Post by Police Moderator on May 31, 2013 6:51:50 GMT -5
Elderly Ooltewah Man Fires Gun Thinking Sheriff Deputies Are Burglars
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Deputies broke into the home of an elderly Ooltewah man on Thursday morning to check on his well-being, and he ended up firing a gun until he could be convinced the officers were not burglars.
At 4:18 a.m., deputies with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office responded to 9112 Anne St. They were called to assist Hamilton County Emergency Medical Services on a medical situation.
EMS was notified by Life Alert due to the medical panic button activated by the resident at this address. Repeated attempts were made by Emergency Medical Services on scene to contact someone in the home with no success. When deputies arrived at the scene, phone contact was then made to the resident's daughter, who advised she could not respond to the scene and for deputies to do whatever was necessary to gain entry to the home.
Deputies then forced the front door open and entered, calling out Sheriff’s Office while checking the residence. When they entered a hallway the figure of an elderly man was seen holding a handgun. He was asked repeatedly to drop the gun while deputies moved to a safer position. The man, identified as Cecil McDowell, 90, then walked to the front door of the residence and fired the weapon.
Read more: chattanoogan
Kudos to those LEOs who applied their training, their experience and their time honed skill to instantaneously grasp the totality of the circumstances.
And, as an instructional note, if one has a device that silently advises guvment employees that said one is in danger and that one really, really, really needs the guvment employees, then don't be surprised when the guvment employees arrive. Or, on the other hand, at least use a modicum of common sense when handling said emergency summoning device. I see another 'Warning Label' in this device's future.
This could have been a real, and deadly, tragedy for all involved.
Anti-kudos to a local news media outlet for putting a target on the gentleman's back.
