2010 West Memphis police shootings
Encyclopedia
Two police officers in West Memphis, Arkansas
were shot and killed during a traffic stop on May 20, 2010. Police identified two suspects - Jerry R. Kane Jr. and his son Joseph T. Kane. The two were later identified as members of the Sovereign citizen movement
.
Around 11:36 a.m. CDT
, West Memphis police officer Bill Evans initiated a traffic stop on a white Dodge Caravan
minivan that was travelling on Interstate 40 eastbound towards Airport Road. According to a spokesperson for the Arkansas State Police
, Officer Evans was "running drug interdiction", and the vehicle had license plates from Ohio
. Sergeant Brandon Paudert provided backup for Evans. Upon Paudert's arrival at the scene, Evans attempted to frisk Jerry Kane. Suddenly, Kane turned and attacked Evans in a scuffle down an embankment into a ditch. At that moment Joe Kane emerged from the passenger door of the van and opened fire with an AK-47. Paudert ran to the rear of Evan's police cruiser and returned fire with three shots from his .40 caliber handgun through the windows and taillight of Evan's cruiser, in an attempt to hit Kane firing from the other side. He then took cover behind the hood of his cruiser which was parked directly behind Evan's cruiser. Kane then fired multiple shots from his AK-47 through the hood of the car, striking Paudert in the head with a ricochet
.
Both officers were fatally wounded; Paudert, 39, died at the scene, and Evans, 38, died at the hospital. The suspects returned to their van and sped away. A FedEx
driver from Houston witnessed the shooting and called 911; neither officer could make an "officer down" call.
As officers of other Arkansas law enforcement agencies - including the State Police and Fish and Game Commission - began searching for the suspects, Crittenden County Sheriff Dick Busby and Chief Enforcement Officer W. A. Wren stopped a minivan believed to be the suspects' at a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Authorities also searched many vehicles on I-40 for the suspects. Busby and Wren were then allegedly shot by one or more of the suspects, leading to a shootout. Dozens of other officers surrounded the van, and the Kanes were shot to death. Busby was shot in the arm, and Wren in the abdomen; both were taken to The Regional Medical Center at Memphis (Tennessee) and survived.
The day after the shootings, Arkansas State Police identified the suspects as 45-year-old Jerry R. Kane Jr. and his 16-year-old son Joseph T. Kane. Jerry Kane had expressed sentiment against federal and local government online, and was accused of doing the same in person. Kane served three days in jail near Carrizozo, New Mexico
for driving without a license and concealing his identity. He posted a $1,500 bond. After that incident, he complained of a "Nazi checkpoint".
Based on a 2004 conversation with Jerry Kane, Clark County
Sheriff Gene Kelly expressed concern that Kane would be dangerous toward law enforcement. According to Kelly, Kane had complained about being "enslaved" by a judge who had sentenced him to serve six days of community service for driving with an expired license plate and no seat belt.
Insurance analyst J. J. MacNab observed that Kane ran a debt evasion business. Jerry Kane also posted $10,000 bond (which a judge later ordered forfeited) on charges of forgery and attempted grand theft of a motor vehicle filed in Miamisburg, Ohio
. Although Kane was arrested in New Mexico, he was never extradited to Ohio.
West Memphis, Arkansas
West Memphis is the largest city in Crittenden County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 27,666 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 28,181 in 2005, and 31,329 in 2011 ranking it as the state's 11th largest city, behind Hot Springs...
were shot and killed during a traffic stop on May 20, 2010. Police identified two suspects - Jerry R. Kane Jr. and his son Joseph T. Kane. The two were later identified as members of the Sovereign citizen movement
Sovereign citizen movement
The sovereign citizen movement is a loose network of American litigants, commentators and financial scheme promoters, classified as an "extremist anti-government group" by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation....
.
Around 11:36 a.m. CDT
Central Time zone
In North America, the Central Time Zone refers to national time zones which observe standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC , and daylight saving, or summer time by subtracting five hours...
