# OIS LMPD Suspect Shot Officer (flesh wound)



## RodneyFarva (Jan 18, 2007)

A stop involving small talk between an officer and a suspect ended in gunfire overnight Tuesday, according to police.

Louisville Metro Police released new information Tuesday afternoon during a news conference about the police shooting that left both the suspect and one of the officers involved with non-life-threatening injuries.

LMPD Chief Steve Conrad and Lt. Theodore Eidem, head of the department's Public Integrity Unit, also released the police body camera video that recorded the incident.

Conrad said the incident took place at about 1:45 a.m. Tuesday near Bardstown Road and Cedar Look Drive. Officer Patrick Dahlgren said he smelled marijuana coming from the car, according to Conrad, and began to question the occupant, 18-year-old Decedric Binford. Officer Dahlgren then spotted marijuana in the vehicle, according to Conrad.

Body camera footage recorded from Dahlgren's camera appears to show what happened next.

"Is it alright if I pull up here, dude?" Bindord asks in the video.

"I don't care where you pull," Officer Dahlgren replied. "What's going on with you -- I'm just asking why you're out here in the street smoking weed."

Binford's response is undecipherable.

"Well, smoking weed, obviously," Dahlgren replied. "Is there more weed in the car? You already smoked everything you had?"

Eventually, Dahlgren asks Binford to get out of the car and he complies. Dahlgren checks him for weapons, and Binford tells him that he lives in a nearby apartment and he is just waiting for someone to pull out of his parking spot. Officer Dahlgren then tells Binford that he's just waiting for his partner to show up, and they begin making small talk about Binford's car.

"I just bought it a couple of weeks ago," Binford says.

"Where'd you get it from?" Officer Dahlgren asks, later asking, "Is it hard getting one right now with COVID-19, or no? How was it, like, test driving and that kind of stuff? Would they let you do that?"

"Yeah, I wasn't going to buy it if..." Binford replies.

"I just wasn't sure what all they got going on," Officer Dahlgren says. "I haven't tried to buy one since. I never know what they're doing -- if they're letting people test drive them, not test drive them..."

"Yeah," Binford says. "Are you cool if I get my stuff out of my car?"

"Whatcha getting?" Officer Dahlgren replies.

At that point, Binford appears to get in his car and rummage through his glove compartment, pulling out some kind of plastic drink bottle.

At the same time, another officer -- identified by Conrad as LMPD officer Trevor Troutman -- walks up to the vehicle. At that point Binford appears to reach for something in the back seat.

"You can come out!" an officer says.

"Don't be reaching!" an officer says. "Don't be reaching!"

There is a loud bang on the video and an audible grunt from an officer as Binford runs. Conrad says he opened fire on the officers and Dahlgren was grazed in the shoulder by a bullet.

Both officers returned fire, firing off four rounds each, according to Eidem.

"I'm good! I'm good!" Dahlgren says on the video, adding to a dispatcher, "I got shots fired! Bardstown and Cedar Look! Bardstown and Cedar Look! Shots fired!"

When asked if he's hurt, Dahlgren replies, "Dude, I don't know! Check my shoulder, man! My right shoulder!"

The officers take off running as more police officers arrive. Binford tried to run and fired one additional round, but eventually collapsed according to Conrad. Body camera video captured what appears to be several officers pinning him down. Conrad says he was shot once, but is expected to recover.

"I can't breathe!" Binford says on the video, with several officers taking him into custody.

"Behind your back now!" an officer shouts.

"I can't breathe!" Binford repeats. "I cannot breathe!"

"Well, you should have thought of that before you shot me!" Officer Dahlgren replies.

"I know," Binford says. "I [UNDECIPHERABLE] have a choice."

"You did have a choice, man!" Officer Dahlgren replies.

Police played body camera video captured from two officers. Both videos end near this point.

Conrad said a handgun was found at the spot where Binford collapsed.

Police say Binford has been charged with attempted murder of a police officer, fleeing or evading police and trafficking in marijuana.

"It went from a relatively calm interaction and it quickly turned into an incident requiring a split-second decision being made by our officers," Conrad said.

The chief pointed to a recent rise in police-involved shootings and said the trend is troubling.

"I don't know that I would describe what we've seen as a spike, but seeing four officer-involved shootings last month and two ... this month -- that is six too many," he said.

He said both Dahlgren and Troutman had been placed on administrative reassignment.

Online court records indicate Binford has had no previous arrests in Jefferson County prior to his turning 18. He did have two traffic-related citations.


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## Hush (Feb 1, 2009)

The perfect response to "I can't breathe": YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE YOU SHOT ME.


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## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

Never let a bad guy reach back into their car after they're out of it, especially when you suspect he's been smoking marijuana while driving and that he might have more inside the car.

Also, I wouldn't recommend taking cover in front of your patrol car with your spotlight and takedown lights hitting you in the face. Good way to both blind you and light yourself up so the bad guy can see you when you can't see him.

On the other hand, good job remaining calm after being shot and putting rounds down range.


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