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Thread: Carl Blount, Jr. Sentenced to LWOP for 2014 IN Murder of Police Officer Jeffrey Westerfield

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    Carl Blount, Jr. Sentenced to LWOP for 2014 IN Murder of Police Officer Jeffrey Westerfield



    Carl Le’Ellis Blount, Jr.


    Man, 26, charged with murder in killing of Gary police officer


    By Teresa Auch Schultz tauch@post-trib.com

    Gary Patrolman Jeffrey Westerfield’s fiancee minced no words when it came to the fate of his alleged killer: She wants him to get the death penalty.

    Lake County Sheriff John Buncich and Prosecutor Bernard Carter on Thursday announced that Carl Le’Ellis Blount Jr. had been charged with murder in the Fourth of July weekend shooting death of the 19-year Gary police officer. Blount, 26, of Gary, faces one charge of murder, although police are still looking for the gun.

    “Jeff is no longer here. We can’t see him or talk to him or touch him,” Denise Sheaks-Cather told the Post-Tribune. “Why should his (Blount’s) family be able to visit him and talk to him? Why are they any different?”

    Westerfield was found dead in his squad car early on the morning of July 6, his 47th birthday. According to a probable cause affidavit and the sheriff, Blount waited until Westerfield’s attention was “diverted” before he shot the officer at “very close range” with a Walther .40-caliber handgun, stolen almost a year ago from a truck in Indianapolis.

    “(It’s) just senseless, senseless murder of a police officer,” Buncich said during a news conference Thursday afternoon to announce the charge.

    Blount was taken into custody the day Westerfield was killed but not charged until Thursday. Police were able to hold him on warrants out of Porter County, Buncich said. In the Portage warrants he listed a Portage address. In charging documents in Lake County, he lists 2659 Jackson St., Gary, as his address.

    Police believe Blount killed the 19-year veteran officer at 26th Avenue and Van Buren Place in Gary.

    Blount and his girlfriend, Jennifer Guzman, had been at Voodoo Club in Gary the night of Saturday, July 5. On their way home, a friend of Guzman’s began accusing Blount of having an affair with another woman, court records say.

    While in the car, Blount lifted his shirt and showed them he had a gun. The couple began arguing and when they got out of the car, they started struggling over the gun, according to the probable cause affidavit. At some point, Guzman told police, she got control of the gun and “it just went off.”

    Blount picked up the gun and fled on foot, the affidavit says.

    Westerfield was one of the officers who arrived to the shooting, and he subsequently went looking for Blount.

    At 4:26 a.m., Westerfield made his last communication with dispatch and asked for a description of Blount.

    According to the narrative laid out in Wednesday’s court filing, police were able to use a cellphone picture from Blount’s phone to identify the gun and its serial number. They traced the gun back to Indianapolis and found that an Indianapolis man bought it in January 2013 and reported it stolen on Sept. 25.

    Blount’s brother, Dontae Blount, told authorities during an interview Tuesday that he was on the phone with Carl Blount just before the shooting, according to the affidavit. He told police that Carl Blount told him he was ending the call because there was a Gary police officer with a spotlight on and that he would be home soon.

    Moments later, Dontae Blount told police, he heard a rapid succession of gunshots. He grabbed his own gun, went outside and saw Carl Blount running at full speed toward the house.

    Dontae told authorities that Carl had “an emotional outburst” and told him he had shot a police officer when his attention was diverted.

    Buncich said Dontae’s statements proved crucial to the case.

    “His half-brother was the one to give us enough to charge,” he said.

    Dontae is also being held on other warrants. He is not charged in connection to Westerfield’s homicide, although Buncich said police are still investigating the case.

    Amid tight security, Blount, 25, appeared in court Thursday morning before Lake Superior Court Magistrate Kathleen Sullivan on a petition to revoke probation for criminal recklessness. He was sentenced May 13, 2013, to 24 months — half of the sentence was suspended and ordered served on probation. He is represented by Robert Varga of the Lake County public defender’s office.

