Delta Chi Brother Shot Dead in Ball State

[moe.ron]

Ball State student shot and killed by rookie university officer

Bedford native shot 4 times early Saturday morning

By Brian Janosch & Brandon Morley

MUNCIE -- A 21-year-old Ball State University student from Bedford, Ind., was shot and killed by university police early Saturday morning.

Junior Michael S. McKinney was banging on the back door and window of an off-campus house when the police were called around 3 a.m., Ball State spokesperson Heather Shupp said.

The Indianapolis Star reported that Ball State Police Officer Robert Duplain, 24, arrived at the scene and asked the student to come down from the back porch. From there, the student lunged off the porch toward the officer, when Duplain shot and killed McKinney with four shots to the torso.

"It is a terrible tragedy for the university and community," Shupp said. "Our focus is on the family and getting support for them and any friends of the student's. We are also making sure that the officer and his co-workers receive all the support they need as well."

The university had several counselors on duty over the weekend to provide the help they needed.

McKinney had been a member of the Delta Chi fraternity, whose house had closed down last year due to financial troubles. The university was not aware of McKinney's current residence.

Duplain has been on the Ball State police force for just seven months, and had completed his basic firearms and law course from the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board, which allowed him to carry a weapon while on duty, The Indianapolis Star reported.

He had also completed 14 weeks of field training with the university and is scheduled to train at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in January 2004. Duplain is currently on administrative leave awaiting an investigation of the shooting, The Indianapolis Star reported.

"Case law in Indiana says a jury has to determine what was in the officer's mind at the time of the shooting," said Marc Lansky, an IU graduate and former Allen County prosecutor. "If the officer has hollered at someone and the guy charges him, the officer has to assume in a second or two whether or not the guy has a weapon."

Two IU Police Department administrators, including Lt. Jerry Minger, said they cannot remember a time in the last 30 years where an officer fired his weapon on campus.

Lansky said Indiana police officers have the right to use any appropriate force to make an arrest or stop a crime, which includes deadly force if the officer feels it necessary.

Many Ball State students were already aware of the death just one day after the shooting, and several students questioned the the officer's decision.

"I just think that (the officer) shouldn't have shot him so quick," Ball State Student Ryan Dye said. "They didn't even know if he was armed. I don't see any reason why they thought he was going to be violent. Or they also didn't have to shoot him four times, they could have just shot him in the leg or something so he couldn't attack them."

The Indianapolis Star reported McKinney had been previously charged with public intoxication, possession of stolen property and criminal mischief in May 2002 when he and other members of his fraternity were caught stealing street signs. Information has not yet been released as to whether or not McKinney was intoxicated at the time of his death.

-- Contact staff writer Brian Janosch at bjanosch@indiana.edu. Staff writer Brandon Morley contributed to this report.

[AlphaPhiBubbles]

How sad....I heart D Chi

[PsychTau]

Let's hope cool heads prevail in all of this....
I would hate to see students revolting against University Police and more people wind up getting hurt or in dangerous situations.

[DeltAlum]

Knowing really nothing about the situation at the time of this tragic event, you still have to wonder if deadly force was necessary -- or whether mace or some other kind of physical force would have worked.

This could be tough to sort out.

[CatStarESP4]

This is very sad and tragic!

[AOII_Luv]

I did not know Mikey, but his sister, Katie, was a good friend of mine. She worked with me for two years...talk about the sweetest person ever. I read the story in the paper Sunday evening after coming home from Michigan and was just stunned. Several of us have talked to Katie and they are all devastated. Though she doesn't read these boards, I know that she would really appreciate all your kind words and prayers.

From what I understand, Mikey was at a friends window...or what he thought was his friends window. He was also at a bar that evening, but we are not sure if he was intoxicated or not. There has no word about the "lunging off the porch" but everyone I know thinks that 4 shots to his middle was excessive, but then again, we weren't there. It just breaks my heart because their family was so very close to each other.

[texas*princess]

I don't really know anything about this situation, but were *FOUR* shots really neccessary? It just seems excessive and strange to me.

This is very sad & tragic

[madmax]

Sounds like a bogus shooting to me.

I don't think universities should even have police departments. The local governments should be responsible for police departments. The schools could simply give their police budget to the local town and then let the town hire more cops to patrol the campus. Having just one police department would be more efficient. If it is a big campus then the local police can simpy set up a full time office on campus.

What does Ball State or any other college know about running a police department? Most campus cops are a joke and their main job is to write parking tickets. I think the NYPD is a little more qualified to stop crime than the NYU PD.

