The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office on Friday released a report concluding that the fatal shooting of a man by Pittsburg police at an apartment complex last year was justified and the officers involved will not face criminal charges.
Patrick Watkins died in the shooting on the night of May 20, 2021, at apartments on Loveridge Road, where officers had responded to a report of a man holding a gun and banging on the front door of his ex-girlfriend's unit.
Officers arrived to find Watkins on the ground floor level of the apartment complex and he ignored commands from officers and walked up a stairwell toward the ex-girlfriend's unit, then turned toward police with a firearm in his right hand.
Officer John Odell fired three shots at Watkins, then Officer Gregory Simpson fired two shots at him. According to the district attorney's report, one bullet struck Watkins' left calf and another hit his torso, piercing his heart, liver and fracturing a rib.
Officers had retreated down the stairwell and spent several minutes asking Watkins to drop his gun but he did not respond. The officers eventually went up and detained him and tried to save his life, but he succumbed to his injuries at the scene, police said.
The district attorney's report concluded that both officers acted with "an actual and reasonable belief that deadly force was necessary in this incident to defend against an imminent threat of death or great bodily injury."
Pittsburg police have released a video of the shooting that can be found at https://youtu.be/ewFun_QwU3c.
Comments
Registered user
San Ramon
on Nov 22, 2022 at 8:02 pm
Registered user
on Nov 22, 2022 at 8:02 pm
Another clean shoot. The DA's office is on a roll.
Registered user
San Ramon
on Nov 24, 2022 at 7:56 am
Registered user
on Nov 24, 2022 at 7:56 am
"The DA's office is on a roll."
Given the details pertaining to this incident, the DA's office had no other choice but to justify the police shooting.
That said, the police should discharge their firearms only in self-defense and when the suspect is armed.
Any other discharge of weaponry outside of the police firing range is questionable
Registered user
San Ramon
on Nov 24, 2022 at 10:39 am
Registered user
on Nov 24, 2022 at 10:39 am
@David
You said the police should discharge their firearms only in self-defense and when the suspect is armed. Wrong.
The police are duty-bound to discharge their firearms in the course of their duties, which include the following: self-defense of their being, as well as the protection of another human being. However, it doesn't stop there. The police can, and will discharge their firearms to protect life, limb, and property. You also made another critical error in your assessment.
You said the police should discharge their firearms when the suspect is armed. Wrong again. Any of the following can be considered a weapon: knife, baseball bat, hammer, tire iron, car, etc. I think you get the picture. Almost anything can be considered a weapon – something used with malicious intent that can cause great bodily harm.
Take the recent Tyrell Wilson case. Wilson turned on a police officer and produced a knife. Wilson refused to drop the knife, took a step towards the officer, and was shot.
By the way, where might there be an incident where a police officer could shoot an unarmed man? A violent felon (murder, rape, robbery) who escaped from a county jail or prison.
Your reasoning that a discharge of weaponry outside the police firing range is questionable is moot based on the following information I just provided.
Registered user
another community
on Nov 24, 2022 at 11:18 am
Registered user
on Nov 24, 2022 at 11:18 am
Wrong. The indiscretionary firing of service weapons results in wrongful police shootings.
The 'no knock warrant' murder/shooting of Breonna Taylor exemplifies a scenario where the police were reckless and irresponsible with their service weapons.
Registered user
San Ramon
on Nov 26, 2022 at 12:36 am
Registered user
on Nov 26, 2022 at 12:36 am
@Derrick Taylor
Wrong. I never said indiscretionary firing of service weapons results in wrongful police shootings. You did. Trouble comprehending?
You also conveniently left out the part that not one police officer involved in that shooting was ever convicted in the death of Taylor. Why? Because Taylor’s boyfriend fired at the police first, and the police returned fire.
At the very least, come prepared to debate based on facts. The omission of facts is the same as not telling the truth.
Registered user
another community
on Nov 26, 2022 at 8:17 am
Registered user
on Nov 26, 2022 at 8:17 am
> The omission of facts is the same as not telling the truth.
(1) The police with their 'no knock warrant', broke into the WRONG apartment.
(2) Taylor's boyfriend fearing assailants, fired in self-defense.
(3) This incident occured in Georgia where there has always been racial friction between blacks and whites.
(4) This tragedy could have been avoided had the police not been authorized to use no knock warrants and/or located the correct apartment.
Registered user
Danville
on Nov 26, 2022 at 9:04 am
Registered user
on Nov 26, 2022 at 9:04 am
"...not one police officer involved in that shooting was ever convicted in the death of Taylor."
