Rebecca
10-14-2000, 09:42 PM
From my own back yard...
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Deputies kill suspect in shootout
Officer wounded; 'dog partner' dies
By Beth McPherson
News Journal staff writer
A taxi driver warned Escambia deputies Thursday: He'd just been held at gunpoint by a man who said, with a bullet clenched between his teeth, that he was ``going on a rampage.''
An hour later, Escambia County sheriff's deputy Mike Mayne lay wounded, and his canine partner, Erny, was dying. Both were gunned down by the suspect, who was fatally shot by another deputy.
Mayne, an 11-year veteran, was reported in fair condition at Baptist Hospital late Thursday. Erny died a short time after the shooting at an emergency veterinary clinic.
``They were the first in line and the first to get shot,'' said Sheriff Jim Lowman, who added that despite the shooting, his officers did everything right.
It's the fifth time a deputy has been shot since 1993, and Erny is the second sheriff's K-9 to be killed in the last two years. There have been 12 deputy-involved shootings since 1994, four of them this year.
In the hours after the shooting, family, friends and law enforcement officers from many agencies stopped at Baptist Hospital to offer support to Mayne and his family.
``We're already receiving calls from people asking when Erny's memorial service will be held and where they can send donations for a new dog,'' said sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tony Bain.
The memorial service won't take place for few weeks. The department wants to give Mayne time to recover.
Fingerprints recovered during an autopsy were used to identify the suspect as Gregory Allen Kidd, 32, of the 10000 block of Chemstrand Road.
Criminal past
At 2:30 a.m., Kidd called a cab from the Conoco station at 436 Beverly Parkway.
According to the sheriff's report, when the cabbie dropped Kidd off a few blocks away at Massachusetts and Armenia avenues, Kidd put a .38-caliber handgun to the cabbie's head.
``He made statements to the driver that he was on a rampage,'' Lowman said. ``He also had a bullet in his teeth.''
When Kidd ran off, the cabbie drove to the closest pay phone and called for help. Four minutes later, at 2:38 a.m., deputies arrived and set up a perimeter, which they slowly moved north as they observed Kidd running from street to street, the report stated.
What deputies didn't know as they tracked him was that Kidd was a man with a violent past.
Kidd spent 10 years in state prison on numerous convictions for aggravated assault, battery on a law enforcement officer and armed robbery. Most of the crimes were committed in Palm Beach and Okaloosa counties, according to public prison records.
He was released from prison in October 1999 and was arrested by Pensacola police in April for slashing a man's throat during an argument over money, according to a report.
At the time of his death, Kidd was wanted by the Sheriff's Office on charges of robbery with a weapon and felon in possession of a firearm, stemming from a grocery store robbery last week.
Officer down
About an hour after the initial call, Mayne and Erny, who were tracking Kidd with deputy Kevin Coxwell as backup, found Kidd lying in tall grass in a fenced lot behind 622 Palm Court. The lot is just behind a used car lot, which provides a little bit of light on the quiet street.
``They gave him several commands to raise his hands, and the officers saw the glint of a nickel-plated weapon,'' Lowman said.
Within seconds, several things happened. As the deputies closed in on Kidd, Mayne released Erny and Kidd began firing at the officers, fatally hitting the police dog and wounding Mayne.
``They struggled trying to get the gun; it happened in seconds,'' Lowman said. ``The officers knew the gun was still present, and Coxwell fired at least one round. When he handcuffed Kidd, he (Kidd) was still struggling to get the weapon.''
Investigators are not sure how many shots were fired. However, they said Mayne did not fire his gun.
Backup units, alerted by the gunshots, radioed that an officer was down as they ran to help. Call logs indicate the deputies encountered Kidd at 3:38 a.m.
Paramedics were called at 3:43 a.m. and arrived five minutes after that.
Kidd was pronounced dead at the scene.
Coxwell, who has been with the Sheriff's Office for two years, was placed on paid administrative leave, as is standard policy.
The Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are investigating the incident.
FDLE crime scene investigators stayed on the scene until after 9 a.m., watched by a small knot of neighbors who said they were stunned by the ferocity and suddenness of the attack.
``We were awakened by gunshots and I was reaching for the phone to call the police when I saw the blue lights outside and realized they were already there,'' said David Smith, who lives directly across from 622 Palm Court.
His mother, Barbara Smith, who lives down the street, has lived in the neighborhood since the 1950s.
``It's fairly quiet out here,'' she said. ``We all know one another and look out for each other.''
