ELKHORN — After reviewing reports on the May 5 shooting of John Brown, 22, of 1463 Meadow Lane, in the Country Estates subdivision, town of Lyons, Walworth County District Attorney Phil Koss has determined the shooting was justifiable.
Sheriff's Deputy Wayne Blanchard, who fired the fatal shots, will be restored to full duty from administrative duty, according to a press release from Walworth County Sheriff David Graves.
Deputies arrived at Brown's home after his mother called to report that her son was suicidal.
Brown locked himself in his bedroom and would not let officers in. When Blanchard kicked the door in, Brown reportedly slammed it shut again.
When Blanchard opened the door again, Brown advanced on him with a knife. When Brown refused to drop the knife and kept advancing, Blanchard fired twice, mortally wounding Brown.
Following standard procedure, the state Justice Department's Division of Criminal Investigation investiged the shooting.
In a letter to James C. Holmes, criminal division special agent, Koss said a review of the investigation report led to his decision that Blanchard was justified in shooting Brown.
Sheriff's Deputy Such was also at the scene at the time of the shooting, and did have his Taser unholstered. But Koss indicated that the close quarters within the Browns' mobile home made it almost impossible for Such to use the Taser.
For more on this story read this week's Regional News.
Justifiable... HA! I think they need to start teaching classes in the police academy on how to handle suicidal citizens. Shoot them in the leg or the knee. To far to use a taser, give me a break. I think that the cops could have devised a better plan before they busted in the door and killed the kid. Your job as a police man is to protect the people who are hurting themselves or others. PROTECT the kid from hurting or killing himself by actually killing him, thats not justifiable at all. MURDER!
Adam, police are trained to shoot to kill. If you ever have to be in a situation like this, the last thing you'll want to do is aim for a leg or knee.
The police did their job here. They protected other people. The job of the police is not to intervene in ones personal problems. Their job is to protect and serve those of us that are not trying to hurt themselves or others.
I hope you are never faced with a life and death situation where mere seconds dictate your decisions and actions.
I feel for Police Officers because they are ridiculed if they do and if they don't. According to this article Mr. Brown advanced toward the officer with a knife. Refusing to drop it when requested to do so a couple times. Someone in that state of mind to me would have the thought of hurting or killing himself and anyone who gets near them. Its sad but the officer was in danger of his life and those around him.
W.H
July 05, 2012 | 06:21 AM
I do believe Mr. Brown got what he wanted, the police just helped him on his way. See, they do protect and serve.
No happy ending. A mother lost her son, how aweful. Regardless of the long or short term mental ilness he may have suffered. My heart goes out to her and the pain she has endured. I pray she finds comfort knowing he has found peace. My thoughts also go to the deputy who had to make that difficult decision that night. If anyone thinks that had to be easy, I'd suggest they think again. We forget many of those officers have families. Those loved ones spend every day with the possibility of losing their mother,father, husband, wife, son or daughter due to the career they have chosen in law enforcement. Thank God they chose it! I'm grateful, and in awe that there are men and women who do choose to put their lives on the line for you and I. No I'm not the wife or mother of a deputy or officer, I am the proud mother of a 911 dispatcher who speaks openly and honestly about the dangers these officers are put in every day and how they step up to meet them head on fully aware of what the results may be to protect you and I. And, how the pride in that makes her love her job, the best and worst of it. Thank you, thank you, thank every one of you. From a citizen who's life is safer with you on the job.
I like when all these people who comment that there was no need to shoot this individual, that the police are just trigger happy. I hear or read it every time. My question to them is. How do you know what happened were you there to see it all unfold? If so why couldn't you stop this individual? Why are people so against police officers in this country? When an officer does something they are ridiculed for it and if an officer doesn't do something they are ridiculed as well. Every time I watch the news and someone is shot by an officer the person is always made out to be a choir boy, boy scout, would never hurt anyone and so on. They shot him for no good reason. Then why are the police called if nothing wrong is happening and who used the gun or knifes?
The Deputy did the right thing here. He did not want to be there but was forced because of decisions this kid made. Shoot him in the leg? That is a moronic thing to say. If you don't know a thing about police work do us all a favor andf shut up. Also we don't shoot to kill, we shoot to stop the threat, if he dies, sucks to be him. He dictated what the officer did, not the officer. The biggest mistake this kid did was to take a knife to a gun fight.
Proud Cop
Geneva
July 05, 2012 | 05:57 PM
Shoot now, question later, go home safe. Sounds good to me. Hope all cops do that. Mike, please leave your contact information for all to see. Next time, the police have to deal with an armed suicidal, I'm sure they would be more than happy to send you in first unarmed. Then you could handle the situation the way you feel necessary with your life on the line. Mike, you clearly live in a bubble. These situations have nothing to do with feelings so you can feel sorry for his mother all you want, it will not change the poor decisions made by her son. Feel sorry for yourself, clearly you have no perception of reality.
My dad was a deputy officer for over 20 years. He was trained to first try to defuse with unleathal defense before applying fatal defense..Proud Cop, if every cop had the same mentallity you do, we would be under control of Hitlers, you should be stipped of your badge and gun, before we see you in a headline for shooting someone. Yes the officers risk theirs lives, yes the families worry that they won't come home safe, but if a situation can be defused without deadly force, then that's the route to take, it's sad that we have proud cops who feel differently!
Cops Daughter
LG
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