    Blount is set to appear Friday morning before Lake Superior Court Judge Samuel Cappas for an initial appearance. He also has a hearing before Cappas on Sept. 24 on the probation revocation case, which stems from him being charged in Porter County while on probation in Lake County.

    Sheaks-Cather, Westerfield’s fiancee, vowed to follow Blount’s case.

    “I will be at every court hearing,” she said.

    Sheaks-Cather, who is close friends with other police wives, said she worries about Gary officers because their work conditions have not changed since Westerfield was killed.

    “I don’t want to see another family go through this. The city says things are better, but they’re not,” she said.

    Allie Westerfield, the slain officer’s 20-year-old daughter, said Thursday that knowing her dad died trying to protect the residents of Gary made her “extremely proud to be his daughter.” She thanked all the local law enforcement for working to find her father’s killer.

    “We are standing as strong as we can,” she said of her family in the wake of his death. “We miss our dad.”

    Allie Westerfield said the family plans on attending Gary’s Night Against Violence in early August, which will be held in Westerfield’s memory this year.

    Blount, who has not confessed to the crime, faces 45 to 65 years in prison on the charge. Buncich said Thursday that the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office is still determining whether to seek the death penalty.

    Allie Westerfield said she didn’t have an opinion on what sentence Blount should serve if convicted.

    Blount has a 2013 conviction for criminal recklessness, a Class D felony. He was sentenced May 13, 2013, to 24 months — 12 months in Lake County Jail and 12 months suspended and served on probation. He had 334 days in custody at his sentencing hearing.

    He was held on a Porter County warrant from a domestic incident in April where he was accused of criminal confinement, strangulation and other charges in Chesterton. Earlier this month, he was charged with forgery, also in Porter County.

    The Lake County Sheriff’s Department is still offering a reward of $10,000 for anyone who can provide more information to help bring a conviction, and the ATF has thrown in another $10,000, Buncich said. People with information can call (800) 750-2746.

    The Major Crimes Task Force and Indiana State Police also assisted. Agents from several federal departments, including the ATF, FBI, DEA and U.S. Marshals Service also offered their help. Buncich praised the work of all the departments, saying almost every law enforcement agency in Lake County helped out in some way.

    “The work that went into this was unbelievable,” he said.

    http://posttrib.suntimes.com/2854871...l#.U9UOXBEsKUl
    Last edited by Helen; 07-27-2014 at 12:11 PM.
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Slain officer’s fiancee wants death penalty sought


    Hundreds of police officers salute as family and friends escort the casket off Gary Police Officer Jeffrey Westerfield as they leave the Genesis Convention Center in Gary following funeral services, Monday, July 14, 2014 at the Genesis Center in Gary, Indiana


    By Associated Press

    GARY, Ind. (AP) — The fiancee of a slain Gary police officer says she believes the death penalty should be sought against the man charged in the shooting.

    Related:


    Lake County authorities announced Thursday that a murder charge had been filed 24-year-old Carl Le’Ellis Blount Jr. of Gary for the July 6 shooting death of Officer Jeffrey Westerfield.

    Denise Sheaks-Cather tells the Post-Tribune that Westerfield’s family can no longer see or talk with him and that Blount should be treated the same. Sheaks-Cather says she’ll attend every court hearing and doesn’t want to see any other families go through same tragedy.

    Lake County Sheriff John Buncich says the prosecutor’s office will review the case before deciding whether to seek the death penalty.

    A telephone message seeking comment was left for Blount’s public defender.

    http://wthitv.com/2014/07/25/slain-o...enalty-sought/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  3. #3
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    Judge issues gag order in Gary police killing case

    By The Associated Press

    CROWN POINT, Ind. - A northwest Indiana judge has issued a gag order in the case against a man suspected of fatally shooting a Gary police officer.

