Man killed by police in St. Paul had long rap sheet

[Copper51]

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S199545.shtml?cat=206

A man killed by St. Paul police late Monday had an extensive criminal background, including multiple drug charges and a conviction for second-degree murder from 1992.
Police were called Tuesday evening to the home that the Donny Gartner shared with his girlfriend on York Ave. on the city's east side. When police arrived, Gartner and his girlfriend had "obvious signs of domestic assault," police spokesman Tom Walsh said.
She ran inside and locked the door, and Gartner tried to follow, according to police. While police were in the front yard, Gartner ran into the back yard and came back with a knife.
The two officers drew their guns and told Gartner to drop the knife, but he ignored them and tried to break through the locked front door, Walsh said.
Then he turned around and rushed the two officers, who were still in the front yard, Walsh said. The man was shot multiple times and died a short time later at Regions Hospital.

Gartner's sister insisted that Gartner was not a violent person.

"He was very outgoing and outspoken," his sister Teshna Esparza told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. "He was a happy person, everybody has their ups and downs."

She said she wishes that police would've shot him in the leg as a warning. Walsh responded that shooting in the leg is not a practical solution. He added that officers are trained to shoot to kill in these situations because a knife can be just as dangerous as any other weapon.
The two officers that pulled the trigger--Jessica Phillips and Cory Kochendorfer--are on paid administrative leave pending an investigation of the shooting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


Sister said he wasn't a violent person but he has a murder conviction? Yeh, just shoot him in the leg

[jcsdscott]

I may have scratches and bruises, but hey, I'm not violent. So my girlfriend ran away and locked the door, but I'm not violent. So I grab a knife and try to break down the door, still I'm not violent. So what if I charge and threaten the cops with that knife, that doesn't make me violent.

See when you look at it from the sister's point of view, , you see he not only should have been shot in the leg, but he should have been given a cookie with a glass of lemonade and a time out.

[gopherpuckfan]

I used to be a reserve officer with Kochendorfer. He's a great cop and an even better guy.

[TheeBadOne]

Man killed by police in St. Paul had long rap sheet

I wonder which songs he had on it? (Snoop Dog, Ice T, 50 Cent)

[jcsdscott]

I wonder which songs he had on it? (Snoop Dog, Ice T, 50 Cent)

Nah, it was probably Vanilla Ice or maybe Afroman!

[TheeBadOne]

Orange 9mm?

[cajunguy]

He added that officers are trained to shoot to kill in these situations . . .

WOW . . . and this is a "police spokesman"?

I was always taught that we shoot to stop the aggression.

I sure hope this "spokesman" never has to testify in court for me.

.

[Pedro56]

WOW . . . and this is a "police spokesman"?

I was always taught that we shoot to stop the aggression.

I sure hope this "spokesman" never has to testify in court for me.

.

I see nothing wrong with that statement we are trained to shoot to kill here in Chicago. We don't aim for legs or arms center mast twice head once.

Good Guys 1 Bad Guys 0. Nice job by the officers involved.

[Shoestring]

I am not sure why in the article someone would state that we (police) shoot to kill. I am not sure about other states but in Wisconsin we are taught to shoot to stop the threat, ultimately where we are trained to shoot is most likely going to result in death, but we dont shoot to kill!

[cajunguy]

I am not sure why in the article someone would state that we (police) shoot to kill. I am not sure about other states but in Wisconsin we are taught to shoot to stop the threat, ultimately where we are trained to shoot is most likely going to result in death, but we dont shoot to kill!

That's what I was trying to say. Shoestring said it better.

.

[Cidp24]

Samr here. You shoot to stop the threat. If the supect dies as a result of that, oh well.

[Hannibal]

WOW . . . and this is a "police spokesman"?

I was always taught that we shoot to stop the aggression.

I sure hope this "spokesman" never has to testify in court for me.

.

+1. I am not a spokesman, but I would have said something like:

One of the most effective means to stop inter-human aggression is to properly place a 230 grain .45 caliber projectile at about 800 feet per second into the central nervous system of the aggressor. An unfortunate side effect of this process is that the aggressor may expire as a result. This can be avoided by not fighting the poh-leece.