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twitterHow he saw it
Husband of woman shot to death last week as her children watched tells a story that dramatically contradicts police version
Leila Navidi
Zyber Selimaj reenacts the pose, on his knees with his hands up, that he says his wife Deshira took before she was shot and killed by Henderson Police officers at the scene of a traffic stop near Coronado High School.
Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008 | 2 a.m.
Contradicting Stories Arise in Henderson Shooting
The Henderson Police Dept. held a press conference Feb. 21 to address various news reports surrounding the shooting death of 42 year-old Deshira Selimaj. The press conference offered a different account of the scene than that of eyewitnesses, and the report also presented contradicting facts from what the department released the day of the shooting.
Two different stories have emerged about the shooting death of Henderson mother Deshira Selimaj, who was killed Feb. 12 at Sunridge Heights and Pecos Ridge parkways, where her husband had been pulled over in his ice cream truck. Here is what happened, according to her husband, Zyber Selimaj.
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- Zyber Selimaj talks about his wife not having a knife.
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- Zyber Selimaj on what his wife said about police wanting to arrest him.
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- Zyber Selimaj on his wife getting shot in front of their kids.
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- Zyber Selimaj on hearing his wife was dead.
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Sun Archives
- Woman dies from officer-involved shooting (2-13-2008)
- Face to Face: The Final Take (2-13-2008)
Beyond the Sun
Of this fact, Zyber Selimaj is certain: No matter what Henderson Police say, his wife was not carrying a knife when an officer shot her last week, killing her next to the ice cream truck she drove for a living, and in plain view of her children.
Even in the hazy wake of his wife’s death, this detail is clear in Selimaj’s mind. And not just kind of clear, he says, but crystal. She was not carrying a knife, never carried a knife in her truck and never, as the police also claim, held a knife to the neck of one of her three children in the moments before she was killed.
So at least one fact is absolutely indisputable: The police and the father have very different versions of what happened.
That’s one of the reasons why Selimaj agreed to the Sun’s request for an interview at his Henderson home. He and his wife bought the house four months ago, after living in a trailer for several years.
The new house is now full of funeral floral arrangements.
Along the doorway five pairs of shoes are lined up, small to large. Selimaj, 65, hasn’t moved his wife’s purple flip-flops. Guests, however, are no longer instructed to remove their shoes before coming in.
“Mom is dead,” Selimaj said, so you don’t need to worry about the white carpet, or any formalities, really. Not anymore. “There is no woman here.”
Still, their boys, ages 5, 7 and 11, were trained to hug guests when they come in, and so they do, half-smiling. Then they cluster on the couch, an overstuffed green brocade, and play a hand-held video game while their father recounts the day in question. He talks, and cries, over a background of video game blips.
When Selimaj keels over onto the carpet to reenact his wife’s death, the children put down the game and chew their nails.
Selimaj came to America in 1992 after spending 22 years in an Albanian prison, sentenced for speaking out against communism in his native country. He came to Nevada to carve out a suburban life. The family’s two ice cream trucks, the entire fleet of the Deer Runner Albania ice cream company, are parked at the end of the driveway in the neighborhood cul-de-sac, white wagons plastered with yellow stickers against a backdrop of dry desert brown.
Selimaj said he left the house driving one of the trucks about 11:30 a.m. Feb. 12. He was headed toward the Henderson neighborhoods where he sells ice cream when he was pulled over by a police officer for failing to come to a complete stop. The officer let Selimaj slide on that violation, but he wrote him a $67 ticket for not wearing a seat belt.
Selimaj called his 42-year-old wife, Deshira, who was at home with Alban, 11, and Arber, 5. Their third son, Azbi, 7, was in school. Selimaj told his wife he hadn’t sold any ice cream and he already had gotten a ticket. She told him, “Don’t worry, be careful, drive slow.”
By 2 p.m. that day, Selimaj was nearing Sunridge Heights Parkway, a road that runs alongside medical buildings and tract homes and then passes Coronado High School. It was in this neighborhood that Selimaj was pulled over again, for failing to stop at a stop sign and for speeding in a school zone, a charge he contests. This time, Selimaj said, a police officer wrote a citation that carried a $650 fine, and Selimaj initially refused to sign it.
Everything that happens thereafter is open to debate.
Selimaj admits he was upset. He says he asked to be let go so he could sell his ice cream. Paying a $650 ticket “means I am working for police,” he said, “not for my kids.” Selimaj said the officer told him that if he did not sign, he would go to jail. Selimaj told the officer he’d rather go to jail. He’s been to jail before.
According to a police news release, the responding officer believed that a language barrier was preventing Selimaj from understanding him.
