Yikes!
Full story here
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_13b074ce-47cb-11df-a0a4-001cc4c002e0.html, some interesting items from the article:
It took the six-woman jury one hour to make its ruling following nearly five hours of testimony, which included a videotape that showed Davis pointing a pistol inches from Jessop’s face and pulling the trigger.
The click of the revolver’s hammer hitting a previously fired round was audible on the tape.
Davis fired a second time as the officer fell back and drew his own weapon.
Jessop fired his pistol 14 times into Davis’ vehicle as it sped away. One round hit the man in the back. Davis, 36, died on the scene.
Lucky man, fortunate the hammer first fell on an empty chamber or discharged round.
Jessop activated his spotlight.
And then the officer saw something that he’d never seen before during a traffic stop. Davis reached out and slowly adjusted his mirror so he could see the officer.
"That’s very unusual," Jessop testified. "Our spotlights are very bright and they hurt your eyes."
Most people immediately turn their mirrors so the light is reflected away from their face.
"At that point, I was caught off guard," he said. "I approached with a little more caution than I usually do."
Brave guy, maybe a bit jaded by doing so many traffic stops? Me, I'm being a bit more cautious - I'm calling for back up after seeing this, especially since I can't see into the rear areas of the vehicle. Driver giving my location to people hiding in the back?
Jessop asked him what he meant by plenty (of alcohol). A split second later the officer was staring down the barrel of a .41 mag-num Smith and Wesson pistol.
"The end looked bigger than a quarter," Jessop said.
He ran toward the back of Davis’ vehicle, while drawing his Glock, Model 22.
He heard a gunshot.
"My next thought was I had to defend myself and eliminate the threat to me," Jessop said. "I don’t recall drawing my weapon. I do remember my first shot. I was conscious that I was shooting my gun."
Jessop thought he’d fired seven or eight rounds. It turned out he’d fired 14.
Officer is experiencing physical reactions to the extreme stress - visual and auditory acuity raised, probably some tunnel vision, body does not pay attention to things not necessary to survival (didn't know how many rounds he fired). Lesson here as a civvy is that this may happen to you, don't be giving definitive statements after the fact (just the very basic "I was in fear for my life" should do nicely, followed by "I'm a bit shaken up, can we do this later when my lawyer is available?") or some enterprising DA or lawyer in a civil suit may hang you on irrelevant details.
Six bullets hit Davis’ vehicle, including the one that drove through the passenger and driver’s seats and into Davis’ back.
After Davis’ vehicle stuck the power company’s building and came to a stop, Jessop loaded his rifle and got in his car and moved closer.
Ravalli County Attorney George Corn asked him why after he’d just been nearly killed did he move closer to his as-sailant.
"My duty as an officer is to make sure the community is safe," Jessop said. "I had no idea if I hit him or not. My thought was to get close enough to keep the area safe and keep myself safe."
Kudos to Jessop! We need more like him.
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