Board clears officer in shooting death

Keith Paul

Thursday, Jan. 10, 2002 | 9:24 a.m.

A Metro Police officer did not violate deadly force guidelines when he shot and killed an armed man confronted in an apartment in October, the department's use-of-force board ruled Wednesday night.

The board's decision ruling the shooting was justified came about a month after a Clark County coroner's inquest cleared Officer Ted Glaude, 30, of any wrongdoing in the Oct. 23 shooting death of 37-year-old Jeffrey C. Daniels.

The use-of-force board unanimously exonerated Glaude, an officer since January 1998, Deputy Chief Ray Flynn said.

Glaude testified at the coroner's inquest in November that he was left with no choice when Daniels started to raise a gun toward Glaude and two other Metro officers, who had been called to Daniels' apartment after he reportedly threatened children with a gun.

"I begged him. I said, 'Sir, please drop the gun,' " Glaude testified at the coroner's inquest. "There was nothing else I could do."

Glaude fired one shot that hit Daniels in the chest. He died at University Medical Center about 35 minutes after being shot.

Glaude and another officer at the inquest testified that Daniels said to them, "Just make it a clean shot."

Police pointed to an apparent suicide note found in Daniels' bathroom as an indication that he was trying to escalate a situation with officers to get them to shoot him -- often called suicide by cop.

Police found two notes in Daniels' apartment. One was left to a person apologizing for the mess, saying someone would be by to collect his things. The other note, police said, appeared to be a suicide note that was left in the bathroom.

The note read: "I never meant for my weakness to cause anyone pain. I am sickened and horrified by this. I thought I could be strong enough to overcome the drug, but am obviously not. My family and friends I love dearly and am truly sorry for the pain I have caused. This is the only way that I know how to make it up, and I know it won't. I love you all."