Selimaj said the officer told him to calm down. Selimaj replied that he would calm down just as soon as he could call his wife. He dialed Deshira, who was at home, cleaning up juice that Arber had spilled in a second-floor bedroom.
Deshira was always cleaning, Selimaj told the Sun. “She was a neat woman,” he said. “An excellent woman.”
When Deshira answered the phone, Selimaj told her he was going to jail.
“Again?” she said. “Now jail in America?”
She became upset. The officer, Selimaj said, caught the tone of their voices but didn’t understand the words because they were speaking Albanian. The officer asked to talk to Deshira, so Selimaj handed over the phone. Selimaj has no idea what his wife said, but the result was that the officer forced the phone back at him, irritated, and said he didn’t want to talk to Deshira any longer.
Deshira’s English, the family agrees, was much better than her husband’s.
Deshira told Selimaj she was going to him. She grabbed Alban and Arber, put them in her ice cream truck and started driving to the neighborhood where he had been pulled over. Police say they did not ask her to come, and it’s unclear whether they expected her to show up. She got there about 20 minutes after she was called, Selimaj said, and by the time she arrived Selimaj had signed the ticket.
The police officer, the same officer who was concerned about a language barrier, said after Selimaj signed the ticket he became confrontational and made suicidal statements.
Selimaj denies this.
When Deshira pulled up, she and the children saw Selimaj sitting handcuffed on the ground, where he says officers asked him to wait. Looking worried, he said, she clambered out of the passenger-side door, children in tow.
As soon as she was out of the truck, Selimaj said, two Henderson Police officers drew their guns and pointed them at the mother.
This is the beginning of another serious discrepancy in the stories.
Selimaj said the police grabbed the two children from Deshira and thrust them toward him, so they ran to their father. He said police had Selimaj and his sons behind his ice cream truck. The three of them say they leaned around the corner of the vehicle and saw Deshira on her knees, flailing her arms above her head, wailing.
Then they heard a loud bang, Selimaj said, and saw Deshira fall forward onto the concrete.
Selimaj pantomimes this fall in his living room. He raises his hands in the air, waves his arms back and forth, wails and then pitches forward onto the floor. Then he comes up, like a swimmer for air, and gasps.
After they watched their mother fall, Selimaj said, the children began sobbing. Before police could separate the father and his children, he bent forward and kissed them on the head, since he was handcuffed and could not hug them. The children were then placed in county custody at Child Haven while he spent two days in jail.
No more than a few minutes passed between the time Deshira showed up with the boys and the time she was face down on the ground, Selimaj said.
The Henderson Police version of what happened is significantly different.
They say Deshira showed up in the ice cream truck with the boys, got out, and then reached for a knife inside the vehicle. Police say she held the knife to one of the boys’ throats and made suicidal statements to the officers. Police say they got the boy away from Deshira, but could not get her to drop the knife.
Two officers then attempted to use their Tasers on Deshira, but “their efforts were not successful,” according to a news release. While holding the knife, Deshira made aggressive movements toward an officer who, fearing for his life and the lives of those around him, shot her, Henderson Police spokesman Keith Paul said.
Deshira was taken to Sunrise Hospital, where she died.
At the Henderson jail, Selimaj said, three officers told him, “Be strong, your wife is dying.”
Seven days later, and Selimaj is emphatic: His wife had no knife. In fact, when he kept a kitchen knife in his truck for cutting fruit, she’d scolded him.
Neither Selimaj nor his children recall seeing Tasers, either.
Through the family’s attorney, Jim Jimmerson, Selimaj has hired private detective Hal DeBecker to seek witnesses, many of whom spoke to the TV reporters who descended on the scene of the shooting. The witnesses, however, did not allow their faces to be shown or their names used, so DeBecker doesn’t know whom he is searching for, only that he has to find them.
Those witnesses agreed on one thing: Deshira didn’t have a knife.
Police say they have the knife and what really happened that afternoon will all come out at the coroner’s inquest, set for April 11. The officer who shot Deshira, 23-year-old Luke Morrison, has been with the Henderson Police for two years and is on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.
Deshira’s family, also from Albania, landed in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Her father would not let Selimaj bury her body until he saw her.
This detail sends Selimaj into another spasm of tears.
“I cry, I cry, I cry,” he said. “I pull my hair and cry.”
Eleven-year-old Alban who, like his brothers, was born in the United States, sits by his father, looking vacant and saying little.
Alban said he did not hear the police say anything to his mother before they shot her, but he heard what she shouted at them: “Leave me alone, leave me to raise my kids.”
