Oklahoma Police Kill 5-Year Old Boy While Shooting at Snake

NOBLE, Okla. — A stray bullet fired by a police officer trying to shoot a snake hit and killed a 5-year-old boy fishing at a nearby pond, officials said.

Austin Haley was fishing with his grandfather, Jack Tracy, Friday evening when Tracy said he heard a shot and saw a bullet hit the water just a few feet in front of the boat dock where he was standing.

Moments later, a second shot was fired that hit Austin in the head.

A Noble police officer who had responded to a report of a snake in a tree apparently fired the deadly shot while trying to kill the snake, according to City Manager Bob Wade.

Tracy said he initially thought he and his grandson were under attack by someone trying to kill them, so he put the boy into the back of a 4-wheeler and drove to his daughter's house about 200 yards away.

"Then two officers came out of the brush over there," he told The Oklahoman. "They didn't tell us they were the ones who had been shooting or that they had shot him. They didn't admit a doggone thing."

The boy was taken to an Oklahoma City hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A resident of the Crest Lane neighborhood called police after discovering a large snake in a tree, Wade said.

"I was told that they tried several ways to get the snake down, but it was still hissing at them and firmly lodged," Wade said. "What I was told is that the owner of the home either suggested or agreed that they should go ahead and shoot the snake, and then everything happened from there."

Wade refused to identify the officer suspected of firing the shots but said the officer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

"This is so bizarre it has to be fully investigated. ... We're pretty sure circumstantially that it is the bullet from the police officer's gun, but it might be a bullet from someone else," Wade said.

A state investigation has been launched into the shooting, and it appears the fatal shot was fired by the officer, said Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Jessica Brown.

"We have no reason to believe it's not," Brown said. "But there certainly will be an investigation."

Tracy has little doubt about what happened.

"I'm not saying the cop shot him on purpose," Tracy said. "It was an accident. But let me tell you — if I had a kid and put him in this car and didn't put him in a car seat and he got killed on the way to town, they'd charge me with murder ... and what this cop did is a lot worse than that."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,292168,00.html

I saw that yesterday, what a tragedy!!

I have to agree with the grandfather though, that cop ought to be charged with negligent homicide, or whatever Oklahoma's equivalent is.

Either way, he dam sure shouldn't be out in public with a gun.

The snake was in a *tree*, was it a danger to anyone? I don't understand why a cop would need to shoot a snake that wasn't engaged in attacking someone...

Why because its a snake of course and evil and dangerous and could come down some day!!!!!! This is a terrible tradegy over ignorance. If I was the kids parents I would be beyond pissed off. Dan M.

I have to agree with the grandfather though, that cop ought to be charged with negligent homicide, or whatever Oklahoma's equivalent is.

He should be, but my hunch is that he won't be charged with anything. One can hope though.

He better be charged to the fullest extent of the law.
He was discharging a firearm for absolutely no reason, other than to kill a harmless snake in a tree.

only a moron would discharge a firearm in a public vicinity in the first place just to kill an animal in a tree, and i have no doubts he will be charged.

and i have no doubts he will be charged.

I hope you're right, and if it were you or I that had fired that weapon I have no doubt that WE would be charged. Because this person is a law enforcement officer, my guess is that he will not be charged with anything. He may be put on some sort of leave or suspension, or even dropped from the force though.
I really hope I am wrong about that.

Originally Posted by KelliH

and if it were you or I that had fired that weapon I have no doubt that WE would be charged.



I really hope I am wrong about that.

Oh i TOTALLY agree there!!!...I have NO doubt that if it were you or I that did it, of COURSE we would be charged....

I know there are officers of the law here on fauna, are you able to tell us if you are under the same guidelines for Discharging a weapon in a public place such as this? ( are you under the same guidelines that a weapon is not to be discharged within 500 Feet of a dwelling as well? if it was in fact near a home.... )


I hope you are wrong too <3 Because i would seriously lose it if this was just let off without any reprimand.

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Jessica Brown said a full investigation into the shooting could take several weeks. OSBI will not release the names of the officers involved in the shooting unless criminal charges are filled, she said. The Noble Police Department also had not released the names of the officers as of Sunday evening. The officer suspected of firing the shot that killed Austin has been placed on administrative leave for the duration of the investigation.

“From what I understand, they (Noble police) had recently lost their animal control officer and police officers were responding to calls,” Brown said.

Noble City Manager Bob Wade said Noble police have little training in dealing with animal control issues.

“They go through CLEET (Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training) certification and other standard training,” Wade said. “How much of that has to do with animals I don’t know. Probably not much.”

http://www.normantranscript.com/stat...218085614.html

That officer showed a reckless disregard for BASIC firearms safety. Basic rule #3, always know what is around and BEHIND your target. While police officers are excempt from such laws as discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling in the course of their duties A) shooting a snake in a tree is NOT part of a police officer's duties B) they are still held responsible for where those bullets go once fired.