# Cop shot by suspect in Police Station. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 5, 2013, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cop-shot-by-suspect-in-police-station/654945 "2013-04-05T19:50:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cop-shot-by-suspect-in-police-station/654945/1 "2013-04-05T19:50:09Z")
A major clusterfuck. I didn’t think cops carried their guns into interview rooms? For exactly this reason. Just like prison guards don’t carry guns when they are in rooms with inmates. Facts are still coming out slowly. Yesterday they wouldn’t even disclose names or what happened. Now they aren’t admitting exactly where it happened? :rolleyes: They need to give the press the whole story and stop stalling. It’s a big enough screw up already. [http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20130405/NEWS/304050048/MBI-Jackson-Det-Eric-Smith-suspect-Jeremy-Powell-s-deaths-murder-suicide-](http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20130405/NEWS/304050048/MBI-Jackson-Det-Eric-Smith-suspect-Jeremy-Powell-s-deaths-murder-suicide-) > [@](#): > > Spokesman Warren Strain told media that the investigators believe suspect Jeremy Powell shot police Detective Eric Smith and then turned the gun on himself. > > Jackson police said Thursday evening that Powell overpowered Smith, took his service weapon and shot the detective, killing him. Jackson police said Powell was later shot, but they never confirmed by whom. > > Police have said that Powell was being questioned by Smith in relation to the stabbing murder of Christopher Alexander. They have not confirmed if Smith and Powell were in an interrogation room or in Smith’s office. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cop-shot-by-suspect-in-police-station/654945/2 "2013-04-05T22:26:47Z")
In my very learned opinion… 1. Murder suspects should always be considered dangerous, and have at least 2 people watching/holding them at all times. Now that they’re cornered, they have nothing to lose. 2. Level 3 retention holsters aren’t just for the street. Cops get complacent far too often. They pay dearly. 3. Weapon retention refresher class every 2 months. Chief to newbie, no exeptions. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cop-shot-by-suspect-in-police-station/654945/3 "2013-04-05T23:32:27Z")
I watch The First 48 every week as they follow real homicide detectives through cases. I forget how many cities they’ve filmed, Miami, Memphis, Birmingham, and Dallas for sure. Seems like every time there’s two cops in the interview room and there’s a room with cops watching a monitor during questioning. Often the cops in that other room strategize and suggest alternate questions for the suspect. I’ll have to watch more closely to see if the cops carry guns in the interview room. I don’t think they do, but I haven’t really noticed either. I feel bad for the cop’s family. His mistake cost not only his life but also the suspects. The best outcome would have been questioning the guy and then booking him if the evidence supported it. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cop-shot-by-suspect-in-police-station/654945/4 "2013-04-05T23:42:09Z")
I’m always surprised at how calm the homicide cops are. They may have a suspect that just killed a mom and young daughter. The cop will come in ask if they want anything to drink, chit chat a moment and then ask questions. All meant to put the suspect at ease and talking. I’ve rarely seen cops get aggressive while questioning. Maybe because \*The Next 48 cameras \*were there, 😃 but usually the cops use the supportive, I’m here to help, tell the truth and don’t make this worse, approach. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cop-shot-by-suspect-in-police-station/654945/5 "2013-04-06T01:39:48Z")
Pretty meaningless, but in all the thousands of cop shows I’ve seen, I don’t recall a single one showing a cop taking his gun off before going in to interview a suspect. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cop-shot-by-suspect-in-police-station/654945/6 "2013-04-06T01:58:33Z")
Why would you need a gun whilst interviewing somebody ? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cop-shot-by-suspect-in-police-station/654945/7 "2013-04-06T02:10:26Z")
You shouldn’t, but taking the gun off would be a pretty unusual thing in an average cop’s working day. Maybe it would be different for a detective who probably spends more time at a desk in the station than a uniform cop, though. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cop-shot-by-suspect-in-police-station/654945/8 "2013-04-06T02:20:13Z")
There’s some cops that post here. They could provide more information on dealing with suspects. The rules may be different for a robbery suspect versus a homicide suspect. I don’t know. I have seen several documentaries on prisons and they mentioned that guards never carry guns when they are in with the inmates. A group of twenty inmates could easily over power a couple guards and then have weapons. The armed guards are up in the towers where the inmates can’t get at them.