Pubdate: Sat, 03 Jul 2004 Source: Pensacola News Journal (FL) 373158.shtml Copyright: 2004 The Pensacola News Journal Contact: http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1675 Note: 200 word limit on LTEs Author: Amber Bollman FATAL SHOOTING SPURS PROBE Deputy's Deadly Force Sparks Outrage Among Neighbors A 27-year-old Warrington man was shot and killed early Friday morning during a struggle with an Escambia County sheriff's deputy, sparking outrage among the victim's neighbors and friends and prompting an investigation by state law enforcement officials. Joseph Golden was shot outside the front door of his unit at Jackson Square Apartments on Blanton Court as his girlfriend and five children watched from inside the apartment. "They killed him for nothing," said Nicole Lewis, 14, a witness to the shooting, which took place just before 6 a.m. Chief Deputy Larry Smith called the shooting "a very unfortunate situation.'' "(Griffith) showed as much restraint as he could,'' Smith said. "Any time our officers are in the streets, they have a right to defend themselves when they believe their lives or the lives of others are in danger." A team of narcotics officers arrived at Golden's apartment a short time before the shooting to serve a search warrant, Smith said. Undercover officers previously had purchased crack cocaine from Golden on two occasions, he said. Golden -- known as "Bubba" to many neighbors in the apartment complex -- was at the store when deputies began their search for drugs. But he returned home while the officers were still working inside the apartment. Investigator Charlie Griffith Jr., 33, a nine-year Sheriff's Office veteran who was the lead officer in the recent Sandshaker investigation into cocaine dealing on Pensacola Beach, met Golden at the door. "Charlie Griffith gave repeated commands for the suspect to stop, and he did not respond," Smith said. "Instead, he tried to grab the gun." Smith said the two men were struggling for the weapon when it discharged once into Golden's head, fatally wounding him. He was pronounced dead at Baptist Hospital. "He just bled to death there in front of all the kids and everybody else," said Alina Bullard, a friend and neighbor. "And it was for something so petty. That didn't have to happen." Griffith was not injured in the altercation. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the shooting to determine what occurred during the struggle between Griffith and Golden. According to FDLE spokeswoman Lisa Lagergren, investigators will interview Griffith, the other deputies at the scene, neighbors at Golden's apartment complex, and the children who were inside his home at the time, ranging in age from 3 to 14. "The goal is to gather the facts to determine what exactly happened during that physical confrontation," she said. The Medical Examiner's Office plan to conduct an autopsy on Golden's body today, Smith said. Officials also will take blood samples for toxicology tests to determine whether he was under the influence of any drugs or alcohol. Griffith was placed on paid administrative leave, pending the FDLE's findings. Neighbors and friends of Golden have challenged the Sheriff's Office version of events, saying that Griffith did not make a series of commands to Golden. Nicole Lewis recalled being awakened by pounding at the door. Deputies ordered her and the other children into the living room, she said, where they were told to sit, not far from the spot where Golden was shot. "He didn't say anything," Lewis said. "He just pulled out the gun. One minute Bubba was looking at my mama, and the next minute he was on the ground bleeding. There was no commotion. He was just spitting up blood." Neighbors said it seemed uncharacteristic of Golden to get involved in a dispute with anyone. A serious head injury last year kept him in the hospital for months. Bullard said doctors put a tube in Golden's brain to drain fluids, and the surgery left him weakened physically. "He could hardly even get around," she said. "He couldn't walk straight, and there is no way he would be getting into a fight with a police officer." But Smith said Golden was a well-known drug dealer who traded crack openly in front of the children who resided with him. His criminal history dates back to 1994. During the execution of the search warrant, deputies found drugs and drug paraphernalia inside Golden's apartment, Smith said. "People might sell drugs and make poor decisions, but that's not a reason to kill them," said Diyawn Jackson, another of Golden's neighbors. "Officers are supposed to be trained in ways to apprehend people without having to harm them." Smith said based on a preliminary look at Griffith's actions, the deputy followed protocol. "He was forced into a situation that no one would ever want to be in," Smith said. "And it appears that he responded and followed policy as best as he could." Jackson said she had telephoned the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and other groups with concerns about Friday morning's incident. "If I have to go to City Hall myself, I'll get some answers," Jackson said. "They're killing too many of us over little pointless things, and it needs to stop." - --- MAP posted-by: Josh