He says this, then asks to be left alone. He flees to an upstairs bedroom where his brother and the children from other Albanian families, who keep floating in and out of the home, are playing and eating popcorn.
Taped above the microwave, there’s a pink card that reads: “Happy Velentines. I love you Mom.”
Selimaj stays in the living room with his brother, Ray, who flew in from Texas on Tuesday to help and can only wander about the living room, wringing his hands, like everybody else.
Quietly, standing on the carpet in his shoes, Selimaj says, “Even in communist Albania police never kill a mom in front of her children.”
Discussion: 40 comments so far…
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Unless there is hard evidence to the contrary, I will believe the Henderson police. Their word vs an ice cream vendor who apparently habitually drives contrary to law.
The police did not call the spouse. Both parties agree on that. Guess you have to read the full article to understand that though.
None of us were at the scene as it happened so there is no way any of us can make judgment on what really did happen.
Seems to many like to rush to judgment these days.
I seem that the police is a pitiable coward. Think that it is about a defenceless woman, even if she had a knife. Can the police show the fingerprints from the woman on the knife? What a scandal from the Henderson Police.
I am sure that the court, if it will be a fair trail, that the the police must be sentenced for murder.
A fund has been set up for the Salimaj Family - Contributions to this fund may be made at any Nevada State Bank location. Thank you.
I will not comment on who's story I think is the truth. However, I will share a recent experience I had with the local police.
There was an arrest being made in front of my house. The police had been there for more than 2 hours already. I stood in my driveway and got one of the officers attention to ask what was going on. He then approached me and I began to walk closer to him to speak with him. It was cold and I had my hands in my pockets. He put his hand on his gun and nervously told me to take my hands out of my pockets. This was really quite alarming.
The whole story sounds a bit strange, and I do find it harder to believe that a mother would threaten her child's life for really no reason, and I still am failing to see why deadly force was necessary.
So very sad. I hope justice will be served in this case, whatever the truth may be.
Obviously no cops are commenting on this story. Unless you've walked in there shoes don't judge. This officer acted in the right. a knife is a dangerous and deadly weapon, even more fearful than a gun as it is a close quarters weapon. As for the guy(GOD) who accuses the PD of Assasination, may god have mercy on you. Just remember, that day when you need a cop and one shows up to help you, without judgement of you remember what you said here, than ask yourself, do I deserve help from this officer, cause in my book, you don't.
The last thing any police officer needs to deal with is a lawsuit. Every police officer would use every tool they had available to them before using their firearm.
Do you liberal scum really think cops go around looking to shoot people? I know you liberals live in a dream world already, but if you believe this, then you really need some clinical help.
The suspects actions in this case dictated the officers actions. Even though she had a knife, the officers still tried to subdue her with a taser. For you liberals this means the cops took on a subject armed with a dangerous weapon, and they were armed with a less lethal device. If they didn't want to end this peacefully, why bother using the taser.
You liberals need to understand a few things, this entire situation was reactionary. Officers reacted to a person committing traffic violations, the husband refused to sign for the citation (in Nevada you must sign the citation, or go to jail, refusing to sign is not an option), officers did their best to deal with a language barrier (and don't blame them for that, they didn't move to a foreign country with out learning the language), The wife got out of her vehicle with a weapon, cops tried to subdue her without use of a firearm, the wife came at the cops with a weapon, and now an officer has to live with the fact that he took someones life, because they made horrible decisions, not him.
And remember these officers face violent situations every day all while you live your life in safety. It is their life on the line, not yours, so until you are in a shoot or don't shoot situation you cannot judge anyone. You can play armchair quarterback again next football season.
Remember two thing folks, we do live in a violent world, and FREEDOM ISN'T FREE!
Missing key word here: "allegedly." As in, the woman allegedly held a knife to her son's throat and allegedly made remarks that the police officer allegedly believed were suicidal.
unsilentmajority: I'm surprised you only disparaged liberals by name three times in your diatribe. What you and other law and order uber alles types tend to forget is, the police are not always right. What gave that officer the right to (allegedly) play judge, jury and executioner? Plus, I suspect you were not at the scene -- so how do you know what actually happened that day?
It's probably a good thing for us all to take both stories with a huge grain of salt. The fact is, we may never know the full truth.
UnSilent is an idiot.
He's right, freedom isn't free. Cops require oversight. In every instance when they have been given free reign, they have screwed it up and corrupted their freedom.
Thank God the "liberals" are out there keeping an eye on the cops. Otherwise we'd have dolts like this guy running things...
What is this story really about. Law and Order, Ice Cream Trucks, language barriers, husband and wife, children, cops out of control, eye witnesses?
Simple -
A life taken. Who's fault? Everyone involved.
