By: Nelson Abdullah
Conscience of a Conservative
This commentary is as much about the way our news media shirks its responsibilities and fails to ask serious questions affecting the public interest and safety and instead, takes things at face value when the police investigate their own people. This commentary is equally critical about law enforcement’s use of excessive and deadly force and then tries to justify it. As in many cases, the evidence is incomplete and the citizen eye-witnesses, who are usually ignored, have a different account of the events than the police officials. And it is well known that virtually every police department finds justifiable excuses for bad cop conduct. And to make matters worse, Grand Juries fail to indict and trial juries almost always side with the cops. I have a great deal of respect for our law enforcement in Northern Kentucky. They are polite and courteous. But I am growing tired of hearing that so and so officer “followed procedures” or “felt threatened” when a cop shoots an unarmed civilian. But I am also growing tired of journalists taking their notes from police handouts and failing to view what facts are known and who seem reluctant to ask pointed questions. Case in point, a local 19-year old girl named Samantha Ramsey was shot to death by a Boone County Deputy Sheriff after leaving a field party shortly after 2 AM on April 26th in Hebron, Kentucky.
According to the newspaper and TV stories that reported the incident, and according to Tom Scheban, a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Department, Samatha Ramsey of Covington, KY failed an order to stop given by Deputy Tyler Brockman and instead, accelerated her 2001 Subaru and struck him with her car, knocked him up onto the hood of the car where the deputy then fired four shots through the windshield and killed Samantha Ramsey, the driver of the car. There were three other passengers in the car with Samantha Ramsey and one of them, 20-year old Chelsey Pendleton, of Ludlow, KY told a reporter from the Kentucky Enquirer that it did not happen that way. She said the deputy was on the side of the car and jumped up onto the hood before firing his weapon. Pendleton, who was a passenger in the back seat, said one of the bullets fired by the deputy almost struck her and imbedded itself in the back of her seat.
TV station WLWT posted the complete 46 minutes dashcam video on their YouTube web site channel. You can watch it here:
The last frame of the video that shows Deputy Tyler Brockman just before the shooting is time-stamped at 02:13:07. In this frame Deputy Brockman is standing several feet away from the driver’s door of the 2001 Subaru with the driver Samatha Ramsey staring up at him through the side window. At that point the car was not moving. Deputy Brockman is also several feet back from the front of the Subaru and it appears to substantiate what the rear seat passenger said.
Following the shooting, which happened out of camera range, the next frame from the dash cam video in which Deputy Tyler Brockman appears is at 02:15:19, two minutes and twelve seconds later. He is seen walking into view pointing his weapon at various people who had escaped from the car. It was not stated by the police spokesman or inquired by the media what actions Deputy Brockman took in the immediate seconds after he fired into the car. If he checked on the condition of the driver or passengers it is unknown. It was stated by the police that Deputy Brockman radioed for assistance saying he was struck by a car and shots were fired. None of the TV stations or newspaper asked about this. The police said the car slowed then rolled backward into a ditch and the passengers got out on their own and made it across the road. They also mentioned the audio was not working on the dashcam.
But more interesting is that from the frame time-stamped 02:15:19 until the frame time stamped 02:19:14 when then second Sheriff’s Deputy arrives on the scene, Deputy Tyler Brockman is seen walking around pointing his pistol at everyone, holstering his pistol, drawing his weapon again and still walking around but with not the slightest indication of a limp or any injury that would suggest he had been struck by an accelerating car with enough force to propel him over the hood as he alleged.
And if, as Deputy Brockman said, the Subaru was driving away from him, how did he get from his position by the side door to in front of the car where he says he was hit and propelled over the hood?
It is vitally important, in the name of public safety, for the news media to hold law enforcement accountable for their actions and to begin independently reviewing the facts and asking pointed questions and not taking the word of police spokesmen in cases of deadly excessive force. It is equally important for police shootings to be investigated by independent agencies not related to law enforcement. I would like to read about the medical treatment Deputy Brockman received that described his alleged injuries and whether or not they were consistent with being struck by a car or falling off of one. FOX19 TV reported: “Scheben said Ramsey hit the brakes, Brockman fell off the car and Ramsey backs into a ditch. She later died at St. Elizabeth in Florence. Brockman was treated for a leg injury at another hospital.”
