# Fire chief shot in court by cops **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 5, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919 "2009-09-05T00:04:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/41 "2009-09-07T15:12:13Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > This is an extreme example, of course, but that part of the country is dotted with places like this, where the local sheriff tries to make a few (and often times more than a few) extra bucks by hosing drivers. Police in this case. The Sheriff’s department doesn’t seem to be at fault here. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/42 "2009-09-07T15:33:45Z")
> [@indian](#): > > I am sure there was a thread here about a similar town, may be a year ago , where passing drivers were fined for overspeeding etc.. ?? You may be thinking of [New Rome](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Rome,_Ohio), Ohio. Search is about to give me a database error, so I don’t know if there’s been such a thread here (and I don’t want to wait 5 minutes to do it again). ---
**Author:** ![loshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce73a5/32.png) [@loshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loshan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/43 "2009-09-08T03:41:45Z")
I live outside of a town of 400 and we have NO police. Once or twice a year you might see a state patrol officer on the highway, otherwise, you have to call the Sheriff to come from 42 miles away. I haven’t spoken to anyone here who thinks we need even one police officer in town. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/44 "2009-09-08T12:22:31Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > The worst we have around here is the fire chief taking his crew out to strip clubs and buying very expensive lingerie on the peoples dime. ‘Lingerie’, I guess that’s what they call it now. He is still the ‘Chief’. We are talking tens of thousands of dollars.:mad: I wish my department had enough money to be able to play that kind of waste, fraud and abuse card. We have major arguments at our meeting about spending the bucks ($150 or so) to put new master cylinders in 30 year old trucks. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/45 "2009-09-08T12:43:13Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > All seven of the towns (pop. 128) officers where in court. And they could not contain one unarmed man. So one drew a weapon and shot him. See, that’s what happens when someone yells “Fire” in a crowded room. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2009, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/46 "2009-09-08T13:11:42Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > I wish my department had enough money to be able to play that kind of waste, fraud and abuse card. We have major arguments at our meeting about spending the bucks ($150 or so) to put new master cylinders in 30 year old trucks. If the discussion was changed to putting your master cylinders in the lingerie, there’d be a lot less argument. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/47 "2009-09-08T13:24:56Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > You may be thinking of [New Rome](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Rome,_Ohio), Ohio. Search is about to give me a database error, so I don’t know if there’s been such a thread here (and I don’t want to wait 5 minutes to do it again). Another New Rome reference. [New Rome Sucks](http://www.newromesucks.com/) ---
**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:** [September 8, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/48 "2009-09-08T21:01:40Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > With Eb as a police officer, Mr. Douglas as the crusading fire chief, and Alf and Ralph as terrorized townies. I would actually enjoy seeing Green Acres redone as a film by Quentin Tarantino. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/49 "2009-09-08T23:07:30Z")
> [@PrettyVacant](#): > > Sounds like hawg heaven! Hogg. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/50 "2009-09-08T23:15:04Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I would actually enjoy seeing Green Acres redone as a film by Quentin Tarantino. With Bruce Willis and Amanda Plummer and Mr. and Mrs. Ziffel! ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/51 "2009-09-08T23:41:12Z")
I found it surprising that Jericho, Arkansas is [less than 20 miles](http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Jericho,+AR&geocode=FYprGgIdnD-f-g%3B&dirflg=&daddr=Memphis,+tn&f=d&hl=en&sll=35.256834,-90.20256&sspn=0.364452,0.783463&ie=UTF8&ll=35.212807,-90.161018&spn=0.182325,0.260925&z=12) from downtown Memphis, Tennessee. I’d have had it pegged for being _really_ out in the middle of nowhere. Does Interstate 55 pass through the city limits? It’s not clear from Google Maps. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/52 "2009-09-08T23:45:51Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I don’t think the corruption stops at the police level. From the OP’s link: > > No charges for the officer? Possible charges against the citizen who was shot? “Didn’t remember the name of the officer”? WTF??? Didn’t remember the name. There are 174 people in that town. He probably knows most of their birthdays. Or is he trying to say he couldn’t remember which of them did it? Wouldn’t it be fairly simple to tell whose gun was fired? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/53 "2009-09-08T23:56:37Z")
> [@brad\_d](#): > > Does Interstate 55 pass through the city limits? It’s not clear from Google Maps. I am embarrassed to admit that I do not know. We drove from the Memphis airport to Little Rock frequently when my Step Daughter was young. I remember Earle (1) where we often ate lunch at a truck stop, but not Jericho. I would guess not since I saw no signs for it. (1) Mrs Plant to daughter: “Don’t you want to eat at Earle? It’s a tradition!” Me: “Passover is a tradition. Earle is a truck stop.” ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/54 "2009-09-09T15:29:01Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > It’s not an unknown problem. But cops who then shoot the fire chief in court when he complains? THAT’S unusual. Tom Jones singing voice: Its not unusual to be shot by anyone…dah dah dah dah ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/55 "2009-09-09T16:01:44Z")
Updates on the original story: [http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=11080389](http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=11080389) [http://www.wmctv.com/global/story.asp?s=11083283](http://www.wmctv.com/global/story.asp?s=11083283) Barney Fife, and Mr. Haney on acid, indeed… ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/56 "2009-09-23T23:42:04Z")
In a [local update](http://www2.arkansasonline.com/news/2009/sep/23/fire-chief-shot-court-facing-battery-charges/?latest), the fire chief has been charged with assault. I heard the story on radio this evening, but can’t find the story on their [web site.](http://www.kuar.org/) Apparently it involves his argument with the judge prior to his being shot. sometimes I hate living here…🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/57 "2009-09-25T08:57:38Z")
What the what now?! Were there no witnesses? Can anything the fire chief did justify being shot in the back while unarmed and standing in open court? ---
**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:** [September 25, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/58 "2009-09-25T14:36:42Z")
Witnesses? At least 6 other cops and the judge, and there’s a reasonable chance that the judge would be in on the ticket scam, if there is one. IIRC from one of the earlier links, one person said he was ticketed in his own driveway, and if the judge upholds a ticket like that, who knows? ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919/59 "2009-09-25T23:34:49Z")
good heavens! this story just gets more and more bizarro. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-chief-shot-in-court-by-cops/508919.md?page=2)