Stories posted are written by National news Journalists, not by this blog. The Journalist's name and "Source" link follow each story. We add "Tags" based on facts from the article, which are used for later retrieval, if someone wants to see all stories by a tag (Click tag of choice). Tags are at the top of story.
Our Commenting Policy

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

AZ- Tucson police officers in fatal child molestation shooting identified

To Commentors: This site reports what the news reports, and using facts from those articles we TAG stories (See LABELS at end of story). We express NO personal beliefs. Please notice we did post the news story of interview w/family member once we knew about that interview. Further, as facts are revealed we can only hope that an investigation will take place and the truth be the result.

Visitor Comment: "I find it interesting that all the news sources I've read have failed to mention Stanley was born with Cerebral Palsey and required crutches to walk. He used the kind that cupped around the forearm. I find it difficult to paint an image of someone walking towards the police wildly brandishing a handgun with crutches."

From KGUN9 news report:
Woman defends brother killed in officer involved shooting

A family is mourning after a man was shot and killed by 2 Tucson Police officers, early Monday morning. Police tells us it was justified, but the family isn't sure.

It began around midnight. Police showed up at the home near Wilmot and 22nd Street to search the home, after allegations that the man inside, Stanley Barr, 48, had molested a child.

Sharon Niehaus is Barr's sister. She says, her brother suffered from Cerebral Palsy and wore braces, and doesn't believe he was a threat to anyone.

Holding his braces, Sharon demonstrates, "He was probably trying to get his arm out of here, and would've had to bring his hand up to get it out of here."

Tucson Police, tell us a very different story: officers approached the door, which was open, and saw Barr coming toward them.

"The suspect is coming toward the front door and they see that he has a handgun. He's armed with a gun", said Sgt. Fabian Pacheco. Police officers at the scene report, Barr cocked his gun and waived it around, and made comments about not wanting to cooperate with Police.

"Shortly after, the suspect leveled the gun at both officers, forcing them to shoot him", said Pacheco.

Barr later died at the hospital. His sister wishes she had the chance to say goodbye and to ask her brother, what exactly happened?

"I don't know, I wasn't there when it happened. I'm going to be honest. But there's no way , unless they've got it on film, to show me that he did that. He's not capable of doing that", said Sharon.

Tucson Police officers, Steven Boggie and Loren Layton, who fired their weopans, are on administrative leave which is routine in a case like this.

Tucson Police say, a shooting review board consisting of people inside and outside the police department will investigate.

As for the child molestation accusations, Barr cannot be prosecuted, but police say that part of the case will play a role in the overall investigation into what happened. ..Source.. by KGUN9.com

4-6-2009 Arizona:

A man under investigation for child molestation was shot to death by Tucson police after he pointed a gun at two officers late Sunday.

The officers — Steven Boggie and Loren Layton — have been placed on paid leave, which is normal in officer-involved shootings.

The shooting occurred while police prepared to serve a search warrant at the suspect’s residence in the 6300 block of East Calle Castor, near East 22nd Street and South Wilmot Road, said Sgt. Fabian Pacheco, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.

The investigation involving Stanley Laverne Barr, 48, began Sunday afternoon around 2:45 p.m. when police received a report of child molestation of a teenager.

Detectives from the child sexual assault unit were able to gather information allowing them to obtain a search warrant for the home at 7:50 p.m., Pacheco said.

Police watched the home for any activity before two patrol officers went up to the door to make contact with Barr just before midnight.

When the officers went up to the door, they could see Barr approaching through a screen door, Pacheco said.

Barr had a handgun in his pocket, which he pulled out as he made his way to the front of the home.

The officers — who have been with the agency for four years — gave Barr repeated commands to drop the gun but he did not comply, instead chambering a round and pointing it at the officers, “forcing the officers to shoot,” Pacheco said.

Barr was taken to University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 12:35 a.m.

Homicide detectives along with the Department’s Internal Affairs Office, The Pima County Attorney’s Office and a civilian police auditor are investigating, Pacheco said.

No one else was home at the time of the shooting and police were unable to release any details on the molestation case or the victim due to the sensitive nature, Pacheco said.

