Neighbors Shocked About Shooting Victim's Death

Police were called to a home on S. 35th Terrace in Fort Smith around 11:30 a.m. because of a domestic dispute.

[susan]

i have known this man for over 14 yrs he has 2 children with a friend of mine a very dear friend. Eric has been on this roar of desrtuction every since i have known him. he has always had a problem with drinking and abuse. i always prayed he would stop and be the kind of father he should of been for his children but my friend has done a hell of a job raising them on her own with little help from him. i pray that connie will survive this and his children will over come this. rest in peace Eric .

[Marsha]

Eric was my beloved brother. I don't understand what these news articles are trying to say about him. I drank, so did he. I had parties, so did he, I was loud, so was he. Yes, he was having a bad time. I think a lot of people are going through similar problems in the world. Him and Connie were going to divorce. He was going to lose his home and everything he had. Why isn't anyone asking why the police went into the home? Why did Brandon Davis go into the home!? Why didn't they talk him out? Call his family? There was no one in danger in the home. Connie was gone. Why did they go in?? Why didn't they wait. Talk him out, talk him down. Susan...you are a terrible person for your post. This isn't your moment. My family is in terrible pain. He was my big brother and he loved me and he loved his family. I love you Eric..I miss you.

[Ryan]

Marsha,im eric's cuz.and i agree with you.Apparently we are a danger to socity if we drink,and party,and also being loud.I exercise all of those habits.We are demmed trouble by the general public for these habits.And they did not need to enter the dwelling noone was in harms way.Just learned about the officer shot earlier this month,and it sounds as if they ignored protocall because they were pumped for some kind of payback.

[susan]

marsha i am sorry for the lose of eric but u need to wake up and smell the coffe when he was with karen i witnessed him wrecking her car twice in one night running fromthe cops. i know the cops r always not right in their actions but they r human just like us. i witnessed the abuse when he was with her so please dont try to candy coat him. he was ur brother i know u loved him dearly i drink and i party but i am not abusive with it and hurt and abuse other people do u?

[Concerned Citizen]

Sister and cousin, your brother had a gun. What are the police suppose to do? Wait until your brother kills his wife, or a police officer. But, if that was the case than you would say your brother was ill. The whole situation is unfortunate, but please acting like your brother was innocent. It's awful that you blame the police for your brother's actions. These police officers put their lives on the line daily doing their job.

[Concerned Citizen 2]

WHAT WAS THE HURRY? I BELIEVE, AT THE TIME THE POLICE ENTERED HIS HOME, HE WAS ONLY A DANGER TO HIMSELF. Why not get the negotiators out there and try to talk him out? Then he could be punished for his crime. He may or may not have been guilty of the crime of wife abuse. That would have been for a judge to decide. If every man who abused his wife was given the punishment Eric got there would be a whole lot less people in this world. bERRY had a gun in his home SO DO A LOT OF US...in his hand--EXTREMELY POOR JUDGEMENT...obviously distraught. Call in the swat team; protect the surroundings; keep him from escalating his crime and spend a few minutes trying for a more reasonable solution. In my opinion the officer exercised extremely poor judgement by entering that house AT THAT TIME. He appears to me to be the agressor in this situation. Mr. Berry was accused of doing some very bad things to his wife but each time he let her leave and contact authorities. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT ERIC BERRY WILL ALWAYS BE DEAD. WILL THIS EVER HAPPEN TO ANOTHER FAMILY? I SURE HOPE NOT.
ONE OTHER QUESTION: WAS HE THE ONLY DRINKER IN HIS FAMILY? DID MRS BERRY DRINK TOO? IF SO, WHY WAS SHE CONSIDERED CREDIBLE AND HE WAS CONSIDERED UNWORTHLY TO LIVE. FYI: I am not related to anyone in this story.

[Private]

To Serve and Protect. This is exactly what these FIND Police Officers did. They Served PROTECTION from this LOONATIC. I think the Officer that took Him OUT, needs to be given a MEDAL.

