life or death?

[granny2young]

www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=186567&pub=1&div=News

Teen charged in chief's death

2/5/2005 10:37:45 PM
Daily Journal


The Associated Press

ACKERMAN - A Weir teenager was being held on a capital murder charge Saturday after the police chief of French Camp was gunned down after a pursuit.

Warren Strain, spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, said Anthony Lucas, 32, who lived in Ackerman but was the part-time police chief in French Camp, had joined other Choctaw County law officers in the pursuit of a car that fled during a traffic stop.

Strain said the fleeing car stopped at a house in Weir on Friday night, the four people inside the car jumped out with three running inside the house and one running down the road. Strain said as Lucas walked toward the house, a 16-year-old male came out and shot him with a shotgun.

No other officers were injured, he said.

Lucas worked as a parole officer for the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

Strain said Christopher Fair was being held without bond in the Choctaw County jail on a charge of capital murder. He said there was no word if anyone else had been charged in the case.

Strain said Fair lived at the house where the shooting occurred.

Strain said the sheriff's department and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation are investigating the incident.

Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 2/6/2005 8:00:00 AM, section A , page 7

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www.wtva.com/

ACCUSED COP KILLER APPEARS IN COURT

An hour before the funeral of state parole officer Anthony Lucas, his accused killer appeared in court where he was charged with capital murder.

16 year old Christopher Fair of Weir had little to say during the initial appearance Monday afternoon in Choctaw County Justice Court.

Besides reading the charge, Judge William Stephenson appointed an attorney to represent Fair.

Meanwhile, the suspect will remain in jail without bond.

That's until a preliminary hearing, which is scheduled for a week from this Thursday.

*****************************************************

French Camp police chief killed, teen charged

Associated Press


ACKERMAN, Miss. - A Weir teenager was being held on a capital murder charge Saturday after the police chief of French Camp was gunned down after a pursuit.

Warren Strain, spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, said Anthony Lucas, 32, who lived in Ackerman but was the part-time police chief in French Camp, had joined other Choctaw County law officers in the pursuit of a car that fled during a traffic stop.

Strain said the fleeing car stopped at a house in Weir on Friday night, the four people inside the car jumped out with three running inside the house and one running down the road. Strain said as Lucas walked toward the house, a 16-year-old male came out and shot him with a shotgun.

No other officers were injured, he said.

Lucas worked as a parole officer for the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

Strain said Christopher Fair was being held without bond in the Choctaw County jail on a charge of capital murder. He said there was no word if anyone else had been charged in the case.

Strain said Fair lived at the house where the shooting occurred.

Strain said the sheriff's department and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation are investigating the incident.

*****************************************


Police Chief Dies in Shooting
Ackerman, Miss.
Associated Press

Warren Strain, spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, said Anthony Lucas, 32, died Friday night after being shot with a shotgun. He said Lucas had joined other Choctaw County law officers in the pursuit of a car that fled during a traffic stop.

Strain said the fleeing car stopped at a house in Weir, the four people inside the car jumped out with three running inside the house and one running down the road. As Lucas walked toward the house, a man came out and shot him with a shotgun. No other officers were injured.

Lucas was the part-time police chief in French Camp and worked as a parole officer for the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

Strain said Christopher Fair, 16, was being held without bond in the Choctaw County Jail. Fair lived at the house where the shooting happened. Strain says an investigation is continuing.

www.wtok.com/news/headlines/1235017.html




Having read the above articles, now comes the discussion/debate on what to do. Everyone knows, and I have made it no secret that NO CHILD should be placed in an adult prison, no matter the circumstances. That is the least of his problems. MS is one of a few states that does allow execution of a child as young as 16 for a capital offense, and this being a police officer there is little doubt the prosecution will probably seek the death penalty in this case.

How do you feel about a 16-year-old being executed?

[Traveler]

I'm sickened by the death. Tragic to say the least. Unfortunately, it's not the first time a 16 year old has done the same thing. Remember the Casey Harmon murder here in Lee County? A 16 year old about to be released for shoplifting to his parents executes the juvenile detention officer. He received life in prison. Granny, I don't know how I feel about the prospect of the 16 year old receiving the death penalty. It really sickens me. I don't think there's much of a chance of him receiving it. I'm also sickened that yet another law enforcement officer has left a family behind. I've seen that way too often during my career.

