Another tragedy... 2 young lives lost

My daughter called a short time ago, just home from school.

I had heard about a shooting earlier this morning, but no one knew any details. It seems that 3 girls and 3 boys were out celebrating one of the girl's birthdays last night. A sheriff's deputy was following them. When they pulled into a driveway, the deputy ordered them them to get out... the driver forgot to put on the emergency brake...the truck rolled backwards and the deputy thought they were trying to back over him so he started shooting at the truck. Apparently, according to what is being said at school, they were all drinking. Two of the girl's are my daughter's age, they are seniors. The other girl graduated last year. The three boys were out of school apparently.

This is a tragedy in our little town and I feel so bad for everyone involved. My daughter said it was a bad day at school. These kids are absolutely devastated. My heart goes out to the deputy as well and his family.

Here is a link to the news story http://www.kmov.com/topstories/stories/kmov_localnews_051024_policeshooting.12604af7a.htm l

The link doesn't seem to work from here, so here is the story...


Deputy shoots two suspects to death


02:08 PM CDT on Monday, October 24, 2005


Click here to watch News 4 coverage


Troy, MO (KMOV) -- An eastern Missouri deputy sheriff shot and killed two men in a pickup truck after the vehicle began backing toward him, authorities said Monday.


KMOV

But a relative of one of the men who was killed said the driver simply forgot to engage the emergency brake.

The name of the deputy, who has been with the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department for nearly four years, has not been released. He was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

Killed in the shooting was the driver, Tyler Teasley of Silex, and passenger Mike Brown of Moscow Mills. Both were 22, Sheriff Dan Torres said.

Torres said the deputy was so overcome with grief he had to seek medical treatment.

The deputy was patrolling Missouri Route 47 about 11:30 p.m. Sunday when he saw the pickup truck, filled with several young men, speeding, Torres said. When the deputy tried to pull over the truck, it sped away, the sheriff said.

The truck turned into a residential area and pulled into the driveway of a home. The deputy pulled up behind it.

"He was ordering the suspects to exit the vehicles," Torres said. "That's when it came toward him. He fired two rounds. He felt his life was being threatened.

"I couldn't tell you if the driver was driving back at the officer or not -- I don't know what the facts were," Torres said.

Torres has turned over the investigation to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. It wasn't known how long the investigation would take.

Torres said it was the first time in the history of the department that an officer shot and killed a suspect.

How sad for everyone involved. :(

how horrible...

how horrible...

I agree. The worst thing is that there seems to be a large amount of stupidity involved....

Definitely on the part of the driver (trying to outrun a cop), and maybe on the part of the deputy.

Those poor families -- I sympathize.

Oh! 1love...that is so sad :(

So unfair.
My heart goes out to those families.

:( :( :(

Melisa,

Please give your daughter a great big hug and remind her to stay away from drinking and driving, like I do to my daughter ALL the time.

These stories are SO unfortunate....

How terrible!!! Just sad news.....

Thats just terrible. I very much feel for the families of the young men, and the poor deputy. Im sure he did really feel they were trying to back over him, whether they were or not...and it will be very difficult for him to put this behind him.

Many prayers for all of them....((hugs)) to you and your daughter.

oh my god..tragic..

too many guns around..sigh :(

oh my god..tragic..

too many guns around..sigh :(


Too many guns?.....No....too many stupid people.



Sorry to hear about this happening though.

I'm sorry but how can you feel sorry for the deputy? For christs sake, why didn't he just get out of the way and then lay down the law. Why did he have to SHOOT anyone? Clealry this shows that he shot first before thinking, in my opinion he should be tried for manslaughter AT THE VERY LEAST. Two young lives have been taken because of a trigger-happy cop. Disgusting.

Actually Edu, the families and other students feel as you do.

However, he had already been chasing them and they outran him, they also turned off their headlights while driving. He believed he was chasing a truckload of guys and he didn't know if they were drunk/high/had weapons. I live in a county that has the second largest Meth problem in Missouri and there are plenty of rednecks doing plenty of stupid things all the time. Not to mention that there have been a rash of po's being killed by citizens. Just earlier this year my own cousin was killed by someone he was investigating, he was a state patrol. So, I believe there has to be a fear of that to begin with. He had no idea how old these guys were or that 1/2 of them were teen girls. It was 12:30 at night.

I believe, when the truck started backing towards him, he had the "flight or fight response". Yes, if it were a regular citizen...they would just try to jump out of the way... he just happened to be a po w/ a gun.

I do feel extremely sorry for him and I am one who doesn't care for police... I find most of them untrustworthy and I believe a lot of them are out to kill or exert authority over others. I feel sorry for him because this is a life sentence for him... even if he is exonerated, his life will never be the same. The news report last night stated his career is over... I think he probably chose that.

However, if you read the article, this is the first time in the county's history that anyone has been killed by a po.

This is just unbelievable and it's not like I knew these boys, even though I know the three girls vaguely. It's just that it is so close to home... it happened less than a mile from where I work and it was in a subdivision where my coworker lives. This could have been any of our children... if they are stupid enough to drink and drive around.

It's an absolute tragedy. Their stupid decision to drink and drive has ruined at least three people's lives. Even if the cop was trigger-happy, it could have been prevented if these kids weren't being stupid. I am very angry that it happened, because it is something that never should have.

Thanks to everyone who responded... and bubs, yes I do tell her that all the time.

I do feel like Edu on this.
But not only the family on those lost lives have their lives change forever but so does his life. He is paying the price already. And for the rest of his life.
Truly sad and unfair.