[lit-ideas] Guns and the older woman, continued

  • From: Robert Paul <rpaul@xxxxxxxx>
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 19:03:53 -0700

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- A police officer and a former officer pleaded
guilty Thursday to manslaughter in the shooting death of a 92-year-old
woman during a botched drug raid last fall. Another officer still
faces charges in the woman's death.

Officer J.R. Smith told the judge Thursday that he regretted what had
happened.

"I'm sorry," the 35-year-old said, his voice barely audible. He
pleaded guilty to manslaughter, violation of oath, criminal
solicitation, making false statements and perjury, which was based on
untrue claims in a warrant.

Former Officer Gregg Junnier, 40, who retired from the Atlanta police
force in January, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, violation of oath,
criminal solicitation and making false statements. Both men are
expected to face more than 10 years in prison.

The charges followed a November 21 "no-knock" drug raid on the home of
Kathryn Johnston, 92. An informant had described buying drugs from a
dealer there, police said. When the officers burst in without warning,
Johnston fired at them, and they fired back, killing her.

Fulton County prosecutor Peter Johnson disclosed Thursday that the
officers involved in Johnston's death fired 39 shots, striking her
five or six times, including a fatal blow to the chest.

He said Johnston only fired once through her door and didn't hit any
of the officers. That means the officers who were wounded likely were
hit by their own colleagues, he said.

Complete story at

 http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/04/26/atlanta.indictments.ap/index.html

Robert Paul

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