[granny2young]

I hear what you are saying. I will have to do a little research on the Casey Harmon death. I remember it, but did not work on that one. Was the child tried as an adult? That makes a difference.

[Sky]

Casey R. Harmon (Deputy Sheriff) Lee County, MS. Sheriff Department By John Harmon, Blue Springs, MS.

Casey was 20 years old, working at the Julenile Detention center in Tupelo, Ms. A 16 year old suspect was being held for shoplifting. The suspect was being released when he pulled a gun out of his shoe and fired a shot to the head of Casey, killing him instantly. The suspect escaped, but was captured later that night near Memphis. The suspect, Stephen Farris, was sentenced to life with out parole , Plus 70 years.

Steven R. Farris pled guilty to the capital murder of Casey R. Harmon, a police officer who was killed in the line of duty as a deputy sheriff of Lee County. Farris was sentenced to life without parole.

[zipzam]

Sky said:

Steven R. Farris pled guilty to the capital murder of Casey R. Harmon, a police officer who was killed in the line of duty as a deputy sheriff of Lee County. Farris was sentenced to life without parole.

who was farris's parents? i knew farris over that way a while back. hope he isn't kin to them.

[granny2young]

Does this help any? I am still searching to see if he was charged as a juvenile or adult.



Casey R. Harmon (Deputy Sheriff)
Lee County, MS. Sheriff Department
By John Harmon, Blue Springs, MS USA
Casey was 20 years old, working at the Julenile Detention center in Tupelo,Ms. A 16 year old suspect was being helded for shoplifting. The suspect was being released when he pulled a gun out of his shoe and fired a shot to the head of Casey, killing him instantly. The suspect escaped, but was captured later that night near Memphis. The suspect, Stephen Farris, was sentenced to life with out parole , Plus 70 years.

Casey Harmon came from a history of law enforcement, his grandfather was the chief deputy for Chickasaw County, Ms. , in the 1960's, his father was a deputy sheriff for almost 20 years, and his two brothers are currently deputy sheriffs with Chickasaw County.

[packrat]

When talking about teenagers today you have to remember that teenagers are not like teenagers were,say back int the 60's and 70's.Todays teens are far different.They have lived differently,seen more,and
endured more than teens back then.Teens these days are as advanced at 16 as we were at 21.The ones caught up in criminal acts are hard,cold people for the most part.These kids know full well what they are doing.I
believe if they take on the role of an adult to commit a crime,then they should take the punishment of an adult.Of course the circumstances in the crime should have a bearing on the charge.But if a 16 year old commits cold blooded murder,or any major crime, he should be treated no different than a 40 year old.They know right from wrong.Just my opinion.

[wittzo]

I think that kids are smarter and more clever today, but they aren't as mature.

Years ago, teenagers were expected to do a man's work, lots of them died in the Civil War or they were left behind to be the man of the family. I'm not referring to 18 and 19 year olds, I'm talking about 12 and 13 year olds or even younger.

I think Andrew Jackson was appointed as a Federal Judge when he was 18. I wouldn't trust an 18 year old at McDonalds to give me a Happy Meal without screwing up.

Kids today have access to so much information, they are book smart and physically more advanced than kids in the "old days", but morally immature.

I can't bring myself to trust my kids with a lot of things that my parents trusted me with, but I know that they are good kids.

[motorcop]

how can it possibly make a difference if a murder is committed by a person 16 years old or 40 years old?
the point is that anyone over the age of 5 or 6 would know that shooting/ killing someone is wrong.
if you kill a person, take your punishment (that means the death penalty) and let's move on.
oh, you say he's crazy? all the more reason to eliminate the trash and move on.
now, there is a great motivator to keep kids out of gangs.....
I'd much rather bury a killer than pay to keep him on death-row and let him bog the courts down with B/S appeals.

[granny2young]

motorcop said:

how can it possibly make a difference if a murder is committed by a person 16 years old or 40 years old?
the point is that anyone over the age of 5 or 6 would know that shooting/ killing someone is wrong.

