Police shoots 5 year old boy!!

This is unimaginable! A police officer shot a 5 year old boy while trying to shoot a snake.

These are basically saying the same thing, but one is from the Daily Oklahoman newspaper and the other is from Channel 5 KOCO

5-year-old shot and killed

Stray Bullet From Noble Police Officer Strikes, Kills Boy

OMG!!!!!!!

I can't even imagine! That family!

OMG It sounds like they were absolutely reckless. I'm sick

that's horrible, i hope there's a lawsuit

Omg how horrible!!

very sad

AS IF they used a gun to shoot a snake. Retarded. It's called ANIMAL CONTROL.

Their excuse for not calling animal control is that in Noble OK it is such a small town that they don't have an animal control. However that is still no reason to shoot it. I've seen many clips on tv about this cause it is so local and in the background there is rakes, shovels, hoes, and other such tools. Also, Noble is not far from Norman OK which is a very large city and would defantly have an animal control. IMO there was no reason to use the gun. The snake was a nonpoisonous species and wasn't harming anyone, just being an annoyance.

There is an ongoing investigation. The officers who were present are under paid adminstrative leave. I hope they are charged with negligent manslaughter or something like that (I'm not a law person so I dunno what is a bad charge).

If you would like I'll watch the news and try to give you updates to the reprocutions the officers face.

The family buried him last Wednesday. The grandfather who witnessed his death wished he was buried there instead.

This post has been edited by BabyOwen427 on Aug 10 2007, 10:00 AM

Thank you for posting the article. I just handed it to my Sgt and he read it. They just had a HUGE discussion over this article. Bottom line, it's in the tree, no reason to shoot at it. It was not directly a threat. This is the only reason, per our policy, which a service weapon can be discharged at an animal.

Many thoughts and prayers with the family. I really feel very sorry for his grandfather who was holding him.

Please do.

Definitely, please. IMO, this is just one more reason guns are STUPID. Don't cops and other law enforcement agents have to file a mountain of paperwork everytime they even remove their gun from their holster? Nevermind actually firing it? The bullets aren't all registered etc? I can't imagine law enforcement agents not having to account for every single action they make with their gun. Shooting a non-dangerous snake, in a tree, was the dumbest thing they could have possibly done. I hope they get charged with at least manslaughter. Maybe other gun-toting trigger happy *&^*&^ might get a clue.

OMG. That is awful.

Here is another link about this story. If you click on the 'video' tab you can watch a clip with his grandfather and parents. This breaks my heart.


I found a bit of an update. I just copied it here for those of you who are interested.



• FOX25 TOP STORIES • MORE TOP STORIES
City declines to identify officers involved in shooting


NOBLE, Okla. (AP) -- It's been 10 days since a Noble police officer accidentally shot and killed a 5-year-old boy.
But city officials are continuing to decline to identify the officer or other policemen present at the time of the shooting.
A Noble police officer was trying to shoot what he thought was a rattlesnake in a birdhouse at a house on Aug. 3rd when Austin Gabriel Haley was hit by the bullet as he stood on a dock at a pond in a wooded area near the house. Turns out the snake was a non-venomous black rat snake.
City Manager Bob Wade says the city attorney has advised him not to identify the officers until any potential disciplinary findings are written. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is looking into whether any crime was committed.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Last Updated: Monday, August 13 2007, 06:21 PM