EXCESSIVE FORCE?

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By Courtney Greve
Staff writer

Take a minute to read this one. I know it's a little long but this happened in my neighborhood and its quite disturbing.
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In the last hour of his 21st birthday, a Dixmoor man was shot and killed by police after he allegedly climbed through a doughnut shop's drive-up window, robbed the store and pistol-whipped an employee.
The dead man's relatives and ministers said Bobby Pounds might have been the victim of "brute or excessive force" by police officers and called for an end to the "open season on young African-American men."

DeAndre Moore, Pounds' older brother, said what happened Sunday night "was straight out of character."

Midlothian Detective Sgt. Harold Kaufman said Monday he is "very, very confident" the officers' actions were appropriate after seeing the security video from the Dunkin' Donuts shop.

"The officers were at the right place at the right time," Kaufman said. "I honestly feel, from the beating (the victim) took, they saved his life by being there."

Pounds repeatedly used his gun to beat the employee's head and face, police said.

The victim received 19 staples and nine stitches before he was released Monday from St. Francis Hospital in Blue Island, police said.

The two officers, whom officials refused to identify, are on paid leave while the Illinois State Police public integrity unit investigates the incident.

It was the first fatal police shooting in Midlothian in at least 16 years, Kaufman said.

At 11:15 p.m. Sunday, police said Pounds walked up to the drive-up window of the shop, 14631 S. Pulaski Road, and ordered a cup of coffee and a doughnut.

The store's seating area closes at 9:30 p.m., but the window is open 24 hours.

Pounds then reached into the window, grabbed the employee and demanded money, police said.

When the worker backed up, Pounds climbed through the narrow window and pulled out a "small caliber revolver," Kaufman said.

The employee gave Pounds several hundred dollars from the cash register, but he wanted more and demanded the employee open the safe, police said.

"(The employee) told him he didn't have the key," Kaufman said. "I guess (Pounds) didn't believe him."

Meanwhile, a second employee slipped out of the shop's back door and ran to Pulaski, where he flagged down a passing police car.

The officers got out of the squad car and saw Pounds beating the store employee, Kaufman said.

Pounds turned and moved toward the front door when he spotted the officers and pointed the gun at them, Kaufman said.

The officers drew their weapons and fired up to 10 rounds, shattering two windows and a door.

"I heard four pops and thought it was fireworks," said J.J. Sebastian, who lives in an apartment building behind the doughnut shop. "Then I heard quicker ones, and I knew something was up."

Sebastian said he rushed outside and saw broken glass on the ground and more police officers rushing to the scene. The 22-year-old construction laborer had returned earlier Sunday after a weeklong vacation in Mexico.

"I wasn't excited about coming back to the snow," he said, "but I never expected a shooting and robbery next door to me. I'm pretty tired of bad things happening around here."

Pounds was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died at 11:31 p.m., according to a Cook County medical examiner's office spokesman.

Pounds' last known address was the 5200 block of Riverside Drive in Richton Park, but relatives said he was living in Dixmoor to care for his grandmother.

DeAndre Moore said his brother attended Thornton High School in Harvey. Pounds was taking GED classes at South Suburban College and hoped to start working in construction this spring.

"He was striving to stay on the right track," Moore said as two female relatives sobbed loudly.

Pounds pleaded guilty to retail theft in 2003. He also was fined in August for attempting to solicit drugs, according to court records.

He is survived by two sons, Ryan, 4, and Justin, 17 months.

More than 20 family members gathered Monday at Midwest Memorial Chapel in Harvey to make funeral arrangements and challenge police to provide answers.

"We're not here today to argue innocence or guilt," said the Rev. Lance Davis, of New Zion Christian Fellowship in Dolton. "We're here to raise questions as to the amount of force used to murder an individual and to stop the open season on young African-American men in the community."

The Rev. Donald Luster, who was a youth leader for Pounds at Arc of the Covenant Baptist Church in Dolton, said police may have used "brute or excessive force" by shooting Pounds multiple times.

"How many times does it take to get a 6-foot, 140-pound male down," he asked.

Davis said the family planned to ask police to see the security video. They want to know if Pounds attempted to surrender and if an altercation with the employees spurred his behavior.

They also questioned why there was blood outside the Dunkin' Donuts shop if Pounds was inside when he was shot.

"We should get the whole story," Davis said.

OK The good Rev. Lance Davis, Sounds like he needs to be pistol whiped by a young punk just like this Pounds did to this store employee and see if he asks the cops that come and save his ass if they used excessive force!
This is what I find to be ridiculous, I really am sick and tired of people looking for a reason to speak out!
Lets look at the fact here. A youth who has been in trouble with robbery before, attemps to rob a store, he is in the midst of pistol whiping one of the employees, when the cops arrive he spins around and points his gun at the police officers. The cops unload on him to defend themselves and the question this idiot Rev. Lance Davis has is was this excessive force?
What ever happened to people being worried about looking stupid with something they say. Apparently this guy don't care if he looks stupid asking this question. Why did the cops use excessive force? I ask the Rev. This, what matters if he was shot once twice or one hundred times? With all do respect Rev. Go back to the neighborhood this reptile Pounds crawled out of on this day and see if you can save someone who will be more than likely to follow in his footsteps. Or do you consider having lost souls like this chap job security? So the next time a punk like this threatens someone's life with a loaded weapon and the cops take him out then you can once again question the amount of force used......
I am sick of this shit. I am not racist, it does not matter what color or creed this individule was, It's the fact that this is another attempt for a low life to take something from someone who is working hard for it! Fuck him! If he didn't put himself in this place he would be alive to help his family celebrate Christmas. Now someone has has to Celebrate this Holiday with 19 staples in their head while 2 Peace officers have to soul search and wonder if God will still except them into heaven because they had to kill someone to save another.
Merry Christmas De Andre Pounds. I think you did your kids a favor by getting yourself killed. Now they won't have to grow up and have the possability of your selfish stealing ways accidently rubbing off on them. They now have a better chance of making a possitive effect on society, not instill fear in good honest hardworking people like you did scum bag..
Rev. Lance Davis refind the reason you wanted to preach Gods word and help save someone. Don't use your pulpit to become another Al Sharpton or Jesse. Find the cause you were choosen for and do it man do it! Don't ask questions just so you can get in the media.
Merry Christmas Assface!!!!