Detective Howard Brickner and Corporal Lynn Bays are being hailed as heroes today following the release of body camera footage showing the two career police officers choosing to save a mentally ill man instead of killing him.
The incident happened in January after officers made contact with Marcus Lavender, a man with an admitted death wish. According to a Youtube video and accompanying description uploaded by Police Activity:
“Brickner told that he and Bays went to Lavender’s residence for a well-being check call. After arriving, they were warned by dispatch that Lavender had made threatening remarks about trying to shoot any officers that arrived on scene.”
They said they noticed someone had been drinking alcohol as they found an open bottle on the seat of a truck at the residence. Bays walked around behind the house, while Brickner knocked on the front door. Brickner described what happened next:
“The front door was opening with the muzzle of a weapon behind it. I grabbed a hold of the muzzle pushing it away and wrapped around the guy and we started to wrestle with the gun. It went off. I had yelled for my partner and he’d come running.”
Brickner said his first instinct was to get, “the muzzle of that weapon planted in the ground where it wasn’t going to be able to do anything.”
Bays ran to the front of the home to assist Brickner. Even though Bays drew his weapon and ordered Lavender to drop his gun, there was no way for him to comply because Brickner and Lavender were struggling for control of the rifle.
Bays’ body camera captured the entire incident. A shot can be heard and Bays went running in the direction of the percussion. There, he encountered Brickner and Lavender struggling for control of what appears to be an AK-47. The gun, which had already gone off at least once, was pointed in Bays’ direction the entire time. He ordered Lavender, “Put it down Marcus! Put it down!”
Lavender can be heard begging the officers to, “shoot me please,” an action Bays would have been legally justified in doing. It is unclear if Bays was more concerned about hitting his partner than he was about ending the life of the suspect, but at any rate, he chose not to fire his weapon and place himself directly into the line of fire.
“Please shoot me. I wanna die. Please kill me,” Lavender pleads, all the while the officers maintained their composure and did not end the man’s life. They did, however, deploy their taser, an action which immobilized the suspect long enough to place him in handcuffs and secure the firearm.
In an era where it seems police officers often shoot first and ask questions later, it is refreshing to see a brave officer who thought less of his own safety and more it appears on doing the right thing to save not only his partner but the suicidal man.
Lavender has since been sentenced for crimes related to endangering the lives of the police officers. He received 4 years in the Department of Corrections for Unlawful Use of a Weapon and 7 years for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.
We applaud Corporal Lynn Bays and Detective Howard Brickner for their bravery in service to their community. We hope your acts of bravery serve as an example and model of how situations can be handled peacefully without the unnecessary taking of human life. There is no doubt you both were in fear for your lives and would have been justified in ending the threat. But you went above and beyond your call of duty and for that we salute you both.
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#1: misterwhite To: Deckard (#0)
So, 11 years @ $20,000 per year and then he'll be free to roam around with a suicidal death wish. The should've shot him.
misterwhite posted on 2017-10-29 11:19:36 Reply Private Reply
#2: Tooconservative To: Deckard (#0)
What's your ratio of bad-cop to good-cop articles? 1:1000 maybe?
Tooconservative posted on 2017-10-29 11:40:05 Reply Private Reply
#3: A K A Stone To: misterwhite (#1)
A K A Stone posted on 2017-10-29 11:40:59 Reply Private Reply
#4: A Pole To: misterwhite (#1)
Look up "suicide by cop". And family can get big insurance money, ha ha.
A Pole posted on 2017-10-29 12:04:49 Reply Private Reply
#5: Deckard To: Tooconservative (#2)
I've posted numerous articles in the past year.
Deckard posted on 2017-10-29 13:45:05 Reply Private Reply
#6: Tooconservative To: Deckard, misterwhite, GrandIsland (#5)
Tooconservative posted on 2017-10-29 13:57:14 Reply Private Reply
#7: Deckard To: Tooconservative (#6)
Looks like you've joined the ranks of the badge-lickers here, judging from your pings.
I don't hate all cops Arlen, just the corrupt and criminal ones.
Deckard posted on 2017-10-29 14:07:40 Reply Private Reply
#8: GrandIsland To: Deckard (#7)
I know 9 year olds more mature than you. Just because TooConservative points out an OBVIOUS fact, that you have a bias hatred for ALL POLICE, that makes TC a cop lover?