I would agree that not all Henderson cops are bad. I've been pulled over and treated very professionally. On the other hand, me and a friend have been pulled over and ticketed simply for their registration being expired the day before, not knowing registration wasn't good throughout the whole month like it is in other states.
Some Henderson cops are good, and there are more than likely some that are bad.
YOU "right-wing, conservative scume" like Unsilentmajority need to understand a few things yourselves. The police were in no danger. Two or more police officers versus one woman who even if she HAD a knife, didn't need to be KILLED.
What was the likelihood that this mother of 3 could use this knife in such a deadly way. Would these officers not have been skilled enough to be able to counter a knife attack with a night-stick or any other weapon aside from fatal bullets?!
Their TASERS didn't work?! Maybe they should have learned how to use them properly? Couldn't they have shot her in the foot or fired some warning shots?
Yes, this 23 year-old officer has to live with killing these three children's mother. He should've used his head. He shouldn't have been so eager to take a shot. He exercised poor judgement.
No one is suggesting we don’t need cops, but this looks to me as an execution by the cop who was mad because the suspect probably insulted him on the phone. Some of comments accuse the “liberals” for insulting the PD. For god’s sake guys the fact is a mother was shot dead in front of her family, everyone should at least mourn the way she died. This is not about freedom or violent world this is about a cop looking to assassinate. If he was trained and professional why he wasn’t able to use correctly the taser and then if he really needed to fire why he shoot the body instead of immobilizing the suspect by shooting the legs. It wasn’t a violent situation but a violent irresponsible cop. Note that I have all the respect for the good cops who should as well condemn the actions of the shooter because he is tarnishing the image of their profession.
The officer did Exactly what he was trained to do. If you think it's a good idea for an officer to try and shoot somebody in the leg to disarm them, you've watched too many movies. Officers are trained to aim for center mass. There is absolutely no reason for a police officer to risk his own life to save someone who is trying to harm him. As far as Mr. Selimaj's story goes, he has everything to gain from lying his head off-- a ton of money and revenge against the officer who killed his wife-- and nothing to lose.
Break the Law, you go to jail.
Disrespect the Cops, you get shot.
How is it possible that this Albanian ice cream truck driver is still allowed to peddle his ice cream with 2 previous child battery charges anyway? Combine that with his disregard for school zones, stop signs, and law enforcement and you might begin to get the big picture here. How do people come here from lands with no freedom, then so freely disregard and disrespect the laws. I'm sorry about his wife, but he really should have just signed the ticket and thanked the officer. This man survived how many years in Albanian prisons (22 I think) to come to America and argue with the police over a traffic citation? I doubt he would have argued in Albania, he never should have involved his family.
This entire story made me cry. I cried for the family and the loss of their mother/wife. I cried for the police officer, so young to experience such a tragedy so early on with his job. The whole scene was just wrong in so many ways. Everyone involved must take the blame. Such miscommunication reminds me of the movie, "House of Sand & Fog". I pray they will all find peace & forgiveness.
The Neo-Con Republican Evangelical 11th Century Crusaders will applaud to the shooting of any immigrant. Muslim immigrants? They'll hold a freaking barbeque.
ChrisC: And you've never gone 25 in a 20mph school zone by accident? You've never done a "California Stop" at a stop sign before? So if you had, you or your wife should have been shot to death in front of your entire family for it?
Vegaslee: Who CARES who called the mother?! The father, the kids and the WITNESSES WHO SPOKE TO THE NEWS UNDER CONDITION OF ANONYMITY said THERE WAS NO KNIFE. So they killed the mom in front of her husband and small kids and then planted a knife on her...and you're squealing about who called the mother??
brygy: THERE WAS NO KNIFE ACCORDING TO -ALL- EYE WITNESS TESTIMONY. Not a SINGLE eye-witness saw a knife! You people are seriously desperate to justify the slaughter of an immigrant.
unsilentmajority: Read the comment above. You tools have seriously polarized our country by making everything Liberal vs. Conservative. MOST of us don't give a DAMN about your politics. We just don't want our families slaughtered by cops who came back from WAR 2 years ago!
hrstoll: Everyone's at fault? Nice try. A little better than the previous desperate attempts. So now cops should shoot families for traffic violations then plant knives on them to cover it up, right? Smaaart.
turdfrgssn: When you're wife is shot dead in front of you and your kids you're not thinking about making money. Maybe that's you (and I am sure it is, hence, why you project it on others), but not most of humankind.
henderson: Even if the FATHER violated traffic laws and had a previous battery charge, HOW DOES THAT JUSTIFY SHOOTING THE WIFE TO DEATH IN FRONT OF HER FAMILY AND THEN CLAIMING SHE HAD A KNIFE WHEN *NO EYE-WITNESSES SAW A KNIFE*????
