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TJP
Feb-17-2012 01:32
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Police in Arizona Shoot Man Holding 9-Month Old Baby
Tim King Salem-News.cmoScottsdale Officer James Peters has killed six people in the line of duty, in seven 'justified' shooting incidents.
 Scottsdale Police Officer James Peters |
(SCOTTSDALE, AZ) - An unarmed Arizona grandfather was blasted in the head this week by a police officer who killed the man because he "thought" he had a weapon. This was the particular officer's sixth fatal shooting in the line of duty, it happened Tuesday night in Scottsdale, .
 These photos provided by the Scottsdale |
"There were at least three officers in position to engage the suspect. At least one of the officers thought he saw something in the suspect's hands," Scottsdale Police Sgt. Mark Clark told Arizona's KPNX.
The information is limited, the Website for Scottsdale Police, apparently doesn't post current information, there was no mention of this terrible event.
According to local reports, 50-year old John Loxas had his 9-month old grandchild in his arms as he walked around his neighborhood, apparently making threats toward 'neighbors and police'.
However the man was outside of his own home with the child, when he was shot through the head by a Scottsdale officer named James Peters. Mr. Loxas was killed immediately, and it is reported that Peters was not confronting the man, instead he used a scope and fired from a distance.
It sounds like Mr. Peters, a 12-year police veteran, has a 'shoot first ask questions later' approach to his work, and he has no reservations with killing people. KPNX reports that has been involved in seven shooting incidents in his career and six of the seven people he shot were killed. All of Peters' past shootings were justified. In three of the incidents, other officers also fired their guns.
Neighbors are questioning this police officer's actions.
Peters first shot a suspect in 2002, as a member of a SWAT team. This was the one non-fatal shooting he was involved in. From 2003 to 2010, Peters was involved in five shootings - all of which were fatal. Peters received a medal for shooting a suspect that took a hostage in a store after hijacking a doughnut truck driver, USA Today explains, however according to their article, he has been called out for his actions in the past.
An attorney named Jason Leonard in Fort Myers, Fla., represented the family of a man who was killed by Peters and another officer in 2006. He says Scottsdale, Arizona seems only concerned with supporting this officer, when the actions of Peters are questionable.
"My concern is that he seems to shoot first and ask questions later and has been supported in this policy," Leonard said to USA Today.
"I don't think he's going after innocent citizens, however, if you find yourself in a precarious situation, he seems to err on the side of escalating the violence."
It interesting that Scottsdale Police told reporters that the nine-month old baby was not injured in the shooting, when in fact any rational person knows that such an event would be terribly scarring for any child.
Detectives found no weapon on Loxas following the shooting.
Man shot to death while holding baby WXSH TV
Police officer in Ariz. shooting has shot 6 others
Ariz. officer scrutinized after 6th fatal shooting - USA Today
_________________________________________________________Tim King: Salem-News.com Editor and Writer
Tim King, summer 2008, covering the Iraq War
Tim King has more than twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines. Tim is a former U.S. Marine.
Tim holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Silver Spoke Award by the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (2011), Excellence in Journalism Award by the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs (2010), Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), First-place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Tim has several years of experience in network affiliate news TV stations, having worked as a reporter and photographer at NBC, ABC and FOX stations in Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. Tim was a member of the National Press Photographer's Association for several years and is a current member of the Orange County Press Club.
Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website. As News Editor, Tim among other things, is responsible for publishing the original content of 102 Salem-News.com writers. He reminds viewers that emails are easily missed and urges those trying to reach him, to please send a second email if the first goes unanswered. Tim's Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/TimKing.Reporter You can write to Tim at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com
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Anonymous April 27, 2013 6:05 am (Pacific time)
That cop is a serial killer and should be in prison...
Joe February 18, 2012 5:07 am (Pacific time)
This is just a carry over from the militarization of this country. The killers at Haditha and those clearly seen killing innocents in the Wikileaks tape of the helicopter massacre were all exonerated. Police officers are supposed to be "peace officers" not killers. Why in the world you hire ex military people to be "peace officers"? Lets face it, military are trained to do one thing; kill. Why wouldn't hire someone with great diplomatic and people skills??
