Police fatally shoot grandfather, 72, while searching the wrong home for burglar, bla

[downtownv]

Police in Fort Worth, Texas, are blaming “poor lighting” after two officers went to the wrong home in search of a possible burglar and ended up shooting a 72-year-old man dead in his garage. The officers, who are both in their first year with Fort Worth PD, were responding to a burglary alarm on May 28 when the tragic mistake occurred.

“Due to poor lighting conditions, and officers attempting to arrive on the scene undetected,” the cops approached the home of Jerry Waller by mistake, according to an affidavit. The house they were actually supposed to go to was across the street.

The two officers, B.B Hanlon and Arpie Hoeppner, were searching around the home with their flashlights when Waller emerged from his home armed with a handgun, investigating who was walking around his property with flashlights.

Police radio transmissions obtained by NBC DFW captured what happened next:

“The guy came out with a gun and wouldn’t put the gun down,’ Officer Hanlon said. ‘He pointed it at Hoeppner, Hoeppner fired,” Hanlon said.


Both of the officers claim they identified themselves as police officers and told Waller to drop his firearm. They claim he instead lifted his firearm and pointed it at them. The police department is claiming the man was shot in self-defense.


However, Waller’s widow, Kathy, told NBC DFW that she was “disgusted” with the “trigger happy” officers.” She said her slain husband grabbed his .38-cal. handgun after seeing lights outside their bedroom and reported hearing yelling moments before Waller was shot dead.

Further, the man’s daughter, Angie, said she was “disturbed by suggestions that police may have felt threatened by a man in his own garage faced with unknown trespassers yielding flashlights.”

Waller’s family is calling for an independent investigation into the incident. The family has also accused the police department of “misrepresenting details of the incident” in media interviews.

[ripley16]

Twice in recent years, police on 911 calls, have shown up at my door in the wee early hours, pounding on the door. Neither time did we have an emergency and they responded to the wrong house due to their own or the 911 operator's error. This local sheriff dept. has also shot and killed two people that did not need to be killed. The reality is; some forces are trained better than others, and mistakes are the result of poor training. Sad but true.

[Longitude Zero]

It sounds like mistakes on both sides.

[Bawanna]

My mother sometimes say I was a mistake. Sometimes I feel traumatized.

[JohnR]

What happened to the actual burglar, I wonder? Sitting across the street laughing?

[OldLincoln]

My son has the right idea. He has a large enough to really see reflective surface street number sign in his lawn at the edge of the street. My country subdivision has a very confusing street naming convention and just about everybody without a GPS gets lost the first time coming here. I may get a similar sign to his.

[AJBert]

My son has the right idea. He has a large enough to really see reflective surface street number sign in his lawn at the edge of the street. My country subdivision has a very confusing street naming convention and just about everybody without a GPS gets lost the first time coming here. I may get a similar sign to his.
So why aren't the police using GPS when responding to calls?!? Seems to work for the rest of us.

[Longitude Zero]

So why aren't the police using GPS when responding to calls?!? Seems to work for the rest of us.

Many depts, including mine do. However it is not the 100% error free solution many mistakenly believe it to be.

[muggsy]

If the 72 year old had taken my advice and had barricaded him self in his room and called the police he'd be alive today. If you go looking for trouble you are bound to find it. Nothing that you own is worth dying for.

[Planedude]

The cops were on the wrong side of the street from the call they had received. Many facts in this case don't add up, as projected in the media. We will have to wait for the final reports to understand what happened. The local distress is the fact that the PD is obviously dragging its feet in getting the facts out to the taxpayers...
The citizens here in Fort Worth hope the truth of what happened, good or bad, will come out soon.

[jdlott74]

It sounds like mistakes on both sides.

Agreed....Mistakes on the officers parts AND mistake on the homeowners part by not immediately putting down his gun if the police indeed identify themselves as police.

The media hears irritates the crap out of me because the officers names SHOULD NEVER have been identified for safety purposes.

[Longitude Zero]

In my heart I agree with witholding the officers names. Here in my state they cannot be withheld in shootings, what is worse many departments provide the media with the officers official department picture to plaster on the news.

[downtownv]

In my heart I agree with witholding the officers names. Here in my state they cannot be withheld in shootings, what is worse many departments provide the media with the officers official department picture to plaster on the news.

Nobody wants that 15 minutes of fame!:photo:

[jdlott74]

Nobody wants that 15 minutes of fame!:photo:

Downtown its not so much about the 15 minutes of fame, which , no, they don't want, but more about the safety of the officers. There are a lot of criminals and people these officers may have arrested that will go after the officers and their families.

And yes, the media here also in DFW is usually given the official dept photo of the officer unfortunately.

