subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite map
Sun, Jul 05 2009 

Published August 13, 2008 09:50 pm - The Missouri State Highway Patrol has issued a report saying two Joplin police officers were justified in the shooting Saturday night of a former lieutenant with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department.

State patrol report says Joplin officers justified in shooting armed man



By Jeff Lehr

jlehr@joplinglobe.com

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has issued a report saying two Joplin police officers were justified in the shooting Saturday night of a former lieutenant with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department.

Police Chief Lane Roberts said the state patrol informed him Wednesday that its investigation of the shooting of Milton E. Ganz, 38, outside his home at 2603 S. Monroe Ave. concluded that Officers Ben Cooper and Freddie Alaniz acted in accordance with Joplin Police Department policy governing use of force.

Police say Ganz was armed with a .357-caliber revolver and was threatening to kill himself before the two officers arrived at his house. Both officers fired at him multiple times when Ganz pointed the gun at Cooper, according to police. Ganz was wounded by a single shot to the abdomen.

Roberts said the patrol’s report concurs with findings of the Police Department’s own internal-affairs review.

“(The officers) did the right thing,” Roberts said. “They were in a real tough spot.”

He said he has yet to see the patrol’s report on its investigation and does not know the specifics of its findings. He said the patrol simply provided him a courtesy notice of the primary conclusion of its investigation.

Roberts said the Police Department’s own review concluded that nine shots were fired in the incident, all of them by Cooper and Alaniz. The chief on Monday had acknowledged some uncertainty as to whether Ganz fired a shot. He said Wednesday that the internal review concluded that he had not.

“We know his gun was loaded, but we don’t believe he fired a shot,” Roberts said.

One live round was found in the weapon. Roberts said Ganz may have pulled the trigger on an empty cylinder, but he is probably the only one who knows. The chief said the single bullet was positioned in the cylinder that would have fired next.

Ganz was taken to St. John’s Regional Medical Center for treatment of the gunshot wound and later was committed on a 96-hour hold for a mental-health evaluation. He had not been charged with any offense by the Jasper County prosecutor’s office by late Wednesday afternoon, and an effort to ascertain the status of the 96-hour-hold was unsuccessful.

Prosecutor Dean Dankelson could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Roberts said he did not know whether the state patrol made any recommendations to the prosecutor’s office as to possible charges against Ganz.

The chief said Cooper and Alaniz remain on administrative leave. He said the standard protocol for officer-involved shootings calls for seven days off duty. He said the Police Department will begin a fitness-for-duty evaluation this week, with an eye toward possible returns to duty for the two officers sometime next week.



print this story    email this story    comment on this story   

Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.


Add a comment on this story





monster
autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Click here!!

We Blog!
We Pod Cast!

We Twitter!

: Special Offer For New Subscribers : 32 buy 1 get 1 free offers

Click Here!

TV LIsitngs



Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!
Featured Jobs

PCA 'S AND CNA'S
PCAs and CNAs In Joplin and surrounding areas. Call 417-206-7878....>MORE

TRUCK MECHANIC

needed for Waste Corporation of Joplin. Competitive pay and benefits package. Requires candidate to own hand tools
...>MORE

UP IN FLAMES
WOOD FIRE PIZZA AND PASTA now hiring MANAGERS, SERVERS, BARTENDER Apply 1612 S. Madison, Webb City, behind Subway...>MORE

LIFEGUARDS
All shifts available, Apply in person at either Joplin Family Y location.
www.joplinfamilyy.org.
...>MORE

LIBRARY SPECIALIST
Crowder College Lee Library, 25 hours a week. For complete information, see www.crowder.edu, employment section, or call...>MORE

TEAMS NEEDED

SIGN-ON BONUS $3000
Benefits and West Coast
$$ Scheduled Raises $$
HIGH MILES WEEKLY
72hrs
...>MORE

ACCOUNTANT.

Expanding CPA firm: full time, degree/ computer skills required. Audit/tax experience preferred. Send resume to P
...>MORE

EMERGENCY SERVICE WORKER
EMERGENCY SERVICE WORKER/ EMERGENCY ROOM ADVOCATE Part-time position in women’s treatment/ trauma program. This positio...>MORE

GREAT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
Located on US Business. 60
7 acres with 3 BR house on Hickory Creek
3 buildings with 20 10 x 15 units each
...>MORE

DRIVERS WANTED
DRIVERS WANTED Drivers needed for Waste Corporation of Joplin, a growing company in the Joplin and surrounding areas. ...>MORE