The web site for radio station WVXU posted the following police report on the incident:
On Saturday, April 26, 2014 at approximately 2:10 a.m. a Boone County Sheriff’s deputy shot and killed the driver of a car from the hood of that car after the driver hit him and continued to accelerate.
Deputy Tyler Brockman, 28 of Boone County, Kentucky had stopped in the 6,600 block of KY-8 (River Road) to investigate a report of a field party. Brockman was out of his cruiser and ordered the driver of a car that was leaving the party and just starting out on River Road to stop. Instead, the driver accelerated hitting Brockman and causing him to land on the hood of the car. Brockman fired four (4) rounds through the windshield. The driver stopped and then backed up a short distance coming to rest in a ditch on the side of the road.
The driver, Samantha Ramsey, 19 of Covington, Kentucky was transported to Saint Elizabeth Hospital in Florence, Kentucky where she was pronounced. Brockman was taken to Saint Elizabeth Hospital in Edgewood, Kentucky where he was treated for a leg injury and released. Samantha Ramsey has no past record with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Brockman, one of the department’s canine deputies, has served since June of 2010.
Sheriff Michael A. Helmig ordered a full investigation into the incident and placed Deputy Brockman on administrative leave as policy dictates.
The story is receiving worldwide coverage. The Daily Mail newspaper web site in Great Britain has extensive coverage with many photos no other paper has published.
My name is Nelson Abdullah and I am Oldironsides.
In Memoriam
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Thank you for this thoughtful post.
You are absolutely right on all points.
This man should be prosecuted for killing Samantha, and certainly never allowed to touch another gun.
The public can help by contacting the Boone County Ky. Sherrifs Department and expressing their concerns.
http://www.boonecountyky.org/SO/ContactUS.aspx
Unless that deputy was somehow able to change clothes during all of this…that officer seen later in the video..is someone else….please stop all this…you CAN NOT SEE what happened in this video.
That deputy should be drawn and quartered over a 72 hour period, while being slowly BBQed by a bed of hot coals, just far enough away from his body to keep him alive until his limbs are finally ripped away from his torso… then be slowly roasted alive by the coals.
Now there is a thoughtful, insightful comment from an obvious Rhodes scholar…way to be objective!
Since when is blindness a prerequisite to objectivity? All one need do is view the video evidence, which clearly shows that the murderer lied in his report. Multiple eyewitness accounts corroborate the video evidence as well. Even more damning is the fact that another incompetent deputy is seen, later on in the video, pointing his loaded weapon at multiple people, multiple times – as if it were little more than an extension of his finger – while shouting instructions at them; evidence this entire department is reckless and out of control.
If you are trying to objectively evaluate this event, you need to look a lot more carefully. Your summary of events is inaccurate on several accounts.
First of all, it did not occur in Hebron; it was in Taylorsport. Secondly, the two backseat passengers complete statements of what happened (given to the police & press within 24 hours) do not match entirely with what is visible in the video. Furthermore, the car and officer are off camera for approximately 60 seconds before anything else occurs (edited news videos cut this time out, so watch the timestamp carefully). You can judge the time of the shots by the reaction of the man in the parked car on the right screen. Within that time, after they exit the view of the camera but before the bystander reacts to the shots fired, it is easily possible that the officer moved closer to the car. It is even possible that he stepped in front of the car. So that scenario cannot be ruled out.
Now this point is important: You do not see Deputy Brockman again in this footage. He is injured & other officers took over the scene from there. The next officer you see (distinctly different looking & dressed in shorts) was the nearest responder. He was already in route to the field party; however, he was delayed by 2 alcohol involved car accidents & numerous pedestrians (a mix of drunk/sober & over/under 21) walking River Road away from the party. Deputy Brockman was taken to the hospital.
But why would a well-loved 19 year old possibly react so erratically when she had her whole life in front of her? We won’t know if she was drunk or high until the toxicology comes back. What is known is that less than one year before that night, she was arrested & convicted of a DUI in Kenton County. She was let off lightly & had to attend an alcohol treatment program. But *IF* she was driving drunk that night, the courts would not have been so kind the second time around. She would be facing definite jail time, fines, and the suspension of her license. It also would probably result in her losing her job at the pre-school. Could that have caused her to panic & act irrationally? I still don’t think it is likely that she hit him with her car on purpose, but it could’ve been a terrible accident as she tried to get away from the situation quickly.
