The Unsorted BBS Collection/thegreatunsorted.tar/thegreatunsorted/texts/txtfiles_misc/news74

Text File | 1993-02-24 | 2KB | 29 lines

02/23/1993   FORT WORTH, Texas (UPI) -- A rookie policeman who shot
a motorist seven times after a Fort Worth car chase while he was off
duty was not indicted on an attempted murder charge but is likely to
be sued by the victim's family.
   A Tarrant County grand jury Monday declined to indict Mansfield
officer Mark Stroeh in the Jan. 9 shooting of Mark Gossett, who is
now in fair condition in what his family describes as a vegetative
state.
   Shortly after the 12-member panel reached its decision, Stroeh,
28, said "The weight of the world is lifted off my shoulders."
   Gossett's older brother, Tracy, said of the verdict, "I think it
stinks," admitting he didn't expect an indictment but feels as
though the justice system let him down. He said that the family
plans to file a lawsuit against Stroeh and the city of Mansfield.
   Stroeh, who had been on the Mansfield force for about two months,
was in uniform and in his personal car on the way to work when he
chased Gossett, 30, who had left the scene of a minor accident.
   The officer told Fort Worth investigators that Gossett assumed a
"threatening stance" when he got out of his car and appeared to be
pointing a gun at him. Stroeh said he fired several rounds at
Gossett, but no weapon was found near the victim or in his car.
   Stroeh's attorney, Jim Lane, said they were pleased with the
outcome of the grand jury probe but questioned the Fort Worth police
decision to charge the officer with attempted murder so soon after
the incident.
   Fort Worth Chief Thomas Windham defended the decision to charge
Stroeh six days after the shooting, saying that police file cases
and let grand juries decide whether the cases go to trial.