Report on Matt Williams/DiOGi Shooting

I read the articles in yesterday's and today's rag, The Ledger. You know, the ones about the investigative findings on Matt's shooting. I'm a little confused and frustrated over this one. For months, many of us have known that, in the midst of that meyley, Matt was also shot by Deputy Speirs. It was supposed to be a big secret. ERT was warned not to acknowledge it under any circumstances. The brass was busy doing damage control before they could come clean about it, and they didn't need any extra problems...like too many of us knowing the truth too soon.
Now they finally do come out with the "findings", and it's so obvious that the spin doctors have been working overtime, that it's not even funny!

To say that Speirs "may have shot Matt in the leg", because he had "two bullet holes in his pants leg" is just a little bit of an understatement. Oh, and what about the shot to his spinal area? Are we supposed to forget that one? If a man is facing his threat, how does he get shot in the back? If Matt was already down on the ground and dead, according to one of Speirs stories, how does he take two in the leg? And why wasn't Speirs able to tell anyone where he left Matt, after he left Matt behind to seek help for himself?

I'm sure Speirs didn't shoot Matt intentionally. But he shot him. He did it because he paniced, and didn't observe his line of fire. He was trying to survive, and his instinct to survive was stronger than his instinct to cover his partner. Part of that responsibility lays with Speirs, but part lays with our agency for not properly training deputies to respond more calmly in life and death scenarios. We spend way too much time in customer service type training, and not nearly enough in street training. This incident proves that. It's too bad it took Matt's death to institute the ALERT training we now have that teaches deputies to run tracks with K9. It should have been a standard training scenario years ago.

Sadly, this newest report doesn't resolve the unanswered questions many of us have about what really happened between Matt, Speirs and Freeland. It only lets us know what we already knew, that Freeland's shooting was justified. As for Deputy Speirs actions, I have many questions that I don't believe will ever be completely satisfied. And if we aren't honest and open about our mistakes, how can we learn from them. We're human. We mess up under pressure. But having been in armed confrontations, and shootings myself, I can promise you that I would never shoot with another cop in my line of fire. I want to survive as much as anyone, but I won't risk hitting another cop to do it. I couldn't live with the consequences. Doug might be a great guy, but I don't want him to back me up on anything. I'm sorry, but that's just how it is.

I agree with you WHOLE heartedly, but I will also go the fact that I will not leave my partner in the woods. I will stand there and defend him/her that is down and cannot properly defend themselves. I would rather die in the line of duty defending another deputy then run and not know where I last left my partner there, dying by himself.

K9 handlers have the option to run and pick who they want to run with them. Im fortunate enough that the handlers trust me. If any of the handlers read this, please know I will not leave you by yourself.

I have nothing against Spiers. And yes, unfortunately it took an incident like this to train us. I wish the S.O the best. They have a lot of ground still yet to cover. What happened with that computer scenario training we once had???? I thought that was great. So many rookies dont understand what we do and think what we do is 'great' when seriously asked what would they do in a situation (s22f) where one party is aggressive.. first thing they say is , ill just shoot them with my gun/bang bang, or ill just tase em, I aint got time for their crap.. i just stand there, like man are you in for a RUDE awakening. I teach the academy, I know this, Ive asked them.

I also completely agree with you on this subject. I'm sure D/S Speirs is a nice guy but I thank god he works on the west side of the county I think I would rather take my chances by self then to know I will have someone like him run away and leave me alone. I sit and think about that situation and still get pissed off.. I along with many others still have a lot of questions that will never be answered. No personal offense to Speirs but knowing what we all know about him, I personally think he needs to consider a new career being a deputy isn’t for him, he has shown us that!!!!!

Granted I have never been a situation like this and pray I never do, but I know with out a doubt I will not leave anyone behind. I too would rather die in the line of duty protecting a brother/sister..

What you said completely reflects what I feel too. If you and I are ever in a firefight, you can bank on the fact that I'll be there right beside you. I won't shoot you, and I won't leave you. Like I said before, I've been in armed confrontations, and in shootings. I can say with confidence and knowledge, that I'd never panic or leave you on your own to face death. Whatever the outcome, we'd see it together.

