someone says...

There was no doubt in my mind that Detective Williams would be cleared. Way to go Detective Williams-thank you for serving and protecting our community.

December 8, 2009 at 8:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Sangfroid says...

I guess a medal for bravery will come next??
It is becoming more and more acceptable for law enforcement to shoot and kill unarmed individuals.
Guess he was afraid of extensive damage to the police cars since he displayed "reckless actions with no regard".
Why not let the State Police investigate and see what they come up with??
Things are getting real crazy out there.

December 8, 2009 at 8:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

RJensen says...

Sangfroid
How do you know he was unarmed, Oh you read the paper the next day I wish we (Law Enforcement) had the time to read the paper the next day before we have to act in a split second.

December 8, 2009 at 9:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ndeyo says...

Police officers must make very quick decisions under high stress; if the detective had not fired and the man had injured or killed a bystander, folks would be blaming him for that.
If individuals feel that they can do a better job, why not man up and join the force?

December 8, 2009 at 12:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

someone says...

ndeyo and RJensen-Amen!! Preach it!

Sangfroid-maybe Det. Williams does deserve a medal of honor! He quite possibly saved the employees of the bank but also the innocent bystanders who were behind the guy in the drive through! So you know-now that you bring it up, a medal of honor may be whats in order.

December 8, 2009 at 4:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

private1221 says...

I also knew he would be cleared! I've stated before that Detective Williams is a wonderful person, police officer, and a true pillar of our community. Thank you, Dave! Thank you to all of the FPD!!!

December 8, 2009 at 11:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

SusieD says...

The man made a threat and indicated in doing so, that he was capable of inflicting a painful experience on the bank teller. It is reasonable to have assumed he was armed. It is a felony to pretend you have a weapon. Making statements or gestures to make people think you have a weapon is as good as having one in terms of the reactions of officers and the law. It is sad this man (the would-be robber) was in such a desperate position in his life, but nonetheless, the officer acted as he should have and I commend him for making that tough call, with his focus on protecting the public. Kudos to Detective Williams.

December 9, 2009 at 10:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

CLIFF.PITTMAN says...

Sangfroid, Det. Williams did not know if Andersen was armed at the time of the shooting. He was robbing a bank...there was reason to believe that he was armed. But throw that argument out, he was ramming his car into innocent bystanders. Come on! He wasn't just protecting his life, he was protecting the public! And until you have to make that split second decision, you will never understand what was going through Det. William's mind. Outstanding job detective and good work FPD. How is it that as a society we take the side of the "poor criminal" over those who protect us and risk their lives on a daily basis? HE WAS ROBBING A BANK PEOPLE!!!!!

December 9, 2009 at 11:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

khbird0 says...

How much could he hurt a person in a drive thru. and no gun was pointed at the teller and we seen the damage the other car had on the bumper...it showed it on 40/29 tv (hardly any damage for him supposely ramming the car behind continuely) ..maybe the officer should of used a loud speaker to tell the defendent to stop the car and surrender, or else... yes the young man was in wrong, and he paid the ultimate price but I still think there could of been a better solution.

December 9, 2009 at 1:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Hindering says...

Law enforcement job is to protect the people and everyone wants to complain how he did his job. No one will agree with what happened. The morale of the story is dont commit a crime, because the cost will out weigh the benefits.
This man paid a price for his actions and the officer did the right thing.

December 9, 2009 at 10:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

SusieD says...

Verbal commands were shouted at the criminal, khbird. He ignored them and proceeded to act in an aggressive manner. Couple that with the necessary assumption that he was armed and this is what you get.

December 10, 2009 at 7:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

TxRzrbak says...

For those "few" that are critizing Lt. Williams; there was a deadly weapon involved in this criminal action and it was utilized by the deceased suspect in this case....It was the car. Regardless of whether the suspect had a gun, the motor vehicle became the criminal instrument the moment the suspect used it in a manner to effect an attempted escape and in the manner it which the suspect used it.
Once again, good instincts and training minimized the risk to the FPD officers, bank employees and innocent citizens. Each of them got to go home to their families that day.

December 10, 2009 at 7:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

99Cummins says...

loud speaker... haha you make me giggle: "SIR! PLEASE PLACE YOUR RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND PLACE YOUR VEHICLE IN THE PARK POSITION WITH YOUR EMERGENCY BREAK ON AND GET OUT OF THE CAR WITH YOUR HANDS UP".... Ok number one, that took 3-4 seconds for me to speak out loud, Second, your criminal just pointed at me, laughed, and took off down west wedington, to the interstate, OH hes in Missouri now. NOT TO MENTION my co-officers are DEAD 10ft away from me because i didnt plant 3 bullets in that CRIMINALS chest.