    The order imposed Friday by Lake Superior Court Judge Samuel Cappas prohibits lawyers and other officials involved from discussing outside of court the case against 24-year-old Carl Le'Ellis Blount Jr. of Gary.

    Blount is charged with murder in the July 6 shooting death of Officer Jeffrey Westerfield.

    The Post-Tribune reports
    that Blount's public defender requested the gag order.

    A magistrate entered a not guilty plea for Blount on Friday and warned him that he could face a death sentence if additional charges are filed against him.

    Westerfield's fiancee says she believes the death penalty should be sought.

    Blount's next court hearing is July 30.

    http://www.wthr.com/story/26121290/j...e-killing-case
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Davich: Stolen gun may raise red flags for better safekeeping

    By Jerry Davich

    Carl Le’Ellis Blount Jr. clearly identified himself from a photo while being interviewed by Lake County police detectives, according to a probable cause affidavit.

    “Is that something in my hand?” asked Blount, the alleged killer of Gary Police Patrolman Jeffrey Westerfield on July 6.

    The 25-year-old was being shown a photo image from a security video taken outside the day care center at 2545 Harrison St., Gary, a couple blocks from the crime scene. The still image, time-stamped in the early hours of July 6, showed a man wearing a pair of Nike gym shoes.

    Blount obviously knew it was him in the photo, but was that “something” in his hand the gun he used to allegedly shoot and kill Westerfield? And where can it be now? That is the $20,000 question, considering the re-upped reward that’s still on the table for this ongoing case. Anyone with information can call (800) 750-2746.

    Several “cooperating witnesses,” including the suspect’s half-brother, talked with police about this case. They pieced together the days, hours and minutes leading up to the killing of a cop and family man gunned down on his 47th birthday.

    “Several thousand hours” were put into this investigation, I’m told, collectively from multiple departments and agencies. And it’s not over yet by a long shot.

    “We would go to the ends of the earth to help a fallen brother and their family,” said one detective on this case.

    After weeks of investigating, the affidavit is thorough, methodical and exhaustive, formally filed under the name of Lake County police detective Joseph Hardiman, who responded to the call that seemingly sleepy Sunday morning.

    However, as another detective noted, “The affidavit only has a very small portion of the facts that were presented.”

    In other words, just enough facts needed to get the ball rolling into court, appease the public’s curiosity, and to start the creaky wheels of justice.

    Since Westerfield’s killing, police have scoured the crime scene area and multiple homes to locate that black semi-automatic handgun, a Walther .40-caliber with a serial number of AG1878. They haven’t found it. Yet.

    The gun was reported stolen on Sept. 25, 2013, while its owner was working at an apartment complex in Indianapolis, according to a police report. The gun was purchased for $600 on Jan. 11 of that year at a Gander Mountain store in Indianapolis.

    The gun’s original owner, Wayne R. of Cicero, met earlier this month with Lake County detectives during their investigation. He still had in his possession all the accessories for the gun, including a red cable gun lock, which means the gun wasn’t locked when it was stolen, I’m guessing.

    “It was obtained and owned by a seemingly responsible individual whom it was stolen from,” said a police detective close to the case.

    I tried contacting the Cicero man, who by all accounts is a responsible gun owner, too, to hear his thoughts on this case and, on a broader level, this issue. Surely, no one could imagine that a gun legally purchased would be stolen and used to kill a cop.

    Did he leave that gun in a locked car? A locked glove box? Tucked under his seat?

    The man didn’t return my call. I don’t blame him

    I wonder what his initial reaction was when police told him that his stolen gun was used for such a purpose. I wonder if it changed his habits about storing or carrying his weapons. I wonder if this case raised any red flags with other gun owners.

    I also wondered how that handgun got from Indianapolis to Gary during the past year. I don’t know but, according to the probable cause affidavit, police used a photo from Blount’s phone to identify the gun. And, more interestingly, Blount’s half-brother, Dontae Blount, has a cellphone number with a 317 area code, from the Indianapolis area. Coincidence?

