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Funeral Services Set For Man Shot Sunday By Atmore Officers; Police Won’t Release More Info
May 27, 2009
As funeral services are set for the man shot by police early Sunday morning, the Atmore Police Department will not release any more information about the incident.
Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Thursday at Monroe Chapel in Frisco City, Alabama, for Danny Ray Williams, 33. Williams was shot by Atmore police officers following a high speed chase that started in Atmore and ended in Walnut Hill just south of Kansas Road about 1:45 Sunday morning.
Atmore Public Safety Directory Glen Carlee said the chase began after a reported shots fired incident near Ashley Street and Jones Street, a location about three miles driving distance from the Florida line. Officers say they spotted the Nissan Altima driven by Williams leaving the area of the shots fired call. That’s when the chase begain that eventually ended with police shooting Williams in Walnut Hill after he tried to run over officers, according to Carlee.
Carlee would not confirm to NorthEscambia.com what his department found at Ashley and Jones streets in Atmore. “I can’t say,” he said when asked if officers discovered if there had or had not actually been shots fired in the area early Sunday morning. He said he would not release any information beyond what was in a press release the department issued on Monday.
To read that press release, click here.
To read the original NorthEscambia.com story about the incident from Sunday morning, click here.
To read about Williams’ court record and outstanding warrant, click here.
For an exclusive NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the scene, click here.
Comments
21 Responses to “Funeral Services Set For Man Shot Sunday By Atmore Officers; Police Won’t Release More Info”
The person who call’s his self “law and order”, I think you have watched to much of the show,or to many shows that are in common. Let the law do their job!That’s
is what is wrong today,people are always trying to do other people’s job. We can
say what we would do in a situation but we really don’t know until we are faced,so
again I think the officers done what they were trained to do.
You can say all the what if’s about the situation,How can you judge what happen
if you don’t have all the facts. I appreciate the police officer’s because they have
came to my aide many times. I thank God for them because when I need their
help, they are their for me and my family. May God Bless each one of you!!!
Thank You Again!!!!!
He apparently had something to hide…you don’t run from the police unless something isn’t right. It will come out eventually. I have sympathy for the family, they lost someone they loved, BUT he held the cards in this case…he made a bad decision not to stop. If the charges were just minor, he may have been given a ticket and or arrested depending on the circumstances, but something is array here…..
Bottom line: Atmore officers shouldn’t have chased this or anyother vehicle around in Florida for the actual known law violations at the time, which were only mere traffic infractions (stop sign running, speeding, etc.).
Had Atmore P.D. terminated the chase once they crossed into Florida, this tragic situation would have been avoided, and Williams could have been arrested on another day for the traffic crimes.
Now consider Atmore P.D. has chased into Florida on other occasions without reporting to Florida authorities that such an incident was in progress. For example, the high speed motorcycle chase that went down Greenland Road not to long ago. And what was this chase centered around? A traffic infraction, but this time the cycle got away. If you think that it doesn’t happen, listen to your scanner sometime.
When one decides engage in a pursuit (and in this case, all those on duty), someone, usually a supervisor, has to weigh the costs against the benefits of the pursuit and determine whether a continued is justified, because the public deserves to be safe from overly aggressive police action. If you think that police aggressiveness doesn’t happen, look at the recent Birmingham incident, where five police officers were recently fired.
http://www.nbc13.com/vtm/news/local/article/birmingham_police_officers_fired_for_videotaped_beating/73400/
Unfortunately for Williams, the Atmore officers’ bullets hit their mark from behind, but what about the passenger; did he deserve to be shot at too? After all he was only a passenger, and what if there was a two year old child in the car at the time? “What if” can go on all day, but these are presented as food for thought.
Now with that said, should Williams have run? No, of course not! But did deserve to die at the hands of the Atmore police? No, because after all, this started out over a minor traffic offense according to the Chief of Police in his initial report to NorthEscambia.com.
Was it reasonable for the police to attempt to stop him? Yes, but attempts to stop him must be tempered with reasonableness! In this case, there is an almost 20 minute chase where no secondary indication or call came in to the police about this phantom “shots fired call” or for that matter, any other report of a gun shot wound or other injury related to the initial call during this time.
The decision to continue a chase is a critical supervisory responsibility, and in his or her absence, that burden usually shifts to the senior officer present or the officer initiating the pursuit. He or she must constantly seek information to determine if the continued pursuit is warranted.
With was has been reported, is it reasonable to believe that all the Atmore Police had on the driver was minor traffic offenses? Yes, there is no other indication that a forcible felony had just occurred, was about to occur, or was actually in progress.
Now couple all this with the fact that Atmore was crossing and chasing into Florida for the only known offenses of minor traffic violations; Atmore P.D. should have called the chase, period, because there is no continued justification to pursue across the state line.
Lastly, if officers had called the chase after a reasonable amount of time (10 minutes chasing in and around Atmore would tend to meet the adequate time to determine if the initial “shots fired call” held any water), they would not have put themselves in harms way (danger) some 20 minutes later in front of Williams’ car down in Walnut Hill, where now officers are using Williams’ actions as a thinly veiled attempt to justify killing him.
Like it or not, these are the hard questions and legal standards upon which Atmore P.D. will be judged.
The truth will come out soon and the perpetrators will face justice…. I hope. The newspapers say it’s a “shooting”. I strongly believe it was an execution.
Thank you to all who have been supportive and loving to our family during this time. I had the pleasure of living with Danny for four months and got to know him more than I ever imagined. Please don’t make assumptions on him based on the article’s posted or his past record. He was such a kind-hearted and loving person. He would lay his life down for anyone and do what he could for anyone. He was selfless and humble in so many ways. Yes he wasn’t perfect, but are you? We all have flaws and we’ve all made mistakes. Who are you to judge? If you didn’t know him personally, then shut your mouth and keep your comments to yourself. Not even us as family members know the whole story so wait for all the facts just as we are doing. Today is his funeral and I’m not able to be there since I am now in MI but I speak for his father and our family members here in MI when I say that he is loved and will be missed greatly. RIP Danny!!!