Am I in freakin 2nd Century B.C. Rome?!
zgaspen: Don't cry so much. It obviously impairs your sense of reason. When a man violates traffic laws, he is NOT at fault when they MURDER HIS WIFE.
I have spent the past 7 years of my life defending America to those who hold a negative opinion of this country. I've traveled overseas, written articles, given speeches, spoken at Churches, spoken at Mosques, etc.
Yet, after all I've experienced and witnessed over these years (including this HEINOUS crime which is NOT isolated), I will NEVER defend America again. The good Americans (such as those of you who spoke out against this crime) are just too weak and overpowered by the bloodthirsty Right-Wing powerbloc.
Hey wraith, if you don't like the country, leave.. It ain't that hard to do. as for eyewitness accounts of the knife, it will all come out in the inquest. and you are right, the heinous crime committed by the woman who held a knife to her own childs throat and then attempted to stab an officer removing that child will never be seen by most "lefties" as they want only to blame the cops for everything. But I guess you are as whacked out as most who believe different. Again, if you do not love this country and choose not to defend it, then you should leave, but judging by your response, you do not have the intestinal fortitude to leave, as you know you will not have such a good life as provided to you here.
darthby, why should I leave? Because an inbreed like you told me to? This is my home and the land of my birth. The "good life" America provides me? What are you talking about? We have practically NO health care. If you don't have insurance you die of a freaking cold. Whereas, I can live in Dubai, a country that makes the USA look like Bangladesh, and pay NO taxes and have FREE health care in some of the world's best hospitals.
If my brother rapes a nun, I won't defend him, but that doesn't mean he's not my brother. Similarly, if America has turned into a breeding ground of backwards bigoted murderers, I will never defend her, but that doesn't mean she's not my country. America has now become a country where you can shoot an immigrant mother dead in the street and instead of condemning her murder, they'll argue that had we been stricter on immigration she wouldn't have been there to be killed to begin with. Morons.
My father came to the USA from the Soviet Union in the 50's, bringing technology that the Soviets had over the Americans. He made a moral decision to support America against the Soviets. Don't tell me to leave until you can tell me what the heck YOUR family has done for this country. I don't care if you were a GI who dropped out of school and listened to Heavy Metal music about death while you toured in Iraq. That doesn't count. All that did for this country is give us a bad reputation while they raped 14 year-old girls, murdered their families, shot them in the face, then burned their bodies:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abeer_Qasim...
Don't talk to me about the beauty of this country. This country WAS beautiful not that long ago, until you Right-Wing Evangelical Hillbilly Crusaders destroyed that beauty of unparalleled pluralism and justice and replaced it with xenophobia and ignorance.
What is it with all these LIES about the mother and a knife? What country do YOU live in? Iran? Here in America we depend on EYE-WITNESS accounts and testimony to corroborate and substantiate innocence or guilt. This isn't a police state, white hooded wonder.
NOT A SINGLE EYE-WITNESS HAS CORROBORATED THE POPPYCOCK BULL STORY OF THE MOTHER PUTTING A KNIFE TO HER OWN SON'S THROAT OR EVEN *HAVING* A KNIFE. UNTIL THEY CAN PRODUCE A SINGLE WITNESS FROM OUTSIDE THE POLICE FORCE THEN THEY ARE ***LYING****
As much as you LOVE it when an immigrant mother gets shot to death in front of her children, there's NO justification you can dig up in this case.
This mother was MURDERED and unless I see justice in this case, as someone from the upper income bracket of this country, I will do my part to protest the downward spiral America is headed down by COMPLETE DIVESTMENT and struggle to encourage overseas investiture. While countries like Dubai and Singapore flourish as models of economic success and ethnic and religious pluralism and harmony, America will fall further and further into the Dark Ages.
