Update on the Baton Rouge Shooting
On Friday, Feb. 17, 2005, a CCW holder armed with a .45 caliber handgun saved a policeman's life in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Perry Stephens retrieved his .45 caliber handgun from his car to stop Robert temple, a trained boxer, from pounding Officer Brian Harrision's head into mush over a traffic ticket. Officer Harrison had already shot Temple once in the abdomen with his .38 caliber handgun while Temple was astride him beating the supine officer into unconciousness.
Perry Stephens shot Temple four times center of mass, but the direct hits failed to stop the enraged attacker. Stephens then put a .45 caliber bullet into Temple's cranium, scrambling his brains and ending the man's attack forever. The Baton Rouge black community became incensed as the NAACP tried to use every race baiting tactic available to portray this incident as a racially motivated killing.
After six hours of testimony before the East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury, the decision was made that no charges could be filed. Stephens’ attorney, Tommy D’Amico, said he expected his client to be cleared. "I believe he saved the officer’s life. He certainly saved him from suffering great harm," D’Amico said. "It has always been obvious to me that my client is nothing less than a citizen hero because he stepped up to save the officer while others stood and watched."
Kwame Asanté, executive director for the Baton Rouge chapter of the NAACP, and the Rev. Leo Cyrus, a member of the Baton Rouge Area African-American Ministers, were unavailable for comment.
Perry Stephens retrieved his .45 caliber handgun from his car to stop Robert temple, a trained boxer, from pounding Officer Brian Harrision's head into mush over a traffic ticket. Officer Harrison had already shot Temple once in the abdomen with his .38 caliber handgun while Temple was astride him beating the supine officer into unconciousness.
Perry Stephens shot Temple four times center of mass, but the direct hits failed to stop the enraged attacker. Stephens then put a .45 caliber bullet into Temple's cranium, scrambling his brains and ending the man's attack forever. The Baton Rouge black community became incensed as the NAACP tried to use every race baiting tactic available to portray this incident as a racially motivated killing.
After six hours of testimony before the East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury, the decision was made that no charges could be filed. Stephens’ attorney, Tommy D’Amico, said he expected his client to be cleared. "I believe he saved the officer’s life. He certainly saved him from suffering great harm," D’Amico said. "It has always been obvious to me that my client is nothing less than a citizen hero because he stepped up to save the officer while others stood and watched."
Kwame Asanté, executive director for the Baton Rouge chapter of the NAACP, and the Rev. Leo Cyrus, a member of the Baton Rouge Area African-American Ministers, were unavailable for comment.
Labels: Perry Stephens, Self Defense, Shootings
posted by Xavier at 4:46 PM
7 Comments:
The saddest part of this story isn't the death of someone who was out of control. It's that someone would try to use the death of that out of control individual for their own political power-play.
For someone to say that the man was motivated to save the police officer's life out of racism is itself racism. It is ludicrous to claim that the perpetrator was innocent based only on the color of his skin.
Good people come with every shade of skin that exists. So do bad people. Bad people who are doing bad things need to be stopped. The good people are the ones who stop the bad ones.
Were the passengers of United Flight 93 who stopped their aircraft from being used as a weapon act out of racism when they fought back against the hijackers?
There is enough real racism in the world for any billion people to fight. Trying to turn the death of a bad person into racist martyrdom isn't fighting racism, it's advancing the cause of it.
I know Mr. Perry and I know what kind of man he is and to say that this was racially motivated is a slap in his face. Mr. Perry is no racist. He would have done the same thing if the attacker had been white and the cop black. Mr. Perry has a wonderful heart. He is a good citizen and concerned citizen. Don't judge him because of his color... that seems to be the big issue with everyone.
Jeanette,
Please pass on my kindest regards to Mr. Perry. We hold him in the highest of esteem.
XB
I just wanted to clear some things up on this blog. First, I want you to know that George Temple, II is my god-brother. He was a great person who was loved in this community. Defend Mr. Stephens actions if you must, but there was NO need for this to happen. It will be proven that Mr. Harrison was the instigator in the fight. George was on the phone with his mother the whole time. She heard the officer yelling at George. She heard the tone in his voice and the 101 questions he was asked about the car he was driving. She heard her son shot. He was less than a mile from her when it happened.
Now, I do believe Mr. Stephens came to the aid of the officer as George did have experience boxing, but he was by no means trained. George could handle himself. I do not believe that George attacked the officer. George has had his run ins with trouble, and he knew the consequences of crossing the law. George had a successful business that he loved and a family that was his world. he would never do anything to jeopardize that.
Lastly, I must ask a question. Did Mr. Stephens truly feel it was necessary to shoot George 4 times? Yes, he was beating the officer. Yes, he was wrong. Could he have been stopped without a bullet? Yes.
I disagree with Mr. Mouton. Mr. Temple could not have been stopped without a bullet. In fact, he could not be stopped with five bullets. It took the sixth and final bullet to stop him.
For the sake of argument, let us assume that the police officer did start this fight. Is that a reason to try to murder the officer? How do I know he was intent on killing the officer?
Think about it for a second. If you are pounding away on someone and get shot, do you stop and address the greater threat or do you continue to pummel someone who poses no threat?
In response to Jackie... Mr. Perry was someone else's father and the Policeman's face that your god-brother pummeled was somebody else's son.
The fact remained shots placed in Mr. Temple while he assaulted a police officer, refused to stop despite verbal warnings and warning shots fired, several times, were justifed in courts eyes.
(to Jackie Mouton)
You can believe what you want, but if George did not attack the officer, he would still be alive. The officer gave a lawful order, George resisted, then proceeded to beat the officer.
If George knew the consequences of crossing the law, he would have obeyed the lawful orders of the officer in the first place. In fact he did know, if he had been in trouble.
I believe you when he said he had a successful business and a family, but that does not mean he is incapable of breaking the law, nor does it make it okay for him to beat an officer within an inch of his life.
Mr. Stephens, a man who has to walk with a cane and is not nearly as strong as George, could not have done it without a weapon, an equalizer. Secondly, it took more than a bullet to do so. If you have any alternatives, please say so.
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