07-15-2016, 12:10 PM
An Atlanta PD Officer has been fired, thankfully so for the sake of public safety.
![[Image: James-Burns-and-Dervais-Rog-380x280.gif?dd1bbe]](http://rollingout.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/James-Burns-and-Dervais-Rog-380x280.gif?dd1bbe)
Three-year department veteran James Burns went to an apartment complex on Father's Day evening, in response to a report from an off-duty officer that someone might be trying to break into cars in the parking lot of his girlfriend's complex.
While Burns was looking around for a potential burglar, 22-year-old Dervius Rogers was driving out of the complex and attempted to drive around Burns' squad car, which had its siren light on.
When Rogers didn't stop on command, Burns shot into the car and hit the driver in the head, killing Rogers. Rogers' sedan rolled into the parking lot of bar and smashed into an SUV.
Burns claimed that he feared for his life because he thought the suspect was going to run him down. However, surveillance from the complex contradicted that claim and showed that Rogers attempted to drive away from Burns, not at him.
The internal investigation concluded that Burns had no probable cause to consider the then-unknown driver a suspect. (It's since been confirmed by police that Rogers was not the suspect.)
Officer Burns did not know if the suspect he was chasing was inside the car and fired at it as it drove away from — not toward — the cop, according to a report released Wednesday.
“He had no idea who was in the vehicle. He had no idea if that was the vehicle he should be concerned with. He just discharged his weapon," Sgt. Warren Pickard told the media. “The officer simply acted in a way that we cannot support.”
Georgia’s Bureau of Investigation is looking into the shooting for any possible criminal violation.
Ref: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national...-1.2711661
Three-year department veteran James Burns went to an apartment complex on Father's Day evening, in response to a report from an off-duty officer that someone might be trying to break into cars in the parking lot of his girlfriend's complex.
While Burns was looking around for a potential burglar, 22-year-old Dervius Rogers was driving out of the complex and attempted to drive around Burns' squad car, which had its siren light on.
When Rogers didn't stop on command, Burns shot into the car and hit the driver in the head, killing Rogers. Rogers' sedan rolled into the parking lot of bar and smashed into an SUV.
Burns claimed that he feared for his life because he thought the suspect was going to run him down. However, surveillance from the complex contradicted that claim and showed that Rogers attempted to drive away from Burns, not at him.
The internal investigation concluded that Burns had no probable cause to consider the then-unknown driver a suspect. (It's since been confirmed by police that Rogers was not the suspect.)
Officer Burns did not know if the suspect he was chasing was inside the car and fired at it as it drove away from — not toward — the cop, according to a report released Wednesday.
“He had no idea who was in the vehicle. He had no idea if that was the vehicle he should be concerned with. He just discharged his weapon," Sgt. Warren Pickard told the media. “The officer simply acted in a way that we cannot support.”
Georgia’s Bureau of Investigation is looking into the shooting for any possible criminal violation.
Ref: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national...-1.2711661