First of all wraith here is a quote from Ronald Reagan I find appropriate for you. "Liberals --it's not that they're ignorant, they just know so much that ain't so." And as for calling me a "white hooded wonder". Not even close. I myself did not serve in the Military as so many of my heroic brothers and sisters have. I am a college graduate, not a dropout. Although, I guess the University system failed me as I learned to think on my own, not believe what far left liberal instructors shoved down my throat. As far as being a right winged evangelical hillbilly, who ruined this country. Wow, a real history buff you are I can see. If I am not mistaken (and I'm not) the forefathers who created this nation were extreme right wingers (by your definition). This country did not start a downslide until so many people started to believe they are entitled to everything they don't want to earn for themselves, and feel the government should provide everything for them at a cost to the people who choose to make something of there lives. Dark ages, hmm, when was the last time an American beheaded someone for not being of the same religion? Guess I haven't been watching the same news as you. But I guess Al Jazeera reports only the truth. It's funny that you say because of the war in Iraq, we have given our country a bad reputation. When was it decided that we were to police the world and solve everyones problems. For such a bad reputation, what do you think would happen if we said, enough with foreign aid, you all take care of yourselves. We are taking back our money, taking back our businesses, and securing our land from people who should not be here? The world would collapse. It would be like your great Soviet Union in the late 80's. A complete disaster and cluster f---. So screw what other countries think of our reputation, the world owes the US more than it could ever repay. Again, for someone who hates the US so much leave and go to Dubai or Singapore to live in such great harmony. My guess is you have the gall of whichever Baldwin Brother who said he would move to Canada if George Bush was elected president. But wait, he stayed in Hollywood. Put your money where your mouth is an leave if you hate it here so much. And I can tell you don't have the ability to have a good conversation, cause as any ultra liberal does you have to turn everything into a racial battle, not one of pure honest discussion. Have a good life and good luck to you in your future ventures.
darthby, you seem to have forgotten that this is about A MOTHER WHO WAS MURDERED IN FRONT OF HER HUSBAND AND SMALL CHILDREN BY A CLEARLY TRIGGER HAPPY EX-IRAQ G.I. TURNED HENDERSON COP.
Not everything in the world is about Conservative vs. Liberal, Ms. Coulter!
I'm still wondering how 4 cops couldn't subdue this woman. Since eyewitnesses have said that she had no knife and, even for the sake of argument she had one would have to have been one that was basically a nail-cutter sized pocket-knife! So all these Henderson cops couldn't apprehend a woman with a nail-cutter! They had to kill her in front of her husband and kids?
If that's true they are a bunch of immasculate eunuchs! Yet, we all know that NONE of Officer Luke Morrison's story is true.
I certainly don't appreciate you telling me what to do with my emotions, Mr. Wraith. Who are you to judge? This tragedy is what it is, a terrible sequence of events that lead to a tragic outcome. I will include you in my prayers.
Hey Wraith,
First off, Officer Morrison was not trying to kill her. This is what you don't understand. God forbid we in law enforcement ever have to take a life. We train for the event of possibly having to do it, but it is always are last option. I can guarantee that Officer Morrison will live with the death of this lady for the rest of his life. I can't begin to imagine what he is and will have to deal with emotionally after this event. it is trully a tragedy for all parties involved. I only hope you hear my words in knowing this was not a preplanned attack. The officer reacted as trained. It was not murder. I think your interpretation is incorrect. I can't tell you what to think or feel, but look inside yourself and really ask if you think this young man is trully a cold blooded murderer as you portray. I hope if you can't admit the truth to us (which is he is not a cold blooded murderer), that you can admit it to yourself.
Darthbry, as an Iraqi I am well aware of the American criminal behavior. The US soldiers just like Morrison are recruited from all parts of America including Henderson, Nevada, given a haircut, a good bath and a uniform then trained for three months & sent to Iraq to kill men, women & children. They rape, steel & slaughter innocent people. The Americans have committed some of the most heinous war crimes against the people of Iraq. One day the Iraqis will bring America to international criminal court for war crimes against humanity. Americans have developed an insatiable lust for blood. Officer Morrison is a product of this violent society called America. He is from the same culture of these brutal killers that are sent to Iraq. They shoot innocent Iraqis and get away with murder. The US military holds phony trials for these hardcore criminals and let them back into the army to kill more Iraqis. Tens of thousands of Americans have gotten away with murder in Iraq, I expect Officer Morrison will get away with killing a mother of three children. Police officers like military soldiers are trained to be trigger happy.
The newsmedia needs to investigate Officer Morrison to see if he has served in Iraq or Afghanistan?
Hey IraqAnti Bush, your BS statements don't even warrant a response. Go Back to Iraq if it is so great there. And this statement "Police officers like military soldiers are trained to be trigger happy" way incorrect, being a cop myself, so yes I have first hand training, we are taught that deadly force is the last option. We are not trained to shoot first ask questions later, as movies like Die Hard and Lethal weapon portray. We do everything to avoid having to use ANY type of force. I know you will never believe it, because you are a brainwashed, unable to think for yourself type of person, but it is the absolute truth. If it was not there would be more than 30 - 35 officer involved shootings in southern nevada each year. Really think about the truth before you blab nonsense. the fact that there are so few officer involved shootings per year prove your statement to be completely false. So when you have a real arguement pipe up. Until then, keep your mouth shut. As for the war in Iraq, God bless our men and women who are making the world safer from Islamic extremists. Although I agree that one American life isn't worth it, I am glad these men and women are making America safer for my children.
