Violent Crime News Video For Smiths Station, Alabama: Howard Edward Nevels III Shot And Killed By Lee County Police (Sheriff’s Deputy)

The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reports that Howard Edward Nevels III was shot and killed by a Lee County (AL) sheriff’s deputy in Smiths Station, Alabama. The incident occurred on Saturday, January 12, 2013. It was about 10:45 in the morning. Nevels was sent to the hospital and then died early Sunday morning.

Location:

The scene of the alleged crime was the back yard of a residence in the 2700 block of Lee Road 243.

Suspect:

Howard Eddie Nevels III was 33 years old. He lived in Phenix City, Alabama.

Justified Shooting?

According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy was trying to stop Nevels because the license plate of the car Nevels was driving was for a car that had been reported stolen. Nevels pulled into a driveway and continued to the backyard of a residence. The deputy then says that he was approaching when Nevels accelerated again. The deputy further says he shot toward the driver’s side door because Eddie Nevels was headed straight for his direction.

Here is the odd part. The deputy says he gave several verbal commands to stop before shooting. This just sounds odd. If a guy inside a vehicle is coming at you and you are outside on foot, it’s very bizarre to think that they would hear you if you are making verbal commands. Anyone with even a little common sense knows that the sound of the engine drowns out a lot of external sounds. Secondly, if the car is really coming towards you and you are in fear for your life, it seems rather unlikely that you would hesitate to shoot, instead opting to give verbal commands that a guy inside a car is highly unlikely to even be hearing, anyway.

This story might be true. The deputy might be telling the truth. But I’d have a whole lot of questions about these unusual claims if I were doing the investigating. If a car was trying to run over you in a confined space like a backyard, would you be giving verbal commands to stop to someone who is trying to run you over? Or would you shoot right away at this person who is trying to kill you?

Note: It is not clear from the video whether the vehicle was actually in a backyard at the time the deputy shot. In fact, according to the video below, the Nevel vehicle actually came to rest in someone’s front yard. So there could just be some inaccuracies in the reporting. It is also true that a witness says she did hear the deputy giving verbal commands. I am not saying he did not yell any commands. But whether Nevels was in a position to hear such commands is another question.

And was this vehicle just inching forward or actually accelerating towards the deputy? That could make a huge difference, as well. If it was just inching forward, then that suggests the deputy may have exaggerated the danger. But if it wasn’t inching forward and was actually trying to hit him, stopping to give SEVERAL verbal commands suggests either a very strange cop or that something is wrong.

I am not making any accusations. I am saying what the investigators will surely be exploring if they are doing their jobs. Maybe there are some reasonable explanations. I am not accusing anyone because I don’t have all the facts. These are things to consider, investigate, and resolve, NOT ACCUSATIONS.

Note that giving verbal commands to someone in a car that they most likely wouldn’t even hear and then using the refusal to obey those same commands to justify shooting someone seems awfully sketchy, in and of itself. It’s rather like putting up a “Trespassers Will Be Shot” sign, covering up the sign so no one can read it, and then shooting everyone who happens to walk onto your property.

Sources:

Columbus (Georgia) Ledger-Enquirer Article On Police Shooting Death Of Howard Edward Nevels III In Smiths Sation, Alabama

WTVM.com-Columbus, GA News Weather