Christian Redwine, 17, was killed in the shooting and passengers Hunter Tillis and Hanna Wuenschel, two other teens, suffered non-fatal gunshot wounds. It was the first volley, of the 21 total bullets, that struck Redwine in the head and heart that ended his young life, according to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences.
Brown claimed that Redwine tried to use the car to run him over, which caused him fear for his life, and prompted the fatal shots. An attorney representing Wuenschel said Redwine was trying only to back out of a hole. The attorney said Redwine was shot seven times, Wuenschel two or three times, and Tillis at least twice, according to the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
Despite the clearly desperate pleas of mercy from the teens, as Brown unloaded two magazines into their vehicle, a Russell County grand jury found that Brown committed no criminal wrongdoing in the November 6 incident.
Brown can be seen on dash cam video trailing two other police cars also in pursuit of Christian Redwine after reports of a stolen vehicle in Columbus.
Brown can be heard telling the other officers to "let me come around you."
He then narrates that speeds are approaching 100 miles per hour.
"Dispatch speeds are 98 mph."
Only two minutes later, Brown again can be heard narrating the speed to dispatch as the Pontiac G-6 he is pursuing appears headed for the highway.
"Advise, speed 107 miles an hour."
As the teens attempt to take an exit at high speeds, Redwine loses control of the vehicle.
"We're gonna be on Riverchase Road dispatch. He has wrecked out. Wrecked out. He is spinning. Start uh rescue," Brown reports to dispatch.
With the wheels of the vehicle now spinning in reverse, Brown, who is now on foot, fires his weapon 11 times.
The passengers can be heard pleading for the officer to stop firing.
"No, stop! Please! I got shot! Please! Please! "
Brown, instead, paused only to reload his weapon and fire 10 more times.
"Oh my God I'm shot! My God. Please no. Please! Please!"
After shooting all three individuals, we can hear Brown yelling at the unarmed teens to "get down on the fucking ground or I will fucking shoot you."
Wuenschel's cries continue, repeating "Oh my God!" and "Oh my God, sir, please call me an ambulance! Please!"
For several moments after the shooting, the teens are heard crying and begging for help.
By the time Brown had unloaded two magazines, Christian Redwine, 17, was dead, and the two others had both suffered gunshot wounds. In fact, a later investigation would reveal that all three teens had been shot in the initial barrage of gunfire.
According to the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, the incident began when:
Columbus police said Redwine aroused suspicion when officers saw the Pontiac cruising around closed businesses around 4:30 a.m. near Columbus State University's main campus on University Avenue.A WLTZ First News investigation revealed Brown was fresh off a suspension for violating pursuit policy last year when this deadly incident took place.
Checking the tag, they learned the car had been reported stolen by Fred Levins, a friend of Redwine's grandmother who considered himself to be like a grandfather to the teen. Around 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 6, Levins noticed it was missing along with his car keys.
When police tried to stop the car, Redwine sped away, initiating a chase that continued into downtown Columbus and crossed the 13th Street bridge into Alabama, where Phenix City police joined the pursuit.
The Russell County Grand Jury cleared Brown of any criminal wrongdoing in May, and days later he submitted his resignation effective immediately.
According to the Ledger-Enquirer:
Russell County District Attorney Ken Davis said Brown waived his rights and volunteered to testify before the 18-member grand jury, which spent two days reviewing the evidence. Prosecutors did not recommend charges, but asked the grand jurors to determine whether the shooting was justified, Davis said.In other words, they brought in a bunch of police apologist "experts" to justify and propagandize the jury into believing that unloading an entire magazine into a car full of teens, then pausing to reload and drop another ten shots as they beg for their lives, was justified.
Among other witnesses testifying were two more Columbus officers experienced in the department's training and procedures, and an Alabama Bureau of Investigation agent who probed the shooting, Davis said.
Perhaps had this officer taken the same training as the Salt Lake City Police Department, which emphasizes de-escalation, and has resulted in them not killing anyone since 2015, these type of incidents would not be accepted and protected as "just doing my job."
Reader Comments
I think everyone born after 1980 should watch old crime shows from the 70's so they can be educated on how much we've all lost. Notice how police have to knock on doors, read people their rights, actually engage in hand to hand skirmishes to pacify citizens (instead of just shooting/tasing them), and are continually complaining that they have to get a warrant to tap someone's phone or search their apartment. Oh, and they're running around in short sleeved shirts and carrying little six-shooters, no storm trooper outfits. The swat teams as well. How quickly that's all gone down the memory hole.
How about just my own personal experience. When I was a kid in a small town, and I did something stupid, the cops would call my mom. But, I bet if I stole a car and drove it 100 mph it would have ended much worse than that. Those kids could have killed someone because they wanted to joyride. Idiots. Winners of the Darwin Award if you ask me.
My teen daughter recently sneaked out of the house. I was out of town but her mom was home. The cops found her and a friend at a park. It was after hours, so the park was closed. Nobody was shot. The cops simply called my wife and said please come get her. This is in a large suburban area, so the stereotype does not hold.
Please don't be such poor thinkers.
Perhaps "gem0m0" will die in a hail of bullets from his fellow cops. One can only hope.
FYI, not 10 minutes before I posted my comment I received a call from the local police foundation soliciting funds. I said no. They asked if it was because of police brutality reports. I let the caller know that was indeed the reason, and went further with my criticism of the system that is slanted in favor of the cops. It's not bad cops, it's the system that supports it. That's what I said to that cop-solicitor, almost verbatim.
Now, turnabout is fair play. Such a baybarian comment to suggest that I deserve to die? Really? Triggered much? How dare you?
As to the substance of my comment. They were stupid kids, but didn't deserve to die. However, in this day and age, in this specific instance, how is the cop to know there is not a seriously messed up person behind the wheel of that car? No way they could know that. All I did was post a comment and you want me dead. The cops, in spite of all their faults, at least could imagine a threat to their physical safety (note I said "imagine" for all of those reactionaries like baybars the snowflake). What is your excuse....asshole.
But yes, these kids seem to have needed a heavier dose of catalyst to learn these simple lessons of the NWO emergence from the ashes of the OWO.... and those 'ashes' will include their own.... know who and what you are dealing with.... social media doesn't seem to have educated them too well... and it is most likely their only 'news' source.... thus their ignorance.