Opinion ID: 1609968
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: facts

Text: ś 5. Prior to the shooting that claimed Eddie's life, Hendricks with the assistance of Officer C.N. Brumfield investigated a parked car playing loud music. Myjellious McKenzie (Myjellious), Eddie's son and the owner of the car, was at his friend's home sitting on some steps with the friend. Myjellious ran to the car and turned down the music before Hendricks exited her vehicle. After some discussion with Myjellious, the officers left without giving him a ticket. ś 6. Later Hendricks responded to a call that an officer needed assistance with stopping a vehicle. Myjellious was driving the vehicle. When Hendricks arrived at Myjellious's home, she saw him in handcuffs. Elkins and other officers were already at the house. Initially, Hendricks saw Eddie at the edge of his carport and outside of his house. The officers were taking a camcorder from Myjellious's car, and Eddie seemed upset. Hendricks asked another officer to explain to Eddie why they were taking the camcorder. They explained that they needed it for investigation, and Eddie told them that it belonged to his wife. Eddie then went inside the house to tell his wife about the camcorder. ś 7. Later, Eddie stood in his doorway and motioned for Hendricks to approach him. Hendricks walked toward Eddie but did not come all the way to the door to speak to Eddie. Eddie complained to Hendricks about the police. While they were speaking, Elkins walked over to them and spoke to Eddie. Shortly thereafter, Brumfield also walked over to them. Then Eddie stepped back in the house, and the storm door closed. ś 8. Hendricks saw Eddie pick up a silver gun from the counter next to the door and point the gun at the officers. At this point Hendricks stated that she was standing in the line of it. She yelled He has a gun. All three officers present, Hendricks, Elkins and Brumfield, drew their weapons. Elkins gave Eddie a direct command to put his weapon down. Officers Hendricks and Elkins moved toward the door, and Eddie was ordered to put the gun down. Eddie began to back away from the door. ś 9. Hendricks paused in her advance, and Elkins continued towards the door. Elkins opened the door and entered the house, and Eddie backed up toward the kitchen. Elkins continued to ask Eddie to put his gun down. Hendricks was outside at the threshold of the door at this time and saw Eddie shoot his gun from the kitchen bar. When Eddie fired the gun, Hendricks saw the flash of the barrel and Elkins flinch. She thought that Elkins had been hit by the bullet and entered the house. ś 10. Elkins returned fire toward Eddie. Eddie backed up toward the hallway and a bedroom while Elkins continued to move toward Eddie. Hendricks was unsure how many bullets Elkins fired from his weapon and stated I can'tâ I don't recall. It was just an exchange of gunfire between the two of them. Officer Tim Single (Single) came into the house and told Hendricks to leave the house. Hendricks entered the house a second time only to bring Elkins a flashlight. By this time it was evening, the hallway of the house was dark, and Elkins needed the flashlight to see down the hallway. ś 11. Elkins stated in his deposition that he noticed Eddie motioning for Hendricks to come toward him. Hendricks actually stepped backwards, and these actions caught his attention. Elkins went toward Hendricks and Eddie. The police were going to tow Myjellious's car, but Eddie expressed his dissatisfaction to Elkins. Then, Elkins turned to walk back to the car. Hendricks then hollered He's got a gun. As Elkins turned, he unholstered his gun. When asked when was the first time that he felt in imminent danger or bodily harm, Elkins stated as soon as I turned around and saw the gun pointed at me. He and Hendricks dropped back behind the fender of the car. Meanwhile, Eddie pointed the gun through the closed glass door directly at the two officers. Elkins stated that I'm telling Mr. McKenzie, Mr. McKenzie, put you gun down, put your gun down. Eddie began to back up in the house, but he still had the gun pointed toward the officers. Elkins thought that it was imperative that he not lose visual contact with Eddie. ś 12. Elkins then entered the house. Elkins stated that this was all nanoseconds happening. I entered the house. I get probably not one full step and a half into the house when [Eddie] discharges [the gun] the first time. The shot did not strike Elkins. Elkins returned fire on Eddie, discharging a number of bullets. While Elkins was unsure of the number of bullets he discharged, he believed that he hit Eddie although he did not know the number of times Eddie may have been shot. ś 13. Eddie continued to face Elkins and was stepping backwards while shooting toward Elkins. Elkins explained that Eddie initially shot his gun, but he shot more than one time, multiple times. At some point Elkins saw Eddie flinch and fall backwards inside the hallway. Meanwhile, Elkins took cover near a little refrigerator. From his position Elkins saw Eddie's feet and part of his legs on the floor. There was a blood trail on the floor. However, Elkins was unsure whether Eddie got up or crawled further back in the house. There was a pause and when Elkins peaked around the corner from his position near the refrigerator, Eddie began to shoot at him again. The shot was so close to Elkins that he felt the heat from the flash of the gun. Elkins thought that Eddie was in a sitting position since he saw Eddie's legs. Then, without exposing himself, Elkins reached and fired his gun. Another officer gave Elkins a flashlight because he could not see down the hallway, Elkins scanned a room to his left looking for Modener and two children that were in the house. ś 14. All in all, Elkins believed that he fired seven shots, four as he entered the house and three from his oblique position. A later scene summary revealed that of the seven shots, five bullets hit Eddie. Elkins never entered the hallway area during the shooting; he fired all the shots from the kitchen area. ś 15. Elkins stated that he believed that he had the authority to enter the house for protection of my life and the officers' lives that was outside. He believed that his life and the lives of his fellow officers were in more jeopardy if Eddie was outside of Elkins's sight. Elkins stated that I entered the residence because Mr. McKenzie at this point committed a felony atâ by threatening officers with the gun that he was pointing at us. Elkins also stated that he did not know why Eddie was backing into the house, but there were a lot of windows in the house. Elkins believed that the danger was increasing even though Eddie was backing from the door because if I would have allowed him to get out of my line of sight, we would have absolutely no knowledge, no control, no idea where he is going to come at or come from. Elkins thought that he had no other choice under the circumstances. In addition, Elkins stated that I felt that my life and the lives of the other officers there on the scene were in danger. He thought that Eddie was retreating to get a better position, better weapon, whatever the case may be. I felt that if I let him out of my sight, me and the other officers present was [sic] in dire trouble. Later, Elkins stated that he felt that Eddie pointed the gun at him in a threatening manner and that Eddie was committing a felony. ś 16. Elkins stated that he believed that the shooting happened as a result of his duties as a police officer. He also believed that he was acting within the guidelines of the police manual for use of firearms. ś 17. Eddie eventually placed himself in a position to be seen by the police. While lying on his back, Eddie puts his hands over his head. Elkins did not see a gun, and he and two other officers walked toward Eddie. Elkins told Eddie that he was going to roll him over to make sure that he did not have a gun underneath his body. Then Elkins told Eddie that he was going to handcuff him and call the medics into the house for treatment.