What the Henderson Police did here is nothing short of criminal. I expect the District Attorney to file criminal charges against the officers who murdered this poor woman.
Hopefully this tragedy will serve as a wakeup call for the police in whether or not to use deadly force.
To the Las Vegas Sun, please continue your in-depth reporting and investigating on this tragedy. There is more to this story than meets the eye.
1. We need to take away the guns from the cops. They can't be trusted to use them appropriately.
2. We need to prosecute Morrison to the full extent of the law.
3. People are not going to sit back and let cops gun people down. Especially women, especially mothers in front of their children!!
4. I don't think its a matter of liberal or conservative thinking. Its a matter of whether or not a cop has the mental makeup to be a cop.
5. I understand being a cop is a scary job. There are bad guys out there somewhere. I don't think that is the issue here.
6. If the cops only way of dealing with a wacko woman with a knife is to shoot her I think they need to find another line of work.
7. The citizens need to beware and take this seriously. the citizens need to make sure this cop is brought to justice.
8.I can't remember who said this but it is so true "When the police become the militia, the community becomes the enemy"
take the guns from the cops, you would have no cops and scumbag lowlife drug dealers, wannabe gangsters would rule. What a great idea. I would love to go to a domestic dispute where a po'ed husband just found out his wife was cheating and wants to kill her. we get there and he has a gun in his hand. Hmm, instead of his wife he'll shoot the cop who shows up for being a man. Robert, come on lets be real. we carry guns not only to protect ourselves from morons who should't have a gun, but also to protect the innocent (you possibly). Again, we do not go out and just gun people down, as I stated in an earlier post, if that was the case, there would be more than 30 -35 officer involved shootings a year in southern nevada. as for point "5. I understand being a cop is a scary job. There are bad guys out there somewhere. I don't think that is the issue here" I suggest you sign up for a ride along with henderson, metro, or north las vegas pd. You will then see just how many bad people are out there "somewhere". I remember my first week on the job, I responded to 4 - 5 calls a night where the only information we had from the people who called for our helps is subject, very upset, is known to carry a gun. I would feel real good going to that call with just a flash light and pepper spray.
This was indeed a horrible event, I can't say for sure what happened because I wasn't a first hand observant but it seems to me that the police might have reason to lie to protect their own but why would bystanders with nothing to gain conspire to make false accusations against police?
darthbry: You seem so angry and paranoid about the nature of people. Not everyone that is not a cop is a drug dealer or spousal abuser or wannabe gangster. But if you are in law enforcement and not some mall cop or mobile security then in a way your hostility is understandable, there is a school of thought in police training that instills a us verse them mentality into your training. Truth is that most people no matter what their politics don't hate or want to harm cops. There should have been some other way to subdue or calm the lady before deadly force was used. I don't have the training that Henderson police have and I have to believe that if I have a 3 or 4 to 1 advantage with billy clubs, pepper spray, tasers kevlar and old fashioned common sense this lady does not have to die in front of her family, Knife or no knife. A few officers out of many seem to want to use deadly force as soon as it is allowable and not when it is appropriate. That's wrong, and good citizens are not anti law enforcement when they say so.
This is an obvious cover-up and hoping that the for-show-coroner's inquest will make it all go away. Classic Police backing up one another for the sake of taking care of a buddy. I'm a Las Vegas native and currently serving in Iraq, in a Combat Arms occupation. What I read reflects exactly the way things work here, anytime deadly force is used. You shoot someone, regardless of right or wrong, and automatically, it's a "given" that you will put that you felt that you're life is in danger, irregardless of the truth. 99.99% times, that's the truth, that the soldier felt like his life WAS indeed in danger, but the 1% of the time where it's a lie, THE TRUTH eventually emerges. Unfortunately, that's most likely not going to be so in this case. The thing that struck me as ludicrous is that there were 2 officers, and that they were able to grab the 2 children but for some reason, unable to subdue a woman, who as reported by the officers held a knife to one of the child's throat. They had pepper spray, tasers (which for some unexplained reason, BOTH tasers did not work), and yet felt that their live were in danger. Let me get this straight. You have a gun, and let's say she even has a knife (even if this scenario sounds unbelievable), yet YOU (the officer with 2 years experience and academy training) felt that you're life was in danger enough to shoot a woman? What kind of training are the officers of today going through? Shoot if you can't handle a situation, we'll cover for you, the citizens are lame and ignorant, and we'll be fine? I deal with suicide bombers, both men and women, random drive by shootings, snipers, and I'll tell you right now, never will a woman with a knife EVER make me feel like I need to use deadly force, never will I cowardly proclaim that I was just protecting myself and my buddy to justify the murdering of a mother. Not here in Iraq, nor ever in the streets of Las Vegas. To have to read about this tragedy while here in Iraq just enrages me more. THIS is what I'm protecting? THIS is what I have to go home to? and if in the end there is no accountability, then I'm ashamed that THIS is the place that I will be welcomed back into.
