Why Didn't He Identify Himself?

He jumped out of an unmarked car, pulled out a gun, and started chasing a guy down the street. Shooter freed because deputy said ‘police’ only after he was shot

This incident took place in April of last year, but the investigation has been dragging on, and the police have been not releasing the video because of the ongoing investigation. They finally closed the case, because the video apparently shows the officer being an idiot.

The cop was shot by the brother of the guy he was chasing.

The suspect had run out of frame. Also out of view was the suspect’s brother, Ivan Watson, who was a passenger in a car nearby.

So if you saw an armed man chasing your brother, what would you do? No cop car lights and sirens, no uniform, no badge, no screaming, "I'm a cop." What would you do?

The shreriff said, "We're gonna get this young man." Since then his department has refused to release the video

Oh, yeah, there is video. Video the cops didn't want released to the public.

Lafond [the officer] denied firing his weapon in a written statement obtained from the sheriff’s office by Atlanta News First Investigates. APD investigators determined otherwise.

A dozen .40-caliber shell casings were found close to the spot where Watson told investigators he had fired his Glock Model 26 handgun. A single 9-millimeter shell casing was found on the sidewalk next to Lafond’s car.

“Video evidence shows Sheriff Officer Evans [SIC] Lafond not identifying himself as a police officer to Mr. Watson before firing his weapon,” investigators concluded when closing he case in May of last year.

The video was obtained not through Freedom of Information Act request, but because it was released by a source at the sheriff's department. It is worth repeating; it was not officially released.

So he didn't identify himself, he openned fire, and got shot. Then he identified himself. Then he wrote a report saying he did not discharge his firearm.

Is this cops acting badly, or cops acting stupidly? He didn't ID himself. The Sheriff said he was going to "get this guy" before considering the evidence, and they didn't want the public to see the actual video. The officer in question submitted a statement/report that didn't match the video.

If he had been shot in the head, instead of the leg, would it make a difference? Considering that he was unlucky enough to get hit - the guy fired a dozen times and only hit him once - I think he's lucky he didn't get shot in the head or the heart.

In the end, they decided that the guy who shot the non-identifying cop, was acting in defense of his brother and went away.