Fort Smith police released new video Tuesday from the night an officer shot a murder suspect after he allegedly stabbed a detective. The prosecuting attorney's office has ruled this incident as a justified shooting. The video is graphic and may not be suitable for everyone.
You can hear officers say "get on the ground" multiple times to Jonathan and Elvis Thacker the night Fort Smith officers entered the tiny home at Tulsa Square Apartments.
The video shows Elvis wresting with Detective James Melson on the ground. The clip shows Elvis stabbing Melson twice. You can see another detective try to tase Elvis, but the device malfunctions and does not stop the suspect.
Investigators believe both prongs on the taser may not have hit Elvis like they were supposed to. "The taser did not work. Either the connection did not work right. It did not get the incapacitation that it is designed to do," said Sgt. Daniel Grubbs of the Fort Smith Police Department.
When the taser does not work, you can hear two gun shots ring out. Investigators claim Detective Jeff Carter fired both of those shots to protect his partner. "There's no doubt Detective Carter, I mean, he had no other choice," said Grubbs.
Later the video shows the detective with the taser reaching down to pick up what appears to be a knife on the floor behind Elvis. In the clip, Elvis remains on the floor. "At any scenario, yes, we are going to always try to go less lethal or non-lethal first, but we are also trained that you meet force with force," said Grubbs.
Elvis and Jonathan have been charged with rape and attempted capital murder for the death of Briana Ault, 22 earlier this month. Ault's naked body was found in a pond off Texas Road in Pocola on Sept. 13. Police say her throat had been slashed. Investigators believe the Thacker brothers killed Ault to keep her from reporting she had been raped.
An arrest affidavit by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation says the men confessed to their roles in the woman's death.
Jonathan is being held in the Sebastian County Detention Center without bond. Elvis is still in critical condition in a local hospital, recovering from gunshot wounds.
According to the Fort Smith Police Department, Carter and Melson are both back at work. Melson is on light duty status and still recovering from his injuries.
By: jbpnw
In: News
Tags: caught on tape, taser video, gun video, taser, ft smith police
Marked as: approved, featured
Views: 37797 | Comments: 59 | Votes: 2 | Favorites: 0 | Shared: 0 | Updates: 1 | Times used in channels: 2