I love you and will keep you in my heart forever!!!
My condolences to the family. Please dont give a second thought to the rude , redneck comments that are typical of north escambia.
my husband was friends with danny. and like D’mn Yankee people need to stop all the bs. unitl everything comes out. Danny was one of the most friendlest person anyone could me. Rest in peace Danny>>>
I have had the pleasure of knowing Danny for a couple of years. My first impression of Danny was that he did have a big heart and would do anything to help anyone. Danny did have his faults, but don’t we all? The big difference between Danny and many people making posts here, was Danny did not talk down or judge others and if he was wrong or made a mistake, he was man enough to say so, and do what he could to make it right.
This is a tragedy not just for Danny’s family and friends, but also for the officers involved.
PLEASE, lets stop the bashing and pointing fingers! Let the family and friends be able to lay their loved to rest in peace without all the gossip and BS!
I’m praying for everyone who has been involved or touched by this.
God speed to the family and the officers involved.
Jimmy
Some people on this site aren’t happy unless they are fussing about something. Remember the Linam case? Listen to Danny’s sister. If she isn’t fussing about it and saying wait until all the facts come in then why can’t you?
Must be a lonely life being such a “Saint”.
You must be really full of yourself!
I still don’t understand why the man did not stop? I totally agree with everyone and my heart and prayers go out to all envolved. Still I can only ask why????
Having spent the majority of my life as an Investigator I am reminded of the Sheep and the Sheepdog parable.
The sheepdogs protect the sheep from the wolves.The Sheepdog will give his life to protect his charges the sheep. And yet the sheep don’t really like the sheepdog that much. They depend on him to keep them safe,the sheep feel protected as the sheepdog goes about his day keeping his distance yet never bothering them. But the Sheepdogs teeth frighten the Sheep. He is not one of them…
The Wolves who inhabit the forest respect the Sheepdog. When the Sheepdog is around, a free lunch is never without bloodshed. Why it was just two weeks ago that a mother sheep gave birth and the Sheepdog just watched! The Wolves were baffled and complained, “That Sheepdog is one of us! Why does he not eat those babies! They are so tender and good to eat. Those sheep dont even like the sheepdog! Why does it protect them? The sheep dont do anything for the sheepdog! Yet, if we set one paw on his pasture he will bite us and chase us! What a stupid dumb sheepdog! ”
The Sheepdog knows all of this.He hears the complaints. Doesnt matter if it is raining,cold, the fleas are bothering him,it’s hot and the storms are rolling in,
he has a job to do. He is never Off Duty. If but one of those sheep ever gets attacked,it will be on him. Not acceptable.
Back to work.
In response to Law and Order. If shots had been fired and the police had only responded to the caller and didn’t pursue someone that was suspected of the act (and I am by no means suggesting that Mr Williams was guilty of a crime) and he/she got away and hurt someone, everyone would be fussing about that. It is a no win situation for law enforcement. Wheither we are guilty of a crime or not we must respect law enforcement. There can be no chase if there is no runner. That being said, my sympathies do go out to the Williams family. No matter the circumstance it is always tragic when a life is lost.
Law and order ? I PRAY that you are not a neighbor to me. You have deep problems with your social skills don’t you? Sister , peace be on you. You speak as the most intelligent person here.
Danny’s sister has written the most intelligent, compassionate, and much needed comment of all.
Those who accuse without knowledge, have the same traits within themselves as the ones they use to accuse others. If not, how would they reconize them? I have the best backing possible on that fact.
My sympathies and prayers are for the family, the law enforcement people involved, and also for the commenters, including myself. We all need help.
To “Law and Order” I would tend to agree with you! A family member of mine ran a redlight in Atmore once, and was stopped by THREE Alabama cops! She was not intoxicated, or running from the law…She was just tired from working all night and made a mistake….THREE COPS! Talk about thrill of the chase! God Bless the Williams family during this time. I pray they find all of the answers they need.
First of all, I would like to say THANK YOU to all who have shown love, support, and concern over this situation. Danny was my only sibling and I am going to miss him deeply. Words can not express how confused I am on all the details surrounding this whole event and I pray that in the end I can find closure. For all of you who have jumped to conclusion about my brother or the police officers involved, I have to ask all of you …How do you think it makes all of the people involved feel to read all of your negative and childish comment concerning these turn of events. Please get some self respect and keep all your negativity to yourselfs (and read the rules about posting through this site)! Furthermore, how about we all wait until ALL of the facts are in, because I promise all of you, that the story goes on. Rest in peace big brother….I Love you and I will miss you!
You Are Forever In My Heart,
Your Baby Sister
I send my condolences to the family and friends of this young man.
Atmore won’t release information because either they’re trying to do damage repair or there is nothing to support a their “phantom” shots fired call. For those who are hanging their hats on the shots fired call as justification for a chase that lasted almost 20 minutes and ended in a police homicide, why didn’t an officer respond to the caller and investigate to see if anyone was actually injured instead of jumping in line and chasing Williams to his death?
Atmore reminds me of the good old boys from an old television show and a movie. Yeee Haw, chasn’ is good fun! And you can hear the banjos in the background as Roscoe P. Coletrain takes off after the Dukes speeding away in the General Lee, or is it Buford T. Justice chasing the Bandit.
William I implore you to do a freedom of information act request to Atmore P.D. for a copy of their written pursuit policy; however, it probably will be in vain because I doubt they actually have one.