Unarmed teen shot dead on ISU campus after police chase
A man called police to report a stolen vehicle, now he’s planning for a funeral. James Comstock called authorities after his 19-year-old son Tyler stole his vehicle to go purchase cigarettes.
Ames County Police Officer Adam McPherson pursued Comstock, and during the chase Comstock rammed McPherson’s car. McPherson fired six shots into the vehicle after Comstock refused to turn off the engine.
During the chase, an unidentified Ames police staffer twice suggested that police back off their pursuit, according to dispatch audio obtained by the Register through a third-party service. Tyler Comstock’s step-grandfather, Gary Shepley, 65, of Cambridge, said “hard, tough questions” need to be asked about the police’s actions. And why, Shepley asked, did an officer fire six rounds on a campus with innocent bystanders around, simply because Tyler Comstock refused orders to turn off the engine?
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“So he didn’t shut the damn truck off, so let’s fire six rounds at him? We’re confused, and we don’t understand,” Shepley told the Des Moines Register.
The shooting occurred on Iowa State University’s campus, with students and other community members present during the high-speed chase.
Tyler’s family says that while the teen had made mistakes in the past, he was taking steps towards getting his life back on track.
Thoughts on the officer’s actions?
Did police act too quickly?
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