Not quite sure what to say about this one, so let’s just start at the beginning: Paradise, California, police officer Patrick Feaster, who had been sitting in his patrol car, suddenly takes off on a call. A car has left the Canteena Bar and is speeding down the highway. Feaster turns onto a street where the brake lights of the car can be seen off in the distance. As Feaster speeds along, the car ahead of him suddenly runs into the median and flips over. Now turned onto its driver’s side, the car comes to a stop and Darien Ehorn, who had been a passenger, is lying in front of the vehicle.
As Feaster approaches the vehicle a man, presumably the driver, comes up through the passenger side window and attempts to get out of the car. That’s when Officer Feaster draws his weapon, aims, and shoots Andrew Thomas in the neck. As Thomas falls back down into the vehicle, Feaster returns his weapon to his holster and moves to the car to confront Thomas—who he has just shot, by the way.
On an audio recording, Feaster says the man in the car “refuses to get out.” He does not physically check on Ehorn, Thomas’s wife, lying on the ground just inches from him. The officer neglects to tell first responders that he shot the guy they were trying to extract from the car until about 10 minutes later, and he didn’t tell his commanding officer that tidbit of into until later, either. You can view Feaster shooting Thomas in the video below.
That was on Thanksgiving Day of this year. Fast forward to last week, when Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey announced that no charges would be filed against Officer Feaster because … the shooting was accidental.
Warning: It is graphic, and the body of Ehorn is blotted out in the foreground.
Now, here’s the part that’s vexing me: Ramsey says that Feaster drew his weapon when Thomas tried to get out of the car in the belief that he would try to flee the scene, but that Feaster did not intend to shoot Thomas:
“The dash cam video shows Officer Feaster was not prepared for and was surprised by the guns firing. The pistol discharges in mid-stride and the officer both flinches his head to the right and does a stutter step indicative of an officer not prepared for nor intentionally firing his pistol. Additionally, officers normally train to fire a minimum of two shots. There was no second shot and the officer immediately holstered his weapon after the discharge.”
In a media release, Ramsey said “His [Officer Feaster’s] reaction on the dash cam video and his statements to protocol investigators confirm an honest belief that he did not intentionally fire his pistol.”
Okay. So that’s why he pulled his gun. Because, you know, you really aren't supposed to pull out your gun unless you intend to shoot someone. And then—just like that—the officer is absolved and no criminal charges will be filed.
Wow. That’s all I can say. Just WOW.
Thomas’ family had a few words of their own to say. Even though a lawyer they retained advised them not to speak with media, the family stated they would pursue justice for Thomas, who may be left paralyzed by the shooting. A Facebook page has been set up and friends and family members held a rally on Saturday at a local park where approximately 100 people attended. The group says it’s seeking for Butte County District Attorney Ramsey to reconsider his decision not to file charges against Feaster, or for Paradise police to get rid of Feaster.
Thomas’ blood alcohol content at the time of the crash was .15. He may face criminal charges in the death of his wife, but that has not happened yet. The district attorney’s report on Feaster’s shooting, which is excruciatingly hard to read, can be found here.
The DA said Feaster’s shooting was unjustifiable, possibly negligent, but not criminal. With each day that passes, it should be clearer and clearer to us all that legalities and common sense are two different things, and that sadly, common sense is on the losing end. Police, who we are told exist to protect and serve (some of us) are major threats to public safety. And district attorneys are complicit in this by their refusal to indict, charge, and try police officers.