It's sad, but there are a lot of people who enter this profession, who don't have the character needed for this profession. Just because someone wants to be a cop, doesn't mean they have what it takes. You take that, and put them in the ultimate stress situation without proper training, and you can see what they'll made of. It's scarey to see how many will cut and run. But I can promise you that I never have, and I never will.

No doubt, Speirs is lucky he survived that confrontation with Freeland. But if he'd reacted differently, Matt and DiOGi may have survived too. I can't help but think that plays on his mind. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes.
Doing this job is touch enough. It must be really hard, knowing your fellow cops don't trust you. If I knew my crew had no faith in me, I'd have to turn my stuff in, and find a new career.

LIKE MOST PEOPLE I WAS SHOCKED AND DEEPLY DISTURBED BY MATT'S TRAGIC DEATH. MATT WORKED WITH ME AT POLK C.I. PRIOR TO GOING ON THE ROAD. AS MOST OF YOU KNEW HIM, I WILL NOT GO INTO THE TYPE OF MAN HE WAS: YOU KNOW THAT ALREADY.
D. SPEARS ALSO WORKED FOR ME AT POLK C.I. PRIOR TO GOING ON THE ROAD: I KNOW HIM ALSO: I TRIED MY BEST AS HIS SUPERVISOR,TO GET HIM FIRED BECAUSE HE WAS A STONE COWARD THEN, AND A GUN FAILED TO CHANGE THAT DEADLY FLAW. HE WAS BORN A COWARD, LIVED A COWARD, AND MATT WILLIAMS DIED BECAUSE OF IT. I HOPE THE FACTS SURROUNDING MATT'S MURDER ARE BROUGHT TO LIGHT, AND, IF APPROPIATE, CRIMINAL CHARGES ARE BROUGHT AGAINST SPEARS. NOT FOR REVENGE, RATHER FOR THE TRUE JUSTICE MATT DESERVES.
IF THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD CLEAR SPEARS OF ANY WRONG DOING, I WILL RENT SPACE IN THE LEDGER AND WRITE A PUBLIC
APPOLOGY, AND STATE WHOLE HARTEDLY THAT SPEARS MAY NOT BE THE COWARD I THINK HE IS, AND THAT IS JUST MY OPION, WHICH WILL NEVER CHANGE, AS THAT WAS MY OPINION BEFORE MATT'S MURDER, AND IT WILL NOT CHANGE. I SPENT 1968,69,70,& 71 IN VIET NAM: COWARDS HAVE A SMELL ALL THEIR OWN, ANF AFTER SHAVE WILL NOT
MASK IT.

PS.
I HAVE NOT WRITTEN ANYTHING HARE THE I WOULD HESITATE TO TELL THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED TO EITHER ONE OF HIS FACES.

[AKA me]

I gotta agree with SRMUNCH on this one. I too hope ALL the facts surrounding Matt's death are revealed and made public (but we all know that will never happen). It saddens me to think about Matt's last moments...fighting the good fight while all the while his so-called "partner" Doug shooting him from behind in a cowardly attempt to save his own A$$. Another point that is also disturbing to me (there are many) is the thought that ANYONE would classify Doug as a HERO!! He did nothing heroic...he ran away from the fight. He lost Matt. Its clear that is what happened. Listen to the dispatch tape!! Also, this whole thing about Doug being featured on America's Most Wanted website as a contestant for the "ALL-STAR for WEEK 4" (check it out yourself) makes me want to puke. The article on that site said Doug played an integral role in the deputies finding Matt. BS!!! How could that be when we didn't find Matt for nearly an hour after he was shot!! All the while, Doug was taking a cozy trip to the hospital to get his so-called "wound" taken care of. The most appauling thing about Doug being mentioned as a HERO on the AMW website contest is what I found out the other day. Doug has been actually calling around (unknown the number of people he has solicited) and asking people to vote for him....you wanna know why?? Because if he wins, he supposedly will win 10k and a trip. You gotta be FKng kidding me!!!! My friend was gunned down (partially by Doug) and now he is turning this thing into a contest for his own personal gain?!! He is no HERO...and does not deserve any award, recognition, etc as such. That distinction should be reserved for those who TRULY are deserving. Speirs should quit before he gets someone else hurt or killed...because we all know that it is not the lazy cops who get killed...it is the good ones (Doug, you should be safe).

