tragedy in Noble, OK
Noble boy killed by stray bullet
August 4, 2007
NOBLE, Okla. (AP) - Officials in Noble say a 5-year-old boy was shot and killed by an apparent stray bullet fired by a police officer attempting to kill a snake.
Jack Tracy says he was fishing with his 5-year-old grandson -- Austin Haley -- yesterday evening when he saw the first shot hit the water near where they were standing. As he pulled his grandson to his side, he says a second shot hit the boy in the head.
Noble City Manager Bob Wade says police received a complaint last night from residents in a subdivision about a snake.
When officers responded, they decided to shoot the snake. A few minutes later, Wade says there was a commotion in a wooded area behind them where the boy apparently was hit by the stray bullet.
Austin was transported to an Oklahoma City hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Wade refused to identify the officer suspected of firing the shots but says the officer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
August 4, 2007
NOBLE, Okla. (AP) - Officials in Noble say a 5-year-old boy was shot and killed by an apparent stray bullet fired by a police officer attempting to kill a snake.
Jack Tracy says he was fishing with his 5-year-old grandson -- Austin Haley -- yesterday evening when he saw the first shot hit the water near where they were standing. As he pulled his grandson to his side, he says a second shot hit the boy in the head.
Noble City Manager Bob Wade says police received a complaint last night from residents in a subdivision about a snake.
When officers responded, they decided to shoot the snake. A few minutes later, Wade says there was a commotion in a wooded area behind them where the boy apparently was hit by the stray bullet.
Austin was transported to an Oklahoma City hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Wade refused to identify the officer suspected of firing the shots but says the officer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
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paid leave? 0 -
Careless shooting, especially by a LEO. 0 -
...and to think, some of these idiots are paid to carry a gun. KNOW YOUR BACKSTOP! This tragedy should have never happened.[V][:(!] 0 -
I read that the snake was in a birdhouse. Was it a poisonous snake? Was it a threat to anyone? I'm still trying to figure out why the police were called and why was it determined that it needed to be shot. I find snakes in my yard all the time. I see snakes all the time while camping, fishing, canoeing, ect. What's the big deal? 0 -
TOTALLY INEXCUSABLE!! 0 -
First sad to hear, terrible, terrible tragedy.
Second, how do you get to the point in the discussion where you think its a good idea to use a firearm to dispatch a snake?[xx(][:(][:(!][}:)][V]0 -
he should have used a shovel. isnt that standard snake killing procedure? i dont usually kill snakes though, they keep all the mice and stuff away. 0 -
A 4ft frog gig is sufficient for dispatching the few copperheads we get in the yard. I can see one being "in a birdhouse" a little more difficult to deal with...but that barney fife not being sure of his backstop is a total idiot. 0 -
Careless? Nope, just pure damned stupid. In the first place, the snake was probably not a danger to anyone, just wanting to be a snake, a native creature of the earth, earning his living the way he was meant to. Along comes primative, irrational fear..the same stuff that creates liberals against guns.. Whoever called was an idiot, I won't even say what I think of the cop.. 0 -
I posted this last night....here is what I read today....
5-Year-Old's Death Under Investigation
KOTV - 8/5/2007 2:05 PM - Updated 8/5/2007 2:48 PM
Oklahoma investigators are trying to piece together how a stray bullet from a cop's gun killed a 5-year-old Noble boy. Austin Haley died Friday night in Noble. Police officers were in his neighborhood, responding to a call about a snake. One of the officers fired two shots at the snake in a tree. Investigators say one of those shots hit Haley in the head while he was fishing with his grandfather at a nearby pond.
Police say the officer has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.0 -
quote:Originally posted by EhlerDave
I posted this last night....here is what I read today....
Sorry for the double post, I did search for "noble" and "snake" before putting up the thread.0 -
I'll add that: if it were my child..? they couln't dig a hole deep enough to hide that pos cop. 0 -
some people no matter how old they are should not be permitted to have firearms 0 -
Why not carry a few "snake loads". We were issued them for our revolvers back when we still carried them. They also make them for autos. They are only dangerous for 20-30 ft.
If you cant dispatch a snake "safely" with a gun, then get a shovel. What a tragedy!0 -
No excuse for not knowing what's behind your target, cop, criminal or citizen. 0 -
If a snake, even a deadly Coppermouth Water Cobrattler, is far enough away that you can't dispatch it with a stout stick, then it is far enough away that it is no threat to anyone.