    On Monday morning at Gary City Hall, Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson and other city and county leaders will host a press conference to share a “multi-faceted strategy which focuses on enforcement, prevention, education and technology.”

    “In light of the spike in crime in the city of Gary,” the press release notes, reflecting the obvious.

    I’m guessing that nowhere in that press conference will be talk of responsible gun owners whose weapons get stolen and used by thugs to kill cops. But if any lesson can be extracted from this “senseless, senseless murder,” as Lake County Sheriff John Buncich put it, maybe it’s one about keeping privately owned firearms more secure.

    Yes, guns don’t kill people, people do. I get it. But I wouldn’t want to be second guessing myself for years to come if I did — or didn’t — properly secure a deadly weapon that was used to kill an innocent person, let alone a cop on his birthday.

    http://posttrib.suntimes.com/2886854...l#.U9UYRhEsKUk
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Prosecutor to weigh death penalty in cop shooting

    By Bill Dolan

    CROWN POINT | The Lake County prosecutor's office will spend the coming weeks determining whether a Gary man should face the death penalty over allegations he ambushed Gary patrolman Jeffrey Westerfield earlier this month.

    Authorities allege Carl L. Blount, 26, who lists addresses in Gary and Portage, fatally shot Westerfield during the early morning hours of July 6 in Gary's Midtown section as Westerfield was looking for Blount for threatening a girlfriend.

    The process will be shrouded in official secrecy. Magistrate Kathleen Sullivan granted a request Friday by Public Defender Robert Varga to impose what is commonly known as a gag order.

    The order, formally known as a protective order, forbids the prosecutor, police, coroner and other law enforcement officials in the case as well as the public defender's office from publicly discussing the case's evidence and thereby avoid pretrial publicity that could prejudice a future jury.

    Sheriff John Buncich announced Thursday, before the order's imposition, Prosecutor Bernard Carter will review the case to determine if it qualifies for a capital murder charge. Murdering an on-duty law enforcement officer is one of more than 20 aggravating factors in the capital murder law.

    Carter has said in the past he routinely submits all potential death penalty cases to a group of his veteran deputies and then to the eight-member Capital Litigation Committee of the Indiana Prosecuting Attorney's Council.

    While the final decision rests with Carter, he said he needs the others' help to balance the interests of justice and cost to taxpayers.

    Court documents indicate the strength of the state's case against Blount rests on circumstantial evidence and the testimony of the defendant's half brother, Dontae Blount, and other witnesses who spoke with the defendant before and after the crime.

    Dontae Blount told police he heard a gunshot, saw the defendant running away from the crime scene with the suspected murder weapon and heard the defendant admit shooting the officer.

    However, the sheriff said Thursday Blount hasn't confessed, and police still haven't found the .40-caliber Walther handgun.

    The Indiana Department of Correction said there are currently 13 men and one woman under Indiana death sentences.

    Lake County's last death penalty murder case resulted in Kevin Isom, 48, receiving three death sentences in March 2013 for killing his wife and two stepchildren in their home in Gary's Miller area six years earlier.

    That case was marked by years of delays, took months to assemble a jury and five weeks for lawyers to present evidence and arguments. It cost three quarters of a million dollars, according to county officials.

    http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/l...9cd0ac82a.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Blount enters not guilty plea in killing of Gary cop

    By Ruth Ann Krause
    Post-Tribune correspondent

    CROWN POINT -- A Gary man charged with murder in the shooting of Gary police Patrolman Jeffrey Westerfield had a brief appearance in court Wednesday to formally enter a not guilty plea.

    Blount probable cause affidavit


    Carl Le’Ellis Blount, who turned 26 on Tuesday, waived the reading of the charge through his attorney, Robert Varga, as he stood shackled before Lake Superior Court Judge Samuel Cappas with extra security officers present. Blount’s omnibus hearing is Sept. 17.