Valuable animals
Mayne knew his canine partner had been shot, but didn't hear the news of Erny's death until after his initial treatment at Baptist Hospital.
``He's distraught over the loss,'' Lowman said. ``Dogs become like family members because of that interplay.''
Pensacola Police Chief Jerry Potts, whose K-9 officers often train with the Sheriff's Office unit, also expressed his condolences.
``It's personal with me because my son is a deputy sheriff and has a K-9 unit as well,'' Potts said. ``The bond is unbelieveable if you're a police officer. That dog works with you every hour of every day. The dogs are so protective of their officer that it forms a bond that goes beyond what people usually think of a dog.''
Within an hour of the shooting, the members of the sheriff's K-9 unit had gathered at Baptist Hospital to offer their support.
``That's how close they are,'' said Robert Powers, assistant K-9 coordinator. ``It's a tragedy for all the officers because they know at any time, it could happen to them. Erny did what he was trained to do and saved their lives.''
The 3-year-old German shepherd was partnered with Mayne in 1999.
The last such tragedy to strike the Sheriff's Office was in February 1998, when K-9 Wolf, partner of Deputy James O'Hara, was shot in the head and killed by a suspect in a car theft.
Wolf was succeeded by Rockett who, with handler Deputy Jeremy Small, was on patrol hours after the shooting. On Thursday, Small recounted his early days with Rockett and discussed the bond they, like all K-9 officers, have formed.
``When I first started this, it was strange. It was like having a child around,'' he said. ``Now I spend more time with him than with my family. He's there 100 percent of the time and follows me from the moment I go out the door. They love the work.''
News Journal staff writer Alan Gomez contributed to this report.
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I've met Mike Mayne, but not on a personal note. Instead, he gave me the only traffic ticket I ever fought in court... failure to stop at the stop sign. I lost. http://www.officer.com/ubb/wink.gif
Still, I met a strikingly handsome young deputy back then who has gone on to devote his efforts to this county for over a decade since. When I heard he had been shot, my heart sank. When I found he would recover, but his partner, Erny, would not... I knew he would feel a tremendous loss in his life. http://www.officer.com/ubb/frown.gif
I can only pray for his speedy recovery now... and for him to find solace in the love and support of his family and friends.
God bless you... Deputy Mayne.
[This message has been edited by Rebecca (edited 10-14-2000).]
************************************************** *****
Deputies kill suspect in shootout
Officer wounded; 'dog partner' dies
By Beth McPherson
News Journal staff writer
A taxi driver warned Escambia deputies Thursday: He'd just been held at gunpoint by a man who said, with a bullet clenched between his teeth, that he was ``going on a rampage.''
An hour later, Escambia County sheriff's deputy Mike Mayne lay wounded, and his canine partner, Erny, was dying. Both were gunned down by the suspect, who was fatally shot by another deputy.
Mayne, an 11-year veteran, was reported in fair condition at Baptist Hospital late Thursday. Erny died a short time after the shooting at an emergency veterinary clinic.
``They were the first in line and the first to get shot,'' said Sheriff Jim Lowman, who added that despite the shooting, his officers did everything right.
It's the fifth time a deputy has been shot since 1993, and Erny is the second sheriff's K-9 to be killed in the last two years. There have been 12 deputy-involved shootings since 1994, four of them this year.
In the hours after the shooting, family, friends and law enforcement officers from many agencies stopped at Baptist Hospital to offer support to Mayne and his family.
``We're already receiving calls from people asking when Erny's memorial service will be held and where they can send donations for a new dog,'' said sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tony Bain.
The memorial service won't take place for few weeks. The department wants to give Mayne time to recover.
Fingerprints recovered during an autopsy were used to identify the suspect as Gregory Allen Kidd, 32, of the 10000 block of Chemstrand Road.
Criminal past
At 2:30 a.m., Kidd called a cab from the Conoco station at 436 Beverly Parkway.
According to the sheriff's report, when the cabbie dropped Kidd off a few blocks away at Massachusetts and Armenia avenues, Kidd put a .38-caliber handgun to the cabbie's head.
``He made statements to the driver that he was on a rampage,'' Lowman said. ``He also had a bullet in his teeth.''
When Kidd ran off, the cabbie drove to the closest pay phone and called for help. Four minutes later, at 2:38 a.m., deputies arrived and set up a perimeter, which they slowly moved north as they observed Kidd running from street to street, the report stated.
What deputies didn't know as they tracked him was that Kidd was a man with a violent past.