The difference is the brain of a child is not the same as that of an adult. That is the reason children are not allowed to drive, vote, serve on a jury, buy alcohol, sign legal contracts, live alone, purchase purchase a firearm or own a car, etc.

[tbritt]

Did Anthony Lucus have any children? If so, they were handed a life-sentence...a lifetime of no Daddy. Is that any less fair than a 16 year old being held accountable for his actions? I, too, believe in rehabilitation, but each and every case should be looked at seperately. I don't think that the deciding factor should be age, but severity of the crime. In this case, I would have to say that the willfull murder of a policeman in the line of duty justifies sending this "child" to Death Row. My only hope for him is that he spends enough time waiting for execution to come to the full realization of what he has done and just how much it has/will affect everyone involved.

[cntryldyx3]

If you are going to take on the actions of an adult,you must take the punishment of an adult.Teens these days know full well what they are doing.He came out of that house with a gun and he knew what he was going to do with it.He also knew that the punishment would be harsh.It is probably not the first time he had a gun in his hands.In my past carrer I had teens in three cars try to pen me up on East Main Street after threatening to "take her *D head off",six hours earlier.Yes they know what they are doing.

[granny2young]

All the medical research and studies done disagree with you. A child's brain is not fully developed until at least the minimum of age 25, and they cannot comprehend the severity of their actions like an adult does.

There are several issues to charging a child as an adult and treating them the same. One issue is the cruelty of it. No crime can justify throwing a child in an 8 x 10 cell with adult criminals to let them suffer the consequences. That is inhumane. It's not a fair fight. A child cannot fairly defend himself against adults.

Another issue is the mentality of a child. Things one might do as a teen, he would never dream of doing at 35 or 40 years old. Kids grow and change, most of the time for the better, not always, but most always. Life in prison with no chance of parole for a child is a death sentence, and it gives no room for that growth, repentance, rehabilitation or a chance for a life. How many stupid things did you do as a teen that you regret as an adult? Should you be punished for that stupid act and have your life taken away with no hope of a second chance in time after you have grown up?

Should there be consequences to actions? Most certainly! That is the way we teach children. When my children got in trouble, they were punished, but I didn't take their life away because they done wrong. I didn't continue to beat them 10 years later because they done something bad. I didn't throw them away and say I would never forgive them or help them because they done wrong. I loved them unconditionally and done everything as a parent I could to help them not do wrong again and be better and grow up to be respectable adults. The judicial system don't see that with our children today. It's easier to lock them away, or kill them than to help them. These may not be your children, but they are someone's child. Adult prison is no place for a child, no matter what they have done. We have juvenile facilities and a juvenile system to deal with it, and it should be utilized.

[King Rat]

I think our society is trying to make our children into adults before they are ready.

Parents and teachers aren't supposed to discipline children these days.

Psychologists tell us children should be allowed to make important decisions for themselves.

College professors tell us that adults/child sex is healthy for children because it makes them fell loved.

Liberal activists talk a lot about "child rights".

Democrats tell us parents don't have the right to make important medical decisions for their children anymore. Teachers can transport children to abortion clinics without the parents permission or knowledge. Do you vote for democrats?

Our judicial system tells us children should be treated as adults in our courts.

I disagree with all of the above. I have children and it wasn't so long ago that I was a child myself that I have forgotten how stupid some of my decisions were. Children are not adults.

Sure, children and teens today are more violent than they were during my day. Why? See the list above. They are also exposed to endless violence on television and movies. Even through music - or what passes for music these days.

Children today are taught that if it feels good they should do it. They are told they have rights that used to be reserved for adults.

All that being said, kids today are more violent and they are committing adult crimes. In the cases of Casey Harmon's murderer and the 16 year-old kid who walked out and gunned down the police chief I have to agree with their sentences. They can't be allowed back into society. To me, life in prison would be worse than lethal injection.

Society has got itself in a fix. We can't simply slap violent teens on the wrist and turn them loose again to prey on innocent people. So what do we do? I think we have to start raising children again instead of raising small adults.

[TF Admin]

Amen KR! I concur! HERE! HERE!

TFADMIN