One last interesting detail to consider: Have you noticed that only 2 of the 3 passengers are commenting on what happened? Look into the third passenger, Tevin Harmon. He was sitting in the front passenger seat. He was arrested that night for an outstanding warrant. Another warrant was issued this past Tuesday. He has a string of arrests & priors that include charges of drugs & alleged domestic violence (from earlier in April). Could that have been another reason they didn’t want to stop the car when ordered? (http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/crime/2014/05/01/samantha-ramsey-tyler-brockman-boone-county-sheriff-field-party-police-shooting/8559399/)
Look deeper before you pass judgement.
Local resident is dead on. Judgement prior to investigation is the surest sign of ignorance. Let the facts come forth then let the law decide.
Any speculation prior is merely that, speculation.
I watched the time ticker from 2:12:50 until 2:15:50, with that said I did not notice any missing time/ video the video released from the sheriffs department. Back up arrives at 2:13:34 you will notice the light of the other cruiser reflecting on the black vehicle around that mark. I think the driver got out of his car and started pointing to inform back up of what had just happen, I would remain in my car if the same situation happen. From when the officer and the vehicle left the screen the time was less then 30 seconds a lot can happen in 30 seconds…
As far as Tevin Harmon is concerned he was arrested that night on a warrant yes, so his missing statement shouldn’t be in question at this time, they may have interviewed him once the arrest was made. Never have been arrested myself but I think it starts like this “You have the right to remain silent”.
The second officer wasn’t officer who for what ever reason thought it was necessary to pull out his side arm is not Deputy Brockman.
We all can look at this in different ways, which may give us different opinions. The way I see it is she shouldn’t have been killed, he shouldn’t have tried to chase her down after blasting her in the face with his flash light, which may have led to some night blindness. A simple call to back up could have resulted in a proper arrest and stop.
The deputy that you describe as Deputy Brockman up walking around is NOT Deputy Brockman, but another deputy who arrived on scene after Brockman’s call went out for more units. Of far more concern should be: The fact that none of the statements taken this night were recorded on scene via notes etc. The only one who seemed to be writing anything down stopped when the man in the black car demonstrated how the officer arrived on the hood of the car. Also of concern should be the fact that the person in the black car and the man walking around nearby showed no concern, not even curiosity of what was transpiring, despite the alleged incident taking place less than 100 ft. from them, until the shots were fired. Not so much as a glance in that direction. We should all be concerned about the deputy in shorts using his gun as a pointer, waving it around carelessly. This is not safe firearm handling and endangers anyone nearby. The video, coupled with Deputy Brockman’s statement raises far more questions than it answers. I believe what is needed is an independent 3rd party investigation to get to the bottom of what happened this night. The family of the deceased, the deputy and our entire community deserves nothing less.
Here is what I see…
A young scared girl not sure what to do.
A bunch of armed cops assaulting a party full of teenagers.
Scred girl drives past the cop who is positioned to the side/rear of her car. No way that she ran him over him from ther As all of the non-police witness accounts state, clearly from his position he was in no danger until HE CHOSE to jump onto the hood of the car (from the side) putting himself in danger. He then used excessive force, shooting an unarmed and scared teenage girl four times at point blank range.
That is intent to kill… no attempt to scare her with a warning shot, just straight up killing her while he stared into her young, frightened eyes.
Should she have stopped? Absolutely. But anyone who claims that when they were a teenager they didn’t hesitate or make a bad choice is full of it.
Now, here is another hard question.
A cop was clearly further down the road in the direction Samantha’s car was going. Why aren’t we seeing his dash cam footage released? That would show the shooting clearly and give us an exact account of what happened. My guess is the same thing has happened to that dash cam footage that happened to the “broken audio” in the released footage… it has been disposed of so that the police can write whatever story fits their carefully written up narrative.
Lastly, no matter how you try to spin it, a young girl was shot dead for no good reason. To pretend that she was trying to run over and murder a cop is just stupidiy and not even remotely beleivable. She was scared, she didn’t stop and even though she posed no threat to anyone, a cop jumped into the hood of her car and shot her four times.
