Fort Worth
Posted on Wed, Jan. 08, 2003
Officer in raid faces paralysis
By Deanna Boyd
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
FORT WORTH - The undercover narcotics officer shot last week by a store clerk who mistook her for a masked robber may be permanently paralyzed from the waist down, Police Chief Ralph Mendoza said Tuesday.
Although medical officials are waiting to see whether further reduction in swelling may change the officer's condition, Mendoza said he was told there is a "good chance" the loss of feeling may be permanent.
"We're not positive," Mendoza said. "I tend to hold out hope. I'm kind of one of those optimists. I believe in miracles."
Officer Lisa Ramsey, who had not been identified by Fort Worth police until Tuesday, remains in serious condition at John Peter Smith Hospital.
The officer, brandishing a gun and wearing a mask, was shot Thursday evening as she entered the E-Z Food Store, 968 Elmwood Ave., to arrest a man who minutes before had sold drugs to undercover officers outside, police said.
Bao Nguyen, who was released after questioning Thursday night, said he shot the officer because he believed that she was an armed robber entering his family's store.
Mendoza said Ramsey's condition has improved significantly since the shooting.
He said medical personnel told him that Ramsey had to be revived twice, once at the scene of the shooting and again at the hospital. Mendoza also said that doctors had to remove a portion of the officer's lung.
"We knew initially that night there may be that chance of paralysis," Mendoza said. "The initial surgery was to save her life and do repairs immediately necessary to correct the damage the bullet had done."
Now, Mendoza said, Ramsey is conscious, talking and has movement in her arms.
On Tuesday, after declining for five days to identify the officer, Mendoza told City Council members that it was time to release the officer's name. The tearful chief choked up and paused for almost a minute before identifying her as Lisa Ramsey, ID No. 2862, who was hired in October 1995.
Pausing again to regain his composure, Mendoza said the internal investigation into the shooting is not complete, Ramsey has yet to be interviewed and witnesses will be re-interviewed. After that, an administrative panel will review the tactics that police used the night of the shooting.
"There's a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking ... and we have to be careful about that," he said. "I can't second-guess an officer.
"I can tell you the officer is a brave officer and a courageous officer."
Councilman Frank Moss said that although it was unfortunate that an officer was injured, he complimented the department for addressing crime in the area around the store.
"We appreciate you taking action in cleaning up that corner so that it's safe for people to go out in the community," he said.
City Councilman Chuck Silcox asked the public to include Ramsey in their prayers.
In an interview early Tuesday with the Star-Telegram, Mendoza said he believed that officers acted appropriately when they entered the store to arrest the suspect rather than wait until he left the business.
"If you tried to make the stop outside, there's a whole host of other possibilities that could have occurred," Mendoza said, adding that the suspect could have seen police waiting outside and taken hostages.
Mendoza declined, however, to comment on other circumstances that night, including the officer's use of a mask during the arrest attempt. He said he has not had a chance to review department policies and procedures, but he added that such a review is typical after an internal investigation is completed.
"That's part of what this investigation will do; it will allow us to review what occurred and make decisions in regard to how we might be able to perform a function better and safer in the future, not only in the case of our officer, but the people who we come in contact with," Mendoza said.
He said that when the investigation is complete, the case, like other shootings involving officers, will be forwarded to the Tarrant County district attorney's office to decide whether to present the case to a grand jury.
Mendoza expressed sympathy for the store owners.
"They're going under some scrutiny and stress as well," Mendoza said. "This is just a tragic event for all parties concerned."
The police chief also expressed regret that misinformation about the shooting had initially been given to the news media.
In their original account of the shooting, police falsely reported that Ramsey was not wearing a mask, known as a balaclava, and was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Mendoza said that when he learned about the misinformation Friday, the department immediately corrected it.
"In reviewing what occurred after the fact, there's no doubt we could do a better job than we did," Mendoza said. "However, it was not with an intent to mislead anyone. We were giving out information that turned out to be inaccurate."
Councilman Clyde Picht told Mendoza during the council's meeting that he appreciates the Police Department's investigation into the shooting, especially because some initial information turned out to be untrue.
"I don't want to see any lack of veracity that would lead the public to a loss of confidence in our Police Department," he said.
Staff Writers Anna M. Tinsley and Melody Mcdonald Contributed to This Report.
To contribute
A fund has been created by Fort Worth police officers to assist Lisa Ramsey and her family, a police spokesman said Tuesday. The public can contribute at any TexasBank branch.
Deanna Boyd, (817) 390-7655 dboyd@star-telegram.co |