Matt was my friend. I worked with him on shift. We ate together, we socialized off-duty and we trained together. I used to catch Rocky for him and was there the first day he brought DiOGi to work when he was still a puppy...that qualifies me to have the right to voice my opinion about the atrocities surrounding this event. To Matt...I love you my friend. I came to visit you the other night. It was peaceful.

[justmyopinion]

As I sit here and read these post, I have to agree with everyone! I have so many questions about all this, but I do know one thing for a fact, even tho I am a civilian emp. I would NEVER leave someone in the woods to die alone. I would be there with them fighting the battle, sure it would more than likely cost me my life, but atleast people would know that I was THERE helping my friend. I've listened to the tapes over & over, his story and the tape are just not adding up, and things are being covered up. That is not fair to Matt & DiOGi, they deserve the truth to be told!! And now Speirs has been nominated for AMW All Star Award...OMG...it made me sick! He's no "hero" he is nothing more than a coward that was more worried about his own a$$ than thing else. If he "saw" Matt being shot, why did it take us so long to find him & DiOGi??? To many unanswered questions. All I know is that if I was on the road, and he was my back-up, I'd have to have dispatch cancel him & take my chances on my own. Keep him in front of you, cause you sure don't want him behind ya! Your right, he needs to pack it up & move on before he gets another one of us killed!!
Rest in peace Matt & DiOGi, we love you both!

SPEARS AND I ONCE HAD A CONVERSATION AT P.C.I.: HE ASK ME IF "IF SOMETHING WERE TO JUMP-OFF, DO YOU EVER WONDER WHO WOULD COME TO HELP?" I LOOKED AT HIM AND TOLD THE TRUTH: "YUP!!!
AND YOU ARE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST!" IF ANY ONE OUT THERE SEES SPEARS, RELATE THAT CONVERSATION, AN HE'LL KNOW WHO SAID IT....PERHAPS HE'LL CALL ME AND LET US KNOW THE TRUTH!
NOT HOLDING MY BREATH....
I HAD NOT HEARD ABOUT THE MOST WANTED THING. PERHAPS THOSE OF US WHO KNOW SPEARS FOR WHAT HE IS SHOULD CONTACT THE SHOW AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT WE KNOW..PERHAPS THEY COULD GET TO THE TRUTH!!.
WHILE MATT'S FAMILY HAS SUFFERED MORE THAN ENOUGH, FOR
SPEARS TO BASK IN THE GLORY OF COWARDICE IS ONE THE SAME LEVEL AS HILLORY CALLING MONICA A "LOW-LIFE".
THE ONLY GOOD THING IS MATT IS WITH GOD, AND SPEARS IS HERE........

[justmyopinion]

Posted on the Ledger

http://forums.theledger.com/eve/forums/ ... 6891088116
After reading this article I cannot bring myself to vote for this man

There are several factors that play on my mind about this award for an All Star Award on America’s Most Wanted for Deputy Speirs. First of all what makes him a candidate. It seems that he left his “brother” in the woods to die alone while he made his way back to safety and be treated for his “wound”. If he was quoted correctly in the article in the Ledger, he saw Mr. Freeland standing over Matt and heard a gunshot. Why didn’t he take action at that point and try to assist the fallen deputy instead of retreating to save himself? Also, in the article it states that Deputy Speirs may have accidentally shot Matt in the leg once or twice, but where did the shot to the lower back come in to play? And from whose gun did that bullet come from?

I’m sure Ms. Huff has good intentions and believes in her mind that she is doing the right thing. Unfortunately it appears she is not aware of all the facts surrounding the incident. Those of you that do know the facts, I hope you act accordingly.

How can anyone, before all the facts are known, vote for a person like this. Now, if in a year’s time the facts do play out that Mr. Speirs was wholly in the right and did the proper thing, then nominate him next year, but let’s not jump the gun and go off the deep end only to find out too late that we rewarded this person with 15 minutes of fame, $10,000.00 and a trip to a NASCAR race in N. Carolina.

And if the facts play out that Deputy Speirs did act properly, which I certainly do not believe myself, then I will gladly print a retraction in the Ledger and apologize to him.

If you would like to read other peoples thoughts before you make up your mind one way or another, then click on this link and see for yourself. This certainly did clarify things for me big time. :

http://forums.leoaffairs.com/viewforum. ... 1d47b7cf9d