It is unjustifiable.
This entire situation is so terrible. I don’t think the young woman deserved to die but I do think her actions led to it happening. That does not mean the officer is free of guilt. But people are making so many statements that are not logical. I do not have any ties to Boone County Police. I do not know Ramsey or Brockman but I attended school nearby and I have a brother Samantha’s age that lives in Burlington. I moved away ten years ago, but this story still hits close to home.
I have watched the footage second by second trying to make any sense of this tragedy. I have a more complete breakdown of what I believe I see but I will begin with a summary:
SUMMARY:
02.12.33 – Brockman stops his car at 6661 River Road (02.12.33). Then 27 seconds later, Ramsey’s car can be seen pulling up (02.13.01). Brockman points flashlight at Ramsey’s car (02.13.03); he begins to approach Ramsey’s car (02.13.04); he continues to approach Ramsey’s car with a raised arm ordering her to stop (02.13.05); at Ramsey’s window, he shines his light in Samantha Ramsey’s face (02.13.06); Ramsey’s car slows/hesitates (02.13.07) before accelerating (02.13.08) out of view (02.13.09).
So Deputy Brockman interacted with Samantha Ramsey on camera for 8 seconds on screen in which it is clear that she is being ordered to stop.
Then 28 seconds after they move out of frame (02.13.38), the driver of the black car reacts to something off screen. It is far from conclusive but it is logical that this would be right after the shots were fired.
About 30 seconds later, the first of 3 passengers can be seen out of the car (02.14.03). The other 2 follow and they are all ordered by Brockman to get down. This matches with the passengers account of what happened & with the release records of the deputy calling for help.
1 minute and 20 seconds pass from the estimated time the shots were fired and when backup can be seen pulling up to the scene (02.14.58). This also matches with dispatch records released.
What I think is important is that 30-35 seconds passed from the time Deputy Brockman initiated contact with with Ramsey (02.13.03) & told her to stop before it appears that shots were fired (02.13.38). Things escalated quickly, but it does not appear that Brockman immediately jumped on the car & started shooting like some wild, trigger-happy cowboy as soon as they moved out of frame (like some people are claiming online). He was only on the hood very briefly before firing – not for half a minute. So he continued to try to get the Ramsey car to stop for about 28 seconds (02.13.09 thru 02.13.38) off camera before the shots were fired. Whether you believe he jumped on the hood unprovoked or if he was struck by the car first & the jumped onto the hood to avoid being run over, he must have remained close to the vehicle during that time.
————————————-
COMPLETE BREAKDOWN
02.12.33 – Brockman stops his car at 6661 River Road
(10 seconds pass as he gets out & says something to the driver of the first car)
02.12.44 – Brockman waves the first car to go on
(2 seconds pass)
02.12.47 – Talks to 20 year old (male) approaching parked car who admits he is drunk – Deputy tells him to wait there
(13 seconds pass during this exchange)
02.13.01 – Ramsey’s car can be seen pulling up
02.13.02 – Brockman turns attention to Ramsey’s car
02.13.03 – Brockman points flashlight at Ramsey’s car
02.13.04 – Brockman begins to approach Ramsey’s car
02.13.05 – Brockman continues to approach Ramsey’s car with a raised arm ordering her to stop
02.13.06 – Brockman side steps with Ramsey’s car at driver’s window – shines light in Samantha Ramsey’s face
(*At this point, I think it is clear that she was being ordered to stop by a police officer.)
02.13.07 – Ramsey’s car slows/hesitates – Brockman is no longer visible in the camera’s view
02.13.08 – Ramsey’s car begins to accelerate
02.13.09 – Ramsey’s car is no longer visible in the camera’s view
(7 seconds pass)
02.13.17 – Black car enters (right)
02.13.18 – Black car stops at road
02.13.19 – Previously mentioned 20 year old male (white shirt) approaches black car & talks to driver
(5 seconds pass during this exchange)
02.13.25 – Man in white shirt walks back out of frame
(6 seconds pass)
02.13.32 thru 34 – Driver of black car begins to open door but then closes it
*This is what causes the movement of light across the door reflecting off of Ramsey’s car
(3 seconds pass)
02.13.38 – Driver reacts to something to his left
02.13.39 – Driver appears to say something to someone off camera
02.13.40 thru 42 – Watch the drivers head as it turns from left to right, ending with him looking across the street in front of him where Ramsey car reversed into the ditch
02.13.42 – The driver jumps up stretching up out of his car window
02.13.43 (thru 58) – The driver points in the direction of Ramsey’s car while speaking to someone off camera
*At this point, back up had not arrived & the 3 passengers have not exited the car. So he is either talking to the male in the white shirt, Deputy Brockman, or other bystanders not seen previously on camera.
