Olsen shooting case may test resolve of both Kirkpatrick and Tu...

It's too early to get a solid read on exactly what led Officer James "Jay" Olsen to shoot a man in the head the other day, but based on the information that does not appear to be in dispute, we can conclude ...

[JoePublic]

On officer of the law, off-duty or not, should have received the proper training to handle this type of situation. An alleged attempted theft of property is NEVER a justification for deadly use of force. As a member of the city police, the off-duty officer should have know how to followed protocol and alerted officers on duty just as any other citizen is instructed and would have done. The off-duty officer showed reckless and poor judgment not to mention disregard for human life, for both the victim and the residence of Peaceful Valley. Mr. Olsen should never again be allowed or trusted to serve and protect the public. The City of Spokane needs to stand up against blatant and abusive use of power over citizens of Spokane, the State of Washington and the United States of America.

[John Q Public]

SOB won't be stealing your truck any time soon I bet... SOB deserved to be shot... Hell, we used to hang folks for stealing horses.. What's the difference?

[Joe Q Public III]

John Q Public wrote:

SOB won't be stealing your truck any time soon I bet... SOB deserved to be shot... Hell, we used to hang folks for stealing horses.. What's the difference?

God knows who is lying and the public isn't stupid. The off-duty, drunk, gay officer Olsen was probably getting ready to plug his female passenger in the head because she didn't have the specific drugs he wanted to buy since his tenant druggy went to jail and the innocent hitchhiker comes by and happens to be a Native American, and the hunter Olsen can't resist because he is so pie eyed drunk he can get away with it he figures, and tells his female passenger that they can shoot to kill and make it look like the Native American Indian was trying to steal the truck. If only they could have killed him, the could have put him right into the truck and placed the gun right in his dead hands and made it look real justified. Maybe a cold blooded killer should not get drunk if he wants to do cold blooded killing, then he might get away with it. Did you know that there is such a thing as automobile theft insurance and an automobile can be replaced, but not human lives, not the native american who just kindly asked for a ride home, nor the residents of peaceful valley who are good people.

[Joe Q Public III]

JoePublic wrote:

On officer of the law, off-duty or not, should have received the proper training to handle this type of situation. An alleged attempted theft of property is NEVER a justification for deadly use of force. As a member of the city police, the off-duty officer should have know how to followed protocol and alerted officers on duty just as any other citizen is instructed and would have done. The off-duty officer showed reckless and poor judgment not to mention disregard for human life, for both the victim and the residence of Peaceful Valley. Mr. Olsen should never again be allowed or trusted to serve and protect the public. The City of Spokane needs to stand up against blatant and abusive use of power over citizens of Spokane, the State of Washington and the United States of America.

You are so right and how long is the City of Spokane Police force going to harbor murderers and drug dealers on their police force. That kind of person does not need a gun, he needs to be put behind bars and the longer he gets protected the longer we citizens are to suffer under tyranny. Maybe George Bush should hear about this and send some army over to Spokane to protect the citizens from drunk, off-duty police officers.

[Joe Q Public III]

This is an outrage and it shows a need for some adequate training or protocol for the Spokane police officers. One officer killed a mentally disabled person, mistaking a coca cola bottle for a weopon. Another officer killed a 15-year old boy who was deaf and had a beebee gun.Oh yes this boy was also a Native American Indian whose grandmother told the officer he was deaf just before he got killed. Several other officers killed a man who was contemplating suicide, also a native american. They refused to let the man's mother talk him out of it, it was more sporting to just kill him, and say his own gun did the killing.
I thought those cowboy and Indian days were over. Now we have an off-duty, obviously drunk officer, toting a weapon, just outside of a gay bar that he frequents, trying to perhaps do a drug deal, and finds a Native American Indian on the scene and he gets the adrenline rushing, and here he can fulfill a fantasy and kill an Indian like his favorite great-grandpappy used to do. He can maybe get his story on "Murder she wrote". For once, James"Jay"Olsen will get the acclaim that he wants. Is it open season on Native Americans in Spokane as long as you are an officer of the Spokane police...oh yeah and then it is allright to kill a defenseless mentally retarded person too, because coke bottles look like weapons.

[braden olsen]

he didint do nothing you !@#$ing !@#$heads

[No Bias]

If he didn't do anything, then why is there a person that has been shot in the head. Sounds like he did something to me!

[Tired Soldier]

Poor off duty Olsen. Sisteen years on the force wasted. With all his training and so-called heroism, now he has ruined it for himself. One should not be drinking and carrying a gun, especially if they are an off-duty officer. Things get distorted when you are drunk. Lots of injustice occured that night and the off-duty officer needs to confess to his wrongdoings and quit wasting the taxpayers money on this long drawn out investigation. When the truth comes out then justice will be served. I hope and pray it is soon so the city of Spokane can be saved from over reacting cops on and off-duty.

[Greg Kamer]

I have to ask myself what would have been the outcome had it been me who fired those shots. I am will to bet good money I would be sitting in the Spokane County Jail right now.....

It is illegal, even for an off duty officer to carry a firearm into a bar or tavern. Officer Olsen should have known that, but chose it ignore that aspect of the law.

It is illegal, even for a police officer to use deadly force to prevent the comission of a property crime. Officer Olsen should have also known that but again he cose to ignore that aspect of the law.

Of course in his defense, this time, he was the victim of the crime, so he decided to use his position of authority to argument the judicial system and play judge, jury and executioner.

For most people, the consequences of comitting a crime is what prevents us from doing so in the first place. But if you are a member of Spokanes law enforcement community,(either police or sheriff) this deterent dose'nt hold because there are no consequences apart from being put on paid leave pending the conclusion of the "official investigation".

