of Lorenzo Matthews, a wanted dangerous felon who had demonstrated willingness to put others in harm’s way to avoid arrest.Oral arguments are set to begin on June 8th at 10am before the Georgia Supreme Court. The DeKalb District Attorney is appealing a lower court ruling that barred Thompson's testimony as protected by Garrity vs. New Jersey. Even if the statements are allowed to stand, the case against Torrey is quite weak, but the outcome of this case is important to law enforcement officers nationwide.
If there is any possible way, please support Torrey by attending the hearing in uniform. We are trying our best to get media coverage. Remember, this could be you!
15 comments:
Thank you for doing this.
Best of luck to you Torrey - keep your spirits high.
I support Torrey 100 percent. I worked closely with him and I know his work ethic. He did the right thing. Thank you for serving Dekalb County!
Our DA's office is a joke! They will go after someone like Torrey, who did nothing wrong, and they'll demand a $1,000,000 bond for the school board thieves, but violent repeat offenders are getting bonds less than 10% of that!! Murderers get bonds much lower than that! Gwen is all about the press! If your murder case didn't make the evening news, your bond is low enough for a homeless crackhead to make it. If you're a public figure that can boost her image, you get raked over the coals. Gwen cares more about her press than keeping the citizens of DeKalb safe.
He fired at a suspect who was unarmed and running away. If he wasn't the police everyone would want him punished. Just because he is a officer that doesn't mean he was right. Use some common sense people. If it was your family chased down and killed, you wouldn't support Thompson.
f--- you anonymous 4
This wasn't a choir boy on his way home from feeding the homeless. He was an armed robbery suspect with something in his hand. Torrey and the other officer believed it was a gun.
It sounds like he acted on the behest of his fellow officers. You can shoot of fleeing suspect IF he presents a danger to others.
Officers can and do act on the direction of fellow officers. I believe the court views it as collective knowledge. While I don't have personal knowledge or have PC, if a detective or fellow officer radios that I should stop that car or snatch that suspect....I do. That is acceptable.
I believe other officers yelled to him to shoot.... he probably assumed that they had knowledge of something he didn't. I have no reason to believe my fellow officers would lie to me and since they've had the same training I did, they would also know I can't shoot a fleeing felon without additional cause.
Bang...shot taken.
Just my thoughts.
I've previously donated to his defense....imagine how much could be raised if we all chipped in $50.
Anon #4: My family members would not be chased down and killed, because none of my family members would run. They're smart enough first - not to commit crimes, second - not to run if law enforcement tells them to stop.
So who was it who said "Drink a glass of shut-the-f$$!@-up" ??? Yeah. Do that.
I agree with anonymous 4. Sorry its going to georgia supreme court for a reason. If I going to administer deadly force I better damn well know that person is about to kill me or another person. I have had many people run away from me with things in there hands, and several times handguns, even after they just fired at an officer. But the threat to me was not presented . It seems the threat was not presented .
Sometimes good people make mistakes. Without going into any detailed facts of the case, he was found to be involved in a unjustifiable shoot. Taking a mans live, good or bad, is a major thing fellow officers. "Snatching up a perp" or "stopping a car based on other officers intel" is not the same as taking a human life. When that round goes down range "you own it". I will never base my descission to take a life off of anyone other than my own judgement of the situation. His training should have shown him the suspect was fleeing, presented no immeidate danger, and he had no ablilty to inflict harm on anyone. That unfortinatly calls for a decock and keep running after him and not shooting him in the back. Sorry, bad shoot, but good people do make mistakes. Wish him all the luck.
For you anonymous people, stop writing. For those of you officers/non officers who feel that Officer Thompson was not justified or feel that his training should have kicked in. Think again. The suspect, as you all know, was in a stolen vehicle. Also keep in mind, bystanders provided his information, which officers should have know that the suspect was a violent suspect. That is a clue, violent, means THREAT. For the person that had many people get away, because he knew what they had. Change your shift to morning watch. Also I would not want you as my back up partner. Now for the civilian. Say you are at home and someone breaks in to your house. He/she has something in their hand. What are you going to do, run back to your room, what if he/she is in your room, now what. These officers were confronted with a violent suspect who continued to flee from the police. He refused to show officers his hands, maybe he felt that by not showing his hands the officers would think he has a gun and they would be afraid to challenge him and let him go. This is for the officer who has seen items in suspect(s) hands. Maybe this suspect once ran from you and you let him go. Officer Thompson and Knock did the right thing. They are covered under the law. They did nothing wrong. Remember you have a Special Grand Jury investigating shooting(Civilians). They don't know the laws that Officers work under. Better to be tried by 12 then carried by 6.
Who is this person that is saying sorry its going to Supreme Court. On the contrary, Officer Thompson is appealing his charges, Rock On and Good Luck. Officer anonymous, you must not know the laws. If you were in Officer Thompson's shoes, which I doubt you will ever be in, you would want to take your case through court of appeals, and the Supreme Court. Know the law Officer Anonymous.
For all you anonymous people you can go to hell whoever supports him... he was my brother and even though he was my brother he wasn't at all like these so called "officers" make him out to be yea he did get into a little bit of trouble with the police but no body's a perfect angel before you all out there try to judge someone take a look in the mirror and decide on if your god to judge.. noone deserves to have there life taken away by someone of the same clas only god and god alone deserves to decide that so whatever he gets he deserves and make sure you all get all of the story and not one side nor he say she say... everything happens for a reason but you mere citizens are so blind to reality its a shame
Your brother is dead because HE made numerous bad decisions. Stop making excuses for him and blaming others. You need to look at YOUR family. That's why he is dead. He should have been raised better.
Look hear you have no authority to address My FAMILY... It doesnt matter how you are raised or where you come from you are your keeper! You determine who you will become. And for your stupidity... He was raised good, but chose his own life.. We were raised the same way,and im a totally different person from him. I make excuses for noone... He is dead your right everybody has their time..but you need to look at your family and see how you were raised, and who made you god... I said what I had to say and pretty sure you had someone taken away from you or killed that you had a relationship with..but whatever I see that your an ignorant person so i'll let you say what you want!...this was an fatal incident who I blame noone for the officer that shot him had to decide on what he had to do... My brother also made a choice.... People make choices.... But I hate people who are ignorant and so quick to let stupidity come out there mouths.... I have come to forgive the officer, and have put this incident to peace.... I hope other people can and stop being so ignorant and just stop and look at wats goin on and being said.... Like I was always told if you have nothing good to say DON'T SAY IT.... AND for the last anonymous person you need help cause you have NOOOO right to tell anyone that what if the situation was switched... you wouldn't like it at all.
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