A full outside review of the tragic death of an 11-year-old girl, who was struck by a Rutherford County Sheriff officer’s vehicle, appears likely and is certainly necessary to restore public trust.
Due to his daily workings with Murfreesboro Police and the sheriff’s department, District Attorney Bill Whitesell asked for and received the appointment of an outside prosecutor to oversee the case of Lakeisha White, who was struck by the sheriff’s detective’s vehicle the night of July 17 on Bradyville Pike.
Serious shortcomings by Murfreesboro Police’s Fatal Accident Crash Team in investigating the incident have caused considerable consternation among the victim’s family and others in the Bradyville Pike area and raised questions with the public at large.
Obviously the crash team should have done a much, much better job of interviewing witnesses at the scene of the tragedy and in recovering possible evidence that now pretty clearly includes one or two liquor bottles discarded at the scene by the sheriff’s detective sergeant, Ron Killings, immediately after the accident.
The crash team’s failure to pursue those in-your-face elements of the incident have prompted a great unease among many in the community that puts law enforcement in our community in a bad light that shines on all in that critical area of public service.
Police Chief Glenn Chrisman has correctly placed the FACT team’s leader on administrative leave and named a higher-ranking officer to handle the ongoing investigation.
Prompted in part by concerns of the victim’s family, Whitesell last week sought the appointment of an outside DA to oversee the case with former Franklin district attorney Joe Baugh of Franklin accepting the post and indicating he will probably bring in an outside agency to investigate the incident.
At this point it appears the tragic accident was just that. Killings passed a blood test indicating no alcohol or drugs in his system.
But, the failure to comprehensively work the incident by the police team and Killings’ apparent possession of liquor in a sheriff’s vehicle raise questions that must be addressed.
Outside agencies, the DA pro tem and hopefully an investigative agency are needed to fully explore the tragic incident in order to address and allay public questions. |
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