I don't believe any of the police stories sad to say. You can't change key facts, reports, and statements about an event and expect the public to believe them.
When a criminal keeps changing his story to the police, courts, jury or judge what happens? He is not believed. I feel the same way about the police stories in this case.
see for yourself:
police press conference:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/videos/2008/f...
Contradicting Stories Arise:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/videos/2008/f...
Conflicting Evidence?:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/videos/2008/m...
How do you explain initial reports and statements that officer luke morrison shot and killed this woman PROTECTING HIMSELF. Now you better have this part of the story correct, this is why you killed this woman. Now 9 days later the new story is that officer luke morrison shot and killed this woman PROTECTING ANOTHER OFFICER.
Right there shows a coverup. You cannot change that part of the story. That part of the story has to be rock solid from the time the shooting and killing occurred and it is not.
I no longer have any trust in the HPD or it's administration.
One trained cop with a nightstick should be able to take down this little woman whether she had a knife or not. PERIOD. No, let's draw our weapons on her and shoot her. Are you kidding me?
chief only states there were "several" officers at the scene. Why? Because it would look really bad and be embarrassing to tell the truth that there were probably 10-20 cops at this scene when this woman was shot and killed. That's right, and 10-20 cops couldn't use any other tactics to take this woman down if she was so dangerous without shooting and killing her. oooh, scary ice-cream lady. pathetic. As a cop you get paid to take risks, that's what you signed up for, and to take people into custody using whatever tactics you can use WITHOUT KILLING THEM! So if you're too afraid and can't do the job the right way, quit!
Be careful in Henderson, you could be the next victim. Think about it.
I also love the way they try to smear this dead woman saying she was holding her children hostage and the courageous officers had to rescue the children. What a joke. The kids were scared and wanted to be with their mother. How stupid do you think we are? The HPD has made quite a movie script out of thier own screw up and I'm not buying it for one second.
Sad thing is the way the inquest is run here, this will wind up justified and they will honor the brave luke morrison (sarcasm) on medal day. Remember to hold your head up high loser.
Inquest to be held April 10 and April 11 and is supposed to be televised. Watch it.
Does anyone know the address where the inquest is supposed to be held? Maybe a lot of the community should try to attend to show their concern that change is needed.
Clark county Injustice center. Bet you can't get in.Coroners inquest...what a joke.
The wife should not have come to the scene of her husband getting a ticket. When my husband gets a ticket, I certainly don't run to his rescue. What happened was a poor sequence of events, including communication breakdown of people from another culture. Not that I advocate what transpired, but I really believe things happen for a reason. Everyone involved in this tragedy was affected and everyone will remember it. It was not murder, it had nothing to do with the war in Iraq, etc. It is what it is...a tragedy for all.
i'm a security professional. also a nevada ccw. i've been following this story since it happened as i find this type of information both useful and enlightening. and after reading the comments above, i cant do anything but shake my head. my wife is in the line with the "shoot the stupid immigrant" bunch. while i am of the mind that 4 or 5 well equipped and highly trained "police officers" could have easily disarmed this woman and spared her family the grief of dealing with seeing their wife and mother shot to death. there are other means of disarming WOMEN with knives. nice squirt of OC spray. a tazer. even a good slap upside the head would have done. escalation? yeah, a knife in the hands of a frantic woman is a frightening prospect, i've dealt with it. without shooting her. gave her neck a bit of a squeeze and reminded her that "air is a lot like sex... its not important until you arent getting any..." and let it be with that. did i have the right to shoot her? by henderson police standards, thats apparently so. would i have chosen to shoot and kill a woman in front of her husband and children? no. i would have a tough time justifying that to myself. you konk her on the dome and arrest her. charge her with assault and there you have it... justice is served. not this "shoot first and ask questions later" crap. because you know if i had shot that woman, i would have been strung up from the nearest lightpole. as a securityman trained in use of force, a certified bushmaster carbine operator, blackwater grad *YES! "triggerhappy" blackwater!* former military and loving husband, i have a hard time believing this was as they say, "a righteous shoot".
"Do you liberal scum really think cops go around looking to shoot people?"
Not really. Mostly just conservative scum like you.