Evening star., 1952-03-13
z Policemen Rebuked
by Court for Firing al
Fleeing Army Officer

Two Second Precinct police
men. who fired a total of seven
shots at a fleeing Army officer
)they had arrested originally for
disorderly conduct. yesterday
were rebuked by Municipal Court
Judge George D. Nelson.
,"It Is difficult to see the juSti-
fcation for firing seven shots y
Judge Nelson declared. Police
guns should be used sparingly and
with caution for the protection oi
individual citizens and the public. =
The policemen involved were
Pvts. Charles Sine, who admitted
firing six shots and George
Greggs, who fired one. All the
shots missed. Their quarry was
Second 1t. Richard Packard, in
telligence officer Of the 10th En-
lgineer Construction Group at Fort
Belvoir.
Fined on DisorderIy Conduct.
Judge Nelson fined 1t. Packard
$40 on the disorderly conduct
charge and found him not guilty
on an assault charge.
Capt. John Winters, command
ing officer of No. 2 Precinct, who
was an observer at the trial, told
reporters the shooting incident
was under investigation.
Under questioning by Prose-
cutor Hugh MCGEE, the policemen
testified they arrested a friend
of 1t. Packard. Pfc. Norman Bell
last Saturday in the basement OF
the Pythian Temple, 1912 Ninth
street NV.
They said Pvt. Bell. who is
about 5 feet tall. became obscene
after they ordered him to put
away a half-pint bottle of liquor
he was trying to open. A dance
was in progress in the temple at
the time. s4 "a
Officer CARRIED in Mufti
They testified that 1t. Packard
garbed IN mutt, appeared and
ohscenely demanded to know
what was happening to Pvt. Bell.
The lieutenant was taken into
custody also. But. the officers
testified, he wrenched himself
from Pvt. Sine's grasp, seized the
unopened half pint, which the
policeman had confiscated, hurled
it at Pvt. Greggs, missed, and
fed south on Ninth street with
the policemen in pursuit.
The shots were fired during Che
chase. which ended with 1t.
Packard cornered in a blind alley
at Ninth street and Massachu-
sets avenue NV.
Under police regulations. po-
liceman is authorized to shoot a
fleeing person they know has
committed a felony. A charge of
assault with dangerous weapon
"a felony-had been lodged
against 1t. Packer, but this was
reduced to simple ASSAULT mis-
demeanor-when the case came
to trial.
Tells Different Story.
1t. Packer, who was defended
by Attorney Meredith Coffman,
told a radically different story.
He said he asked the officers
civilly whether he could go along
and pay Pvt. Bells fine. after the
original arrest.
He declared Pvt. Sine cursed
him, grabbed him by the collar
land told him I'm going to take
you In and soften you up and
then throw the book at you"
He said he broke away because
he was fearful after the alleged
threat and because the Army
took a dim view of an arrest mark
|against an officer.
/ 1t. Packard denied seizing ol
throwing the whisky bottle and
testified that. after he was cor
nered. Pvt. Sine, who is about
eight inches taller and much
heavier than 1t. Packard. seized
him in a deadlock and jammed
his pistol against the lieutenant.
head exclaiming with a curse,
I'm going to kill you"
Much of 1t. Packard's testimony
was corroborated by Pvt. Bell.