Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAfter 4 Killings, 'Officer of the Year' Is Still on the Job
A Pennsylvania state trooper was returned to duty following three investigations by his own agency. A fourth inquiry is underway.LEBANON, Pa. In November 2008, Pennsylvania Trooper Jay Splain was honored at a county law enforcement banquet as a hero, the police officer of the year. The reason: He had shot and killed a suicidal man who allegedly pointed an Uzi submachine gun at him.
That was the first killing. Trooper Splain went on to fatally shoot three more people in separate incidents, an extraordinary tally for an officer responsible for patrolling largely rural areas with low rates of violent crime. All four who died were troubled, struggling with drugs, mental illness or both. In two cases, including that of the man with the Uzi, family members had called the police for help because their relatives had threatened to kill themselves.
The most recent death was last month, when Trooper Splain shot an unarmed man in his Volkswagen Beetle. After learning that the officer had previously killed three other people over nearly 15 years, the mans sister, Autumn Krouse, asked, Why would that person still be employed?
Trooper Splain is an outlier. Most officers never fire their weapons. Until now, his full record of killings has not been disclosed; the Pennsylvania State Police even successfully fought a lawsuit seeking to identify him and provide other details in one shooting. In the agencys more than a century of policing, no officer has ever been prosecuted for fatally shooting someone, according to a spokesman. That history aligns with a longstanding pattern across the country of little accountability for police officers use of deadly force.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/30/us/pennsylvania-trooper-jay-splain-investigation.html?unlocked_article_code=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEIPuonUktbfqohlSlUYAybIRp8_oxuAnunL3rU6h3a7MDKSTi5P1aEXCpnF4F_JbKtlIto1wTmAWN5OOaMuQ_o0zvNaOwYlbTiUlaa-ucZPJTQp-8X0V3kq3pnJUPdirmLjYGPjI6IizuC1-k_Wbmf1C6OOhmkgc11g8ZNicFuo2iQY1-ySRL4Or9p13v8jBpp_Ry5RJ3XZ-qm1VGgtfYmOfRre6QEpW-pGWzi1ndCU67MIdAo6GkuRBTokoj56sIUATYtRaKXvLBcge978gaESCAFrKoSqDp42QevEhpjKZBjzQbMUSr4bDeNRHI0&smid=url-share
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
3 replies, 1227 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (14)
ReplyReply to this post
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
After 4 Killings, 'Officer of the Year' Is Still on the Job (Original Post)
Zorro
Dec 2021
OP
brush
(53,841 posts)1. It seems apparent that that officer resorts too quickly to shooting people.
After taking his second fatality, red flags shouldn't gone up in the department about that killer.
Tomconroy
(7,611 posts)2. I read that article this morning. It's outrageous that killer is
allowed to carry a gun.
WhiskeyGrinder
(22,430 posts)3. PrOtEcTiNg AnD sErViNg!!111!!11!!1!!!!!