relatively rare in Douglas County.
Fred
6:29 pm on Thursday, July 28, 2011
Mr. Bell:
You (and other in this thread) should spend some time getting informed on use-of-force issues related to encounters such as this.
When encountering a person with a knife (especially one that has demonstrated that they will commit harm) it is reasonable to counter that level of force with a firearm. A knife is a deadly weapon, a Taser is not. A single officer trying to control this situation with a Taser would be acting stupidly, placing himself and other bystanders in danger.
Law enforcement officers are not trained to "shoot to kill". They are trained to shoot to stop the threat in a situation that calls to deadly force and sometimes that results in the death of the perpetrator.
Shooting a knife out of someone's hands or 'aim to maim' only happens in Hollywood and is not a real-world response to use-of-force situation like this.
I appreciate you pointing out that the officer had to make an assessment and act in a relatively short period of time with only the information that he could see and hear. If life had a 'pause button' where an officer could assess extenuating circumstances and get appropriate backup, then the officer could have tried other tactics to control Mr. Alfred. Unfortunately, life is not like that.
James Bell
3:25 pm on Thursday, July 28, 2011
I do wonder where this man’s family was at the time. It was said a family member said he was schizophrenic or delusional and homeless.
Sheriff Miller has admitted publicly that the jails and prisons are often used as a depository for the mentally ill. Our society is willing to pay for $100 million jails but recoil at the thought of spending money on the mentality ill and drug addicted.
I hope I never have mental illness to a point where I kill people in public places. If so, death would be a blessing. I would not want to spend my life in prison.
“Advocafe” as a person in the “human services” field, perhaps you are the one to start a dialog with the sheriff and the public about how best to deal with mental illness.
Jim Woodard
9:44 am on Thursday, August 11, 2011
How someone can question whether or not that was a righteous shoot is probably the reason why the white guys are fleeing Douglas County.