    Deputy prosecutors David Urbanski and Monica Rogina are prosecuting the case.

    Blount is charged in the July 6 shooting of Westerfield, 47, whose last radio traffic at 4:26 a.m. was to ask for a description of Blount on the department’s Channel 3 as Westerfield sat in his police car at 26th Avenue and Van Buren Place in Gary. Channel 3 is used for car-to-car communication and isn’t the department’s regular broadcast channel.

    http://posttrib.suntimes.com/2895650...l#.U9lu2xEsKUk
    Last edited by Helen; 07-30-2014 at 05:23 PM.
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Related:

    Police officers killed but they were nowhere to be found

    By Jerry Schaefer - Las Vegas Tribune

    Does anyone remember Detective Melvin Santiago? He was a Jersey City police officer who was shot to death just a month ago, on July 13th. Santiago was white. His killer, Lawrence Campbell, was black. Does anyone recall Obama appearing before national television and calling for justice for Officer Santiago’s family? Does anyone recall Eric Holder rushing to Jersey City to see that justice was done?

    How about Officer Jeffrey Westerfield? He was a Gary, Indiana police officer who was shot to death on July 6th. Westerfield was white. His killer, Carl LeEllis Blount, Jr., was black. Where was Obama? Where was Holder?

    Or Officer Perry Renn? He was an Indianapolis, Indiana police officer who was also shot to death in the month of July, the day before Officer Westerfield was killed. Officer Renn was white. His killer, Major Davis, was black. I don’t recall any mention by Obama about the untimely death of Officer Renn. And, I doubt that Eric Holder rushed to Indianapolis to make sure justice was done. Or, maybe I just missed it.

    Vermillion Parish Deputy Sheriff Allen Bares was gunned down by two men last June 23rd in Louisiana. Deputy Bares was white. His two killers, Quintlan Richard and Baylon Taylor, were black. Was Obama outraged? Did Eric Holder rush to Louisiana to make sure that the family of Deputy Bares found justice?

    Detective Charles Dinwiddie of the Killeen (Texas) Police Department was murdered by Marvin Lewis Guy, a black male. Officer Dinwiddie was white. This happened on May 11th, about three months ago. I don’t even recall seeing anything about that on the news. Certainly, the white citizens in Killeen didn’t take to the streets to loot and burn businesses. Again, I don’t recall any mention by Obama or Holder.

    Then, there is Officer Kevin Jordan of the Griffin, Georgia Police Department. He was gunned down a few months ago on May 31st. Officer Jordan was black. His killer, Michael Bowman, was white. This was a white man murdering a black police officer. Where was Jesse Jackson?

    Where was “The Reverend” Al Sharpton? Was there looting and burning on the streets of Griffin, Georgia? No. In fact, I don’t recall hearing about this one in the news, as well. Why? You can draw your own conclusions.

    Over the past few months, there have been five reported deaths of police officers by gunshot in the US. Of those, four were white officers who were murdered by black men. Blacks complain that white officers treat black men more aggressively on the street. You can draw your own conclusions on that one, as well.

    http://lasvegastribune.net/police-officers-killed-fund/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Death penalty sought for suspect in Gary cop killing

    By Ruth Ann Krause
    Post-Tribune correspondent

    Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter is seeking the death penalty for a Gary man charged with murder in the July 6 shooting of Gary police Patrolman Jeffrey Westerfield.

    An entry in the online docket shows Carter filed an amended information Tuesday for a death sentence request “for the murder of Jeffrey Westerfield.”

    The alleged shooter, Carl Blount, 26, will be told of the death sentence filing at an omnibus hearing set for Wednesday morning. Lake Superior Court Judge Samuel Cappas will preside at the hearing, during which it is anticipated that extra police and courthouse security officers will be present.

    Blount has pleaded not guilty.

