Fatal shootings by security officers increase 63% in six years
CHARLOTTE NC February 25 2018 For the past 6 years fatal shootings by private security officers have increased by 63% with a high last year of 287 fatal shootings.
While 72% have been deemed deemed justifiable, the remainder have been indicted, prosecuted, convicted or remain under investigation.
During the past three years two hundred and forty-seven on-duty security officers have faced criminal charges ranging from voluntary manslaughter to second degree murder.
Of those charged, fifty-seven were found either not guilty or guilty of a lesser charge.
Four other trials resulted in mistrials and two trials ended in hung jury rulings.
The majority of all fatal shootings during the past six years have occurred in nightclubs, lounges and bars, strip clubs and after hour clubs.
Apartment and other residential communities was close behind with other entertainment businesses including card game rooms, billiards game rooms that offer electronic bingo and casino type operations and other assorted businesses fell in third.
Of those fatally shot by security officers, 68% were armed or had used their vehicle as a weapon and posed a danger to the security officer.
We have found that in some southern states including Texas and Florida where there are frequent shootings of and by private security officers, authorities including the district attorneys and grand juries often do not indict or charge security officers who articulated that they feared for their life during the shooting. Midwestern states and states where armed citizens and armed security officers are common, prosecutions of security officers involved in fatal shootings are also rare.
Earlier this year, Texas security officer In January, Michael Turner, 67, who had been indicted in the 2016 shooting death of a woman who was a passenger in a car suspected of being involved in a shoplifting, had his charges dropped overturned and walked away a free man.
Family members of Shalala Fletcher said they forgive the man who shot and killed their loved one.
The District attorney’s office dropped criminally negligent homicide charges against 68-year-old Michael Turner on Monday.
Joshua Jones, a security officer at a Harris County Texas apartment who fatally shot an unarmed trespasser also had his charges dropped after he had received an indictment.
During this year so far, security officers have fatally shot thirty four persons including an armed fifteen year old on New Year’s day in Florida, a mental disturbed person who charged security officers with a knife in Missouri and a eight seven woman who refused to put down a gun at a Texas apartment.
