Stephen Rankin- Military trained (police) officer who killed two unarmed men..(Portsmouth VA)

posted previously on June 3, by Wiley T in General Discussion.
reposted for those who may have missed it..

The Guardian

Jon Swaine
in Portsmouth, Virginia, . June 1, 2015


http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/01/stephen-rankin-military-trained-officer-william-chapman

Rankin shot dead 18-year-old William Chapman at a Walmart last month, four years after he was barred from patrols for killing another citizen. But he is a good fit for a police force that goes to great lengths to attract military men

Despite being cleared in the courts, Rankin was barred by chiefs from returning to patrols for three years. One day short of the four-year anniversary of Denyakin’s shooting, he would shoot dead Chapman, an unarmed black teenager suspected of shoplifting, following a struggle in the parking lot of a Walmart superstore. He has now been returned to administrative leave.
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An interesting read about a Portsmouth Virginia police officer who has killed 2 unarmed men in the space of 4 years. The author goes to lengths to give us a flavor and feeling for this police officer and how he was hired in the first place. It is worth reading to see how one police force handled a killing of an unarmed man. The article also states that supervisors were warned that this officer was "dangerous" but the warning was ignored. This is an ugly portrayal of a police force, a single policeman and the consequences of hiring this person. Many details and worthwhile in my opinion.