[DeltAlum]

It may well be excessive. We'll just have to follow the story to see.

One thing, though. The idea of "shooting in the leg" or some less deadly part of the body is the stuff of TV and movies. Real life situations seldom allow for that.

When using a hand gun, cops are taught to fire at the body. Most of them simply aren't good enough -- nor do they have enough time to take careful aim in a situation where someone may be charging at you. Most police shootings are at close range and develop very rapidly. It's unfortunate, but true.

I don't believe I've ever heard of a campus police officer shooting anyone -- which makes this tragedy worse. If the victim wasn't armed, I would be concerned if I were in the officer's place.

Our best wishes and thoughts do go to the victim's family.

Edited because I just saw Max's post.

When I was in school, the university police were better trained and equipped to handle situations like this than the city police. The campus cops were trained in those days by the Ohio State Patrol Academy and tended to be better educated and more professional than the small town officers on the city police department.

I'm sure that's not the case everywhere.

[adpialumcsuc]

This is very sad.
I too wonder if 4 shots was needed. One in the leg probably would have done the job.

[Tom Earp]

This is sad.

But you must remember, that the State Colleges/Universitys are controlled by the State, not the Local City or County Law enforcement Orgs. These people do not just strap weapons on and a badge. They have to go through strict training that is mandated by the State.

If there is a Problem on campus, the Local law enforcement must be asked to come to thier aid.

Police Officers are not trained to shoot at a leg or arm. They are trained to shoot at body mass. They are trained to fire at Least 3/4 shots at someone who they are in fear of attacking them.


If you have never been in a situation where I have been, then it is hard to judge by a Civilian who are the most out spoken.

I almost had to shoot several people and thank god I never did, I had the Power of God in My Hand, .357 Magnum. It did not take me long to figure that out! Just what is a life worth. If it was between He or Me, guess who I was looking out for.

I suggest, if you have a ride along program, you sign up for it! It do get very eye opening!

My younger Brother did with his Son who is a Officer in Midland Tx. I asked him, "Did You go Hot, Lights and Siren"? Oh, Hell Yes! Did you adrenilen get pumped, Oh Yes! Welcome to the real world!

Maybe we will never know the true situation, but if This Man was doing something he should not have been doing, it would have been much easier to just act normal, put his hands up and try to explain!

But, from the sounds of it, that was not the case!

I am sorry for the Loss to His Family and Brohters. But until you have been in the situation, it is very hard to explain!

Unless You Were In the Situation as was the Officer, then it is hard to be the jusge.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by adpialumcsuc
I too wonder if 4 shots was needed. One in the leg probably would have done the job.

Please see my post and Tom's just above. Shooting in the leg is generally not an option in this kind of situation.

[AGDee]

Originally posted by madmax
Sounds like a bogus shooting to me.

I don't think universities should even have police departments. The local governments should be responsible for police departments. The schools could simply give their police budget to the local town and then let the town hire more cops to patrol the campus. Having just one police department would be more efficient. If it is a big campus then the local police can simpy set up a full time office on campus.

What does Ball State or any other college know about running a police department? Most campus cops are a joke and their main job is to write parking tickets. I think the NYPD is a little more qualified to stop crime than the NYU PD.

I know the students at Wayne State University, which is in the inner city of Detroit, are very happy to have their own police force. Crime rates on their campus are MUCH lower than in the rest of the city and the City of Detroit police force is under federal investigation for a whole lot of corruption.

At Eastern Michigan University, my alma mater, the campus police as well as the city and county police began falling under one umbrella about 10 to 15 years ago so that they would be cooperating with each other and assisting one another without jurisdictional problems. I believe that includes the police from the University of Michigan because they are in the same county.

As for this particular case, I agree with DA. We need to watch and see just what occurred. If the police in fact got a call that someone was trying to break into a house at that hour of the night, it was probably dark.. you can see how an officer would feel threatened. It's definitely a tragedy for this young man's family however and my thoughts and prayers will be with them.

Dee

[AXWhoah]

I know that at a school like University of Arizona that has some 40,000 plus people on campus during the day a specific police force is necessary. I mean the population of the campus is bigger than a lot of cities.

[dantheman]

The cop shot him four times? Doesnt that seem a bit much? The guy lunged at the cop, so the cop proceeded to shoot him 4 times...something just doesnt seem right about that. If anything, one shot would have been effective. The cop didnt have to kill the kid.