Notice I Capitalized key words in this comment.

December 10, 2009 at 8:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

MrD says...

If all officers were commanded to shoot robbers caught in the act, there might be less robberies. A person capable of robbing someone is assumed to be capable of killing the victim(s). To think otherwise is ignoring history. Maybe this robber was trying to commit suicide by police.

December 12, 2009 at 3:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Bill911 says...

well said again 99cummins! When the crime is in progress the officer has to assess the threat to the public...himself....and the measures he will have to deploy to stop the threat....now that being said....you can sit the and talk your smack about the officer(s) but when things are beyond your control and seems to sprial into chaos you call us...the boys in blue to help....so keep talking your trash about the officer and lets pray you never need one of us to pull you back from what appeared to be a siutation to which YOU had no way to reslove. we dont wake up and put the badge on thinking "im going to take a life today" but if we are called on to protect the innocent...we will with ALL the force needed...so you sleep tight at night knowing we are standing at the ready to insure you way of life....hooorah!

December 13, 2009 at 8:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ImUnarmed says...

The police force of a civilized society doesn't shoot and kill somebody for damaging a car bumper or for handing over a comically desperate paper threat of bank robbery.

As importantly, members of a civilized society don't applaud and offer praise and medals to a police officer who shot an unarmed and harmless would-be robber without personally being endangered. The posters on this thread who enthusiastically welcome the needlessly spilled blood of any human being, even if he was a criminal, make me more afraid than any bank robber could ever. You are denying the humanity of this man. It makes me scared for the future of this society, which not coincidentally is already one of the most violent in the world .

Btw this is the third incident in only two years of officer-related killings in Fayetteville. Scary.

December 14, 2009 at 2:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

LST says...

Hmmmm......ImUnarmed, You make my head hurt. Honestly, I'm not trying to be rude but as I write this I wonder if I'm trying preach common sense to a preschooler?

You talk alot of a civilized society but are you aware of why it is CIVILIZED? Your intellect is void of the elementary principles and standards that make up a "civilized society" the least of which is the rationale to tell the difference between good and evil, right and wrong, profit and loss, law and anarchy. Unless I missed something and Christ is already on the Throne in Jerusalem the only way your gonna get a civilized society is by way of the peacekeepers. You sympathize with a criminal (get rid of the death penalty) but I bet you are pro-choice, right? People like you is why the world is so violent because your selfish and you don't understand the first thing about goodness and HUMANITY. It's not in your nature.

December 14, 2009 at 8:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

SusieD says...

ImUnarmed - I challenge you to go find yourself a more civilized society and live in it.

December 15, 2009 at 6:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Timber says...

Hey ImUnarmed, in a truly civilized society people don't rob banks. The detective did the right thing by protecting the rest of us.

December 16, 2009 at 9:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Hindering says...

"Im Unarmed" I guess we should all be civilized and allow those who choose not be run around free to do whatever they want. When they cause harm suck it up and take it? I think not, again civilized people dont ROB BANKS and threaten people with bodily harm. I would like to see what you would have done as a police officer at the scene. God willing you never become a police officer.

December 16, 2009 at 12:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

123qwe says...

I believe officers should not carry a sidearm. It only escalates violence. What does anyone expect from someone with a “John Wayne” attitude carrying a firearm? No one deserves to loose their life. This goes for desperate criminals and officers of the PEACE. I'd like to see officers leading by example with an emphasis on PEACE...not more deaths. Anyone can be brave and shoot unarmed suspects driving vehicles…

In the end it was a killing. Because it was an officer pulling the trigger doesn't change anything nor lighten the outlook for anyone involved. Do not forget so long as you have officers carrying weapons...those desperate enough to commit crimes will arm themselves.

Maybe we should strive to reduce the desperation in men's hearts and minds instead of suppressing desperate individuals with the fear of death from a policeman's bullet? Would anyone argue policemen's bullets are preventing crimes? If that’s true I want no part of that society...sounds a lot like 1984. Perhaps our gun-slinging-officers are just fostering new crimes that hide behind a policeman’s shield?

Perceived inequities are the root to all criminal behavior...applied force will never win out. Obviously the approach by Detective Williams will not prevent future crimes nor shooting of suspects. We can rest assured this won't be the last suspect shooting...care to place a bet?

The incident that occurred left room for the officer to run away from the danger, but instead he stood his ground (John Wayne) and ended a life that can never be brought back. This was in an effort to protect PROPERTY…NOT LIFE. All the police cruisers in the world are not worth the life of one bank robber.

December 20, 2009 at 5:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Hindering says...

123qwe police should run away? Ha, ha thats unbelievable. Just what I want, officers when called to evaluate the situation, determine its dangerous and then run.

December 21, 2009 at 12:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )