APD Releases Details in Officer-Involved Shooting
By: APD Press Release
Updated: December 13, 2012
The Abilene Police Department has released information on the
officer-involved shooting that took place Thursday morning at Abilene
Gold Exchange.
The report cautions that the information provided is preliminary information:
On the morning of Thursday December 13 at approximately 9:25 a.m., officers of the Abilene Police Department served a search warrant at the Abilene Gold Exchange located in the 1300 block of South Danville.
The search warrant sought evidence related to the alleged failure to report precious metal transactions as required by the Texas Occupations Code.
As officers from the Patrol and Criminal Investigative Division were securing the property, they were confronted by a male subject armed with a semi-automatic pistol.
The subject was instructed to put his weapon down. He did not. He then moved his weapon in a threatening manner.
One of the officers responded by firing upon the subject. The subject, an employee of the business, was hit and is deceased at the scene. The identification of the subject is pending next of kin notification.
As with all officer involved shootings, a joint investigation is being conducted with the Texas Rangers.
The officers involved will be on administrative leave. At this point, it appears that the officer responded with necessary and reasonable force.
This is a traumatic event for the family of the deceased, the officers involved and our community. Our thoughts and prayers are extended.
Additional information may be released in the future.
The report cautions that the information provided is preliminary information:
On the morning of Thursday December 13 at approximately 9:25 a.m., officers of the Abilene Police Department served a search warrant at the Abilene Gold Exchange located in the 1300 block of South Danville.
The search warrant sought evidence related to the alleged failure to report precious metal transactions as required by the Texas Occupations Code.
As officers from the Patrol and Criminal Investigative Division were securing the property, they were confronted by a male subject armed with a semi-automatic pistol.
The subject was instructed to put his weapon down. He did not. He then moved his weapon in a threatening manner.
One of the officers responded by firing upon the subject. The subject, an employee of the business, was hit and is deceased at the scene. The identification of the subject is pending next of kin notification.
As with all officer involved shootings, a joint investigation is being conducted with the Texas Rangers.
The officers involved will be on administrative leave. At this point, it appears that the officer responded with necessary and reasonable force.
This is a traumatic event for the family of the deceased, the officers involved and our community. Our thoughts and prayers are extended.
Additional information may be released in the future.
Comments
I worked right next door to the Abilene Gold Exchange for a year. Charles and Marcus were both fine, upstanding men. I found both of them to be level-headed, business-minded, intelligent people.
With all due respect to the Abilene Police Department, this was a legitimate local business- not some [censored] lab they were entering this morning. Due to the nature of their business, self protection and security was an absolute necessity for these men. Due to the recent change in the law, they had been made an ever bigger target for crime. This "IS" an all cash business that bought gold, and now they had to keep the gold piling up for 14 days before moving it off the premisses.
The cops were always in and out of this business, seeking help with cases involving stolen gold. Surely they had some sort of repoire with these men by now, and SURELY they could of handled serving a misdemeanor warrant without killing someone.
My heart goes out to Marcus's family... My heart goes out to Charles, I'm so sorry my friend. My heart goes out to the officer that pulled the trigger this morning- only you know if you were truly justified in your actions, and sometimes even accidents can happen, but still be justified due to extenuating circumstances. I don't know you, but I did know these men and I'm having a very hard time understanding why one is dead tonight over "alleged discrepancies in paperwork" that would have only amounted to a misdemeanor at best.
Really?
Tammi T.
December 13, 2012 at 6:57 pm