[Charger07]

Concerned Citizen 2 wrote:

WHAT WAS THE HURRY? I BELIEVE, AT THE TIME THE POLICE ENTERED HIS HOME, HE WAS ONLY A DANGER TO HIMSELF. Why not get the negotiators out there and try to talk him out? Then he could be punished for his crime. He may or may not have been guilty of the crime of wife abuse. That would have been for a judge to decide. If every man who abused his wife was given the punishment Eric got there would be a whole lot less people in this world. bERRY had a gun in his home SO DO A LOT OF US...in his hand--EXTREMELY POOR JUDGEMENT...obviously distraught. Call in the swat team; protect the surroundings; keep him from escalating his crime and spend a few minutes trying for a more reasonable solution. In my opinion the officer exercised extremely poor judgement by entering that house AT THAT TIME. He appears to me to be the agressor in this situation. Mr. Berry was accused of doing some very bad things to his wife but each time he let her leave and contact authorities. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT ERIC BERRY WILL ALWAYS BE DEAD. WILL THIS EVER HAPPEN TO ANOTHER FAMILY? I SURE HOPE NOT.
ONE OTHER QUESTION: WAS HE THE ONLY DRINKER IN HIS FAMILY? DID MRS BERRY DRINK TOO? IF SO, WHY WAS SHE CONSIDERED CREDIBLE AND HE WAS CONSIDERED UNWORTHLY TO LIVE. FYI: I am not related to anyone in this story.

Why didn't he come out on his own and surrender? He could've helped his own situation turn out differently.

[Randall]

You people who believe the police are always right are idiots. The Ft. Smith police were trigger happy after loosing another of their colleagues. These are basically garbage collectors with guns. The douche who posted under the name Private is a chicken shit loser. Probably another garbageman with a gun called a "Police Officer." I watched this family bury their loved one yesterday. None of you critics truly knew this person, and you have no right to judge anyone. I hope none of you ignorant people have to bury your son or daughter after he or she was MURDERED by the police. If that day ever comes, I pray people unleash hell on you and the way you feel.

[Randall]

Concerned Citizen wrote:

Sister and cousin, your brother had a gun. What are the police suppose to do? Wait until your brother kills his wife, or a police officer. But, if that was the case than you would say your brother was ill. The whole situation is unfortunate, but please acting like your brother was innocent. It's awful that you blame the police for your brother's actions. These police officers put their lives on the line daily doing their job.

You are a complete idiot.

[Charger07]

Randall wrote:

You people who believe the police are always right are idiots. The Ft. Smith police were trigger happy after loosing another of their colleagues. These are basically garbage collectors with guns. The douche who posted under the name Private is a chicken shit loser. Probably another garbageman with a gun called a "Police Officer." I watched this family bury their loved one yesterday. None of you critics truly knew this person, and you have no right to judge anyone. I hope none of you ignorant people have to bury your son or daughter after he or she was MURDERED by the police. If that day ever comes, I pray people unleash hell on you and the way you feel.

You are certainly entitled to your own opinion. Police don't just appear out of nowhere. They have to be called first. Obviously, they were called to the scene. As I have stated in a previous post, Mr. Berry could've helped his situation end differently. It is a shame that he died and left his children fatherless. All he had to do was put down his weapon. I feel sorry for everyone involved, actually. What a horrible, tragic situation.

[Randall]

Charger07 wrote:

<quoted text>
You are certainly entitled to your own opinion. Police don't just appear out of nowhere. They have to be called first. Obviously, they were called to the scene. As I have stated in a previous post, Mr. Berry could've helped his situation end differently. It is a shame that he died and left his children fatherless. All he had to do was put down his weapon. I feel sorry for everyone involved, actually. What a horrible, tragic situation.

I agree that this is a very unfortunate situation for everyone involved.You appear to know a lot about this situation, and you are in Ft. Smith. How do you know what could have been done? If you are getting all your information from news websites, papers, and television, you have not been properly informed.

[Charger07]

Randall wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree that this is a very unfortunate situation for everyone involved.You appear to know a lot about this situation, and you are in Ft. Smith. How do you know what could have been done? If you are getting all your information from news websites, papers, and television, you have not been properly informed.

Be careful of what you're saying. I am not in Ft. Smith, but my internet provider is. Are you getting all your information from news websites, papers, and television to know where I am? See how easy it is to ASSUME?????