    Court records allege that Westerfield, a 19-year police veteran, was in his police car at 26th Avenue and Van Buren Place in Gary and was looking for a person who had been involved in an earlier domestic dispute. Westerfield was shot at close range with a .40-caliber handgun that had been stolen about 10 months earlier from a truck in Indianapolis, court records state.

    The night before Westerfield was killed, Blount and his girlfriend, Jennifer Guzman, had been at the Voodoo Club in Gary. On the way home, a friend of Guzman’s accused Blount of having an affair with another woman and told him to “come clean.” Blount became irritated with the friend and pulled up his shirt to reveal a black handgun tucked in the waistband of his pants. Blount and Guzman began arguing, and got out of the car. Both she and Blount grabbed the gun and began struggling. At one point,

    Guzman had control of the gun and it “just went off,” court records state. Blount was wounded in the thigh.

    The girlfriend dropped the gun and Blount picked it up, along with a shell casing.

    Westerfield’s last radio communication was at 4:26 a.m. on July 6 — his 47th birthday — in which he communicated directly with another officer asking for a description of Blount. His spotlight was operating, leading investigators to think he had made contact with Blount, the probable cause affidavit states. A passer-by found Westerfield dead at 5:50 a.m.

    The domestic was at 2340 McKinley Street in Gary and police think Blount was headed to one of two places east of there — 2659 Jackson St., where relatives live, or 2806 E. 21st Place, where the other girlfriend lives.

    Before Blount arrived at a relative’s home at 2659 Jackson St., Blount’s half-brother, Dontae Blount, told police he was talking on the phone with Blount, who said he had to end the call because he’d seen a police officer in the area with his spotlight on.

    Blount said he was near the Jackson Street residence and would be home soon, the probable cause affidavit states.

    Dontae Blount told police he heard several gunshots in rapid succession, grabbed his pistol and opened the front door to see what was happening. Dontae Blount told police he saw Carl Blount running toward the home. Blount had a handgun in his possession when he walked inside the house. Dontae Blount told police that Carl Blount appeared to be intoxicated “and in an emotional outburst, Carl Blount stated that he had shot a police officer,” court records state.

    Between 8:35 a.m. and 11 a.m. on the morning Westerfield was killed, Blount made 11 calls to a longtime friend. In one of those calls, Lucius Mayes said to Blount: “Sounds like you in some s***.”

    Blount responded, “Yeah, a little bit …,” court records state.

    Blount asked Mayes to help him get a hotel room and said, “They are gonna put me away for a long time on this one,” court records state. Blount also spoke of dismantling and hiding a gun and flushing bullets down the toilet.

    During an interview with police, Blount was shown a photograph from a video image of a nearby day care center around the time Westerfield was killed. “Is that something in my hand?” Blount asked the detectives.

    Under Indiana law, one of the aggravating circumstances that could apply to the Westerfield homicide is that the victim is a law enforcement officer acting in the course of duty.

    http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/la...l#.VBjGkPuhGUk
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Suspect in cop killing hears death penalty charge

    By Ruth Anne Krause
    Post-Tribune correspondent

    The courtroom fell silent as a Gary man accused of killing veteran Gary police Patrolman Jeffrey Westerfield heard Lake Superior Court Judge Samuel Cappas read a request for the death sentence filed by Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter.

    Moments before the hearing began Wednesday, Carl Le’Ellis Blount, 26, had conferred with defense attorneys Robert Varga and Richard Wolter. Blount shook his head and appeared to get teary-eyed. He glanced to family and supporters seated behind him, but quickly composed himself as he made his way, his legs shackled and wearing handcuffs, to the podium.

    For the death sentence to be imposed, prosecutors must prove aggravating circumstances that Blount killed Westerfield, who at the time of his homicide was a law enforcement officer acting in the course of duty on July 6, and that at the time of the homicide Blount was on probation after being sentenced for committing a felony.

