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The Topeka State Journal
Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas
What is this article about?
In Topeka, colored patrolman Charles Smith shot and wounded colored coal thief Chuck Shields in the heel after Shields escaped arrest from Rock Island yards around midnight last night. The wound is not dangerous, but the shooting is criticized as excessive for a petty criminal. Shields has a prior arrest for stealing hitching weights.
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And Wounds a Coal Thief in the Heel -Too Free With His Revolver.
Patrolman Charles Smith, colored, caught "Chuck" Shields, colored, stealing coal from the Rock Island yards last night about midnight.
The officer arrested Shields and on the way to the station Shields broke away from the officer and ran. Smith drew his revolver and shot him. The bullet struck Shields in the right heel and he stopped running.
He was taken to the station and the wound dressed. It is not considered dangerous.
The shooting of escaping prisoners by policemen, particularly if they are only petty criminals, is something that public sentiment in Topeka has always discouraged. Officer Smith ought to be reprimanded.
Shields was arrested at one time by Sergeant Donovan for stealing hitching weights from wagons and buggies. The sergeant arrested him with a weight in his possession and started him, with the weight on his shoulder, toward the police station. There was a long strap on the weight and Shields suddenly dropped the weight from his shoulder and started to swing it around his head, holding one end of the strap. He let it go and it wound itself about the sergeant's legs, almost crippling him.
Although Shields is a bad negro police officers do not have authority to shoot at him. The law provides that the police department shall only capture criminals, not attempt to kill them.
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Domestic News Details
Primary Location
Topeka
Event Date
Last Night About Midnight
Key Persons
Outcome
shields shot in the right heel, wound dressed and not considered dangerous; officer ought to be reprimanded; shields has prior arrest for stealing hitching weights
Event Details
Patrolman Charles Smith caught Chuck Shields stealing coal from Rock Island yards, arrested him, but Shields escaped and ran; Smith shot him in the heel, stopping him; taken to station; public sentiment discourages shooting petty criminals; prior incident where Shields resisted Sergeant Donovan with a hitching weight