Decision looming on policeman who shot disabled teen

By Brian D. Crecente, Rocky Mountain News
April 15, 2004

All eyes are on Denver police officer James Turney.

Members of the black community, outraged by the shooting of mentally disabled teen Paul Childs, are looking for change.

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The Denver Police Department's rank and file are looking for support.

Both will have their answer today or Friday when Manager of Safety Al LaCabe announces what discipline Turney will receive for the Childs shooting.

"The reason the officers are keeping a close eye on this is because it affects each of us," said Mike Mosco, president of the Police Protective Association. "This is emotional for them, absolutely it is.

"We don't get to pick our calls, and we don't know what is going to happen on them. We are all just one call away from becoming the next Jim Turney."

The Rev. Reginald Holmes, president of the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance, says the decision goes beyond Turney and the Childs family.

"The issue for us is bigger than that," Holmes said. "The community is outraged, and we have to deal with it."

Last July 5, Turney and two other officers responded to Childs' home after the 15-year-old's sister called 911 to report that he was threatening their mother with a knife.

When officers arrived, the boy came to the door with the knife. Childs did not respond to police orders to drop the weapon, and Turney opened fire, shooting the teen four times.

Childs, who was developmentally disabled and taking medication for seizures, died from his wounds.

The Denver District Attorney's Office declined to file charges against Turney, saying the shooting was justified.

Two internal police boards reviewed the shooting for administrative violations. One recommended that Turney receive a 30-day suspension and the other recommended a letter of reprimand.

The reviews were forwarded to Chief Gerry Whitman, who recommended a 20-day suspension without pay.

Many in the black community and Childs' family are demanding Turney, 30, be fired.

LaCabe has the final say on Turney's fate. His decision could come as early as today.

Mosco says that anything besides a complete exoneration of Turney would be a miscarriage of justice.

"Jim relied on what the department instructed him to do, and now the department is saying he acted inappropriately," Mosco said.

"Any time a police officer is forced into using lethal force, it's unfortunate - unfortunate for everybody."

Holmes says anything less than at least a one-year suspension of Turney would be unfair.

"If (the decision) is deemed unfair by this community, I can't begin to say what is going to happen," he added.

Mosco said that no matter what the decision is, Denver's police officers will continue to serve their community.

"The PPA does not condone any sort of work slowdown," he said. "We realize there are men and woman out there who support the Denver Police Department 100 percent, and we owe them 100 percent."

crecenteb@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-2811

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