The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
Retired Oklahoma Firefighter Killed; Shot After Intruding into Police Officer's Home
ROBERT MEDLEY AND MICHAEL KIMBAL
The Oklahoman
YUKON - The retired firefighter who was shot and killed Tuesday as he barged into a Piedmont police officer's home may have been hallucinating and confused, his son said.
Devin Nemecek, 47, was killed about 8 a.m. as he pushed into the Yukon home of Jack Neumann, 37, and attacked him, Yukon police spokeswoman Klare Ly said. Neumann lives at 317 Sunrise Drive, and Nemecek lived a few houses down at 409 Sunrise Drive.
Neumann returned home from work as a Piedmont police officer to find Nemecek banging on his back door and trying to get inside, Ly said. Neumann told him to leave several times as the man barged into the house, and Neumann shot him.
Nemecek was holding a piece of metal and struck Neumann several times, Ly said.
Nemecek used an oxygen tank because of lung and heart damage from injuries suffered while fighting a fire two years ago, his son said.
Garrett Nemecek, 23, of Oklahoma City, said his father sometimes had hallucinations when his oxygen levels were low, and likely thought he was trying to enter his own home when the incident occurred.
"Last night he was having some trouble with his breathing treatments," Garrett Nemecek said. "Once his oxygen gets down to a certain level, he just doesn't know where he's at. He doesn't know his name. ... He would not be himself at all."
Nemecek said his father would never harm anyone under normal circumstances and was an upstanding member of the community who will be missed by his family and friends.
The family is working to set up a memorial of some kind to remember Devin Nemecek.
Garrett Nemecek said he didn't know why his father was outside Tuesday morning, but he had been doing yard work Monday evening and could have been doing more yard work Tuesday.
Neumann told investigators his wife and children, ages 3 and 4, were inside the home at the time of the shooting, Ly said. She said Neumann did not know Nemecek.
"As you can imagine, someone banging on the door trying to get in who is incoherent, you can understand they would be scared," Ly said.
Police release frantic 911 call
A frantic woman's voice can be heard on a 911 call released Tuesday by police. The woman was crying as she told a 911 operator a man with a crowbar was trying to break into her house.
"Shoot him," the woman yelled during the call, apparently to Neumann. A man's voice can be heard shortly thereafter yelling, "Get back!" before a gunshot rang out.
Piedmont Police Chief Jerry Koester said Neumann will be on paid administrative leave until the district attorney rules on the shooting. He described him as an "exemplary" officer who feared for the safety of his wife and two small children.
None of the officer's family members were injured.
"They are obviously shaken up and scared," Ly said.
Copyright 2011 The Oklahoman, All Rights Reserved
April 20, 2011
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Andy Turnham on
-
Why does a police officer need his gun at home? If he had left it back at the station maybe this poor guy would still be alive.
-
Permalink Reply by Jay German on
-
Get Real! or maybe he and his family would be dead.
-
Permalink Reply by Mark Hannah on
-
Are you on drugs? When people goes bonkers or get high and they barge into your home, you must defend your family and your person. Thank goodness this police officer lives in a state and country where you can defend yourself. Proud to be an Oklahoma Firefighter/State Police Officer. Prayers to all involved.
-
Permalink Reply by Fabulous Heather Days of Summer on
-
How sad...
People who are hallucinating can be very scary. My father has an illness that makes him have hallucinating behaviors and severe disorientations - he can not be reasoned with. And because he is disoriented - he is scared and AGGRESSIVE.
I could easily see how this happened.
___
Entering a home by force - especially with small children in it - triggers survival dad and mom mode.
You handle your own emergency dramatically different than other people's emergencies.
It could have been anyone's home - with a gun in the home - that he entered. It just happened to be a policeman.
HOW SAD FOR ALL INVOLVED !!!
R.I.P.
-
Permalink Reply by Tyler Lyons on
-
Good for this officer. I am sorry that this ex-firefighter lost his life, but I am glad that the police officer and his family are safe. He did the right thing.
Andy, your an idiot. Why would any police officer leave his gun at work? This is why people carry a firearm, to protect their families and themselves. Glad your in liberal canada. How would you feel if someone broke in and murdered your family with a crowbar... bet the gun laws there would seem pretty stupid huh...
-
-
Apparently you know nothing of using a firearm for protection.... so do some research and you won't look so stupid.
First off you never fire a warning shot, it is reckless, he did order the person back, also you don't have time to think, you just react, and he did what any good cop would have done, he protected his family.
As far as high fiving his "cop buddies", this police officer has to live with knowing he took another life. He isn't high-5ing anyone. His life is turned upside down right now. You obviously have no clue how law enforcement officers are trained or how to respond to an attacker. Maybe someday you can have that experience of being in the fight of your life, maybe you will just "cry uncle", and they will stop trying to kill you.
-
Permalink Reply by walt on
-
Andy are you dumb for even making that comment. Hope you are never in the situation. Also you cannot fire a warning shot you break into my house i will unload the clip in you.
-
-
Hey no name calling. We all see things differently. But we can do it with respect.
-
-
KEY PARTS OF THE STORY
Nemecek (intruder) was holding a piece of metal and struck Neumann (home owner) several times.
Neumann (home owner) told investigators his wife and children, ages 3 and 4, were inside the home at the time of the shooting.
Neumann (home owner) did not know Nemecek (intruder).
DAD WENT INTO SURVIVAL MODE - WHILE BEING PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED - AND SOUGHT TO PROTECT HIS FAMILY - IN HIS OWN HOME
Every police officer I have ever met who has killed someone - feels very badly about it - and wished that there were alternatives...
This was not an officer shooting.
This was a violent home invasion - and self-defense.
Their jobs were not highly significant in this case - they were both operating in primal survival mode - having a personal emergency - not arriving clear-headed at someon else's emergency as a rescuer. Both sets of people in this matter are victims.
-
-
Paul,
You don't have a clue. You never fire warning shots. This cop has never been instructed or trained to fire warning shots. You don't have a clue. Bring something constructive to this discussion. If you don't like the way the laws are, move to another place. Don't come to Oklahoma!
-
-
Well, he is dumb to the fact that he doesn't know a thing about the law or law enforcement. I'm with ya Walt!
-
Permalink Reply by Andrew on
-
Are you serious?
Or this could have turned into a multiple homicide scene.
The officer did everything right - he was in fear for his life as the man was irate and aggressive, the man was breaking into his home, and he told the man to back off. What more do you need?
If the cop heard banging and just shot through the door, then that is one thing. Someone breaking into your residence, where your wife and children are, while wielding a weapon is clearly another.
It's a sad situation, I'll admit that. It's a tragedy. This man should have had some sort of nurse check in on him so something like this wouldn't have happened.
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
