Police misconduct 2

[Conan71]

Can't believe Patric or Vashta had not already posted.  Sounds like said boyfriend's right to due process may have been violated:

Police report: Tulsa officer fatally shoots daughter's boyfriend

A Tulsa police husband and wife were arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old man on a street near downtown, and the couple's daughter said her father shot at her, too.

Shannon Kepler, 54, a 24-year veteran of the Tulsa Police Department, was booked into the Tulsa Jail on first-degree murder and shooting with intent to kill complaints. His wife, Gina, 48, also a Tulsa police officer, was jailed on an accessory to murder complaint.

The two weren't on duty at the time the shooting of 19-year-old Jeremy Lake occurred in the 200 block of North Maybelle Avenue about 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, police said.

Police said an argument occurred between Lake and Shannon Kepler, who was in a black Chevrolet Suburban. Lake, who reportedly was with Kepler's daughter, was shot "two or three times" after he told Kepler that he was her boyfriend, according to an arrest report.

Lisa Kepler, the 18-year-old daughter of Shannon and Gina Kepler, spoke with the Tulsa World on Wednesday morning from the front porch of the home she shared with the homicide victim, who also was her boyfriend.

Lisa Kepler and Lake were walking back from Guthrie Green and were in the street in front of their home when a black SUV pulled up, and Shannon Kepler stepped out.

Lisa Kepler said her father shouted at her and that as Lake attempted to introduce himself, Shannon Kepler shot Lake.

Lisa Kepler said she had attempted to stop the shooting but then ran and hid behind a large rose bush in the front yard as her father fired a shot at her that missed. Lisa Kepler said she told authorities it was her dad who was the triggerman.

"I'm not scared of my dad," she said, in tears and openly wondering why he would shoot someone he didn't know.

Josh Mills, 23, a friend of Lake's, said he was also at the scene during the shooting. He said Shannon Kepler also fired a shot at Lake's 13-year-old brother, who was sitting on the front porch. The bullet ricocheted and grazed the boy in the upper arm, Mills said.

Mills said he had paramedic training and tried to stem Lake's bleeding and locate the bullet wounds. Mills said it appeared Lake had been shot in the chest and neck from about 3-feet away. Mills and Lake hadn't known each other long but had become close.

"He was like a brother to me for two weeks," Mills said, tearing up as he described how Lake died in his arms.

Lisa Kepler said her parents had kicked her out of their home recently because of poor "life decisions" she had made and dropped her off at the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless. Lisa Kepler declined to say what those life decisions were.

"I really hope they rot in prison for a very long time," Lisa Kepler said of her parents.

Lisa Kepler said the Day Center is where she met Lake, who offered to let her live with himself and his aunt, Pam Wilkins, within the past week. She said Lake was a sweet man and had been nothing but good to her since they had met.

Wilkins, 50, said Lake had "a lot of love" for people, including those in the homeless community. She said her nephew was "the life of the party."

"No matter if we argued, he never let a day go by without saying, 'I love you,'" Wilkins said.

Police said Shannon Kepler turned himself in after investigators contacted his wife, Gina Kepler.

The couple are expected to be placed on paid administrative leave until they are charged, TPD spokeswoman Jill Roberson said.

Both Shannon and Gina Kepler were hired Aug. 13, 1990, police said. Police Chief Chuck Jordan issued a brief statement regarding the shooting Wednesday afternoon, saying there was little information that could be released due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.

"I as well as the whole Department am saddened for both families involved in this tragic event," Jordan said in the statement. "The circumstances around this incident drives home the fact that domestic violence is a societal problem and transcends all economic groups."

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/crimewatch/police-report-tulsa-officer-fatally-shoots-daughter-s-boyfriend/article_c99c71e0-c77a-5c55-8b6a-30ca3a4f0b84.html

[tulsa_fan]

The officer wasn't acting in capacity of a police officer, just a dad . . .  It appears to be an extremely tragic, sad deal.   I assume there's something more to the story somewhere, but I'm not seeing or hearing much of anything that prevents him from spending the rest of his life in jail. 

[patric]

The officer wasn't acting in capacity of a police officer, just a dad . . .  It appears to be an extremely tragic, sad deal.   I assume there's something more to the story somewhere, but I'm not seeing or hearing much of anything that prevents him from spending the rest of his life in jail. 

Most people acting in the capacity of "dad" don't shoot at their daughters.

[Townsend]

Most people acting in the capacity of "dad" don't shoot at their daughters.

Depends on the type of dad the person is.

[DolfanBob]

Depends on the type of dad the person is.

Two crazed cops with guns?

[tulsa_fan]

The vast majority of the population doesn't shoot at people.  If you are trying to say his actions are because he is a cop, I disagree whole heartedly andI can go pull story after story of domestic situations turning deadly and not only in the heat of the moment physical fight.  There are bad officers that abuse their power; this is a cop who for whatever reason decided to shoot someone and it's obviously rooted in a family situation.

