Minnesotadeputy Shot Multiple Times

[P71_CrownVic]

So, here is the original story:

 

Two people were arrested Wednesday after a nine hour standoff in Mahnomen that followed the shooting of a Mahnomen County Sheriff's deputy.

 

The suspects have been identified as Daniel Vernier, 28, of Mahanomen, and Thomas Fairbanks, 33, of Red Lake.

 

Sheriff Doug Krier said the situation began at 4 a.m. when they received a report of a drunk driver leaving the Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen. Deputies found the vehicle near the county courthouse, but couldn't locate the driver.

 

Around 6:20 a.m., a neighbor heard gunshots in the area but authorities were unable to locate a shooter.. Almost an hour later, Deputy Christopher Dewey—a four-year veteran—went to the home of the witness who alerted them about shots being fired.

 

A few minutes later, Dewey's partner was unable to get a response from him. The deputy went to check on Dewey, 26, and found him lying in the driveway outside the home with a gunshot wound to the abdomen and the head.

 

Following the shooting, a man was seen running into a nearby mobile home. At that time authorities surrounded the home.

 

More than 100 deputies and officers from Cass and Clay Counties, along with area city departments, responded to the incident.

 

The Mahnomen Public School, located a few blocks from the shooting, was locked down as a precaution, according to Superintendent Walt Aanenson. The school's 600 students were bused home after the standoff ended around 4 p.m. when Fairbanks walked out of the home and surrendered. Vernier had surrendered earlier in the day.

 

Both Fairbanks and Vernier have long criminal histories. Fairbanks has been convicted of assault, felony theft, burglary and DWI. Vernier has been convicted of burglary, assault with a dangerous weapon, DWI and criminal vehicular injury. Both men served time in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud.

 

Dewey underwent hours of surgery at MeritCare in Fargo, ND Wednesday. Doctors said he is in critical but stable condition after two different procedures—one to repair damage to his brain and the other to fix a gunshot wound to his liver.

 

Medical officials said Dewey has a severe brain injury, but it's too soon to know if he'll make a full recovery.

 

Mahnomen is located about 60 miles northeast of Fargo.

 

And here is the most recent update on Deputy Chris Dewy:

 

 

MAHNOMEN, Minn. (AP) - A Mahnomen County sheriff's deputy critically wounded in a shooting has had his condition upgraded.

 

MeritCare Hospital in Fargo, N.D., said Saturday that 26-year-old Deputy Christopher Dewey was upgraded from critical to guarded condition.

 

In a news release, critical care specialist Dr. Frank Sepe said Dewey is moving his left side and consistently following commands. He had been able to move his right side all along.

 

Dewey also has been able to talk and as of noon Saturday was able to eat soft foods.

 

He was shot in the head and the abdomen Wednesday morning while checking a report of shots fired in a neighborhood in Mahnomen. A backup deputy found Dewey lying in the driveway.

 

Two Twin Cities-area men face multiple charges. They surrendered after a nine-hour standoff at a mobile home.

 

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

 

 

(both stories from www.kstp.com)

 

Another story said that when we was talking to his wife, he actually joked and said, "I guess I should have ducked."

 

Simply, a miracle.

[VR021302]

Man it's good to hear that he is doing better. Stuff like this is why I believe in an eye for an eye.

[P71_CrownVic]

Man it's good to hear that he is doing better. Stuff like this is why I believe in an eye for an eye.

 

Me too.

 

Here is an update from today:

 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) - Less than a week ago, Chris Dewey was in a medically induced coma here with gunshot wounds to the abdomen and head, but on Monday his surgeon said he was expecting to release the sheriff's deputy from the hospital in a few days.

 

Dewey is making remarkable progress, said Dr. Robert Sticca, one of Dewey's surgeon's at MeritCare Hospital, during a press conference. "He's now awake, talking, corresponding with his family," Sticca said.

 

Dewey's condition has been upgraded from guarded to satisfactory.

 

"We're all very optimistic about his condition. He's out of danger at the present time," Sticca said. "But he still has a long road ahead."

 

Dewey, 26, a Mahnomen County sheriff's deputy, was shot several times Wednesday morning while checking a report of shots fired in a Mahnomen neighborhood. Two Twin Cities-area men face multiple charges.

 

Family spokesman Paul Laney, the Cass County sheriff, said Dewey remembers what happened and has joked with visitors that he should have ducked to avoid the gunshots. Family members are ecstatic with his progress, Laney said.

 

"They're so excited about his progress so far and so thankful they're prayers have been answered," Laney said. "They feel it's nothing short of a miracle to come from where he was at Wednesday when he was brought in, to him standing and talking to them and joking with them.