Terry Wagar February 17, 2012 12:56 pm (Pacific time)
Why don't citizens do their own investigative work on these situations? People know the police will not hold an officer accountable for any killing they do. How do we know it's not personal on the part of the officer's? for all we know these officer's could have had a personal vendata against the person killed. Police will not "Look into" such things, they will simply act like the officer is "Justified" simply because he wears a uniform, good enough for police to label the cop "Justified" without any "Real" investigation into the matter. The man, according to unnamed witnesses, was threatening neighbors and police, since the man was blatantly murdered by a sniper and no weapon found on the scene, then clearly the officer just wanted the man dead! The man did not have a weapon, cops did, and cops shot the man dead in front of a nine month old child! If police label this in any form as "Justified" then people will be "Justified" in getting armed themselves to protect themselves from trigger happy cops! Justifacation is a two way street police, remember that! One last point to make, the man is dead, he is not alive to defend against any accusations police or neighbors make, and the man was unarmed, important to remember the man was denied the right to defend himself in a court of law by triffer happy cops!
TERRY WAGAR February 17, 2012 12:54 pm (Pacific time)
Why don't citizens do their own investigative work on these situations? People know the police will not hold an officer accountable for any killing they do. How do we know it's not personal on the part of the officer's? for all we know these officer's could have had a personal vendata against the person killed. Police will not "Look into" such things, they will simply act like the officer is "Justified" simply because he wears a uniform, good enough for police to label the cop "Justified" without any "Real" investigation into the matter. The man, according to unnamed witnesses, was threatening neighbors and police, since the man was blatantly murdered by a sniper and no weapon found on the scene, then clearly the officer just wanted the man dead! The man did not have a weapon, cops did, and cops shot the man dead in front of a nine month old child! If police label this in any form as "Justified" then people will be "Justified" in getting armed themselves to protect themselves from trigger happy cops! Justifacation is a two way street police, remember that! One last point to make, the man is dead, he is not alive to defend against any accusations police or neighbors make, and the man was unarmed, important to remember the man was denied the right to defend himself in a court of law by triffer happy cops!
joe February 17, 2012 12:36 pm (Pacific time)
I am no fan of cops run amok, but it sounds like YOU completely missed the boat on this story.
"It sounds like Mr. Peters, a 12-year police veteran, has a 'shoot first ask questions later' approach to his work, and he has no reservations with killing people. "
That isn't reporting, its BS blogging.
Try here for some FACTS:
http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/2012/02/15/20120215shooting-seventh-scottsdale-police-officer.html
Editor: Facts are facts, we're sick of reporters with their head stuck up the rear side of police agencies....
Tarantulas February 17, 2012 10:57 am (Pacific time)
An interesting fact reported in this article and nowhere else is that three people were shot by the same police officer that night: Mr. Lozas, Mr. Loxas, and Mr. Loax. Fantastic!
Tarantulas February 17, 2012 10:50 am (Pacific time)
Neighbors made the 911 call because Loxas was pointing a loaded gun at them. He had threatened them with the gun before. The gun was a few feet inside the door, and Loxas was shot when he turned to reenter the house. The guy was a hazard to the community and officers were correct to assume that he was armed. The officer took the shot to protect the baby. It's always best to include all the information available in a news article, like this one from two days ago:
http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/2012/02/15/20120215shooting-seventh-scottsdale-police-officer.html
Tim King: I don't know about Arizona, but in Oregon any crime committed in front of a child is substantially worse in nature than one that is not. I do not believe this man was a threat to his own grandson's life, the police were. Oh sure they'll spin the story in their favor in every possible way, just the way they always do, but most Americans are sick of this trigger happy BS and we're increasingly realizing the police problems evolve from two areas; academy training and a willingness in police brass to overlook officer-involved crime. This sniper round did not 'save' a baby, that is totally absurd. This is where the police in my local area are superior, I can't count the number of times they have resolved similar matters without a fatal round.
sue February 17, 2012 10:30 am (Pacific time)
From the article "Peters first killed a suspect in 2002, as a member of a SWAT team. This was the one non-fatal shooting he was involved in"
Someone needs to proofread this article carefully. Did he kill the man or was it a non fatal shooting?
Editor: Thanks!
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