, West Memphis police officer Bill Evans initiated a traffic stop on a white Dodge Caravan
Dodge Caravan
The Dodge Caravan is a family minivan manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC and sold under its Dodge brand. Along with its nameplate variant, the Plymouth Voyager, the Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year. In 1987, the Dodge Grand Caravan long-wheelbase model was introduced and sold...
minivan that was travelling on Interstate 40 eastbound towards Airport Road. According to a spokesperson for the Arkansas State Police
Arkansas State Police
The Arkansas State Police is the state police agency for Arkansas, which has jurisdiction anywhere in the state. It was created to protect the lives, property and constitutional rights of people in Arkansas...
, Officer Evans was "running drug interdiction", and the vehicle had license plates from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. Sergeant Brandon Paudert provided backup for Evans. Upon Paudert's arrival at the scene, Evans attempted to frisk Jerry Kane. Suddenly, Kane turned and attacked Evans in a scuffle down an embankment into a ditch. At that moment Joe Kane emerged from the passenger door of the van and opened fire with an AK-47. Paudert ran to the rear of Evan's police cruiser and returned fire with three shots from his .40 caliber handgun through the windows and taillight of Evan's cruiser, in an attempt to hit Kane firing from the other side. He then took cover behind the hood of his cruiser which was parked directly behind Evan's cruiser. Kane then fired multiple shots from his AK-47 through the hood of the car, striking Paudert in the head with a ricochet
Ricochet
A ricochet is a rebound, bounce or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. The possibility of ricochet is one of the reasons for the common firearms safety rule "Never shoot at a flat, hard surface."-Variables:...
.
Both officers were fatally wounded; Paudert, 39, died at the scene, and Evans, 38, died at the hospital. The suspects returned to their van and sped away. A FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
driver from Houston witnessed the shooting and called 911; neither officer could make an "officer down" call.
As officers of other Arkansas law enforcement agencies - including the State Police and Fish and Game Commission - began searching for the suspects, Crittenden County Sheriff Dick Busby and Chief Enforcement Officer W. A. Wren stopped a minivan believed to be the suspects' at a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Authorities also searched many vehicles on I-40 for the suspects. Busby and Wren were then allegedly shot by one or more of the suspects, leading to a shootout. Dozens of other officers surrounded the van, and the Kanes were shot to death. Busby was shot in the arm, and Wren in the abdomen; both were taken to The Regional Medical Center at Memphis (Tennessee) and survived.
The day after the shootings, Arkansas State Police identified the suspects as 45-year-old Jerry R. Kane Jr. and his 16-year-old son Joseph T. Kane. Jerry Kane had expressed sentiment against federal and local government online, and was accused of doing the same in person. Kane served three days in jail near Carrizozo, New Mexico
Carrizozo, New Mexico
Carrizozo is a town in and the county seat of Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,036 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Carrizozo is located at ....
for driving without a license and concealing his identity. He posted a $1,500 bond. After that incident, he complained of a "Nazi checkpoint".
Based on a 2004 conversation with Jerry Kane, Clark County
Clark County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 144,742 people, 56,648 households, and 39,370 families residing in the county. The population density was 362 people per square mile . There were 61,056 housing units at an average density of 153 per square mile...
Sheriff Gene Kelly expressed concern that Kane would be dangerous toward law enforcement. According to Kelly, Kane had complained about being "enslaved" by a judge who had sentenced him to serve six days of community service for driving with an expired license plate and no seat belt.
Insurance analyst J. J. MacNab observed that Kane ran a debt evasion business. Jerry Kane also posted $10,000 bond (which a judge later ordered forfeited) on charges of forgery and attempted grand theft of a motor vehicle filed in Miamisburg, Ohio
Miamisburg, Ohio
Miamisburg is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,181 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. Although Kane was arrested in New Mexico, he was never extradited to Ohio.