Officers decided to serve the search warrant at night because they were concerned that there was critical evidence in the home that could have been discarded or destroyed, Pacheco said. ..Source.. by Alexis Huicochea, Arizona Daily Star

Armed molestation suspect killed by cops not on sex offender list

4-6-2009 Arizona:

Man pointed pistol at officer, refused to drop it, was shot dead, police say

A child molestation suspect who died at 12:35 a.m. Monday from police gunfire never served time in an Arizona prison, the state Department of Corrections Web site shows.

Nor does an Arizona sex offender Web site list Stanley L. Barr II, 48, as someone who would be required to register here even if he had been convicted of a sex crime in another state.

Police have identified the two officers who shot the armed man as Steven Boggie and Loren Layton, each of whom has been with the Tucson Police Department for four years, police spokesman Sgt. Fabian Pacheco said.

Barr died at University Medical Center shortly after he pulled a gun on Boggie and Layton and they shot him late Sunday night, Tucson police said.

Events leading to the shooting began about 2:45 p.m. Sunday, Pacheco said. He provided this account:

A mother reported the molestation of her teen, and Barr became a suspect in the case. The youth's identity and gender were not disclosed.

Officers and detectives began an investigation that led them to get a warrant shortly before 8 p.m. to search Barr's home in the 6300 block of East Calle Castor, near East 22nd Street and South Wilmot Road.

Detectives staked out the home until uniformed officers could help serve the search warrant.

At the front door of the home, Boggie and Layton saw Barr pull a pistol from his pocket as he approached them.

The two officers repeatedly told him to drop it.

Instead, Barr chambered a cartridge in the semi-automatic pistol and pointed it at the officers, both of whom fired at him.

Boggie and Layton have been put on paid leave, as is standard procedure in police-involved shootings, Pacheco said.

Homicide detectives and internal affairs investigators are investigating the shooting. ..Source.. by David L. Teibel

Man killed by police left suicide note

5-7-2009 Arizona:

Police found suicide notes in Stanley Barr's East Side home after he was fatally shot by two Tucson police officers April 6, according to police reports obtained by the Tucson Citizen.

Barr, 48, was under investigation by police in a sexual molestation case.

His wife called 911 earlier that day to report the alleged sexual abuse of a family member, according to police reports.

She and Barr got into a "confrontation" and she left their home after he went into a bedroom and "got into the bag where he kept his gun," she told police.

Plainclothes detectives had begun surveillance of the house by midafternoon and they approached the front door shortly before midnight.

Officers wore vests identifying them as police.

They had a search warrant to allow them to enter the house after 10:30 p.m.

Investigators from the Child Sex Assault Unit wanted to obtain evidence from the home and DNA evidence from Barr. They also wanted to interview Barr about his wife's allegations.

"Barr came to the door armed," the police reports state.

He had a handgun in his pocket and refused detectives' efforts to get him to "relinquish the weapon."

"As officers spoke with (Barr), he chambered a round in the pistol and put the gun to his head."

Barr said "something to the effect of 'you gotta do what you gotta do,'" according to the police reports.

When Barr pointed his weapon directly at police, patrol officers Loren Layton and Steven Boogie fired, killing Barr.

"It's a very unfortunate incident," said Sgt. Fabian Pacheco, a spokesman for the police department.

He said Barr "taunted" the officers, bringing his handgun up to his head and then pointing the weapon at officers.

"Officers have to use lethal force against lethal force," Pacheco said Thursday.

"We don't use Taser or pepper spray against someone armed with a handgun."

Barr had cerebral palsy and used crutches but he managed to wield a gun as he faced off with officers, according to the reports.

"He (Barr) did pose a threat to the officers in spite of his medical condition," Pacheco said.

"Mr. Barr chose to make that decision to not obey those commands from the officers and to level the gun at the officers, and it ended up with tragic results."

The reports indicate no officers "rendered aid" to Barr before Tucson Fire Department paramedics arrived.

Barr was pronounced dead in the emergency room at University Medical Center at 12:35 a.m.

Among the items removed from the house by investigators were pink shorts with candy canes and "paws" on them, a comforter with squares and circles on it and salmon colored bedsheets.

Layton and Boggie are back on patrol.