 

"In their words, he's the same old Chris," Laney said.

 

Dewey will need at least one more surgery to repair his skull, and still has limited function of the upper left side of his body, Sticca said.

 

"We're hoping with intensive physical therapy, with rehabilitation efforts, that he will regain most, if not all, of that function," Sticca said.

 

Dewey has shown no ill effects from the abdominal wound, although he remains in serious pain from the brain injury, Sticca said. The surgeon would not predict the recovery time.

 

"He's a young, healthy individual. They do tend to recover better than we would expect," Sticca said.

 

Thomas Lee Fairbanks, 32, the alleged shooter, was charged with first-degree attempted murder and 20 other felony counts in the shooting of Dewey and the following standoff with officers. Daniel Kurt Vernier, 27, was charged with 16 felonies.

 

Sticca said Dewey was partially conscious and mumbling when he was taken to a Mahnomen hospital right after the shooting. The deputy was placed into a medically induced coma before he was transported to Fargo.

 

Laney said law enforcement considers Dewey as family and will be monitoring the court appearances of the two suspects.

 

"This was senseless and it was for no for reason whatsoever," Laney said. "I look forward to the day when those two stand before a judge and explain themselves. And yes, we will be there."

 

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

 

GOD...I love good news like this.

 

KSTP

[DofD]

It is really wonderful that officer Dewey is recovering so well! May his recovery be swift and complete.

[Draenor]

Thats messed up...

 

 

Death from electrocution from the testicles.

[VR021302]

Dewey remembers what happened and has joked with visitors that he should have ducked to avoid the gunshots

 

I am honestly in awe of a person that can get shot and they joke that they should have ducked.

[Draenor]

Dewey remembers what happened and has joked with visitors that he should have ducked to avoid the gunshots

 

I am honestly in awe of a person that can get shot and they joke that they should have ducked.

I'm in awe of the quote below.

 

More than 100 deputies and officers from Cass and Clay Counties, along with area city departments, responded to the incident.

And not one deputy took the liberty of saving the taxpayers money and dispensed justice.

[svensk]

Good to hear he is recovering well! I have relatives that live up in that area, in fact very close to where this happened. Crazy because this is really out in the boonies and this deputy is lucky someone was looking out for him. Mahnomen is an extremely small town, so I'm sure these guys were known dirt bags.

[BuckFeverZ]

Good to hear he's doin better.

[mr_bots]

Someone was looking out for him...to survive and recover from an experience like this is a miracle. I miss public hangings. This shit wouldn't happen so often anymore.

[rvsahs]

Someone was looking out for him...to survive and recover from an experience like this is a miracle. I miss public hangings. This shit wouldn't happen so often anymore.

!!

[pennzoil29]

What would Judge Roy Bean do? It is good to hear that the deputy is doing well.

[P71_CrownVic]

And not one deputy took the liberty of saving the taxpayers money and dispensed justice.

 

Yeah, nothing says 'justice' like a homicide charge and a wrongful death lawsuit.

 

In MN, we only have three instances when we can use lethal force. Off the top of my head:

 

1. To protect the police officer or another from immediate great bodily harm or death.

 

2. To effect the arrest or capture, or prevent the escape of a person who the police officer knows, or has reasonable grounds to believe, has committed or attempted to commit a felony with the use or threatened use of deadly force.

 

3. To effect the arrest or capture or prevent the escape of a person who the police officer knows or has reasonable grounds to believe has committed or attempted to commit a felony if the officer reasonably believes that the person will cause death or great bodily harm if the person's apprehension is delayed.

 

So, while you could technically justify a shooting under the letter of the law, nothing would hold up in court...and the officer that did shoot would probably be convicted of murder and lose his/her job.

[LawmanSS]

More than 100 deputies and officers from Cass and Clay Counties, along with area city departments, responded to the incident.

And not one deputy took the liberty of saving the taxpayers money and dispensed justice.

 

 

That's the triumph of professionalism over emotion.

[ALange]

Both Fairbanks and Vernier have long criminal histories. Fairbanks has been convicted of assault, felony theft, burglary and DWI. Vernier has been convicted of burglary, assault with a dangerous weapon, DWI and criminal vehicular injury. Both men served time in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud.

 

 

 

Mahnomen is located about 60 miles northeast of Fargo.

 

 

 

The true crime is our judges and courts that continue to put these cretins back on the street. I say we turn all violent criminals into organ donors and jails into organ farms for hospitals. Evey news article like this should have the judge's name that released the perp.