[justathinker]

This is to all of you bed wetters out there that think a cop, killing a man sitting alone in his house, not bothering anyone and a threat to no one is just swell police work. Some of you are just too ignorant to really waste time on, but just in case there is some hope for one or two of you, here are the facts.
It is NOT against the law to drink, or party in Arkansas, or anywhere else in the United States that I am aware of.
Wrecking someone’s car once or twice is not a capital offence (for those of you too stupid to know what this means, it means you cannot be put to death for it). And while I really doubt Eric ever hit a woman (see, I know how hee was raised) that is not a capital offense either. And if you had to live in a desert in Kuwait for several months, constantly doing drills (incoming chemical weapons, attack on the perimeter, and on and on) and then be ordered to kill hundreds of Iraqi soldiers as the fled back to Iraq, you may have a nightmare or two and have some trouble adjusting to this world also.
Remember, Eric was sitting BY HIMSELF (again, for the really stupid people, this means NO ONE WAS with him) in his home. He had the door locked so NO ONE COULD GET IN). He was making sure NO ONE could come in contact with him. This means he was a threat to NO ONE. Connie was outside WITH 'Barney Fife’ and Barney was not looking to kill HER at this time. Eric was sitting at his dining room table, probably wondering how things had gotten so far out of hand when Barney burst in pointing a gun at Eric.
Eric, like many of you posting here, was in debt. He was in the process of getting a divorce. He was confused and distraught. He had probably been drinking and most likely did not really understand that this cop meant to kill him. My God, Eric was not going to kill or Hurt anyone. He has done all he could to make sure no one could come into contact with him. No one was anywhere near him! The only person looking to kill someone was a cop! Eric was NOT a threat. He just needed a kind word. Some one to tell him it was going to be OK. Like a family member or one of the negotiators that the police department policy says are supposed to be called in (yeah, you do this INSTEAD of killing someone). Instead, Eric ended up with a small minded school yard bully who happened to be wearing a badge. The kind of bully I used to beat the crap out of when I was a kid and I caught them picking on people that were smaller than them.
Now these little bullies have badges and guns, but they are the same people. Cowards who are able to kill, then hid behind the "blue shield" from having to be held accountable for their actions. All I can hope and pray for is that one day, this little banty rooster of a man comes up against a really bad person and his family will come to know what it is like to have a loved one missing from the family. Eric was more of a man that this 'Barney Fife' or any of you fruit cakes who say completely stupid things like, "HE HAD a gun so he deserved to be shot" ever will be. And while I know that this guy who shot and killed Eric will burn in hell for what he did, I really do hope that no one else ever has to face a two bit cop like Eric Did and suffer the consequences. Let’s hope Barney finds his fate before he kills again and leaves another family without a loved one.

[justathinker]

Private wrote:

To Serve and Protect. This is exactly what these FIND Police Officers did. They Served PROTECTION from this LOONATIC. I think the Officer that took Him OUT, needs to be given a MEDAL.

And i hope one of these criminals does this to you or a loved one of yours soon. Eric never got a chance. did you see the video? do you understand english? cops never opened the door and said, Mr.Berry, we are here to help you. please come out of the house with your hands up and let us help you. is there someone we can call that you would like to talk to? No, Barney Fife kicked open the door and pointed a gun at Eric. Caught him completely off guard with no time to think or process information. And i hope you remain a private and never get any higher in rank. you are an idiot. You are one of the bed wetters who hid behind a badge and gun, right?

[justathinker]

Concerned Citizen wrote:

Sister and cousin, your brother had a gun. What are the police suppose to do? Wait until your brother kills his wife, or a police officer. But, if that was the case than you would say your brother was ill. The whole situation is unfortunate, but please acting like your brother was innocent. It's awful that you blame the police for your brother's actions. These police officers put their lives on the line daily doing their job.

YOu are so stupid it hurts. I have a house full of guns, does this make me a threat? REmember, Fort Smith had a policy, a very well thought out and reason policy of how an officer should react in this situation. it called for the responding officer to secure the site and call in a negoiator. not kick in the door and start threatening. No matter what you thougt of Eric, he was a human being. he was dealing with life the best he could. just because he offends your sensibilities is no reason to wish him dead or say horray for a rouge cop!