    Cappas granted Varga’s request to extend the omnibus hearing and procedural deadlines to give both sides time to gather and turn over discovery in the case. Deputy prosecutor David Urbanski said that the state had no objection to the request and that some evidence will need to be tested.

    Urbanski asked Cappas to ask Blount whether he agreed. Blount said initially he didn’t agree with his attorneys.

    “The circumstances that we’re faced with right now, I have a very hard time,” Blount said. Cappas explained that the request by Blount’s attorneys, if not granted, could mean that Blount’s legal team would lose the opportunity to file motions on his behalf.

    He then agreed to the extension.

    Wolter also asked Cappas to order prosecutors to preserve “items of electronic memory” from the time of the killing up to a day or two before. Wolter noted that officers have electronic devices related to their duties and many have personal cell phones. He said that he didn’t know if any calls were made that are relevant to the case, but the timing could be a critical factor in piecing together evidence. Wolter said he had spoken informally with prosecutors who told him they feel they have the electronic devices secured as evidence. Cappas agreed to allow both sides to work toward turning over the requested information without a court order.

    Blount has an Oct. 1 status hearing for an update on the request for electronic evidence and his defense team’s compliance with criminal rules of court procedure governing their qualifications to handle a death penalty case and public defender caseload.

    The omnibus hearing is Nov. 12.

    Before Blount was led from the courtroom by three special operations response team officers, he turned to the front row and said, “I love you all.” Six or seven women seated there said, “Love you.”

    Blount was charged July 24 with murder in the death of Westerfield, who turned 47 on the day he was killed. The 19-year veteran officer had last communicated with another officer via police radio at 4:26 a.m. that morning and asked for a description of

    Blount, who had been involved in a domestic dispute at about 4:15 a.m. at outside 2340 McKinley St., Gary, in which his girlfriend shot him in the leg during a struggle over a gun Blount had displayed in his waistband to another person. That individual had told Blount to “come clean” about his involvement with another woman, prompting an argument with his girlfriend and an ensuing struggle over the .40-caliber pistol, court records state.

    Westerfield’s spotlight was activated, leading investigators to think he had made contact with Blount, court records state. A passerby found Westerfield dead at 5:50 a.m.

    Blount’s half-brother told police he’d been on the phone with Blount, who said he had to hang up because he’d seen a police officer nearby with his spotlight on. Blount said he was near a family residence at 2659 Jackson St., and would be home soon.

    The half-brother, Dontae Blount, told police after they hung up, he heard several gunshots in quick succession. Armed with his own pistol, Dontae Blount said he opened the front door to investigate and saw Blount running at full speed through an open field toward the house. Blount had a gun his possession. When he walked into the house, Dontae Blount told police Carl Blount appeared to be intoxicated “and in an emotional outburst, Carl Blount stated that he had shot a police officer,” the probable cause affidavit states.

    http://posttrib.suntimes.com/2992496...l#.VBouZBKhGUk
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  10. #10
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    Related:

    Kirby Social Media Firestorm Continues with Cop Comments


    A statement purported to be from a police officer, suggests that Kevin Kirby was arrested as a result of comments made on social media.




    The controversy began last week when Kirby, who was out on bond on an unrelated felony charge, made a comment indicating that it would “be the best summer ever” if a Hammond Cop was shot. The comment came just after the funeral of Merrillville Officer Nick Schultz who was fatally shot in the line of duty on August 7, 2014. Gary Police Officer Jeffrey Westerfield was fatally ambushed in his car just two months before.

    Kirby’s comments went viral and someone sent them to his employer. The employer released a statement saying that Kirby was no longer employed. Thereafter, the office of Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter filed a Motion to Revoke Defendant’s Bond on September 17, 2014. The matter was heard on September 17 and a warrant was issued and served on that date. Neither Kirby nor his attorney appeared at that hearing.

    The following statement was received by the Gazette regarding the matter today:



    http://nwigazette.com/tag/jeffrey-westerfield/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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