02.13.55 – Smoke (or dust from spinning wheels) begins to be visible at the left side of the frame
02.14.03 – Chelsey Pendleton (passenger side backseat) can be seen
02.14.22 – Male passenger (Bobby or Tevin) walks across road with arms raised & out of frame (right)
02.14.41 – Other male passenger (Bobby or Tevin) walks across road & falls to his knees crying
02.14.58 – Backup pulls up to the scene – the approaching cruiser can be seen in the reflection of the black car
02.15.19 – Deputy Keipert can be seen on camera. He is other officers take over from there.
Brian – I’m not sure where you got your information but there was not another police vehicle close enough down the road to have captured the incident on dash cam. That officer was much farther down River Road checking on pedestrians & making sure people made it to their cars safely if they were sober & able to drive. The second car did not arrive until after the shooting.
I’d like to start by saying I knew Sam and I am heartbroken by what happened to her but she made a horrible split second decision. Being in a law enforcement family I know how most of this plays out. Deputy Brockman spent 30 seconds minimum trying to get her to stop. My personal opinion is that in that time he ended up on the car and it actually doesn’t matter if he jumped or she hit him she put the car in reverse and that would appear to be a move to throw him from the car. At that point his life is in danger. I watched the almost 50 minutes of footage many of you are not even seeing what actually transpired the second officer is clearly in other clothes I am pretty confident you never see Brockman again because he is injured. The video breakdown by Brian is pretty concise and the main reason I believe that she hit him maybe after being stopped is because of the reaction of those on the side of the road. I at no point saw his gun out I did see a flashlight so that is up for debate. If you look at the position of the bullet holes in the window you can see he had to be pretty far up on the car or they would have missed her. Ask yourself and use common sense as to how he would have ended up there unless force from being hit put him there. This is a no win for anyone. He will forever be changed and a young girl that I truly cared for is gone. What amazes me is that as a parent I would grieve and bury my child before announcing to the world that I was consulting an attorney and the media should be ashamed of themselves for how they are handling this. I don’t know that I could function if I lost my child and this whole image that she was somehow a perfect angel is a little far fetched as well like I said I truly cared for her and I tried to be a good role model for her but she made mistakes. Most teens do, thank god most don’t end up like this. For those who are driving around with statements about this police officer and that he is a murderer on their cars, well I hope you never have to experience losing someone to a drunk driving accident . And as for mr buemi you have no right to say the things that you are saying. Your image is pretty tainted. It’s easy to criticize law enforcement when you Are on the opposite side of the law you make those who care about Sam look like the ignorant speaking persons that you are. I wish I could rewind time and change what happened just like the officer just like sam’s mom, her friends, and this community. It was a horrible situation that has left a beautiful young girl dead a police officer on trial for doing his job and a community grieving and asking why. I am confident officer Brockman didn’t kiss his wife and kids goodbye that night and say to himself tonight I think I will kill a young girl. Sam did however make the choice to not comply and not stop her car even after he was clearly on the hood of her car. Be angry if you choose to be but remember bad choices lead to bad endings. Sam I always supported you always had faith in you and will forever love you! Officer Brockman my heart goes out to you I have lived this my whole life and I pray to god that the police officers in my life never have to face the same pain that I know you are experiencing. This is just a horrible nightmare I wish I could wake up from. As for those who pass judgement I hope that you never have to experience this via either side. Ultimately there is only one person who gets to pass judgment.
Sorry not Brian’s account it was local resident
Regardless of how you feel about what I said does not matter. Your mad at me for saying the truth. I am protected by Freedom of speech. Period. I clearly stated my opinion. “The truth”.
Mom2all…thank you for putting some “heart” in all of this