DHS police officer accidentally shoots 16-year-old while shooting at dog

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - DHS police officer accidentally shoots 16-year-old while shooting at dog

Posted: 3/20/2006 5:23:56 PM EDT

DHS police officer accidentally shoots 16-year-old
March 20, 2006, 08:48 PM EST DHS police officer accidentally shoots 16-year-old

Tonight NewsChannel 3 is investigating reports of a shooting involving a Desert Hot Springs police officer that apparently injured 16-year-old boy. It happened two Saturdays ago in front of a home in the 66- 300 block of Buena Vista Avenue in Desert Hot Springs.

The police department waited for days to release any information about the shooting.

On March 11th, an officer and a 16-year-old police explorer, a sort of police "intern," came here after two brothers began to fight in those apartments. We've learned a dog charged at the officer. He then pulled his gun out and shot at the dog.

The shot missed and may have ricocheted, because seconds later, the 16-year-old had a puncture wound in the arm and had metal taken out at the hospital.

We've learned one of the officers in the shooting was Robert Ritchie. Sources tell us that he was the one who fired the gun.

He's also a councilmember in the city of San Jacinto.

Ritchie is also running for Riverside County Sheriff against Bob Doyle.

The police chief says that Ritchie is not in trouble and that the 16-year-old is fine.

The man who's dog was shot talks anonymously to NewsChannel 3.

“When I looked back, the boy said, ‘I'm hit!’ That's all I remember.”

The dog that charged the officer was shot in the leg. Seconds after the bullet hit that dog, metal fragments hit the 16-year-old police explorer that was next to the officer.

We've left multiple messages with the police chief over the past week to explain why it took five days for them to reveal that a teenager was injured after an officer fired their gun.

We've got no response yet.

http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=4658589

Posted: 3/20/2006 5:27:03 PM EDT

[#1]

sounds like a genuine accident. shit happens

Posted: 3/20/2006 5:29:27 PM EDT

[#2]

Dog.
Policeman.
Gun.

Nothing further needs to be said.

Posted: 3/20/2006 5:32:34 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Dog.
Policeman.
Gun.

Nothing further needs to be said.

Remember Eric Hall?

Posted: 3/20/2006 5:35:09 PM EDT

[#4]

Posted: 3/20/2006 5:37:57 PM EDT

[#5]

First it says the shot "missed" then it says it hit the dog in the leg.
Be sure of your target and what is around it............
It sounds bad but he may have saved the Explorer from a serious dog bite.

Posted: 3/20/2006 5:45:19 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
First it says the shot "missed" then it says it hit the dog in the leg.
Be sure of your target and what is around it............
It sounds bad but he may have saved the Explorer from a serious dog bite.

Very true, may have saved the explorer or himself. I thought this would be a feel good story because it sounds like the dog lived.

Posted: 3/20/2006 5:45:48 PM EDT

[#7]

"SECONDS AFTER THE BULLET HIT THAT DOG?"

Either that was the slowest bullet in modern history or somebody involved with this story is full of it.

Posted: 3/20/2006 5:48:09 PM EDT

[#8]

dog-cop-innocent bystander-wheres the cat? this one almost has it all...LOL..

Posted: 3/20/2006 6:11:54 PM EDT

[#9]

They haven't come clean over a week later? Pigs.

Posted: 3/20/2006 6:26:16 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
They haven't come clean over a week later? Pigs.

Come clean about what? I didnt realize the police had to report to the media

Posted: 3/20/2006 6:33:44 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
They haven't come clean over a week later? Pigs.

I have met a few cops that I like. One or two that I shoot with and would trust with my six. Many more than that were power tripping assholes. But you will never see me utter the word "pig" in regards to a police officer. It's juvenile and disrespectful.

There are quite a few of the "good" cops on this board. Edit your comment please.

Posted: 3/20/2006 7:45:47 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Quoted:
They haven't come clean over a week later? Pigs.

I have met a few cops that I like. One or two that I shoot with and would trust with my six. Many more than that were power tripping assholes. But you will never see me utter the word "pig" in regards to a police officer. It's juvenile and disrespectful.

There are quite a few of the "good" cops on this board. Edit your comment please.

You are quite correct. There are good cops on the board, to them I appologize for my juvinile and disrespectful comment. The bad ones can FOAD.

As for editing my comment, I have been quoted twice, so editing my comment would only serve to show how easily swayed I would be, even if I am wrong.

We've left multiple messages with the police chief over the past week to explain why it took five days for them to reveal that a teenager was injured after an officer fired their gun.

We've got no response yet.

Obviously they are not beholding to the media. However, they would look better to at least give a BS statement.

Posted: 3/21/2006 10:27:52 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
They haven't come clean over a week later? Pigs.

I have met a few cops that I like. One or two that I shoot with and would trust with my six. Many more than that were power tripping assholes. But you will never see me utter the word "pig" in regards to a police officer. It's juvenile and disrespectful.

There are quite a few of the "good" cops on this board. Edit your comment please.

You are quite correct. There are good cops on the board, to them I appologize for my juvinile and disrespectful comment. The bad ones can FOAD.

As for editing my comment, I have been quoted twice, so editing my comment would only serve to show how easily swayed I would be, even if I am wrong.

We've left multiple messages with the police chief over the past week to explain why it took five days for them to reveal that a teenager was injured after an officer fired their gun.

We've got no response yet.

Obviously they are not beholding to the media. However, they would look better to at least give a BS statement.

Thanks.....even though many times we are right to bitch about some of the asinine things cops do, a slur like that applied in a general fashion, seems to paint even the good ones with an ugly brush.

And they would be well off to issue some sort of statement as well.

Posted: 3/21/2006 10:31:27 AM EDT

[#14]

Ban cops with guns - its for the ~~kids~~ DOGS!!

Posted: 3/21/2006 10:35:22 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
"SECONDS AFTER THE BULLET HIT THAT DOG?"

Either that was the slowest bullet in modern history or somebody involved with this story is full of it.

Welcome to the matrix.