This weekend we lost two of our finest


festus

God Bless Our Troops!!!
There was a tragic shooting at the Shoal River Gun Club when Two Okaloosa County Deputies were sent to repond to a domestic violence suspect. The deputies had apparently tased this individual and he still managed to draw his weapon and kill both deputies. I live very close to Shoal River and it sounded like popcorn during the shootout. 50-60 shots or so and a senseless loss of two good deputies.

The suspect fled the scene and was shot and killed in Walton county by deputies from both walton and Okaloosa County.
 

Okaloosa mourns fallen

Okaloosa mourns fallen
deputies
Updated: Sunday, 26 Apr 2009, 10:19 PM CDT
Published : Sunday, 26 Apr 2009, 6:18 PM CDT
Link Removed
Christina Leavenworth
Catherine DuBose
Photojournalist: Eric Lowe
Crestview, Fla. - Investigators still surround the Shoal River Shooting Range, as a flag flies at half mast.Okaloosa County is mourning the loss of two of their finest. Sheriff Edward Spooner, "We lost two very good men, Christian family men, with families, they served country in military, joined us, outstanding gentlemen."

Deputies Skip York and Burt Lopez were responding to a domestic disturbance call that led them to the shooting range. They were fatally shot in the parking lot as they tried to arrest the suspect, Joshua Cartright.
Sheriff Spooner said, "One deputy displayed and utilized a taser and took him to the ground, he came, he came up shooting, struck deputies, both deputies were shot several times. "

The suspect then fled, leading deputies on a high speed chase. It didn't end until he hit Defuniak Springs. Sheriff Spooner said, "At 331 north and us 90 they put out stop sticks, which made him lose control striking a bush, turning over, when suspect came out of vehicle, came out shooting, on the spot at deputies, they returned fire, striking and killing him."

The sheriff said between the two locations, close to a hundred shots were fired. The whole department is overwhelmed with grief. Captain J.D. Peacock supervised both deputies for the past several years. Captain Peacock said, "It's almost like you are numb with everything that's happened in last, year, both were great guy, professional, I know how professional they were. They're friends of mine, they always concerned themselves with officer safety. Just devastating to myself and everyone in agency."

This is the third deputy that's been killed in less than a year. The community is also devasted.
Deputy Tony Forgione was killed last July when they were responding to a swat operation.

Both York and Lopez were fathers, York had one child, Lopez leaves behind five. Both men were only 45-years-old.

Sunday night the sheriff addressed the employees about this tragedy. The funeral arrangements still haven't been set. The family has asked for privacy during this very tragic time.

All of this stemmed from a domestic disturbance call between the suspect and his wife. The domestic disturbance report said the argument between the couple started over a bottle of face cream.
 
that is tragic. at least the bg got what was coming to him. prayers go out to the families of the officers that were lost.
 
I have a lot of LEO's in my family. It just makes my gut twist every time I hear something like this. My thoughts and prayers are with their families.
 
...seriously, i'm not trying to play devil's advocate, but, why were only two deputies told to respond to a call involving domestic violence at a gun range? think the perp might be armed? i respect their sense of duty going into harm's way and all but i have to question the wisdom of ordering just two deputies to go into this situation, to arrest a violent offender at a gun range without lots of back up.
thoughts and prayers for the families of the fallen.
 
The deputies didn't respond to a call at the range, the went to the range to serve the warrant.
The perp resisted and was tazed. The deputies attempted to cuff him before the shock wore off, and he drew an unseen gun. This led to a struggle resulting in a gunshot wound to the head of one deputy and a shot in the neck of the other.

I still don't know why the deputies didn't wait until he finished at the range, put his guns away and pulled out on the highway.
 
The deputies didn't respond to a call at the range, the went to the range to serve the warrant.
The perp resisted and was tazed. The deputies attempted to cuff him before the shock wore off, and he drew an unseen gun. This led to a struggle resulting in a gunshot wound to the head of one deputy and a shot in the neck of the other.

I still don't know why the deputies didn't wait until he finished at the range, put his guns away and pulled out on the highway.

I agree that they could have waited for a "safer" opportunity, possibly call in back up knowing that the guy was on the shooting range likely had firearms at close hand. We can "arm chair quarterback" this one to death, but the fact remains that two good officers are dead. There's a lot that can be learned from this incident.

My prayers are with the families and colleagues of the fallen officers. I'm glad that the offender was taken out of the gene pool and cannot take another life.



gf
 
My thought,Prayers and condolences go out to all involved and to all LEO's and their families and friends and I too am Glad the BG was taken out of the Gene Pool for good!!
 

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