By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was shot dead after a fatal run in with police who were looking for an active shooter.
The man, who emerged from bushes before he was killed, was reportedly ordered to stop but instead reached for an object from his pants.
According to police, two teams of officers responded to reports an armed man was firing shots in the area of Quintine Alley off Wulff Road shortly after 10pm. According to relatives, the deceased is 29-year-old Barry McPhee, who often ran when he saw police.
“As the officers were checking the area,” a police report read, “they observed the armed suspect on a roof. He pointed a firearm at the officers and discharged several shots before escaping from the roof and ran towards Woods Alley.
“A second team of officers were on Woods Alley when they observed a male emerge from nearby bushes, running towards them.”
The report continued: “The male was ordered to stop, instead he reached for an object from his trousers. Officers being in fear for their lives, withdrew their service weapons and fired at the man, injuring him.
“He was transported to hospital and later succumbed to his injuries.”
In an interview with Our News last night, McPhee’s mother said her son often ran away from police.
“He was alright,” she said. “He wasn’t one of the best, but he was alright.”
McPhee had a child, she said, with another one the way. His mother claimed he had been shot three times in the past year.
The man’s father, Barry McPhee Sr, said he suspected it was his son shot when he heard the shooting, knowing his son to run from police.
McPhee’s mother said his death is more painful because she lost another son last year.
“I ain’ even over one, now next one gone,” McPhee’s mother said.
Police reportedly recovered a plastic bag with a quantity of dangerous drugs from the scene, however they did not say if a weapon was recovered from the scene.
The matter has been forwarded to the coroner for investigation.
It is the 11th fatal police-involved shooting for the year, according to this newspaper’s records.
Comments
John 5 years, 4 months ago
Eleven fatal shootings this year and eighteen last year and close to fifty police involved shootings in two years. Is this an indication that (criminal) offenders are more bold and more willing to resist the police, such that they end up getting shot, even dead, or it it that the police are prepared to act more swiftly, even when it comes to the use of deadly force? In any event, when the amount of murders are added to the amount of unclassified deaths and added the the number of police involved killings, there may be no decrease in the yearly loss of life, but an actual increase. So is the country experiencing a wave of violent crime or a surge or breed of violent criminals such that the police must now respond with more brutal force? Or is this a revival of an old policing strategy that involves ‘the bus{es) of pain and ‘the death squad’. Where once it’s done, it’s done and the police no longer have to be accountable for their deadly actions?
Chucky 5 years, 4 months ago
John, you are not wrong. Their is a whole police force acting on orders to "eliminate" when justifiable.
Well we might not like the idea of shoot first, you have to admit that as you've said, the police have deliberately killed off nearly 50 of them bad guys in the last two years.
At this rate, if the population stays the same, they will clean up our problem in about 1500 years....
ohdrap4 5 years, 4 months ago
Is running from police a sport?
joeblow 5 years, 4 months ago
... In some communities, yes!
DDK 5 years, 4 months ago
The officers were no doubt in fear for their lives.
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