[tv_racin_fan]

Agreed....Mistakes on the officers parts AND mistake on the homeowners part by not immediately putting down his gun if the police indeed identify themselves as police.

The media hears irritates the crap out of me because the officers names SHOULD NEVER have been identified for safety purposes.

Couple men out in my yard with flashlights and no police car lights going.

Care to explain exactly how I am to KNOW they are the police they claim to be?

[Longitude Zero]

Couple men out in my yard with flashlights and no police car lights going.

Care to explain exactly how I am to KNOW they are the police they claim to be?

Call 911 before blundering outside to investigate what should be reported to 911.

[downtownv]

Downtown its not so much about the 15 minutes of fame, which , no, they don't want, but more about the safety of the officers. There are a lot of criminals and people these officers may have arrested that will go after the officers and their families.

And yes, the media here also in DFW is usually given the official dept photo of the officer unfortunately.


Sorry, I meant fame as in being "in the spotlight"....

[Longitude Zero]

Downtown its not so much about the 15 minutes of fame, which , no, they don't want, but more about the safety of the officers. There are a lot of criminals and people these officers may have arrested that will go after the officers and their families.

And yes, the media here also in DFW is usually given the official dept photo of the officer unfortunately.

Truth be known with the advent of the internet you can find just about anybody/anywhere/anytime. I am aware of county assessor websites that have property records available online to include pictures and the floorplan or you residense/business. Due to interconnectiviy finding out an officers address is really pretty easy. If a department has take home/home storage cars there you go.

[ltxi]

Many depts, including mine do. However it is not the 100% error free solution many mistakenly believe it to be.

x2.....

[ltxi]

Couple men out in my yard with flashlights and no police car lights going.

Care to explain exactly how I am to KNOW they are the police they claim to be?

x2...

[ltxi]

Call 911 before blundering outside to investigate what should be reported to 911.

Or in conjunction with....depends on the circumstances and the perception of immediate threat.

With only what's here I'm leaning toward giving this one to the homeowner.

Irrespective....the widow's gonna have a comfortable retirement.

[jdlott74]

Couple men out in my yard with flashlights and no police car lights going.

Care to explain exactly how I am to KNOW they are the police they claim to be?

And as Longitude Zero will also tell you, officers are supposed to identify themselves. But if I remember correctly, you should be able to call 911 and they can tell you one way or another if it is one of their units outside.

[jdlott74]

Truth be known with the advent of the internet you can find just about anybody/anywhere/anytime. I am aware of county assessor websites that have property records available online to include pictures and the floorplan or you residense/business. Due to interconnectiviy finding out an officers address is really pretty easy. If a department has take home/home storage cars there you go.

And that is why jlottmc is glad that we live over an hour away from where he works. and don't own a house right now.

[Sgt 127]

I would not walk outside with a gun in hand. I would also have a flashlight. I am a police officer and would be extremely cautious about wandering around in the dark. Wrong addresses happen. That said, they were rookie cops. An older more seasoned cop likely wouldn't be that keyed up and took a second or two to figure out who the guy with the gun was. And, we may never really know exactly was said, or, did the homeowner actually hear themselves identifying as Police Officers, or, not believe them. Or, how close they were. Did they startle each other?

Very sad. Shouldn't have happened. Doubly sad because neither side likely had any bad intent for the other if they had known who the other was.

Gotta use humans for a lot of jobs. Humans make mistakes. Settle as best you can. Money won't make it right, but, that's the only option at this point.

[ripley16]

Another sad and unnecessary use of the
As a LEO my number one priory would be to see mom and the kids at the end of the shift belief rationale.

[jocko]

IMO there is gonna be alot of CYA goin oni the police dept.The old man is dead, he can't tell his story. a sad thing no doubt, but I do think if I looked out my back door and see lights in my back yard, I would at best grab my gun and then stay inside my home and call 911 to report what I am seein. Course when ur 72, u think differently than a 30 year old to. Some poor judgement by the police IMO to but again I am sure we don't know the entire story, other than this ol man died not because of his ignorance but because the LEO'S got the wrong fokking home to start with...:Amflag2:

If crayone would not have attqacked Z wewould have neverhad a trial. so what I am saying is that the courts now will have to sort this out. I amnot sure if I wason thejury that I would not lean towards towards the 72 year old man's right..

Rookie cops is no excuse to use as a CYA either.IMO only adds to maybe the stupidity involved..

[Longitude Zero]

And as Longitude Zero will also tell you, officers are supposed to identify themselves. But if I remember correctly, you should be able to call 911 and they can tell you one way or another if it is one of their units outside.

Correct on both.