By Jessica Taloney Reporter
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Published: Fri, November 02, 2007 - 5:08 pm
Last Updated: Fri, November 02, 2007 - 5:29 pm
Jessica Taloney
Nearly 24 hours after the shooting, the Mobile County Sheriff's office released new information, including the name of the officer who pulled the trigger. Sergeant Paul Burch is on administrative assignment while the investigation continues.
According to Sheriff Sam Cochran, Burch shot Lucas after the teen pointed a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun at the officer.
"He was dressed in a shirt marked Mobile County Sheriff's Office with a badge," said Cochran, referring to claims that Lucas didn't know Burch was a deputy.
The shooting happened on Herman Avenue after three men, involved in what deputies say was a drug deal, spotted officers conducting a surveillance operation.
Two of the three men walked toward the officers, when Cochran says they were told to stop.
"One of those individuals did in fact come to the marked unit. The other individual, now identified as Lucas, began walking away."
Cochran says Burch, who was in an unmarked car behind the marked unit, then drove where Lucas was walking and got out of the car, ordering Lucas to stop. Cochran says Lucas began walking away faster.
"As he went a few steps further this individual slipped down according to Corporal Burch and as he started to slip he came up with a gun, turning that gun," said Cochran. That's when Burch fired four shots, striking Lucas in the front of his body, the side of his body, and the back of his body.
"It's important for the immediate community to know there was good reason for the Sheriff's office to be in the neighborhood," said District Attorney John Tyson.
Tyson and Cochran held a joint press conference Friday displaying the gun deputies say Lucas pointed at Burch and displaying drugs, cash, and a rifle found in the car Lucas was near during the surveillance operation.
"It is our effort to eradicate our community from this illegal drug trafficking that brings about violence," said Cochran.
Cochran also said the gun Lucas was carrying was involved in a carjacking last month on Dauphin Island Parkway.
While he could not say whether Lucas was involved in that carjacking, Tyson said Lucas did have a juvenile criminal history and was on unsupervised probation when the shooting happened.
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Oh yeah, and if this was such a good boy, why did he point a stolen gun at a cop?
Keep up the good work Mobile Co. You defintely have yor work cut out for you. Way to many “good boys” with guns around Mobile!