Louisiana police arrest 2 officers in autistic boy's death

[rooster59]

Louisiana police arrest 2 officers in autistic boy's death

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Two Louisiana law enforcement officers remained jailed Saturday while their colleagues tried to sort out the details that led to the death of a 6-year-old and the severe wounding of his father in a hail of gunfire.

Derrick Stafford, 32, of Mansura, and Norris Greenhouse Jr., 23, of Marksville, each faced charges of second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder. They were being held in the Avoyelles Parish jail.

The dead child was 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis, who was in a car being driven Tuesday by his father, Chris Few.

State police said Stafford is a full-time lieutenant with the Marksville Police Department; Greenhouse is a full-time city marshal. Both were working part-time as deputy marshals in Marksville's Ward 2 when Tuesday's shooting broke out, state police said.

Any alleged motive for the shooting has not been made public. State police, who are investigating the shooting, said there so far has been no evidence found that Few had a gun.

There were initial reports Stafford and Greenhouse were among a group of marshals serving a warrant on Few. However, Col. Mike Edmonson, superintendent of Louisiana State Police, said at a news conference Friday night that there was no evidence that a warrant had been issued. That remained the case Saturday according to a state police, Trooper Scott Moreau.

Edmonson gave few details about the investigation or what led to Friday's arrest of the two law enforcement officers. He did say the probe included review of body cameras and 911 recordings. He also asked anyone with information about the shooting to contact state police.

"Six years old," Edmonson said of the child. "He didn't deserve to die like that."

He also called the video he reviewed "the most disturbing thing I've seen, and I will leave it at that."

Marksville City Marshal Floyd Voinche Sr. issued a statement this week saying the deputy marshals were certified as having undergone Peace Officer Standards and Training. He said he was cooperating with the state police investigation and declined any other comment.

Few's 57-year-old stepfather, Morris German, earlier in the week accused the marshals of indiscriminately opening fire on the vehicle. German said Few was heavily sedated after the shooting, unable to talk and had bullet fragments lodged in his brain and lung. He described Few was a loving father and added the man's son "was his whole life."

German added that the 6-year-old had been diagnosed with autism, describing him as a delightful child who "loved everything, everybody." German said the boy had no siblings and the family had recently moved to the town of Marksville from Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-11-08

[Tywais]

[lungbing]

2 black officers shoot a six year old white child. Will there be whites rioting, burning amd looting shops? I think not. And not even a 'White Lives Matter" in sight either.

[Slip]

Shame on you for bringing your agenda to a tragedy.

2 black officers shoot a six year old white child. Will there be whites rioting, burning amd looting shops? I think not. And not even a 'White Lives Matter" in sight either.

[retarius]

American cops, just about the worst in the world for pulling out their trusty firearms. Two officers to be charged with 2nd degree homicide....it was their bad luck that the child was white, for they surely would not have been charged if he had been black, and especially not in Louisiana.

Many good things about the States, but cops (and the warmonger foreign policy) are not part of the good things.

In another paper it said that there was an arrest warrant out for the stepfather and he, seeing the Marshalls, jumped in his car and drove off. The two thugs in uniform opened fire, the two other Marshalls didn't.

The problem, of course is the guidance. For example it is ok to shoot a suspect in the back as he is running away...this is nonsense. If an officer's life is in extreme danger, for example, the suspect is definitely armed with a gun, then he, the cop, should be able to pull his firearm.

If anyone remembers the Rodney King beating in the 1990s, the verdict was that the beating was lawful, despite Mr King being handcuffed and on his stomach on the floor being beaten by 12 cops with batons. Well, if that is lawful police procedure then it needs to change, it is far to violent. And violence begets violence.

[sangtip2]

They will not go to jail. All they have to say is "I was afraid for my life" end of story. American cops got a license to kill and they do that a lot.

[ggt]

The police culture in America is undergoing change as a result of body cams, police vehicle cams, and individuals recording their wrong doing...

It is way over due...they have lied and covered up their crimes for decades...

That being said...you seldom hear about the good cops going beyond the call of duty to help people in distress...

The bad cops make the headlines...bringing the wrath of the people on all cops...

Police...like any work force...have decent people...and psychopaths...and everything in between...

What irritates most Americans...justice appears to heavily weighted to pardon those who wear a badge...this is not justice...but injustice for those who have been mistreated by some thugs who hide behind their uniform...

[Baerboxer]

2 black officers shoot a six year old white child. Will there be whites rioting, burning amd looting shops? I think not. And not even a 'White Lives Matter" in sight either.

Had the boy been black, protests, riots, looting, would have occurred. Followed by Shrapton spouting racial bile and comments from Obama condemning racism.

2 black officers seem to murder a 6 year old autistic white child and nearly murder his father - and nothing. No hint of racism.

It seems in the modern PC wold only White people are racist and black people can only be victims.

Assaults on blacks by whites make headline news. Whites assaulted by blacks not reported widely.

Until all racism is brought into the open it will never be eradicated.

[HerbalEd]

"Peace officers"? Not hardly.

[HerbalEd]

2 black officers shoot a six year old white child. Will there be whites rioting, burning amd looting shops? I think not. And not even a 'White Lives Matter" in sight either.

Had the boy been black, protests, riots, looting, would have occurred. Followed by Shrapton spouting racial bile and comments from Obama condemning racism.

2 black officers seem to murder a 6 year old autistic white child and nearly murder his father - and nothing. No hint of racism.

It seems in the modern PC wold only White people are racist and black people can only be victims.

Assaults on blacks by whites make headline news. Whites assaulted by blacks not reported widely.

Until all racism is brought into the open it will never be eradicated.

You have selective vision. I see many reports of black-on-white violence in the media.

What many people ... including, maybe, you ... don't like is that .... unlike in the past ... today the media is finally telling the stories of white police officers' violence against blacks.

Edited November 9, 2015 by HerbalEd

[Pete Beale]

R.I.P.

Has Hilary Clinton stated that if she had a son he'd look like poor Jeremy ?

[Tywais]

Jeremy Mardis: Driver's hands 'were up' when boy killed

Body camera footage shows that the father of a six-year-old autistic boy was attempting to surrender before police opened fire, killing his son, a lawyer has said.

Mark Jeansonne said his client, Chris Few, had his hands up and was not threatening police when gunfire began.

Two city marshals in Louisiana have been charged with second-degree murder.

More here - bbcnews

-- BBC November 10, 2015