Shots fired after Police pursuit

[TheeBadOne]

June 17, 2003

Crowd Hurls Bricks, Bottles After Police Chase



A high-speed police chase that ended in a motorcyclist's death apparently triggered a disturbance in which several police officers were hit with bricks and bottles and three police vehicles were damaged.

Police in Benton Harbor, Michigan, said gunshots were fired during the three-hour conflict that ended about 2 a.m. this morning. Police said they themselves did not shoot and apparently no one was hurt.

The violence followed the death 24 hours earlier of a 28-year-old man who lost control of his speeding motorcycle before it crashed into an abandoned house. Police said the man, identified as Terrance Shurn of Benton Harbor, was dead at the scene.

An abandoned house across the street from the crash scene was set on fire. The crowd dispersed after police using a loudspeaker warned they would be charged with felonies if they didn't go home.

The chase began early yesterday on U.S. 31 in Berrien County's Royalton Township, where sheriff's Deputy Mark Lundin saw two high-performance motorcycles traveling toward Benton Harbor faster than 100 mph. Shurn was thought to be driving one of these motorcycles, Lt. Joseph Zangaro said from the state police post at Bridgman.

Lundin briefly pursued the pair but broke off the chase because of the motorcycles' high speed, Zangaro said. A short time later, Benton Township Patrolman Wes Koza saw one of the motorcycles speeding and running stop signs.

Koza pursued the motorcycle into Benton Harbor, where it drove through residential yards, came back on the street and ran more stop signs, state police said.

Koza was several blocks behind Shurn when the motorcycle struck the abandoned house, Zangaro said.

Last night, about three dozen people angry over Shurn's death went to the Benton Harbor City Commission meeting to protest high-speed police chases in general. Many of the complaints were directed against Benton Harbor police, who were not involved in the chase.

Meanwhile, several people who went to the crash scene to mourn Shurn's death accused Benton Township police of harassment.

"They harass us. They pull us over for nothing," Evette Taylor said.

State police said they did not know why Shurn was speeding when first observed by police.

Toxicology test results that could reveal what Shurn might have had in his system were expected in 10 days to two weeks.

 

[LawDog]

"They harass us. They pull us over for nothing," Evette Taylor said.

100+ MPH
Running stop signs
Driving across residential front lawns.

This is nothing?

Goodness.

LawDog

 

[brownie0486]

LawDog:

Didn't you know we are jack booted thugs to many of the public when we attempt to uphold the laws of the jurisdictions we work in?

Not mention the guy endangered the cops as well.

Brownie

 

[Standing Wolf]

Last night, about three dozen people angry over Shurn's death went to the Benton Harbor City Commission meeting to protest high-speed police chases in general. Many of the complaints were directed against Benton Harbor police, who were not involved in the chase.

Sounds like a riot in search of an excuse.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"Last night, about three dozen people angry over Shurn's death went to the Benton Harbor City Commission meeting to protest high-speed police chases in general."

Wouldn't be a high-speed chase if someone wasn't fleeing in the first place... Wonder if any of these upstanding citizens thought of that?


I must say I do have a lot of pity for the dead man and his friends.

Let me find it...

Oh wait, I forgot.

I gave it to someone who apparently gave a damn.

 

[Gmac]

How pray tell did the guy endanger the cops? Was he going to force a cruiser off the road with a motorcycle? But I keep forgetting that cops are never wrong! I guess they're superhuman huh?

 

[TheeBadOne]

How pray tell did the guy endanger the cops?

Well, for one, he lead them on a high speed chase.

 

[capt_happypants]

1. Uncultured, uneducated thugs? Check.
2. Minority group nursing major grudge? Check.

Benton Harbor probably won't be the last city to experience the joys of race riots this summer.

 

[LawDog]

How pray tell did the guy endanger the cops?

Cops, and anyone else on the public road he decided to do 100+ MPH down. Not to mention the stop signs he blew through to catch the attention of the second cop.

Was he going to force a cruiser off the road with a motorcycle?

Noooo...but I figure hammering into a house at a speed high enough to kill himself would probably put a hurt on anyone who might have been watering the lawn, or putting out the cat.

But I keep forgetting that cops are never wrong!

Being just as human as you, I figure they probably have just as much chance of being wrong at any given time.

I guess they're superhuman huh?

Ah, the fog cleareth. Nevermind.

LawDog

 

[Sir Galahad]

I'll tell you what the poor dear was doing wrong.

