73-year-old black man shot and killed by police in Homer, LA.

The NAACP, ACLU and the Justice Department should get involved immediately.  This story sounds like cold blooded murder.  America is entering the realm of a police state if nothing is done about it.  The police are in a position of authority to be agents of good; they are not placed in authority to be agents of evil.  Murder of citizens on thier own property is execution without a trial and nothing else.  The police can no longer enjoy the American citizens' presumption of goodness, because increasingling, in every city, they are crossing thier boundry into territory as agents of evil.   It no longer matters if the man murdered in cold blood was white or black or hispanic--murder of defenceless American citizens on thier own property by police cannot go unpunished.  The Rule of Law must be upheld for both citizens and government officials.  No man is above the law. 

The cover of a black man killed where nothing is done about  is just that --cover.  Race has nothing to do with the police executing a defenceless man on his own property.  Those days of racial cover for murder, where we as a society do nothing because the man was black, are gone.  

The police are increasingly becoming emboldened to kill without provocation across American cities.  Since when did the American people become targets of execution?  Statistically, old, black men have not been killed when the question of race is involved.  Something else is at work here.  A Police State? 

I dont think guns should be banned but the way the police handled whatever they were doing there is ridiculous. I send my prayers to the family! I hope they are disciplined the way they should be. Lose their badges!

Nice Police Chief they have (Mills), promoting this kind of discrimination.  It's a good thing there were plenty of witnesses, else this kind of thing would keep going unchecked.

I too am a fellow electician and believe that the actions of the police were beyond the law and w/o authority of these United States of America. The officer(s) should be brought to trial under several counts: manslaughter, tresspassing, harassment, and violation of Civil Rights etc.

If anyone had the right to defend himself it was the property owner Mr. Bernard Monroe under the Castle Doctrine.

I am a N.R.A. member and advocate the right to self-defense especially to protect my own family. I don't think guns are wrong to own, but with this 2nd Amendment Right we ensure the safety of our fellow Citizens, even from rogue policemen.

Officers are sworn to serve and protect human life and the U.S. Constitution ensures that we the people have  "domestic  tranquility".  The vicious act of this one officer is unprincipled  of any true Officer of the Law whom we the people employ to uphold and defend our God given rights.

if this post is correct and I'm not suggesting it isn't then its almost beyond words and the cops need to suffer the full consequences of their action.

I just hate racism, in any form!

Oh my gosh - keep us updated on this story. I can't believe this actually happened!

Thanks for this, AAAPundit!

This is a very important article and should be followed up. Jazzy guns are NOT the problem, they are only tools. Sadly in this case a misused one. The problem is the intellegence, or the lack, of the person useing said tool. Making all weapons disappear is not the answer, for in truth anything can be used as a weapon.

As to Chief Mills, you are right to make people fear you, as they should any rabid animal that should come near. What did the elderly man threaten to do... attack and gum you.

my condolence to the family.

let us see this as a crime committed by policemen

Where are you getting this so-called information about this incident?

Surely it is tragic. but try going to the sources in Homer, LA, instead of these inflammatory sites.

Just google for Homer, LA. I didn't see any stories that there was a party going on, just that police were chasing two drug suspects who ran into this man's house when he allegedly pulled a gun on them.

Louisiana State Police, Sheriffs, and local police dept. as well as Justice dept are investigating this incident. Local townhall meeting to be held about it.

This is not getting a 'pass' down here.

No Rene, the so-defined information above is correct.  The police were not chasing two drug dealers.  The police had come to a private party and summoned Monroe's son over to the police vehicle to talk. What were the police doing at a private party? With their rhetoric they provoked the son to run into the house.  The son had an arrest record, but was wanted for nothing at the time of the incident.  The police pursued the son into the house during a family party,  hardly respecting thier privacy as a family.  The police had no present probable cause to pursue nor to confront the old man's son at a family gathering. 

The father, Monroe the old man, naturally, walked toward the house to act  as a go between and to minimize the situation.  The policman, Tim Cox, reappeared at the front door, looked out and fired his gun at the juice holding old man, killing him.  As he lay dying, the family asked for an anbulance to be called to save the old man's life.  But that was not the priority of the police as they had just shot the old man, possiblly fatally.  Tim Cox and the other officer, instead of calling the ambulance to save life, told the family to get back and then proceeded to plant a shot gun next to the dying old man. Monroe, the old man kept the shotgun highup on the porch.   As the old man walked toward the porch, the family could see that his intent was to act as a mediator, between the often wayward son and the harrassing agent, the police.  

