‘Misinterpretation’ Led to Man’s Death

The family of a Washington (Ind.) man who was killed by police say that a dispatcher’s error led to the shooting when the man was believed to be homicidal instead of suicidal. Stephen Lee was shot by three officers in the backyard of his home as he was holding a muzzle-loading rifle he had just fired. Police chief Steve Riney said the dispatcher’s mistake didn’t affect the outcome of the incident, and that the officers were justified in shooting Lee based on information they had at the scene. According to Riney, Lee’s girlfriend called and stated, “”(Lee) was at his father’s house and that he was going to put a bullet in his head.” The dispatcher interpreted that to mean that Lee intended to put a bullet in the father’s head, not his own head–the latter being the actual situation. Read more about the incident here.