Drove a tow truck many years back. Saw a Harley that struck a station wagon broadside. Harley was doing 80+ (estimated) in a 30mph zone. Station wagon? Just making a left into a Taco Bell. Occupants in back seat dead on scene. Real charming to look at, too. Another case, a Honda hit a Chevy full-size truck backing an Ingersoll-Rand trailer compressor into a driveway. Cycle hit the bed of the truck at 110mph+, TORE bed off truck and BENT the trailer's yoke. Had he hit the cab of the truck, driver and probably passenger, too, would have been killed instantly. As it was, just the cycle rider was the only charmer to look at that evening. THAT is why speeding motorcycles are not harmless.

I'm failing to understand this whole "any port in a storm" attitude of taking shots at the cops here. Here is a cop doing his job, a speeder killed HIMSELF and, thankfully, no one else (and, as a bonus, he'll never be able to kill anyoe with his speeding ever) and people are angry. Not me. I scraped up lots of other Darwineers' motorcycles that learned the back of a gravel truck at 100+ does not an pen casket ceremony make. Some, you had to pick the guy from the bike and vice versa piece by piece by flashlight. Real fun. But I still fail to see why all the hate for the cops? Hey, if you have an honest beef, that's one thing. Articulate it and lay out your reasons. But this posting BS anti-cop stories style of backshooting is utter and crass pablum. I couldn't care less if every speeding motocycle crashed into a brick wall tomorrow. And I'd care less if they were being pursued by cops. But this digging and needling is really ridiculous. Geez, it's like reading a Weather Underground or a Students for a Democratic Society newsletter someone found moldering in a basement somewhere.

 

[agricola]

one must remember that in some cases people are told, by word-of-mouth, untruths which cause them to come out onto the street.

as a case in point, last Monday there was a murder on an estate in Hackney, in the immediate aftermath of which someone told the residents that the Police had shot both the victim and a 12 year old boy. as a result, about 50-60 people came out onto the streets and the situation was only resolved when Police reinforcements arrived and people found out that the story was nonsense.

 

[seeker_two]

I'm against these high-speed, drawn-out police chases too. I think that, since a vehicle IS a deadly weapon, police should be able to use lethal force to stop them. THAT would deter a lot of this s ...

As for the motorcyclist: Too bad, so sad. Don't run.

As for the "community" at Benton Harbor: Police should have responded to deadly force w/ deadly force. They were just waiting for their own "Rodney King"...

 

[Navy joe]

2. Minority group nursing major grudge? Check.

I'm so confused. One of the grudgers whined that "they harrass us" Hmmm, it certainly appeared to be ethnically motivated from what I saw; but I also saw that they had a black police chief in that town. I guess the evil white man has subverted him too? Police chief came across as a pretty decent guy. Now the rioters want a review board to make sure the police don't work at all.

Here's the cause as I see it. The town of Benton Harbor has banned police chases for 3 years. The township has no such ban. I think the biker knew that and acted with impunity as a result once in town.

I certainly have a foul taste in my mouth for JBT type law enforcement, but it isn't all done like that and there is absolutely no evidence of the town cops doing anything of the kind. The fact that the police haven't shot any of these rocket scientists is proof of their professional restraint. I don't think I could have resisted the urge in the same situation.

Don't think a bike at 100 is a public safety hazard? Go ride one like that until you hit something solid and tell us how it was.

 

[Sergeant Bob]

Wednesday, June 18, 2003


Emergency declared in Benton Harbor


By Associated Press

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BENTON HARBOR -- A state of emergency has been declared as several hundred people and police in riot gear gathered at the site where a motorcyclist died while being chased by police.

The vacant two-story building where Terrance Shurn, 28, of Benton Harbor lost control of his speeding motorcycle and crashed early Monday was set on fire Tuesday night.

The burning building was heavily damaged as firefighters were kept at bay by the crowd. At least seven people have been arrested.

"Several hundred people are creating a significant disturbance in the streets," said Berrien County Sheriff Lt. William Tucker.

The city manager and Berrien County Board of Commissioners declared a state of emergency in the city, which would allow the National Guard to be brought in, if needed.

Police officers in riot gear gathered at the scene Tuesday night for the second night in a row and were trying to maintain crowd control. Officials had feared continued disturbances and had planned to have up to 40 state troopers on standby to assist the city police department.

During a three-hour melee that ended around 2 a.m. Tuesday, officers were outnumbered and unable to arrest any of the hundreds involved.

During that disturbance police said shots were fired, several police officers were hit by bricks, four Benton Harbor police vehicles suffered extensive damage and three more received minor damage.

Two fire department vehicles also were damaged. Police said gunshots were fired early Tuesday morning, but they did not shoot. There were no injuries reported.


Emergency declared in Benton Harbor

Lots of people up here call it Benton Harlem.

 

[Ol' Badger]

Face it. Ever been to the zoo when the monkeys start acting up? They don't need a reason to go "Ape Sh*t". They just do. Thats why we have Tear Gas for Guys!

 

[seeker_two]

Forget tear gas. You deal with lethal force w/ lethal force. Violent riots are only stopped when the violence is turned on them.

Too bad Preacherman closed the LEO poll thread before I could vote. Here's my vote anyway (esp. for the ones in Benton Harbor today...)

I'm glad they're around...

 

[Nathaniel Firethorn]

Benton Harbor?

Has it really gone downhill in the last 20 years? I was there just once, in 1980, to buy a Heathkit from the source. Didn't at all impress me as the sort of a place that would riot. Or maybe my memory is faulty or I didn't see the wrong side of the tracks.

Any racial stuff in this?

- pdmoderator

 

[Specialized]

If this guy was "blocks ahead" of the cops and still managed to hit a house, of all things, all by himself -- this is no ordinary idiot. This guy was special.

The things that struck me about this story, in rough order of occurrence:

1. 100mph plus, in town, on a bike.
2. Failure to stop during police pursuit.
3. Endangerment of the cops and the citizenry, before and after the chase.
4. What kind of dumbsh*t hits a house, all by himself, while operating the most maneuverable vehicle on the road?

It also sounds to me like the people doing the "rioting" are discontent and looking for a catalyst. This is a pretty lame one, so they must be really unhappy about something. Anybody live near there that might know what it is?

I'm filing this one under "Voluntary Thinning of the Herd". People this stupid have the right to kill themselves, but they don't have the right to endanger others in the process, for fun or any other purpose. It sounds to me like the cops acted prudently and professionally, and that the outcome was about as good as could have been hoped for. The right guy now has his *ss permanently wedged between his ears and nobody else got hurt.

Is there any legal basis for impounding this fool's children? I'd hate to think his genes could still be running around loose somewhere...

Specialized

 

[Gmac]

My argument against high speed chases is as follows:

The motorcyclist was endangering the public, no question.

The cop,by chasing the suspect, added another speeding projectile to the equation.

Add more cops=add more danger (high speed vehicles).

Which can do more damage, a 400 lb. motorcycle or a 4000 lb. cruiser ?

The motorcyclist was breaking the law, not to mention being really stupid BUT, why not call for roadblocks, helicopters etc.
He can't outrun a radio signal.

It seems to me that any high speed chase is an invitation to disaster to someone, often an innocent party.

Some of you say the motorcyclist got what he deserved;are you saying you've never exceeded the speed limit by a large ammount
yourself?

Yes I'm a biker and yes I've done some stupid things; the consequences were usually painful, but traffic violations aren't deserving of lethal force IMHO.

 

[Edward429451]

Mob mentality only sees the uniform. Incorrect thinking.

Good LEO's who take offense at anti-cop jbt statements must not realize this and are also guilty of incorrect thinking.

Good citizens, bad citizens. Good cops, bad cops. If you're a good cop, why take a jbt statement and staple it to your forehead in offense if thats not you? Incorrect thinking on both sides does no one any good.

 

[Ol' Badger]

Well Said Ed. Well Said.

 

[agricola]

gmac,

you would have a point if the LEO could say that the biker, or person failing to stop, was solely failing to stop for traffic reasons.

however most Police chases are the result of people having committed crime(s) and not wanting to get pinched for it.

any consequences of a chase are down to, squarely, the person that initiated it - the perp. besides, if you as a criminal knew the Police wouldnt chase you if you refused to stop for them, would you stop?

 

[Sir Galahad]

Gmac, having been to several fatal motorcycle accidents caused by high speed and seen the pulp, er, perps left over, yes, the motorcyclists got what they deserved. Just the same as the Darwineers that stand upon a fifth floor balcony near a pool 6 feet at deepests and holler, "Y'all watch this!" and proceed to become sidewalk expansion joint jam. The flip side to the coin is I've also seen the innocents killed by some jerk speeding who its a vehicle following the laws of the road. THAT is why I have no sympathy for speeders who kill themselves. I know they will never kill anyone else at that point. Why must I sympathize for idiots? Roll the hook, scrape up the bike with the shovel, roll credits.

 

[Sir Galahad]

Specialized, LOL! Great post! "*ss permanently wedged between his ears" LOL! Very true! They'll be able to bury that guy in a TV dinner box with room to spare.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

My argument against lengthy high-speed chases is as follows:

At first oppotunity, make it plain to the perp that if he/she/it doesn't stop immediately, that they will be shot and killed.

It seems to me that any high speed chase is an invitation to disaster to someone, often an innocent party.

If it seems that way to you, then why do you support the person that caused the chase? Why support the one person that could have averted the death and destruction that THEY caused?