Kidd spent 10 years in state prison on numerous convictions for aggravated assault, battery on a law enforcement officer and armed robbery. Most of the crimes were committed in Palm Beach and Okaloosa counties, according to public prison records.
He was released from prison in October 1999 and was arrested by Pensacola police in April for slashing a man's throat during an argument over money, according to a report.
At the time of his death, Kidd was wanted by the Sheriff's Office on charges of robbery with a weapon and felon in possession of a firearm, stemming from a grocery store robbery last week.
Officer down
About an hour after the initial call, Mayne and Erny, who were tracking Kidd with deputy Kevin Coxwell as backup, found Kidd lying in tall grass in a fenced lot behind 622 Palm Court. The lot is just behind a used car lot, which provides a little bit of light on the quiet street.
``They gave him several commands to raise his hands, and the officers saw the glint of a nickel-plated weapon,'' Lowman said.
Within seconds, several things happened. As the deputies closed in on Kidd, Mayne released Erny and Kidd began firing at the officers, fatally hitting the police dog and wounding Mayne.
``They struggled trying to get the gun; it happened in seconds,'' Lowman said. ``The officers knew the gun was still present, and Coxwell fired at least one round. When he handcuffed Kidd, he (Kidd) was still struggling to get the weapon.''
Investigators are not sure how many shots were fired. However, they said Mayne did not fire his gun.
Backup units, alerted by the gunshots, radioed that an officer was down as they ran to help. Call logs indicate the deputies encountered Kidd at 3:38 a.m.
Paramedics were called at 3:43 a.m. and arrived five minutes after that.
Kidd was pronounced dead at the scene.
Coxwell, who has been with the Sheriff's Office for two years, was placed on paid administrative leave, as is standard policy.
The Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are investigating the incident.
FDLE crime scene investigators stayed on the scene until after 9 a.m., watched by a small knot of neighbors who said they were stunned by the ferocity and suddenness of the attack.
``We were awakened by gunshots and I was reaching for the phone to call the police when I saw the blue lights outside and realized they were already there,'' said David Smith, who lives directly across from 622 Palm Court.
His mother, Barbara Smith, who lives down the street, has lived in the neighborhood since the 1950s.
``It's fairly quiet out here,'' she said. ``We all know one another and look out for each other.''
Valuable animals
Mayne knew his canine partner had been shot, but didn't hear the news of Erny's death until after his initial treatment at Baptist Hospital.
``He's distraught over the loss,'' Lowman said. ``Dogs become like family members because of that interplay.''
Pensacola Police Chief Jerry Potts, whose K-9 officers often train with the Sheriff's Office unit, also expressed his condolences.
``It's personal with me because my son is a deputy sheriff and has a K-9 unit as well,'' Potts said. ``The bond is unbelieveable if you're a police officer. That dog works with you every hour of every day. The dogs are so protective of their officer that it forms a bond that goes beyond what people usually think of a dog.''
Within an hour of the shooting, the members of the sheriff's K-9 unit had gathered at Baptist Hospital to offer their support.
``That's how close they are,'' said Robert Powers, assistant K-9 coordinator. ``It's a tragedy for all the officers because they know at any time, it could happen to them. Erny did what he was trained to do and saved their lives.''
The 3-year-old German shepherd was partnered with Mayne in 1999.
The last such tragedy to strike the Sheriff's Office was in February 1998, when K-9 Wolf, partner of Deputy James O'Hara, was shot in the head and killed by a suspect in a car theft.
Wolf was succeeded by Rockett who, with handler Deputy Jeremy Small, was on patrol hours after the shooting. On Thursday, Small recounted his early days with Rockett and discussed the bond they, like all K-9 officers, have formed.
``When I first started this, it was strange. It was like having a child around,'' he said. ``Now I spend more time with him than with my family. He's there 100 percent of the time and follows me from the moment I go out the door. They love the work.''
News Journal staff writer Alan Gomez contributed to this report.
************************************************** *****
I've met Mike Mayne, but not on a personal note. Instead, he gave me the only traffic ticket I ever fought in court... failure to stop at the stop sign. I lost. http://www.officer.com/ubb/wink.gif
Still, I met a strikingly handsome young deputy back then who has gone on to devote his efforts to this county for over a decade since. When I heard he had been shot, my heart sank. When I found he would recover, but his partner, Erny, would not... I knew he would feel a tremendous loss in his life. http://www.officer.com/ubb/frown.gif
I can only pray for his speedy recovery now... and for him to find solace in the love and support of his family and friends.
God bless you... Deputy Mayne.
[This message has been edited by Rebecca (edited 10-14-2000).]