Police At DUI Checkpoint "Unloading like Super Trigger Happy…Just Blasting this Car to Pieces"
Last week a bunch of cops shot two guys (Jerry Melvin and Antoine Graham) at a DUI checkpoint in Brunswick, North Carolina; neither were killed though one is still in the hospital. As this report from WECT-TV, local NBC, has it, they were charged with, respectively: "eight counts of AWDW with intent to kill, eight counts of AWDW on a government official and one count of felony conspiracy" and "10 counts of assault with a deadly weapon with Intent to kill, 10 counts of AWDW on a government official, one count of flee/elude arrest with a motor vehicle, one count of felony conspiracy, one count of possession of marijuana up to ½ ounce, and possession of drug paraphernalia."
Star News Online reports that the men were accused of trying to run over officers at the checkpoint, and also says the North Carolina Highway Patrol says "their office was called in to investigate a collision between a vehicle either Graham or Melvin, or both, were in when a patrol deputy executed a PIT Maneuver, which is used to stop a fleeing car during a police chase."
Some concerned citizens have been complaining to WECT that they are amazed no one else was killed in the incident:
"Every cop turned around and started unloading like super trigger happy as if their training was coming into full effect and they were being able to utilize it," said [Jared] Cleerdin. "Everybody was just blasting this car to pieces. It was absolutely terrifying."
They were stunned with what was happening, as officers reportedly shot dozens of rounds—in the direction on-coming traffic.
"Cops are shooting from the front of the car, back into the rest of the on-coming traffic to the check point, into the rest of the innocent civilians down the road," said Cleerdin.
Cleerdin says he believes the officers acted with no regard for public safety.
"It was way beyond reckless," said Cleerdin. "I couldn't believe it. These are professional people, professional officers, and they're training, they're highly trained and they're not supposed to do stuff like that."
Officials with the sheriff's office are keeping tight lipped about the incident. No one will tell us who shot the two suspects, or what even led up to the shooting….
Modern policing! Public safety!