Here is how it works, Einstein. The vast amounts of articles you post are agitate propaganda towards law enforcement... that is FACT. You've been outed by TC because of that provable fact. To say TC is a "cop lover" would require TC to post articles OPPOSITE of yours... articles designed to be pro law enforcement propaganda. HE DOES NOT DO THAT. Hell, im retired LE and I don't even post like that.
YOU... have an obvious AGENDA, and the fact you can't admit it and tell the posters here EXACTLY what happened to cause your agenda, makes you one shady mother fucker.
GrandIsland posted on 2017-10-29 14:28:57 Reply Private Reply
#9: GrandIsland To: Deckard (#5)
Yeah... 100% articles about cops that were terminated, that are whistleblowers... or something along the lines of that.
Prove one article posted, pro cop, without an alternate AGENDA.
GrandIsland posted on 2017-10-29 14:32:09 Reply Private Reply
#10: buckeroo To: GrandIsland, Deckard (#8)
Why are you so sensitive, GI? Embarrassed of the truth?
buckeroo posted on 2017-10-29 14:32:28 Reply Private Reply
#11: GrandIsland To: buckeroo (#10)
Sensitive? Ha, I'd eat a ham sandwich and drink an ice cold water, within seconds of having to use deadly force on you. There isn't anything "sensitive" about me. Sensitivity is weakness. I loath weakness.
Pointing out that Deckard Is a shady mother fucker, isn't being sensitive. lol
GrandIsland posted on 2017-10-29 14:37:20 Reply Private Reply
#12: VxH To: GrandIsland, buckeroo (#11)
Is being a desensitized sociopath a strength?
http://duckduckgo.com/? q=sociopath+lack+of+empathy+serial+killers
VxH posted on 2017-10-29 14:45:49 Reply Private Reply
#13: buckeroo To: GrandIsland (#11)
I doubt it. The best you can produce is take your frustrations out on a little elementary school children that you escorted across the street that you were angered by their skipping (as opposed to walking) across the street.
They could take their squirt guns out at you in defiance and laff all day! All you can do to hold your job is STFU.
buckeroo posted on 2017-10-29 14:46:48 Reply Private Reply
#14: Deckard To: GrandIsland (#8)
My agenda? Pointing out the obvious criminality and corruption of a significant percentage of police officers, the lengths that departments go to cover up and/or excuse their unprofessionalism and constitutional violations - pointing out the sheer cowardice of many cops who "fear for their" lives from the most innocuous scenarios - dogs, cats, children, unarmed elderly citizens, those with mental issues.
You and the other coplickers cheer the encroaching police state, make lame excuses for these criminal cops.
You and especially paulsen and Gatslime are of the mindset that cops are always right.
You in particular have the sub-human attitude that if you're not cop - you're little people. That attitude is prevalent throughout law enforcement.
You three freaks also cheer the rampant militarization of police departments, thinking that the United States is a frigging war zone.
So go eat a buffet of dicks asshole.
Deckard posted on 2017-10-29 15:15:59 Reply Private Reply
#15: GrandIsland To: VxH (#12)
Compared to an over sensitized, pussy? YES
GrandIsland posted on 2017-10-29 15:25:13 Reply Private Reply
#16: GrandIsland To: Deckard (#14)
Why don't you point out "obvious criminality and corruption" of:
Judges
Fireman
Public Defenders
Military personnel
Servicemen
Drug users?
Go fuck yourself you lying asshole. You have an AGENDA... and not admitting it makes you one shady mother fucker
GrandIsland posted on 2017-10-29 15:29:01 Reply Private Reply
#17: Tooconservative To: VxH (#12)
Tooconservative posted on 2017-10-29 15:29:33 Reply Private Reply
#18: VxH To: GrandIsland (#15)
How would that be different from the pussies whose desensitization is a pathological factor in their compensatory behavior?
VxH posted on 2017-10-29 15:36:48 Reply Private Reply
#19: buckeroo To: GrandIsland, Deckard (#16)
OMG! A low level official from the elementary school, cross guard has just used inappropriate language! I am thinking of turning GI in.
buckeroo posted on 2017-10-29 15:43:32 Reply Private Reply
#20: VxH To: Tooconservative (#17)
It's all fun until the ants learn to climb the stick...
VxH posted on 2017-10-29 16:15:28 Reply Private Reply
#21: GrandIsland To: VxH (#18)
GrandIsland posted on 2017-10-29 16:22:51 Reply Private Reply
#22: VxH To: GrandIsland (#21)
And yet the desire to prove they are not pussies often seems to be what drives sociopaths to do what they do.
