Roberts: “These things just shouldn’t happen”
by Robin Kemp
A Clayton County Police tactical SWAT team officer is dead, another officer is wounded in the hand, a 12-year-old boy is hospitalized in critical condition, and at least three other people are dead, including the suspect, after an officer-involved shooting in the 3600 block of Jervis Court in Rex.
A nearby Ring camera captured audio of the gunfire:
CCPD says that, around 8:40 p.m. November 30, a call came in about a drive-by shooting. Then another caller said a woman was lying in the yard and not moving. A third caller said a boy had been shot at another location.
Officers arrived on scene, began looking for the boy, who had been shot in the face, and trying to save the woman in the front yard, when someone–presumably the suspect–fired on them “from an unknown location.”
Police Chief Kevin Roberts said the suspect ran behind the house as tactical officers closed in.
Clayton County Police Department Field Training Officer Henry Laxson was struck. WSB-TV reports he was transported to Grady but died.
Clayton County Police Officer Alex Chandler was shot in the hand and is expected to recover.
The 12-year-old boy who was shot in the face was in critical but stable condition at press time.
CCPD is withholding the names of the victims until their next-of-kin is notified.
Dozens of CCPD officers, as well as Georgia Bureau of Investigation and at least one Clayton County Sheriff’s car lined the streets of the Biscayne Point subdivision as news crews waited near the mobile operations trailer for more information.
Roberts told reporters the situation had him “definitely emotional,” adding, “My heart aches for every police officer and their families that go through these type of things. These things just shouldn’t happen”:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i2pqVsNeOo[/embedyt]Laxson’s Facebok page shows he was a native of Los Angeles, attended Armstrong State, and was a graduate of Jonesboro High School, where he played on the football team. He also enjoyed kayaking and scuba diving.
In a Facebook post, Sheriff Victor Hill said, “Officer Henry Laxson was one of Clayton’s finest and unquestionably our very best. Laxson far exceeded all expectations of what an ideal police officer should be. I will greatly miss your smile young man. Rest easy son, the brotherhood will continue the watch from here.”
If you are a current or former law enforcement officer in need of support from someone who understands, you can call 800-COPLINE (800-267-5463) day or night, 24 hours a day to speak with a retired officer. You can remain anonymous.
