Family Responds After Witnesses say Veteran Did Not Shoot at Police First
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GASTONIA, NC — New details are emerging after Gaston County Police officers shot and killed a Navy veteran battling PTSD.
Officers say that Dean Poole shot at them first.
“It’s tragic, and it’s sad, and it’s not fair for our whole entire Poole family,” said Poole’s niece, Wendy Poole.
Wendy Poole says agents with the State Bureau of Investigations revealed Tuesday that they obtained a warrant to take the gun off of Poole’s body.
“They’ll see that he didn’t fire, and furthermore, just common sense will explain right there, if his gun was on his body, in his waist band, how could he of shot and put it back while four officers are firing at him?” said Wendy Poole.
Gaston County Police and SBI wouldn’t return calls to confirm the warrant information.
It was just before 5:30 Monday evening when the National Veterans Hotline called 911 to report a suicidal man who who had a gun.
The Veteran Hotline Responder told the dispatcher, “…he’s upset because his doctor took his pain medication away. He’s also stating that if police come to his house, it won’t end well.”
The 911 dispatcher asked if the man was violent.
The responder said, “Well, he’s threatening to hurt other people in addition to himself. He’s got PTSD.”
One key witness, J.C. Dowell, was standing on his porch on Wedowee Road when Gaston County Officers rounded the corner.
He says Poole was on his lawnmower.
“They turned that corner and had them guns and said, ‘Get your hands up! Get your hands up!’,” said Dowell. “He was sitting on his mower with his hands in his lap. He started coming up like this. When he got along here they killed him.”
Dowell said Poole did not have a gun in his hand.
Chief James Buie spoke after the shooting. Although, he would not answer any follow up questions.
“The officers approached Mr. Poole and identified themselves as police officers. Mr. Poole pulled a firearm and discharged multiple times,” said Chief Buie.
Now bullet holes are left in Poole’s home.
“He didn’t shoot first at all,” said Dowell. “He wouldn’t of had a chance to pull his gun out to shoot.”
Poole’s wife and children were too upset to talk. They put a veteran memorial up where police shot him.
“They have to protect themselves,” said Wendy Poole. “And that’s very understandable, but if you get a call that someone’s suicidal…”
She wants more police training to deal with those calls.
The four officers involved in this shooting are on paid leave while the SBI and the Gaston County Police Department finish their separate investigations.