Most people acting in the capacity of "dad" don't shoot at their daughters.

[Townsend]

Two crazed cops with guns?

Sure.  Jeff MacDonald was convicted of killing his pregnant wife and two daughters.  There's many types of fathers.

[DolfanBob]

The comment section for News on 6 report. Seems to be leaning toward the racist card. So I'm guessing the young man was black.

[DolfanBob]

Sure.  Jeff MacDonald was convicted of killing his pregnant wife and two daughters.  There's many types of fathers.

OK. Until you mentioned him. I had never heard of what he did.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_R._MacDonald

[dbacksfan 2.0]

OK. Until you mentioned him. I had never heard of what he did.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_R._MacDonald

Yes, there are a lot of fine upstanding fathers out there.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_William_Fisher

[BKDotCom]

The comment section for News on 6 report. Seems to be leaning toward the racist card. So I'm guessing the young man was black.

The young lad was of Caucasian descent.

[heironymouspasparagus]

The officer wasn't acting in capacity of a police officer, just a dad . . .  It appears to be an extremely tragic, sad deal.   I assume there's something more to the story somewhere, but I'm not seeing or hearing much of anything that prevents him from spending the rest of his life in jail.  

Tragic and sad.

No matter what the rest of the story, there is/was NO excuse for shooting an unarmed person who was not an immediate, direct deadly threat.  That is murder.  And it sounds like he had this in mind before he drove up, so would be premeditated.

[Conan71]

The officer wasn't acting in capacity of a police officer, just a dad . . .  It appears to be an extremely tragic, sad deal.   I assume there's something more to the story somewhere, but I'm not seeing or hearing much of anything that prevents him from spending the rest of his life in jail. 

Actually, there were two reasons I posted here.  First, I was surprised by mid-day that the two who seem to troll the interwebz every day looking for police misconduct hadn't weighed-in.

Second, the media needs to be taken to task over this.  It was not a "police-related" shooting as neither of the suspects were on duty at the time.  A suspect's occupation is not usually a basis for the story. 

"Tulsa police are investigating a crack dealer-related shooting"

"Tulsa police are investigating a CEO-related shooting"

"Tulsa police are investigating an auto mechanic-related shooting".

They saw the opportunity and sensationalized it.

That said, I am curious what was going on in their heads.  Did they think they were above the law?  What happened to simple interventions?  There's a lot more to this story yet to be heard, so far all we've heard is from the daughter who says it was cold blood.  Yet, she was dropped off at a homeless shelter recently because she wouldn't follow the rules of the house.

[Vashta Nerada]

The vast majority of the population doesn't shoot at people.  If you are trying to say his actions are because he is a cop, I disagree whole heartedly andI can go pull story after story of domestic situations turning deadly and not only in the heat of the moment physical fight.  There are bad officers that abuse their power; this is a cop who for whatever reason decided to shoot someone and it's obviously rooted in a family situation.

OTOH, if you have spent your entire professional career immersed in an environment where you are told you will be shielded from the consequences of using deadly force, would you not be more willing to take that route than not?

The officer's daughter told FOX23 she believes this was premeditated.
"It was definitely a premeditated, murder. How could somebody go off and kill somebody they don't know in cold blood and just drive away?" asked 18-year-old Lisa Kepler.
She told FOX23 her (police officer) parents were fed up with her making bad choices and dropped her off at the Tulsa Day Center, a homeless shelter, last week. That's where she met Jeremy Lake.
http://www.fox23.com/news/news/man-shot-and-killed-northwest-tulsa/ngwYB/

Police reports show Lisa Keppler's father, police officer Shannon Kepler, drove up in his black SUV and shot lake in the back of the head.
The daughter said her father shot Lake two or three times, then shot at her two or three times, but missed. Kepler then drove off, according to the daughter.

Tulsa Police say each of the Keplers has been with the department for 24 years. They've been placed on paid administrative leave.

Josh Mills, 23, a friend of Lake's, said he also was at the scene and recounted how his friend had died in his arms. Mills said he had paramedic training and tried to locate Lake's bullet wounds and stem his bleeding. He said it appeared that Lake had been shot in the neck and chest from about three feet away.

He said Shannon Kepler also fired a shot in the direction of Lake's 13-year-old brother, who was sitting on the front porch. The bullet ricocheted and grazed the boy in the upper arm, Mills said.

[heironymouspasparagus]

That said, I am curious what was going on in their heads.  Did they think they were above the law?  What happened to simple interventions?  There's a lot more to this story yet to be heard, so far all we've heard is from the daughter who says it was cold blood.  Yet, she was dropped off at a homeless shelter recently because she wouldn't follow the rules of the house.

No matter what the "more to this story" is, the guy that got shot was not armed.  No imminent deadly threat was implied.  Even if they were arguing - have heard two versions so far - deadly force was not indicated.