Cop "Followed Procedure" In Fatal Shooting Of ATV Rider

The Pelham Manor chief of police says that the police officer who fatally shot a man after following him from the Westchester suburb into the Bronx followed police procedure. According to the Journal News, Pelham Manor Police Officer Kenneth Stretz spotted the ATV on Boston Post Road at 5:51 p.m. on Sunday—"It is not legal to drive an ATV on a public street"—and pursued Harlem resident Wardell Johnson into the Bronx. And, after the ATV ran out of gas and he tried to flee by running into a backyard, two witnesses told the NYPD that they saw Johnson trying to choke Stretz and take the cop's gun.

The Daily News also reports, "During the initial struggle, Johnson snatched the cop's radio and tossed it onto the roof of a neighboring one-story garage, police sources said. Kelly said NYPD cops were not involved in the incident, though the department is investigating. He said Johnson was arrested more than 30 times in the 47th Precinct in the Bronx, where the shooting occurred." The Post adds that Johnson's arrests included "kidnapping, assault, aggravated harassment, several assaults and weapons possession" plus he once served time for a 1987 murder, but details of that incident were sealed.

Johnson was hit once in the heart. It was initially reported that Johnson bought the ATV in Connecticut for his son, who was allegedly driving a car behind him, but the Journal News reports, "A spokesman for the New York City Police Department said a car was reportedly following Johnson, but investigators had not determined who was in that vehicle, which disappeared. New York police said they don't know why Johnson or the other driver fled." Johnson's wife, who he married earlier this year after many years of dating, told the News, "I can't believe that this is happening. They just took my soul mate... We were planning on moving down south together. Now our dreams are shattered."

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By Jen Chung in News on October 14, 2010 10:39 AM

Comments [rss]

Streetsmartz

Once a criminal always a criminal.

taviles@fpa.org

Common sense is not that common any more. Had things gone another way such as a young innocent child had been hit by either the atv or the police car I wonder what everyone would have to say then. Would a young life be worth chasing someone for such an offense? Sometimes the end just does not justify the means. What if someone's elderly mother had been crossing the street? What if YOUR mother, wife or child had been hit by either of those vehicles?

aprfctcrci

what if this cop backed off and let this guy get away to continue his life of crime? what if his next victim was an innocent little boy, or your elderly grandmother? What if YOUR mother, wife or child had been his next crime victim?

what if

what if

what if

Petey

So, you think that the police should just let anyone who tries to run to get away?

Who would you blame if someone died? The police? Of course you wouldn't blame the career criminal, put the blame on the big bad oppressive government.

dadoc

Just by stats alone, if you got bagged 30 times (including murder), how many unresolved crimes did you commit where you didn't get caught? 30 times is not youthful indiscretion. Career criminal, and risk to the public removed. Lawsuit and settlemnt to follow. And he did not get shot for riding an ATV or fleeing, he got shot for trying to use deadly physical force on a LEO. Good friggin riddance.

5borough

"Unarmed" man trying to kill a cop, getting killed. This sounds like Saint Bell, why is there less outrage? No wedding, no pretty "fiance?"

Politburo

They're completely different. I won't waste the time describing why, because you don't care.

Petey

Bell tried to run over detectives, using his car as a weapon, this guy was using his hands, around the guys throat. Not much of a difference except in the method being used to harm the cops, and maybe no alcohol involved in the ATV incident.

Spirit of 76

What part of "they saw Johnson trying to choke Stretz and take the cop's gun," is hard to understand? In another few seconds, he wouldn't have been "unarmed." But maybe the cop should have waited until that actually happened. After all, it was just a guess what the guy was trying. He couldn't read the guy's mind.

Petey

At what point should the detectives have shot at sean bell? After the detective was already underneath the vehicle?

5borough

I'd be the blood tests on the dead guy come back drunk/high.

5borough

Bad guys without guns, a night (and life) full of bad decisions and crimes, one tried to choke a cop one hit one with a motor vehicle, both shot to death by the good guys.

Uniform vs street clothed cops was a difference.

Spirit of 76

"They just took my soul mate... We were planning on moving down south together. Now our dreams are shattered."

Lady, if this 30-strike convicted felon was your soul mate, I really don't want to know what your soul is like.

Mr. Shankly

Bad boys make the ginas tingle.

5borough

It is his cops are the worst intuition.

John L

Sounds to me like it was two idiots, but of course the perp was the bigger idiot.

The cop for trying to be Super Cop and not even calling for backup.

The perp for obvious reasons. He lived the life of a criminal and went out like a criminal.

I hate it when anyone gets killed by law enforcement, but if one of them had to die I guess this ended how it should have.

Cop's life > Career Criminal, trying to run away & fight off the cop

ktinnyc

How do you know the cop didn't call for backup before his radio was thrown on the roof? Are you just making the assumption because backup hadn't showed up yet or do you have some source for this information that the Post, Daily News, and Lower Hudson paper don't have?

John L

oops, I'm sorry.

"The cop for trying to be Super Cop and not even waiting for backup."

There. it's fixed now.

ktinnyc

So now you want the cop to sit in his car while the criminal runs away? It's a good thing for all of us that you aren't a cop.

jaycjay

"The cop for trying to be Super Cop and not even waiting for backup."

At what point should he have waited for backup? It was at first a traffic stop, in Pelham Manor. How many Pelham Manor cops are even working on a given shift? Regardless, it's not likely that policy says he should wait for backup before initiating a traffic stop.

When he attempted the stop, the vehicle kept going. He followed into the Bronx. At that point, no doubt, his dispatch notified NYPD. He continued following.

The guy got off the vehicle and ran. Is that when he should have waited for backup? Then they could go looking for him together!

He caught up on foot with the subject, who began fighting with him. Is that when? "Excuse me sir, I'm happy to wrestle around with you, but would you mind waiting for some backup to arrive?"