[Drizzt]

Off-duty officer shooting in Cookeville on investigation

The Associated Press

Volume 89 Number 39
Tuesday, March 05, 2002


COOKEVILLE - Two police officers were on administrative leave with pay Monday after one officer allegedly shot the other in the front yard of his home following a party.

Officer Brad Sperry, 30, told authorities he was shot in the neck by officer Zac Birdwell, 28, early Sunday morning. Sperry remained hospitalized Monday, but he was expected to make a full recovery, Police Chief Bob Terry said.

"We are really embarrassed by this because we know the conduct of police officers is held to a higher standard, and we do hold ourselves to that standard," Terry said.

The men, who were off duty, had returned to Birdwell's home following a party Saturday night at the home of a fellow officer, police sources told the Cookeville Herald-Citizen newspaper.

The officers got into an argument about 2:40 a.m. Sunday in Birdwell's front yard and Birdwell allegedly pulled out his .38 pistol and shot Sperry, the newspaper reported. The reason for the argument was not known.

Sperry then apparently ran about a half-mile to a convenience store, where he asked for help. Someone there called 911, and a fellow officer arrived and took Sperry to the hospital.

Later Sunday morning, Birdwell - accompanied by his brother, an attorney - was interviewed by an agent with the Tennessee Bureau Investigation, which is investigating the shooting.

Birdwell, a five-year veteran of the Cookeville police force, was placed on administrative leave; his police badge, service weapons and squad car were confiscated.

http://dailybeacon.utk.edu/article.php/5544

[ojibweindian]

Cookville, TN police seem to be having a lot of problems lately. This incident, an example in incompetent stupidity, certainly lends credence to the Smoak's story, eh?

[Cal4D4]

Just a wild *ss guess, but maybe alcohol and firearms don't mix. What a public relations nightmare!

[OF]

Looks like the Cookeville PD has a little bit of an anger management problem.

- Gabe

[sm]

Maybe officer shot ( victim) dropped his wallet. Shootee, must have thought "must be a felon"--bang...folowing the precedents of late.
[sarcasm off]

[Tamara]

The Cookeville city attorney had to be talked down off a ledge today... ;)

[KMKeller]

They were probably having a discussion regarding whether or not Officer Hall was justified in his killing of the Smaok's dog...:D

Maybe officer shot ( victim) dropped his wallet. Shootee, must have thought "must be a felon"--bang...folowing the precedents of late. Nah, just thought he was going to jump up and bite him...

[Flying V]

Note to self: Avoid Cookeville, TN.

[Jim V]

Tamera, I figure you might know a police officer or so down your way, what do they say about Cookeville PD and their problems? Is it getting to the point where if a Cookeville police officer were to put in an application with another department, the app would be placed on the bottom of the pile?

[TallPine]

Birdwell, a five-year veteran of the Cookeville police force, was placed on administrative leave; his police badge, service weapons and squad car were confiscated.

Not handcuffed, shoved on his face, and hauled off to jail like the rest of us would have been ....?

Not to mention having his house searched and any personal weapons seized?

Oh, and where are the villifying articles in the paper ("suspect's mother says he has been acting strange lately" ... etc) ?

[rock jock]

Tallpine:

Exactly right. There still are two sets of rules.

BTW, what is with LE and alcohol abuse? It seems that a lot of LEOs end up as drunks.

[TallPine]

Actually, it's a tough and lousy job. I don't really blame them for drinking. But they just need to be as responsible [edit: about the drinking] as they expect the rest of us to be.

[Airwolf]

Did anyone notice the date on the piece? March 05,2002.

A fortelling of the events to come.

[Greg L]

:scrutiny:

Uh Airwolf,

It's been 2003 for 14 days or so now.

Greg :D

[TallPine]

Greg:

I think Airwolf might have meant the events to come on 1-1-03: the Smoak incident (travesty).

Trigger happy back then, trigger happy now, it seems.

[Greg L]

Ok, that makes sense (and gives Airwolf an easy out if he needs it. :D ).

Greg

[Airwolf]

Thanks! That IS what I was thinking when I typed it.

:neener: :D

[hammer4nc]

A quick google search yielded this interesting page; a chronology of this case over the past 10 months: http://www.putnampit.com/databases/birdwell/birdwell_dossier.htm

...Which seems to paint the cookeville city administrators (not just cops) as somewhat inept (others feel free to interpret). Look at this one!

http://www.putnampit.com/FBI_probe.htm

So, the Sperry shooting resulted in "diversion??" rather than criminal charges...not being a lawyer, I'm not sure what this means. Still sounds like a double standard, as others have mentioned, though.

[DeltaElite]

My county gives diversion idiots of all professions, for a myriad of charges.
Doesn't seem like a double standard to me, seems like very lax sentencing of people who should be sterilized at a minmimum. ;)

[DeltaElite]

Their "Chief" was the King of fraudulent overtime, prior to rising to his current level of incompetence.
Seems that at least the City of Cookeville is consistent in it's stupidity. At least they are consistent. :banghead:

http://www.putnampit.com/policeot.htm

[Blackhawk]

How big is Cookeville?

Why was Sperry put on AL without pay for getting shot in the neck? Is not being agile enough to dodge bullets that serious?

[Cal4D4]

In case anyone from Cookeville PD needs it; Torrance, CA PD is looking for lateral transfers. Happy to help.:D

[El Tejon]

Tamara, hot green tea through the sinuses REALLY hurts! Wow, that's funny.

Meanwhile back at the downtown Cookeville law office of Y'all, Y'all, and Y'all, the phone rings . . . .

Betty Lou: "Mr. Lee, I say, Mr. Lee, call on the teleyophone, line two. It's Mayor Cledus and he do seem a might upset."

Jasper Jackson Davis Stonewall Petty Lee: "Cledus, don't you know I'm up here working on this here Virginny doggie case. What in tarnation do you want?"

Cledus Beauragard Lee Stonewall Hill: "Jasper, you might reckon on fixin' to teleophone the insurance company again. It seems Jethro and Forrest were a feudin' and fussin' last night and, well, boys will be boys, they commenced to drinkin' and playin' with their city issued weapons and, Jasper, Jasper you O.K. now?"

Jasper: [sobbing under his desk]

[Waitone]

Lemme see here.

Leaving a wallet on top of a car is an act requiring a felony-style stop.

Shooting an officer is not a felony so the offending goober get administrative leave but he does not get a scatter gun in the ear, handcuffed, and his cat is still alive.

Whew! For a minute there I thought logic was going to break out.

Is this a great country or what. LE get treated just the same as the taxpaying peasants.

[DeltaElite]

Cookeville PD's new recruiting poster.

Please apply, we need to broaden the Dept gene pool.
Relatives of current Officers or former Officers need not apply.

:neener: :neener: :neener: :neener: