Son of Buffalo cop kills Kansas Deputy Sheriff
Gary
brother of Thomas Smith Jr., a corrections officer, shot and killed Todd
Widman, a 21 year old criminal justice student and part-time deputy for the
Brown Co. Kansas Sheriffs Dept. last Wednesday. One of several ironies is
that Widman had just realized his lifelong ambition of becoming a police
officer three months ago. According to friends, Smith had also professed a
life-long desire to be a cop, like his father and uncle.
Smith, who was described as a polite and cheery type who was the favorite of
all his friends' parents, apparently took his mothers car, and his father's
(personal) 9mm handgun early Tuesday morning and headed west, abandoning
the car in Missouri, just short of the Kansas state line.
He first surfaced in Kansas around 6 p.m. when a Brown County sheriff's
deputy answered a call about someone walking along Rt 73 about a mile south
of the Nebraska line. That deputy was unable to locate him. About an hour
later, Widman radioed in to say that he had found him, and was taking him to
the Brown County sheriff's ofice in Hiawatha, KS. About 15 minutes later,
Widman radioed again saying he had been shot and needed assistance.
Investigators say he managed to jump from his car before it crashed into a
tree. Widman was shot in the back after he apparently placed Smith in the
back of the patrol car without frisking him. He died shortly thereafter at
the Hiawatha Community Hospital.
About 50 deputies and Kansas Highway Patrol officers responded and located
Smith about two hours later, at which time shots were exchanged but no one
was hit. An hour later police again came upon Smith who jumped up and fired
at them, according to police. He was killed in the return fire.
Another of the ironies in this story is that Smith's father is a 29 year
veteran of the Buffalo police force who received a national award from Janet
Reno in October of 1998 during a Wahington ceremony for helping to remove
262 illegal guns from the city streets during the department's "Weed and
Seed" program which began in June of 1997.
Tragedy Beyond Telling
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20000303/1035295.asp
Boy’s father troubled by a cruel irony
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20000303/1042944.asp
This was truly a multi-faceted tragedy in which two bright young lives were
lost. But I can't help but wonder whether Lt. (J.C.) Smith will be charged
like Jamelle James in Michigan? And how come this wasn't plastered on the
front page all over the country?
Compare:
FLINT -- Sitting around Sir-Marcus Winfrey's bungalow littered with drugs
and guns, Jamelle James entertained Winfrey's 6-year-old nephew by twirling
a loaded handgun in his face, prosecutors say.
http://www.freep.com/news/kayla/charge3_20000303.htm
Anybody see any meaningful distinctions? Besides two dead in first
instance - 1 in second? And parents permitting access in first, and James
was just a roomate of the kids father?
Hell, I put my army uniform on my 5 year-old daughter and took her pic
posing with a German lugar one time. Mighta been a little crude, but I sure
didn't have any idea I might be letting myself in for a manslaughter charge.
Gary
Pagan
well about searches. You never, ever turn your back on a suspect without
searching him/her. It doesn't matter if another officer searched him a
while back or if it's someone well known. I'd search the Pope before
putting him in the back of a police car. No ifs, ands, or buts.
Why his family members, who are police veterans, didn't tell him this is a
mystery. It's not like it hasn't happened before.
Whoever put him on the street should be fired.
Pagan
"Gary" <g...@penn.com> wrote in message
news:mK%v4.259$Fw6....@newsfeed.slurp.net...
Gary
Pagan wrote in message ...
>For some strange, stupid reason they don't train their officers all that
>well about searches. You never, ever turn your back on a suspect without
>searching him/her. It doesn't matter if another officer searched him a
>while back or if it's someone well known. I'd search the Pope before
>putting him in the back of a police car. No ifs, ands, or buts.
>
>Why his family members, who are police veterans, didn't tell him this is a
>mystery. It's not like it hasn't happened before.
>
>Whoever put him on the street should be fired.
>
>Pagan
A couple of points. First, you are apparently confusing the family
backgrounds of the shooter, Vincent Smith, and the deputy who was shot. (see
first paragraph below). Also, although the links below give no information
concerning Widman's family backgroung, the print version of the Buffalo News
has several related articles, one of which indicates only that WIdman's
father died 15 years ago, and that his mother is a school secretary.
And obviously deputy Widman made a serious error in failing to search Smith,
but this was rural northeast Kansas and the perp was a 16 year clean cut
looking kid who according to the paper, in fact looked 3 or 4 years younger.
And of course Widman was a 21 year old with barely 3 months on the job (as a
process server, incidentally) who grew up in that (rural) environment. I
don't believe Widman, or anybody else in Brown Co. LE can objectively be
faulted in any of this.
All in all, one bizarre and ironic tragedy. But my question is: Why should
Jamelle James (Michigan shooting) be charged with manslaughter, and Lt.
(T.C.) Smith should not?
G
I
Gary
swee...@my-deja.com wrote in message <89vi44$5en$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>...
>In article <rbEw4.3550$Fw6....@newsfeed.slurp.net>,
>seven. Seven years old is when the law says a person is at an age of
>reasoning. The child was to young to be charged with anything himself,
>therefore the negligent youth at a chargeable age is being charged. In
>the case of Smith, Smith would have been at a chargeable age if he
>would have lived to be charged. Since he killed an officer, he
>probably would have been charged as an adult and had the book thrown at
>him. At that point, he probably would have wished he had died. Since
>he himself died there is no reason to charge the father because if his
>son had lived his son would have paid dearly for the life he took. Mr
>Smith is now living with the loss of his son but also the shame of how
>his son died and the loss of a fellow officer.
>Moe
>> >
>> >
And Jamelle Jones is living with the consequences of his actions, as does
everyone. He is also charged with manslaughter. What's the difference
again? Mr. James left a gun where a 6 year old could get to it. Lt. Smith
left a gun where a 16 year old could get it. Both were the result of
carelessness that enabled a minor to access the guns which led to
homocides. I don't see any distinction
G
>>
>>
>
>
>Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
>Before you buy.
Zman
That's no escuse....That's 'basic training' or common knowledge. Before you
transport anyone, even if it's a starnded motorist, you at least do a
thorough pat down for weapons.
Zman
swee...@my-deja.com
seven. Seven years old is when the law says a person is at an age of
reasoning. The child was to young to be charged with anything himself,
therefore the negligent youth at a chargeable age is being charged. In
the case of Smith, Smith would have been at a chargeable age if he
would have lived to be charged. Since he killed an officer, he
probably would have been charged as an adult and had the book thrown at
him. At that point, he probably would have wished he had died. Since
he himself died there is no reason to charge the father because if his
son had lived his son would have paid dearly for the life he took. Mr
Smith is now living with the loss of his son but also the shame of how
his son died and the loss of a fellow officer.
Moe
> >
> >
>
>
swee...@my-deja.com
swee...@my-deja.com
Michael Zarlenga
: This was truly a multi-faceted tragedy in which two bright young lives were
: lost. But I can't help but wonder whether Lt. (J.C.) Smith will be charged
: like Jamelle James in Michigan? And how come this wasn't plastered on the
: front page all over the country?
Excellent questions.
In two cases adults left firerams within minors' reach. Both
minors used them to kill. Hell, one of them used it to kill a
cop.
One differnce is one of the "irresponsible" adults was a cop,
the other was not.
Everyone knows the cop killer's father will skate while James
will fry. Both are guilty of the same act. One has a get out
of jail free card on his uniform.
--
-- Mike Zarlenga
Red Green
Heres a strange story from the Dallas Gazette. Niece of Master
Carpenter mashes finger with hammer. Mary F.Zarzynski was attempting to
hammer a nail in the bathroom ceiling when "BANG", she mashed her
finger. Mrs. Z is expected to recuperate and return to work Monday
morning.
miri...@gmail.com
> lost. But I can't help but wonder whether Lt. (J.C.) Smith will be charged
> like Jamelle James in Michigan? And how come this wasn't plastered on the
> front page all over the country?
>
>
> FLINT -- Sitting around Sir-Marcus Winfrey's bungalow littered with drugs
> and guns, Jamelle James entertained Winfrey's 6-year-old nephew by twirling
> a loaded handgun in his face, prosecutors say.
>
> http://www.freep.com/news/kayla/charge3_20000303.htm
>
> Anybody see any meaningful distinctions? Besides two dead in first
> instance - 1 in second? And parents permitting access in first, and James
> was just a roomate of the kids father?
>
> Hell, I put my army uniform on my 5 year-old daughter and took her pic
> posing with a German lugar one time. Mighta been a little crude, but I sure
> didn't have any idea I might be letting myself in for a manslaughter charge.
>
> Gary