Yesterday, a police officer’s firearm was cleared of blowing a three-year-old boy’s thumb to smithereens. Today, we learn that a cop’s gun was pronounced guilty of shooting a suspected drug dealer. Which really isn’t a big deal, is it? But just in case you were wondering . . .
Evidence was turned over to the grand jury after Johnny Stapleton, 28, received injuries during a traffic stop when Bollinger’s gun discharged, striking him in the forearm and left check. Stapleton had been indicted secretly on drug charges this spring by another Lawrence County Grand Jury. Law enforcement officers had observed Stapleton earlier on the evening of the shooting, but had lost sight of him. They then went to areas in the city that they believed he usually frequented . . .
Two officers saw Stapleton on the driver’s side of a car stopped at North Eighth and Lawrence streets. Bollinger approached the car and his firearm discharged, according to a statement by [Sheriff Jeff] Lawless at the time of the shooting.
Don’t you just hate it when that happens? Anyway, nothing to see here. Back to work guys.
“Certainly we are glad to have him back and to be moving forward,” Lawless said. “Unfortunately in law enforcements there are situations that are dangerous. We are human beings like anyone else and accidents do happen.”
Lawless said he was pleased that the grand jury did not find the accident a criminal occurrence.
“Our goal at the sheriff’s office is to continue to fight drug crimes and make our community safer,” he said.