[freedom of speech]

I for one think the police had every right to go to the home.If the police would made it a priority to check up on all domestic disputes maybe lives of both victim & attacker could be spared.If the police would keep track of the recorded of times the are called to a home there could be a pattern there(unsure if they were ever called to the home before)Now days a spouse may be quick to call local law enforcement but is also quick to what to change their minds.You never what to think someone that loves you would what to harm you.I would never put someone down for drinking but while intoxicated you never know what someones actions might be.Its so easy to turn a blind eye to someones faults if you love them but keep in mind it only takes a second to pull a trigger a life be lose.My heart goes out to his family but also to hes soon to be Ex & her family.I hope in light of whats happened that family's & law enforcement open there eyes to what is taken place in these domestic disputes.Some of us would like to say if I had only known but the truth of the matter is sometimes you do and turn your back on it or gave up trying to make people see that they one day may lose there life if they stay.Keep in mind Domestic violence takes place everyday by both man and women.To law enforcement"Take the time to look at what is going on in the home with domestic disputes because you might save a life of someone that is every much loved.

[Kinley]

Fort Smith: A Target-Rich Environment
"This is what I call a Target-Rich Environment"- Viper, in the movie Top Gun
If you are a resident, and probably even a visitor, to Fort Smith, you are now part of this "Target-Rich" environment.
Back in 1875, there was a Judge Parker, known as the "Hanging Judge", who arrived in Fort Smith. His answer to almost every crime was to hang the accused. Today it would seem that we have a police force in Fort Smith that is carrying on this tradition. Instead of having a trial and using a rope, they are using vigilante justice and guns.

On Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009, an Officer Calhoun shot and killed a really dangerous man who was brandishing a BB gun. I sure hope Calhoun had the "Killer Cam" on so he can compare his video with Davis's.
It is amazing how this police department brags about their new "State of the Art" Killer Cams (which have been around for at least 10 years, by the way) but they do not seem to have any non-lethal means of subduing anyone. No tear gas, no bean bags, no Tasers and obviously no training. No, not for this police department. They don't need no stinkin' "non-lethal" tools. These guys have Hot Lead, are not afraid to use it, and are not held responsible for their actions!

In Eric Berry's case, this cop Brandon Davis seems to have violated every policy and procedure on how to deal with barricaded people in the Fort Smith Police Department's manual (posted on their web site by the way). However, he did get some swell video on his "Killer Cam" that he and the boys can watch over beer and pizza on Saturday night. By following Fort Smith Police Department Policy and Procedures, Brandon Davis would NOT have entered Mr. Berry's home. He would have called for a more experienced, mature officer and either talked Mr. Berry out, contacted a relative or co-worker to talk him out or used tear gas to encourage him to leave. But no, KILLING him, it would seem, made better movie footage as Officer Davis was wearing his spanking new "Killer Cam" that he was dying to try out. No, it was Eric Berry who died, while Officer Davis tried it out, wasn't it?
It is interesting to note that on December 6, 2009, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a man actually fired shots at his girlfriend. Police arrived. Thankfully, a Brandon Davis clone was not amongst them. They may have had a copy of the Fort Smith Police Department Policies and Procedures because they did everything in those procedures that Brandon Davis did NOT do. They secured the area, surrounded the house and negotiated with Darnell Edmondson, who came out with his hands up and was arrested, not shot, by Tulsa Police. Mr. Edmondson will now get an opportunity to have a judge and jury determine his guilt and/or punishment. Eric Berry had a one-man judge, jury and executioner. Which police department would you rather face if you are in trouble?
People of Fort Smith, you had better get to work replacing these people! You need a new mayor, a new chief of police and several new police officers, it would seem, if you want to protect your family in this town. The tactics these officers are using should have gone away with Judge Parker. In today's world, with modern equipment and a training program geared to save people and not kill them, you seldom do have to actually kill anyone.
It seems that we protect and safeguard insurgents and terrorists fighting our soldiers in Iraq more than we do citizens living in Fort Smith, Arkansas, just trying to make it through the day. Right now we have three Navy Seals on trial for just slapping a terrorist. We can't even get these cops in front of a judge for killing citizens of the U.S.! It seems you have members of this police department looking for targets and Fort Smith would seem to be a Target-Rich Environment.