Sounds like Tackleberry made it out of the academy.0 -
Dang David..when ya right, ya right..No point in bothering them dang hoop snake black racin' whippers. Especially when they're up in a dern tree where you ain't plannin' to sleep in the first place. 0 -
You would think a cop would know better, but I wasn't there so I really can't give judgement. But nevertheless it's very sad that anyone especially a child was killed. 0 -
Second degree manslaughter charges filed on 2 of three Noble police officers involved in the shooting death of Austin Healy, age 5.
The third officer is still on administrative leave.0 -
quote:Originally posted by 788-308
Second degree manslaughter charges filed on 2 of three Noble police officers involved in the shooting death of Austin Healy, age 5.
The third officer is still on administrative leave.
Thanks for that update and congrats on hitting 100 posts.0 -
I saw a guy totally freak at the site of a copperhead once....another full grown man over a big old harmless black spider.... and yet another go nuts after he had been on a ladder for an hr painting we had to get the rescue squad to get him down!!! But the Icing on the cake was when the girl put two holes in my living room wall while trying to kill a bat that had flown into her apartment....
Amazingly enough Guns ain't the only thing that scares the bejesus out of unknowledgeable folks....
I personally witnessed a policeman miss a rabid ground six times at 10 ft away....
There are times (and I see it daily) that people have jobs because they want the job not because they a actually qualified to do that job....
This is very sad indeed! Cops where wrong for sure. But Gramps just standing there without throwing himself and the boy down to the ground wasn't the smartest thing either...0 -
WTH ,,,Don't they have a shotgun in the squad car?
Thats not only wrong, but also stupid.
Now live with that!! Officer.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Da-Tank
WTH ,,,Don't they have a shotgun in the squad car?
Thats not only wrong, but also stupid.
Now live with that!! Officer.
You know that was my 1st thought too!!!0 -
Another detail: The one who fired was a 34 year old one-month rookie, the other one charged was his 29 year old/5+ year supervisor.
It was an indefensible, seriously dumbazz move to fire shots in a residential area when there was no imminent danger. Unforeseeable accidents are one thing, gross negligence is another.
People often call 911 in a panic because they have a snake somewhere around the house, especially in spring and fall. It's not exactly within my job description, but if there's no animal control unit available I'll try and help them out. I can't count how many of these I've gone out on over the years, many with the homeowner DEMANDING I shoot the snake. I've yet to fire a shot at one and don't expect I ever will.
Out of all these, only two have turned out to be poisonous-both Copperheads less than 1 ft. long. A boot heel on their head worked both times.
Apparently they didn't consider it, but I know of a snake-scared officer that OC sprayed one. I guess snakes have a low tolerance for habanero, because it killed it dead.0 -
The mind boggles. 0 -
If I remember correctly posionous snakes from that area do not climb trees. It probably was a rat snake which is not posionous. 0 -
I remember hearing of this on the morning radio news on the way to work the day after it happened. I go down Thundervalley in Noble all the time and work in Oklahoma City. Bunch of cowboys I tell ya what. 0 -
Oh where, oh where, is bondai in our hour of need ??
Doug0 -
quote:Originally posted by Doug Wilson
Oh where, oh where, is bondai in our hour of need ??
Doug
C'mon Doug, there's no need to have someone point out what is painfully obvious to everyone in this situation. Save him for the cases that could go either way. [}:)]0 -
Noble... city policy is the police are too destroy an animal if in there opinion it is a threat to human life!!!
The reports I've read are calling the shot that killed the lad a ricochet... off the pond or what???
If this was in fact a Copperhead, A snake I am very familiar with( my cousin and I use to catch live ones of a couple researcher) They tend to put on a very agressive show. They rarely go through with it, but to a person unfamiliar with the critter it could and probably would scare the hell out of!!! It is kind of like pulling a gun hoping you don't have to use it!!! Infact most people would be a hundred yards a away never knowing that the snake just giving a warning and not really attacking !!!
Copperhead bites are nasty and painful, but the are almost never fatal. My aunt was bitten one on the foot... it is not something that I'd wish upon anyone... There are several copperhead bite photos on the net... Check them out if you stomach is strong!!!
I wasn't at the scene I can't say what happened... But I do know that the copperhead puts on a hell of a show for self defense. many critters do...But they are just blowing smoke...but if you don't know that... I figure the best of us could over react to what appears to be a very threating attack!!!
That is my 2 cents!!!0
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