RIP robocop10mm

[Mr. AR50]

Such a terrible loss.
He will be missed.

[DM1906]

It didn't say in the "PoliceOne" report that DM posted above, but I thought he was home (asleep), and was woken up by someone breaking into his shed.

Sgt. Craig Hutchinson of the Travis County Sheriff's Office used his police radio around 1:30 a.m. to report people prowling behind his house. Investigators arriving moments later found Hutchinson lying on the ground in his backyard in Round Rock, about 15 miles from Austin.

Around here, the police won't investigate anything without backup. Especially burglaries, robberies, and domestic disputes.

I have heard it said many times by police that nothing is a routine call. Always be prepared.

.

The P1 release was of the first releases by AP, so it was not as complete as later reports. Read the comments below the article for further information. Some of the P1 members offered personal, verified info of the incident.

He was returning home after going off-shift (0100). He contacted dispatch at approx. 0120, via his department-issued radio, and advised of prowlers, and that he was going to investigate. His backup unit(s) arrived at approx. 0130, when they found him mortally wounded, gun shot to the back of his head. He was transported and pronounced at the hospital. From the reports, it appears he discovered the "prowlers" as he arrived home, although it is unclear if he actually entered his home, or if others occupied the home. I'm sure more details are available, but I haven't looked into it. I'll wait for the official investigative report. As far as being on-duty or off-duty, it's irrelevant. Once he rolled into the in-progress situation, he was on-duty. No different than an off-duty officer interrupting a robbery in progress at a restaurant he was patronizing.

As a note, for many years I worked a single unit in a rural area, mostly in mountain areas and small unincorporated towns with no local PD. It was not at all unusual to investigate similar incidents prior to backup arrival, which was seldom less than 10 minutes away, and often 30 minutes or more. Of course, bad things can happen if you act while backup is en route (as I have, many times). However, it is many times more likely that something bad will happen while staging or waiting for backup, in my experience. The responder does not have the luxury of time, only the bad guys have that. They make the rules. None of us were there, and we have no knowledge of the course of events. As it happens so often during spontaneously discovered incidents, he/we may have simply had no choice, and a strategic retreat may not have been an option. If other victims were involved (such as family members or neighbors), that would change the response strategy, immensely. We just don't know what happened, and we may never know.

[4949shooter]

Why anyone would post something negative on a memorial thread is beyond me. If one wants to criticize a deceased officer, the proper thing to do would be to start another thread discussion on police tactics.

Anyway, this unfortunate incident is starting to sound strange. I am thinking of the possibility of a setup.

[my_old_glock]

Why anyone would post something negative on a memorial thread is beyond me. If one wants to criticize a deceased officer, the proper thing to do would be to start another thread discussion on police tactics.

Anyway, this unfortunate incident is starting to sound strange. I am thinking of the possibility of a setup.

If you are referring to my post, it wasn't meant as negative. I was just looking at what went wrong.



.

[sqlbullet]

Lets all crack a cold one and chalk the last 10 posts or so up to missed nuance due to the emotionally vague nature of forum threads.

[DM1906]

Why anyone would post something negative on a memorial thread is beyond me. If one wants to criticize a deceased officer, the proper thing to do would be to start another thread discussion on police tactics.

Anyway, this unfortunate incident is starting to sound strange. I am thinking of the possibility of a setup.

You're right, of course, but I don't believe anyone meant anything negative in this thread. There are a lot of unanswered questions, curiosities, and frustration (I'm guilty).

I also agree about the appearance of a setup. I never met the man, but I've been around men who did, and had nothing but positive to say of him. It pains me to think it's possible. No LODD should be associated with the likes of that political mess. Every LODD hits close to home, but it seems more personal, lately.

[Captain O]

What a horrific loss! God bless you, Brother! May God welcome you home and say to you, "well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the presence of the Lord." May your murderers be brought to justice and may they see the light before they are executed.

You are sorely missed.

[snipr1]

Rest in Peace brother.  I still have 9 1/2 years until my retirement date.  Things like this make me wonder if I'll ever make it.

[Patriot]

A terrible loss.

God damn criminals make me sick.

[Blades]

Prayers for the family and prayers they will catch the people responsible.

[inv136]

This is terrible. Especially since he was about to finally retire. Condolences to his family.

[Captain O]

A terrible loss.

God damn criminals make me sick.

1,000,000,000 +!

[PCFlorida]

Rest in peace.

[Glock20SF]

Two things...
1. Their have been a rash of copycat ambushes on officers all across this nation since Dallas. My own department is constantly getting credible threats locally many from the so called peaceful members of the domestic terrorists known as BLM. I myself wonder if it is an ambush instantly when I hear of any officer is hurt or killed.
2. This thread I first read the other night. It gave me chills. Even though I hadn't joined yet I saw a thread about a gun guy in law enforcement who carries obviously the gun of his choice and works basically alone getting murdered. There I was sitting alone in my patrol vehicle near the end of my shift and it just gave me the chills. May he rest in peace.

[shooter65]

RIP. Very sad to hear.