Sergeant: Slain West Memphis Officers Followed the Rules

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - Southaven Assistant Police Chief Steve Pirtle watched the disturbing dash-cam video of two West Memphis Police officers gunned down by 16-year-old Joseph Kane on May 20th, during what appeared to be a routine traffic stop.

"When I see the video, I see the officer doing pretty much everything they could have done at the time," said Pirtle.

The video serves as a painful reminder of the risks Pirtle and his fellow law-enforcement officers face each day on the job.

"This is what officers have to deal with every day and we try to tell them that every time they stop a car, this is what could happen."

Pirtle said the video shows Officer Bill Evans and Sergeant Brandon Paudert handling the traffic stop well, going through standard procedures. He said based on the video, neither officer had any reason to suspect the 16 year-old was armed, nor that he and his father, Jerry Kane, would attack.

"There was nothing on the outset that would have raised my suspicion," Pirtle said. "This could happen to any of the thousands of police officers in the U.S. at any moment. You never know, that's basically a surprise attack."

Pirtle said what's even more disturbing is the fact it was a 16-year-old that opened fire on the two officers.

"Most people will think of 16-year-olds as still kids and a bit of innocence about them. In most cases there are, but we try to remind our officers between nine and 90, they can kill you. Age doesn't make any difference."

It's a harsh reality for members of law enforcement, which is why Sgt. Pirtle said it's important officers see every person they come in contact with on the job as a potential threat.

"You have to be real suspicious of them and a lot of times people think police officers are real hard to get to know or they're cold. It's not necessarily that, just, you know, you have to keep that awareness high."

The difference between being friendly and keeping awareness high can be the difference between life and death. And even when you do everything by the book, sometimes it isn't enough.