VxH posted on 2017-10-29 16:55:09 Reply Private Reply
#23: GrandIsland To: VxH (#22)
That doesn't make NOT being a pussy bad... pussy.
GrandIsland posted on 2017-10-29 17:01:39 Reply Private Reply
#24: Gatlin To: Deckard (#14)
After one of his police officers died following a shootout, San Antonio Police Chief McManus expressed his “anger’ at all the hostility being directed towards cops following the death of Police Office Miguel Moreno, who was shot while investigating a vehicle break-in.
Just what justifies you continually posting all these cop-hating articles? It makes you look like a completely obsessed idiot always parading around and displaying your hatred for law enforcement. You really need to start getting your head out of your ass.
Gatlin posted on 2017-10-29 17:23:18 Reply Private Reply
#25: VxH To: GrandIsland (#23)
What does calling other people pussies to prove you're not a pussy make you, NOT?
VxH posted on 2017-10-29 17:55:31 Reply Private Reply
#26: Tooconservative To: VxH (#20)
Then you move to Phase II.
Tooconservative posted on 2017-10-29 20:11:54 Reply Private Reply
#27: GrandIsland To: VxH (#25)
GrandIsland posted on 2017-10-29 21:32:37 Reply Private Reply
#28: VxH To: GrandIsland (#27)
It's not particularly idealistic to recognize the relationship between the insecurity of sociopaths who compensate for their own inadequacy by propping up a delusional facade of superiority.
Many often begin exhibiting symptoms early by fantasizing about, and eventually acting out, the torture of animals -- thus demonstrating their power.
VxH posted on 2017-10-29 23:14:30 Reply Private Reply
#29: GrandIsland To: VxH (#28)
You can't help outing your filthy weak PETA side... can ya.
lol
GrandIsland posted on 2017-10-30 00:59:53 Reply Private Reply
#30: Deckard To: GrandIsland, VxH (#29)
Thanks for outing yourself as a psychopath.
One does not need to be a PETA freak to know that torturing animals is sick.
It does however appear that torturing animals is SOP for cops.
NYC corrections officer arrested for child and animal abuse
Deckard posted on 2017-10-30 06:11:29 Reply Private Reply
#31: GrandIsland To: Deckard (#30)
The officer is alleged to have maltreated human children as well as an animal(s)... but PETA whack jobs don't really care about that... do they PETA boy?
"One does not need to be a PETA freak to know that torturing animals is sick"... kinda like using the family pooch to guard the family crack house. lol
GrandIsland posted on 2017-10-30 07:32:11 Reply Private Reply
#32: Deckard To: GrandIsland (#31)
You're the one cheering cops shooting kids, not me jagoff.
Deckard posted on 2017-10-30 07:39:33 Reply Private Reply
#33: GrandIsland To: Deckard (#32)
If by kids, you mean those cute and happy little mask wearing ANTIFA assholes... then yes. From the rooftops.
That make you sad, PETA boy?
GrandIsland posted on 2017-10-30 07:43:03 Reply Private Reply
#34: Deckard To: GrandIsland (#33)
This kid was none of those things, yet you praise the murdering, badge-wearing thug who murdered him.
Fired Texas cop to face murder charge in shooting of boy, 15
Then there's this piece of work:
Off Duty Cop Shoots At Kids; Kids Get Arrested, Off Duty Cop Does Not
Bodycam video shows officer shooting at unarmed teen 8 times
And who can forget this moron cop:
Officer accidentally tasers boy, 10, during gun safety lesson
Deckard posted on 2017-10-30 08:15:07 Reply Private Reply
#35: GrandIsland To: Deckard (#34)
GrandIsland posted on 2017-10-30 08:22:18 Reply Private Reply
#36: VxH To: GrandIsland (#29)
People Eating Tasty Animals?
For the sociopath, the question of when to murder a fellow human being seems to be related to the effect the killing has upon the "survival" of the sociopath's delusionally inflated, but fragile, ego.
VxH posted on 2017-10-30 09:24:33 Reply Private Reply
#37: VxH To: Deckard (#30)
Only for those with a sociopathological inclination.
In departments populated by normal human beings those individuals are the exception who can be identified by their inability to fit in - which is why they never get invited to LEO family picnics and fishing trips.
Early retirement is often encouraged.
VxH posted on 2017-10-30 09:32:14 Reply Private Reply
#38: misterwhite To: GrandIsland (#21)
"Custer was a pussy."
misterwhite posted on 2017-10-30 11:51:27 Reply Private Reply