The police department is conducting an investigation into the shooting, which is routine in police shootings. ..Source.. by SHERYL KORNMAN, Tucson Citizen

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Since I wasn't there, I'll never know for sure, but as a relative, I find it interesting that all the news sources I've read have failed to mention Stanley was born with Cerebral Palsey and required crutches to walk.

He used the kind that cupped around the forearm. I find it difficult to paint an image of someone walking towards the police wildly brandishing a handgun with crutches.

simply,
confused family member

Anonymous said...

I too, am a family member. Stan is a compassionate, caring, loving, devoted family man who never, ever displayed any negative behavior in his life. No criminal record, wonderful job employment and fantastic family life. To picture him as a child molester is absurd. To picture him wildly brandishing a firearm while balancing on his crutches resulting in a threat to a number of well-armed officers is too far-fetched for me to even remotely conceive as truth. This situation is extremely tragic and the idea of the Tucson police shooting this man is repulsive. Hope you feel good inside. By the way, why don't you all stop labeling him as a child molester? Where does the American criminal system say guilty before proven innocent? Isn't it innocent before proven guilty? I pity you. Stanley is probably smiling down on you though, as he probably has already forgiven you for the wrong you have done him. He is in heaven. The rest of you are living in hell. I hope you can live with your guilt. Shame on all of you. I love you Stan....

Anonymous said...

I first met Stanley Barr in 1983 and interacted with him nearly every day for over twenty years. I have also known his wife for that long, as well as their children from the day each was adopted. My three adult daughters also knew Stan and his family from a very early age. They admired, respected and loved Stan and his family greatly, as did I.

Even though I saw Stan less often the past five or six years, we were very good friends and I can honestly state, without a shred of doubt, that Mr. Stanley L. Barr II was a man of decency, integrity, uprightness and faith. “Mr. Stan”, as my daughters called him, was a loving, sincere, generous and honorable man.

I find it extremely hard to believe that these two incidents occurred as reported in the press; that Stan Barr molested a teenage child, and that he brandished a handgun and threatened to shoot himself and/or police officers.

First of all, let me state that I am as repulsed by child molestation as every sane person is. My first reaction when someone is found guilty of such an abhorrent crime is to castrate and kill the scum in a most hideous and painful manner. Please note that Stanley Barr was not convicted, nor even arrested for anything, much less child molestation. The police were at his home to serve a search warrant, so the investigation was in its infancy.

Let me also state that I understand a recent poster’s comments that “How many times have you seen interviews where the neighbors of serial killers where completely surprised to find that the ‘quiet guy’ on their street was an evil man?” Point well taken. However, I do not rely solely upon my close observations and interactions with Stanley Barr over the last 25+ years to form my opinion.

Concerning the alleged molestation of a teenager; Stanley Barr has worked with children of all ages, as a profession, for nearly 30 years. In that time he has never been accused of harming a child, any child. He was never arrested for any crime, nor was he ever on any sex offender list in any state. Additionally, as mentioned (but not reported), Stan Barr was afflicted with Cerebral Palsy. He could not stand unaided by forearm crutches for more than a few seconds. Stanley Barr was also a slight man, standing barely 5’ 4” and weighing less than 130 pounds. Each of my slight-build daughters was physically larger than Stan (height and weight) by the sixth grade. I would think that a teenager of any age (13 or above) would be able to repel any unwanted advances by a man that small and feeble.

Concerning the allegations of brandishing a handgun and threatening to shoot himself or police officers; I am unsure whether Stan even owned a handgun, but I find it extremely unlikely that he could carry one in his pocket, draw it when officers arrived, chamber a round and then point it at himself or someone else without falling down. Recall that Stan could barely stand up for more than a few seconds without his forearm crutches.

Due to my extensive and prolonged personal knowledge of Stanley Barr, the lack of even the slightest criminal history or past sexual impropriety allegations, his slight and feeble stature and physical limitations; I do not believe that Stanley Barr molested a teenager nor brandished a handgun at police officers.

I would like the Homicide and internal affairs investigations to determine whether Stan Barr actually molested, or did anything improper, with the teenager; and whether he was the owner, or even the possessor, of the handgun supposedly used to threaten the police.

The person, the history, the allegations, the shooting and the aftermath do not add up.