^ Most likely due to regional bias towards people of color along with regional approval of a 'shoot first, ask questions later' approach on the part of the police.
No knock warrants have come under scrutiny because they violate the 4th Amendment.
Registered user
Walnut Creek
on Nov 26, 2022 at 9:15 am
Registered user
on Nov 26, 2022 at 9:15 am
A couple of corrections...
@Marcus Jensen: this tragic incident occurred in Louisville, Kentucky not Georgia.
@Malcom Hex: One officer was convicted.
Kelly Goodlett is a former detective with the Louisville Metro Police Department who was involved in writing the search warrant for Taylor's home. Goodlett later pleaded guilty to lying on the warrant and writing a false report to cover it up.
Registered user
Walnut Creek
on Nov 26, 2022 at 11:35 am
Registered user
on Nov 26, 2022 at 11:35 am
Marcus...
The Breonna Taylor shooting took place in Louisville, Kentucky and a detective was convicted for falsifying both the arrest warrant and subsequent reportage of the incident
Registered user
another community
on Nov 26, 2022 at 12:48 pm
Registered user
on Nov 26, 2022 at 12:48 pm
• not one police officer involved in that shooting was ever convicted in the death of Taylor.
^ Incorrect Mr. Hex. As I recall, a LMPD detective tried to cover up this wrongful shooting of an innocent person by lying about the incident and was later convicted.
• Taylor’s boyfriend fired at the police first, and the police returned fire.
^ This was in self-defense of person and property. The police had the wrong apartment unit and broke into the apartment where Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend lived.
Let's get our facts straight.
[Snarky comment removed]
Registered user
Walnut Creek
on Nov 26, 2022 at 1:12 pm
Registered user
on Nov 26, 2022 at 1:12 pm
As a long-time NRA member and an active hunter (deer, pheasants & quail) I have always emphasized to my sons that they should exercise discretion before discharging a firearm.
The Louisville police officers involved in the Breonna Taylor shooting were too gung-ho by breaking into the WRONG apartment and then discharging 12+ rounds at the WRONG party.
This was not law and order.
Registered user
another community
on Nov 26, 2022 at 1:31 pm
Registered user
on Nov 26, 2022 at 1:31 pm
"Taylor’s boyfriend fired at the police first, and the police returned fire."
^ Since Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend were legally inside their own apartment and not in violation of any law, Taylor's boyfriend was within his rights to defend himself and Taylor under Kentucky's stand-your-ground law.
This law is also endorsed by Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky).
The Louisville Metro Police Department overstepped their legal boundaries by not doing their research prior to this intervention, overreacting on-site, and then lying about the incident.
Poor citizenship on the part of the cops.
Registered user
San Ramon
on Nov 27, 2022 at 12:15 am
Registered user
on Nov 27, 2022 at 12:15 am
@Fishman. Wrong on all accounts.
I said that not one officer INVOLVED IN THE SHOOTING of Taylor has been ever been convicted. As of now, that is a fact. Former Detective, Kelly Goodlett, was not part of the raid / shooting. The DOJ made that quite clear. Had you read the FACTS, instead of your personal recollection of facts, you would have known this.
FACT: Former Detective, Kelly Goodlett pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, not homicide, in a Federal court.
ADDITIONAL FACTS: The first indictment charges former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) Detective Joshua Jaynes, 40, and current LMPD Sergeant Kyle Meany, 35, with federal civil rights and obstruction offenses for their roles in preparing and approving a false search warrant affidavit that resulted in Taylor’s death.
The second indictment charges former LMPD Detective Brett Hankison, 46, with civil rights offenses for firing his service weapon into Taylor’s apartment through a covered window and covered glass door. The third charging document — an information filed by the Department of Justice — charges LMPD Detective Kelly Goodlett with conspiring with Jaynes to falsify the search warrant for Taylor’s home and to cover up their actions afterward.
You said: “The police had the wrong apartment unit and broke into the apartment where Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend lived.” Wrong again.
FACT: The police had been investigating two men who they believed were selling drugs out of a house that was far from Ms. Taylor’s home. But a judge had also signed a warrant allowing the police to search Ms. Taylor’s residence because the police said they believed that one of the men had used her apartment to receive packages. In other words, right or wrong, Taylor’s residence was listed in the warrant. The search warrant for Taylor and her home explicitly identified her and her address.
Those FACTS come from the Department of Justice /The New York Times / NPR, Mr. Fisher.