Cop In Transgender Shooting Had Record Of Alcohol Abuse, Violence

by Dylboz
Cop Block
Sep. 10, 2011

How does a cop with multiple incidents of alcohol fueled misconduct stay on the job for 20+ years? It’s a good question, and one that many people are asking in the wake of a recent late-night incidence of extreme violence, wherein veteran Washington D.C. Police Officer Kenneth Furr wound up standing on the hood of his Cadillac firing his service weapon into a car full of transgender women he’d just rammed into, screaming “I’m gonna kill all of you!” 3 people were injured, and one suffered multiple severe gunshot wounds in the attack. Furr blew a .15 BAC a full 5 hours after the incident, and was arrested on suspicion of DWI. He has since been ordered to stand trial for assault, though not the more serious but obviously appropriate charge of attempted murder. The good news is, he is being held without bond, so he will stay in jail until his next court appearance, due to the judge’s decision that based upon his record and the circumstances of the case, he presents a clear and present danger to society at large.

As I’m sure you’ve probably already guessed, Officer Furr has not yet been fired from his job, he’s on “on administrative leave while the case was reviewed by internal affairs,” and will likely be represented by counsel provided at the police union’s expense.

But the real scandal is that this event never had to happen at all, even without taking into consideration Furr’s seriously checkered past or his department’s utter failure to address it. The confrontation began in a CVS drug store earlier that morning, where he got into a verbal altercation -allegedly over the rejection of his clumsy advances toward one of the victims- that ultimately climaxed with him brandishing his service weapon and threatening them (were he a mere mundane, such an indiscretion would see him charged with assault with a deadly weapon, criminal negligence, menacing, or any number of other crimes), but the situation was diffused by another off-duty cop working security at the store. However, rather than arresting Furr and calling in back-up to detain an obviously intoxicated and dangerous man with a gun, this Keystone cop gave his “brother in blue” a free pass.

Even after the fact, in the midst of all the chaos Furr created, even after this horrific display of murderous intent, this callous disregard for public safety, this outrageous act of pointless mayhem and villainy, the Metro PD STILL saw fit to cover for their own guy by blaming the terrified and grievously wounded victims of their officer’s drunken, insane rampage. Not only was the integrity and sobriety of the victims and several witnesses questioned at the scene and in court, but the defense attorney even made a play to bring their gender into question, until the judge wisely put a stop to it. The following comment posted to an article in the local media appears to be from someone involved, due to its detailed and specific nature. If true, it not only reveals a stomach turning disregard for the victims of this savage crime, and egregious insensitivity to their gender identity, but a complete betrayal of the public trust on the part of the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. To wit:

Imagine.

You are hanging with friends, and go to a convenience store to get cigarettes or whatever before you go home. In the store, you get hit on by an older guy who you have no interest in. After you tell him you aren’t interested, he further insults you by offering you money. And then more money. You aren’t having any of it. A male friend asks him to leave you alone – nicely. You pay for your stuff and leave the store. The same nut job is outside and flashes a gun at your friend, threatening him. You leave in your car. Down the street, the nut job blocks the path of your car, screams ” I’ma kill you all” and opens fire with a semi-automatic glock. Glass is shattering. The back windshield explodes. You are cowering in the car, terrified that you will be killed. You are grazed by a bullet. Your friends are hit! Everyone is screaming! NUT JOB jumps on the hood of the car and keeps firing through the roof of the car – bullets are flying!

Now…..

The MPD arrives. They take the gun from NUT JOB, smoke still coming out of the barrel. They gently lead NUT JOB away, and escort him to a cruiser. MPD have their own weapons drawn, and they are pointing at YOU! They are telling you to lie down, and hands up…they are yelling at YOU! They handcuff you all and take YOU away. Your friends who are shot are put in a wagon…they take you all to a hospital. At the hospital, they call you sir even though you are obviously a woman. They intimidate you. What were you doing? Why were you there? Where are the drugs? What have you had to drink? You are bleeding. You are scared. You are in shock. MPD puts you in a room the size of a closet, and come in to interrogate you. You are in the room for what seems like forever…a couple of hours. You are misgendered some more. You are insulted some more. You are intimidated some more. MPD brass is there…they bring a friend to talk to you, to get you to cooperate. You tell them what happened. And then they just let you go.

They don’t offer victim services. They don’t even apologize for their insults. They let you go.

Later, morons on the internet blame you for being in a bad neighborhood. Or soliciting sex for money. or somehow deserving of all that has happened. You are young. You are black. You are pretty. You must be to blame. You asked for it. Because, after all, you are transgender.

Imagine. In a world that is hateful and insane, you are always somehow at fault.

And to all of you out there who would criticize these young women?

SHAME.

Shame, indeed.