The Ohio State Highway Patrol released video on Tuesday of a man being shot and killed by a trooper.




Errol Baker, also known as Tye, died Sunday at Grant Medical Center in Columbus. He was shot early Sunday morning in what started as a routine traffic stop, NBC 4 reported.

Baker was pulled over after being suspected of drunken driving, police said.

According to video that was taken from a trooper's cruiser, Trooper James Cress asked Baker to get out of the car. That's when the events of the incident come into question.

The video apparently showed Baker with a gun, NBC 4 's Amy Basista reported. The gun fell to the ground, Baker tried to pick it up and the two fell down together.

Cress and Baker continued to struggle on the ground as Cress tried to gain control of the gun, Basista reported.

Troopers said that Cress, a one-year veteran with the Wilmington post, was forced to shoot Baker, killing him.


Baker's mother said that her son's girlfriend was a passenger in the car. The mother said that she heard one shot fired. Ohio State Highway Patrol officials said that there were two shots.

The victim's family claims there was no need for deadly force from the trooper.

However, OSP officials said Baker's actions left the trooper with no other choice.

"The video is clear as to what happened," said Lt. Rick Zwayer, of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. "During that time, Mr. Baker refused a request made by our trooper -- some simple requests -- and then ... eventually assaulted our trooper, not only physically but then with a handgun. Our trooper was inevitably forced to fire upon Mr. Baker."

Cress was placed on paid leave while the investigation continues.

Watch NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for additional information.

Previous Story:

February 19, 2006: Trooper Shoots, Kills Man During Traffic Stop
Copyright 2006 by nbc4i.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


watch the video

w00t!  good sh00t!

had to do his job, he had just did as he was instructed, things would have been alot different

No contest, good shoot.

I worked with Cress, the trooper in the shoot, for three years at Washington C.H. PD before he went to OSP. He is a very good officer and is in great shape.

I have talked to him since Sat. and he seems to be doing okay.

I can't get the video to work

doesnt work

Quoted: I can't get the video to work

Sorry for the hijack but....
Holy Crap Dusty_C,  8000 posts in 5 months!

WOW! Check out Amy Basista.

Quoted: doesnt work

I don't know I still got it to work when i clicked on it.

allow pop-ups to see video

that said, good shoot.

Its also over at Ogerish

The video released today seemed to dispel the Baker family belief that trooper Cress was unprovoked. Upon further search two bags of cocaine were found in Errol Baker's pocket. Baker had been previously indicted on one count of engaging in corrupt activity, 12 counts of trafficking in cocaine, one count of illegal manufacture of drugs, one count of discharging a firearm close to a home and two counts of possessing weapons as a felon.

From Ogrish.com

I am glad that Trooper Cress is alright and that he prevailed.  Good shoot.  

My thoughts and prayers are with the Trooper and his family as they recover emotionally from this.

God Speed Trooper.

Quoted: Quoted: I can't get the video to work Sorry for the hijack but.... Holy Crap Dusty_C,  8000 posts in 5 months!

Almost 40 per day.

wow that vid is insane.  It makes me think of the times I've struggled with some people on the ground and have been thankful they weren't reaching for a gun.  Pretty intense vid and as stated....good shoot

Quoted: I worked with Cress, the trooper in the shoot, for three years at Washington C.H. PD before he went to OSP. He is a very good officer and is in great shape. I have talked to him since Sat. and he seems to be doing okay.

Since you actually know the trooper involved; can you shed any light onto his DT background?  I pssed the video along to some other DT trainers and we were wondering if he had any actual training or was he going off of pure instinct.

Thanks

Wow...good shoot. The only unfortunate side to it all is that as it usually goes..the dirtbags family claims he was a good boy and he wouldn't hurt nobody. I am sure the dirtbags family will go civil....I hate that ..a good shoot for a good cop.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I can't get the video to work Sorry for the hijack but.... Holy Crap Dusty_C,  8000 posts in 5 months! Almost 40 per day.

Better than 87 per day!

I worked with Cress in the same PD also.  The Ohio Highway Patrol is very intense training and they stress officer survival.  The unarmed self defense is the Krav Ma (sp) system.  It was developed for the Israeli self defense force.  It is basically street fighting.  they are always going back for refresher training.  James would only shoot if he had no other option and the video clearly shows that he did what he had to do.

Quoted: Wow...good shoot. The only unfortunate side to it all is that as it usually goes..the dirtbags family claims he was a good boy and he wouldn't hurt nobody. I am sure the dirtbags family will go civil....I hate that ..a good shoot for a good cop.

But after a few days, even his family had gone from "they shouldn't have shot him" to "why didn't he just shoot him in the leg or arm or something."  

Glad the trooper's ok.

Good job Trooper.

Looks good to me. Another reminder of how quickly things happen.

Just had to agree with subvet1, since I work with him. James would not have shot if he did not have to.

good job.

there is a time line of the video here:  

http://www.dw.ohio.gov/ohiostatepatrol/media/2006/06-048.htm

anyone have a copy of the video that isn't tagged with ogerish.com?

It sure looked like he gave him plenty of chances to quit fighting.

I hope he don't get dragged through the mud for this.

Someone should buy that trooper a beer...Good Guys won...scumbag dead. The way it should be.