This family's right to privacy was violated in the most contemptable way possible in a free society.  The police, if they wanted to harrass the old man's son, could have waited when they saw him again out on the streets of the city.   A little respect for a family party and a regard for citizens' Constitutional rights will go a long way in America to prevent shootings of innocent family members and other innocent citizens in general.  There was nothing imperative by the police with the old man's family to invade thier family's privacy on that day the fatal shoot rang out and sounded all over America.  There were no two drug dealers running through the old man's house as Rene states that there were.  It was a completely provoked incident by the police.  The proper way to have handled this situation would have been to contact the son's parole officer and have the son come to the police station for questioning.  If the son refused to come in, then the police could have issued a warrant with probable cause for his arrest.  If no arrest was immanent, then why the harassment at a family gathering? 

Common decency for family gatherings and a deep abiding respect for the Constitutional rights of citizens would have prevented this outrage and disaster.  A town meeting in Louisiana done locally will be good for all citizens involved.  CNN or Fox news should cover it.   Provoked attacks by police where an innocent old man dies on his own property is a concern for all of America; because, if the home is not protected from unwarranted searches and seizures and pursuits by law enforcement, then there is no liberty for any of us and we are at a very thin line from tyranny.  The Constituion protects its citizens from such manufactering of probable causes in the Fourth Amendment.  (The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constituion protects citizens and criminal suspects from unreasonable searches of their property and persons, and prohibits police officers from makimg unlawful arrests [seizures] ).    

The story can be found at the reputable paper the Chicago Tribune.   

It makes me ashamed to be white. The police chief thinks it's alright to "scare" black kids that they'll go to jail. For what? Being Black?  If he see's 3 or 4 white kids, does he stop them, and tell them the same thing?  No, of course not. The parents and community would be raising hell. But it's alright to do it to Black kids?  It makes me ill to know that we as a country have elected a black President, have Black leaders, Teachers, Police officers, Doctors and still we allow bigoted, uneducated, ignorant and violent people be in positions of authority. When will we learn? The Police Chief should be fired immediately. The man who shot him arrested. There is no way to explain killing a 73 year old unarmed man. And yes I believe they planted it. Would'nt be the first time. His statements alone {chief} are bigoted. We all know how this little town thinks, and how things are done. It is time to put a stop to this.

Welcome to a new world...yeah right.... the cop saying he wanted young black men or boys to be scared they willgo to jail if they are out on the street sickens me to my core. MR. POLICE OFFICER THIS IS AMERICA ...YOU ARE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW!!!!!!!! As far as that poor hard working retired american who gunned down the cop should be charged with murder. Where is the NRA's outcry over this mans right to bear arms on his own property.

actually i will like to contribute to this colded case of this old man , if we all listern to what the young lady said i mean  the witness we will know that it`s sounds like race right ? but am black that just relocated to united state from heart beat of Africa and i never hear any kind of thing like this even in europe .i won`t say that the justice should not reign this time or say that the family of this decendent  keep there mouth shut. but i have a question are we paying those police to kill people around or are we going to say there were drunk or what can we say about this? i will like to say that is only God that can help in this situation because i know we have black people in the police too . so can we say that even if there working together they are not happy with themself ? lastly i will just say that the family should accept my sympathy MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PERFECT PEACE. we are equal no matter the kind of color u have we are one black,white,asian,blue, yelow ect were are one we were made in God`s image please and please let PEACE reign . GOD BLESS AMERICA , GOD BLESS  THE WORLD.