I don't see where the new police chief has made any major changes in her department. From what I can see it's still business as usual. And I'm sure Mr. Tucker and his band of merry men are scouring the law to figure out a way to plea this down from a felony, becaase god forbid one of Spokane's finest should be convicted of something other that an infraction.

[voice of reason]

In response to the last few posts here. First, it is NOT illegal for an officer who is off duty to carry a firearm into a bar or tavern, as long as he or she doesn't consume alcohol, the law makes specific exemption for sworn law enforcement officers in that regard. Also, there is no evidence one way or the other that Officer Olsen was armed in the bar. You are absolutely correct that deadly force is not normally appropriate for a property crime. The only scenario I can think of where he would have been justified in shooting, would be if the alleged theif attempted to run him over as he was stealing the truck. That would make the truck a leatal weapon and shooting would be justified. It doesn't seem to fit the facts in this case, but I am only making a point.
Yes, Dempsey's is a gay bar. Not only is it ignorant to assume Officer Olsen is gay, just because he was there, it is completely irrelevant. So what if he was there? you show your lack of confidence in your own sexual preference by making an issue of it.
The investigation should be nearly complete, and Officer Olsen will be held accountable for anything he did wrong. I am not so dense to think he is not guilty of something, but what remains to be seen. The prosecutors office will take whatever action is necessary based what, if any crime was committed.

[What]

braden olsen wrote:

he didint do nothing you !@#$ing !@#$heads

After this insightful comment I'm convinced!

[Wake up]

For those that really see this as an attack on Native Americans should not use derogitory remarks themselves. Shonto Pete was in the truck as shown by evidence and he was .25 BAC. Mr. Olson should never have ordered a drink while being armed either. Bad choices by both side create these bad situations. I feel for them both with lives ruined because of alcohol. Read all the evidence from both sides before judging one or the other.

[No Bias]

The only evidence that I have heard is one set of fingerprints, on the outside of the truck at that. Just because his BAC was .25 doesn't mean he deserved to get shot. I have read all the evidence from both sides and it seems to be that Jay Olsen is at fault. It sure seems to me that Jay Olsen had more than one drink. His BAC was either at or right below the legal limit, and it takes more than one drink to reach the legal limit. Maybe you should wake up and quit being a Jay Olsen apologist.

[Go Figure]

Now we see that to shoot someone in the head is just aggravated assault? I thought a shot to the head could kill, and that would be attempted murder, and Olsen thought he killed the young man. I don't think there is a law against touching the door handle of a vehicle. It isn't car theft, or there would be many people guilty of that at a crowded mall. He, Olsen is getting off easy.

[No Bias]

That is true, he is getting off real easy. A regular citizen wouldn't be getting that sort of leniency. It just goes to show you how much they value a Native Americans life in Spokane.

[Chuck]

I read the whole investigation report online. Not that it excuses Olsen, but the did find Pete's DNA inside the vehicle. I agree the shooting was unwarranted, just trying to be accurate.

[Chuck]

Here's the link.

http://khq.images.worldnow.com/images/incomin...

[Ime]

So going Dempsy's means your gay? To me it is a safe place where I don't get hit on constantly.As for Jay Olsen,what if he were gay? What difference does that make? Does it make him a bad officer? Also the police report says that his BAC was .02. I know that it was taken several hours later, but still if he was a season drinker the amount of alcohol in his system would not really affect him that much. I have known people who are seasoned drinkers and they consume more than what the police report says he consumed and they can still function and make rational decisions. Now, I am not saying that I agree with what Olsen did, I just know that I was not in his situation and because of that I am not going to judge him.
As for the Spokane Police Department, I have needed help from those officers and I have been responded to in a professional manner. I have trust in the police department in Spokane. I think that if this incident would have happened in a large city like Seattle, Los Angeles, or another large city, people wouldn't be calling for Olsen's head to be on a platter.
To your response of the police department having a thing against native americans, well you have a thing against those who have chosen an alternative lifestyle. I guess that there are those who still think that everything is a race issue. I guess they are just ill-informed and uneducated.
To you all who think that I am a crazy person, I guess you have no problems in the world and that you are perfect. Maybe we should start calling you God.

[Joe Q public 1]

So why get your dander up just at the mention of the word gay? There is nothing wrong with being gay, you are just born that way. If anything it is a good thing to be gay because there are purposes and reasons for that. But to put someone down because they are gay is not right. To be drunk and gay makes the person more emotional. The point is not irrelevant, it shows a state of mind.But putting that aside, we need gun safety for officers of the law. James Olsen is not supposed to try to kill someone for nothing and then lie about it. I believe Shonto Pete did not take Olsen's truck. He has good values being a Native American. That doesn't mean you are racist because you mention Native American. All the Native Americans I know are good and honest people with a religion that is older than America. All the while Pete is being falsely accused and the off-duty officer was very much in the wrong. He knew he would be drinking and yet he chose to violate his policeman ethics and bring his own weopon to the bar. He could have been a good citizen and given Pete a ride home. Why did Olsen and his friend move that truck? Two sets of fingerprints and the DNA says it is not likely Pete's. So its Olsens and his friends fingerprints. The truth will prevail and God knows. The worst Pete could be charged with is drunken pedestrian. But by the way he outran Olsen he must hold his liquor pretty well.

[Joe Q public 1]

John Q Public wrote:

SOB won't be stealing your truck any time soon I bet... SOB deserved to be shot... Hell, we used to hang folks for stealing horses.. What's the difference?

You sir are pretty violent. You might need to get help for that or you could become too angry and probably hurt someone. No amount of property is worth taking a human life.