Paragraphs three and four read: “The officer gave several verbal commands
for the suspect to drop the knife. That’s when the suspect lunged towards
the officer and the officer opened fire,” said Cpl. David Schiralli,
spokesman of the Gwinnett County Police Department.”
“CBS Atlanta spoke to Bagley’s family. They said he was a huge teddy bear
and a wonderful grandfather. They said he suffered from depression since
losing his wife of 15 years a few months ago. He also had congestive heart
failure. He was on muscle relaxers, antidepressants and painkillers. Bagley
also needed oxygen to breathe.”
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/news/23181264/detail.html
Family Questions Police In Gwinnett Shooting
Suspect’s Family Questions Police On Shooting Of 59-Year-Old
by Hena Daniels, CBS Atlanta News Reporter
POSTED: 8:26 am EDT April 17, 2010
UPDATED: 8:06 am EDT April 18, 2010
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Gwinnett police are investigating a shooting
involving an officer at the Tanglewood Apartments in Lawrenceville.
Witnesses described 59-year-old Gene Bagley as irrational and in a daze
Saturday morning as he took a huge knife to a Ford Fusion in his parking lot,
breaking the back window. The owner of the vehicle told CBS Atlanta she
heard the suspect outside her apartment and that’s when she called police.
“The officer gave several verbal commands for the suspect to drop the
knife. That’s when the suspect lunged towards the officer and the officer opened
fire,” said Cpl. David Schiralli, spokesman of the Gwinnett County Police
Department.
CBS Atlanta spoke to Bagley’s family. They said he was a huge teddy bear
and a wonderful grandfather. They said he suffered from depression since
losing his wife of 15 years a few months ago. He also had congestive heart
failure. He was on muscle relaxers, antidepressants and painkillers. Bagley
also needed oxygen to breathe.
”I don’t think he’s capable of lunging. He’s too old and has too many
physical ailments,” said son-in-law Damon Wycoff.
The only conclusion Bagley’s family can come to is he may have mixed his
medications, but they still have tough questions for Gwinnett County police.
“Neighbors say he was shot three times. I don’t understand. He’s a
59-year-old man who can barely breath, overweight. Yeah, I understand he came at
them with a knife, but 3 times I don’t understand. Why couldn’t they use a
Taser?,” asked stepdaughter Maria Wycoff.
The police officer, a veteran on the force, has been placed on routine
administrative leave.
Copyright 2010 by cbsatlanta.com. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