Just to set this record straight, the things that you are seeing in the papers are not what actually happened.  There was a group of men on the street corner, not in the yard, whom the police believed to be engaging in suspicious activity.  When the officers pulled up to investigate the men ran. One of these men was Mr. Monroe's son Sean.  Officers requested that they stop, which they did not.  One was apprehended and the other ran through the house.  Mr Monroe did produce a weapon, what he did with it I have no idea.  I do know that when the body was moved there was a fully loaded weapon underneath.  First off, why did the men run unless they had something to hide.  I have no idea what they found on the runners, but even if they did not find anything, they should have never ran, then Mr Monroe would have never pulled his weapon, interfering in a police investigation and would not have been shot by an officer who thought he might have lost his life.  If the person is 13 or 103 its very easy to pull a trigger.  This officer has 14 or so years of experience in the Military Police, as well as several years as a officer.  I do not think he made a mistake.  Now I am going to tell you that I am from Homer, Louisiana and know the Monroe's.  The son is a dealer, but has runners that sell his dope.  Noone is allowed to purchase directly from the house.  I have 3 family member's who unfortunately use crack and have bought from these people.  Once one of them tried to buy directly from Mr Monroe and he was told to get off the street and never return there or he would loose his life.  There are a couple of active gangs within a city block of this residence.  The majority of crime that goes on in Homer is right in this area.  By the way, not to mention until last year my children attended junior high less than half a mile from Mr. Monroes residence.  I have had rocks thrown at my vehicle while attempting to pick up my children.  And yes this neighborhood is 99 percent black.  So i suppose you could call this a racial matter.  There was a black gentleman who had a weapon shot by a white officer.  Less than a week after this happened there was a threat made that someone was going to load up their guns and head to the school where my children were trying to get an education.  Allegedly the threat was made by a black teen.  Just for reference purposes, my daughters 4th grade class has one white person in it.  HER.  So I dont want to hear this racial crap.  I have no problems with black people, I have lots of black friends.  But one bad apple, coupled with the NAACP can ruin the whole damn barrel.  The officials will determine what actually happened and punish whoever was wrong.  I at least have that much faith in the judicial system.  After all, we appointed the police chief, and if I am not mistaken he had the majority of the black vote.  I know of many white men in prison here for various reasons, they are alive and in prison because they were caught by the police doing illegal things, did not run away, did not pull a gun on the officer and most of their families believe that they should be where they are for doing wrong, they did not pull a gun and try to shoot the cops for apprehending them. 

White male

Homer, LA

By the way, one more thing, all these witnesses that were standing so close to the scene would have noticed a gun being planted underneath a body, or at least I hope they would.  They seem to be able to tell the cops what color undershirt the man had on lying on the ground, how could they miss a gun being planted.??? 

Everyone seems to be taking one side or the other.  I'm from the Parish and like everyone else know what goes on in Homer.  Lots of crime and unverified stories of police corruption.  For whatever reason, I've noticed no respect for law enforcement.  I'm no expert, but was a policeman once.

talk to the people and you'll be surprised or shocked

Officials that ignore the direct testimony of witnesses at the Monroe family gathering will deliver a corrupt conclusion.  However, a jury trial with a competant defense or a prosecutor with all of the evidence gathered and presented, including the statements of the direct witnesses, and a keen understanding of the Constitutional rights of the Monroe family, all of this will produce  not only justice but a clarity of whether or not we have become a police state or whether we are striving hard to follow the Constitution (Law).  "Official" business as usual is not what Homer LA. or America needs at this defining moment.  This case does not need "official" conclusions.  It needs objective, investigative work of the evidence in all of its fullness.  Additionally, a real and in depth examination of police practices in Homer LA. is desperately needed here and these same practices should be compared to other problem cities' policing practices to come to Consttutional solutions. Moreover, the Constitution and obedience to it, in Homer, is what may have been and will continue to be subverted , if "offical" buisness as usual is adhered to.                                                                                                                                 Why do I draw this conclusion?  The racial issue is secondary, while the drug issue is primary.  While the presence of both legal and illlegal drugs in our society may be troubling, yet, the question is "have we created a police state in the name of pursuing drug usage?  Drugs and thier presence can never be a reason for subverting Constituional rights and freedoms of American citizens.  This case should become a case study for the examination of whether the Constitution is being undermined through our near fanatical, policing zeal to stamp out drug usage.  I am not convinced that law enforcement's actions in this matter were so imperative that a 73 year old man's life had to be taken. 

Lastly; I am more inclined to find credible the investigative journalism of the Chicago Tribune, which has its reputation at stake, than the unreliability of hearsay.  

A White Male who supports the Constitution, exclusively.   

the chicago tribune can and does make mistakes,afterall they need a good story to sell papers,but the statement made by the chief of police was pretty damn stupid and gives the impression of a racial problem in the hpd

Hey Priz. I live in Homer, and am also a white male. Considering the recent quote from the Chief of Police, I must ask you; could you blame a black man from running? Does running from the police carry an automatic death sentence? How many white kids do you see hanging out in front of Brookshires or Sonic? Are they afraid? Do you think the offending officer might possibly have had other options than to chase the suspect into his house? In this country it is a judicial system that decides your innocence or guilt. Incidentally, the person who was shot and killed in his own home wasn't being chased. What do you think?