Interviews of officers involved in fatal fan shooting released

[Judi Lynn]

Interviews of officers involved in fatal fan shooting released
September 21, 2005

BOSTON --The Boston police officer who fired the pepper pellet shot that killed a college student during Red Sox victory celebrations last fall was trying to hit a man who had been throwing objects at police, according to transcripts of an interview he gave two days after the event.

"I decided that, you know, I mean, I had a clear shot, so I took it," Officer Rochefort Milien said in an interview with department homicide detectives.
(snip)

"I observed a female, a white female, you know, laying on the ground," he said.

Victoria Snelgrove, 21, a journalism student at Emerson College, was struck in the eye and died about 12 hours later.
(snip/...)

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/09/21/interviews_of_officers_involved_in_fatal_fan_shooting_released/

[speedingbullet]

1. Tragic

Sounds like it wasn't such a clear shot after all.

[ridgerunner]

2. Clear shot?

The man was ducking in and out of the crowd on Lansdowne Street.

>snip

Milien said in the interview that he did not fire in Snelgrove's direction, but video evidence included with the transcript shows that he was the only officer in the vicinity with a pellet gun and that he fired two quick shots in succession in her direction.

Plus he lied.

>snip

Silta said a man bleeding from the face approached him.

"This guy was coming at me. He was closing distance on me and I had no choice." Silta then fired eight or nine pepper pellets.

Shooting someone who is already injured and looking for help maybe?