See all ads

Featured Transportation

1979 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
350 automatic, $5000 or trade consider. (620)230-0459...>MORE

FORD 2000 1 TON
Ford, 2000 1 ton, 4X4, 6 speed, duals, flatbed, 7.3 diesel, $6800; 1998 Bucket truck, 55’ Altec. 417-358-8636, 483-9700....>MORE

1957 CHEVROLET
2 door post, project, rust free Texas car, no motor or transmission, good Missouri title, $7500.
Bob 417-781-1932
...>MORE

1932 FORD
5 window, coupe, glass body rolling chassis, torch thrust, 2 wheels, etc, $18,000. (417)781-1932, or 417-437-9942...>MORE

MAZDA, 2000
B3000, 4x2, V6, automatic, high miles, $2150. (417)843-2613....>MORE

1990 GMC HIGH SIERRA
short wide bed, 2 wheel drive, V-8, power windows/locks, air, CD, tinted windows, chrome wheels. $2,000 or best offer. (...>MORE

GMC, 2006
2500 4x4, regular cab/bed, 133,000 miles, $9850. (417)214-0022....>MORE

NEED 2 DRIVERS
with 3 years plus $ miles with turn arounds back to Joplin, MO. Home often. 417-325-7320....>MORE

LEXUS 2002 ES
LEXUS, 2002 ES 300, silver/gray leather, navigation, heated seats, second owner, 94,000 miles, $10,900. 620-856-2804, 41...>MORE

2005 HONDA SHADOW VLX 600
2,000 miles, color white, $3950. (417)673-3860....>MORE

See all ads

Featured Homes

INVESTORS OR START-UP
INVESTORS OR START-UP 1217 Central. $67500 2 bedroom, 1 bath, very nice,room to build more. See more at homesbyowner.co...>MORE

2-3 BR
Basement, newly remodeled, oak cabinets, nice wood floors, privacy fence. $79,200. 2525 N. Ozark. (417)483-0900....>MORE

OPEN HOUSE
405 Keeney Street, Carl Junction. Sunday July 12 • 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
This home is owned by Carl Junction R-1 School Di
...>MORE

OPEN HOUSE
OPEN HOUSE 7/5/09 1:00-4:00 2281 sq. ft. Updated kitchen 4 br + bonus room 2 living areas Metal roof. Stapleton school ...>MORE

LAKE FRONT MOBILE
Lake Front Mobile Grove, OK 1972 14 X 46 1 Bedroom, 1 bath lake front mobile home weekend getaway. Complete with furn...>MORE

HANDYMAN SPECIAL
Handyman Special, only $500 down, owner financing, 11% interest, $345/ month, priced at $23,900. 1120 W. 12th Street (41...>MORE

OWNER FINANCE
OWNER FINANCE. $650 down, $435 monthly. 201 N. Washington, Joplin, 3 BR, garage, Full price $32,500. 417-359-4113. ...>MORE

See all ads

Other Cool Stuff

SHIH-TZU PUPPIES
$125 each; Shih-tzu adults free to a good home, (417)439-5568....>MORE

24' BAJA OUTLAW
24’ BAJA Outlaw beautiful closed bow boat, 454 Mag, all options, excellent condition, low hours with 2005 trailer, $16,0...>MORE

WANTED; 2006 OR NEWER BUMPER TRAILER
WANTED: 2006 or newer 28-29’ bumper hitch travel trailer with slide, in excellent condition. (417)235-3402....>MORE

PATTERN TORCH
Industrial, $500. (417)781-1932....>MORE

ANTIQUE RADIO
ANTIQUE Radio; hanging lamps; china cabinet; carnival glass; Singer featherweight machine; 2 ladies and men diamond ring...>MORE

MINI SCHNAUZERS
8 weeks AKC house breaking underway, vet checked/healthy. rsfieker@yahoo.com 417-235-3168....>MORE

ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE
realitives of late father, Aziel Murphy, who married Maxine Steele, of Oklahoma, on June 10, 1929. Contact Tresa Collins...>MORE

NASCAR
Indy Brick Yard 400, 7/26/09,
2 at $90. 417-483-1460.
...>MORE

LOST: 10 YEAR OLD YELLOW LAB

Goldie has on a flea collar, lost 6/28 between Oak Grove and Tipton Ford. PLEASE call 417-438-2828.
...>MORE

2002 LOWE TAHITI
2002 Lowe Tahiti 22 Deck Boat with 2002 Johnson 150 hp motor, fully loaded and lake ready, $12,500. (620)856-5165 or (41...>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index

 

 

The Joplin Globe Electronic Edition