Report on Durham police shooting says witnesses saw man with gun
DURHAM, North Carolina (WTVD) -- A preliminary "5-day report" on a shooting February 15 involving Durham police officers says witnesses saw 24-year-old Kenneth Lee Bailey Jr. with a gun before the shooting.
The report says "one person told officers he heard three shots and another person told officers he saw 'Mr. Bailey throw a black gun back toward the street.' A third person told officers 'that the officers had asked the suspect to drop his weapon several times before the officers fired their weapons.' This person also told officers he heard three shots."
The report says a .45-caliber handgun, which was reported stolen in Durham in December 2016, was found near the body.
Durham police officers were trying to arrest Bailey in the 2500 block of Glenbrook Drive. They said he had violated the terms of his pre-trial release. He was out on bond for robbery with a deadly weapon and felony conspiracy. Police say they gave chase then he pulled a gun, and officers were forced to fire.
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Bailey's mother, Louise Pratt, issued the following statement on behalf of the family on Wednesday:
"Our family and the SBI are both listening to stories about what happened on Wednesday and trying to get to the truth. We ask that anyone who has information share it with us, not with the media.
But in the meantime, I want to say what I know. Kenny was a young man who loved his momma. He loved his aunts and uncles and cousins and friends. He loved his two babies, who lost their father on Wednesday."
Right after the shooting, some in the neighborhood told ABC11 they didn't see a gun and questioned the decision to open fire.
The State Bureau of Investigation is still investigating the shooting and that investigation is not complete. Once it's finished, it will be submitted to the Durham County District Attorney for review.
The three officers involved were placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting.
They've been identified as Officer T.M. Greathouse, Officer A.G. D'Meza and Cpl. J.E. Lloyd. The Durham Police Department said all three officers are members of the Selective Enforcement Team (SET). Officer Greathouse joined the DPD on September 8, 2003. Officer D'Meza joined the DPD on August 21, 2006 and Cpl. Lloyd joined the DPD on August 17, 2005.
