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State Attorney: Reserve Trooper Justified In Shooting Naked Armed Invader
January 5, 2012
The State Attorney says a reserve Florida Highway Patrol trooper was justified when she shot and killed her neighbor, who was naked and armed with a bow and arrow, after a home invasion in Escambia County.
A Medical Examiner’s report said the deceased man, Sean Thomas Harris had cocaine, cannabis, opiates, methadone and amphetamines in his blood at the time of the shooting.
Reserve Trooper Tabbatha Nussbaumer was in the shower in her upstairs bedroom in the Scenic Heights neighborhood area when her 9-year-old son ran in and told her a man he didn’t recognize was in the house. Nussbaumer exited her room and was confronted by Harris, who was at the bottom of the stairs holding a bow and arrow.
Nussbaumer told Pensacola Police that Harris asked her where the money was located. In an effort to get the suspect out of her house and away from her son, she told him it was in her truck parked on the street. As she exited the front door, Harris followed, removed his clothes and approached her as she was at her vehicle, which was parked in the street.
Police said Nussbaumer removed a handgun from the truck, turned around and faced Harris, who was standing a few feet from her. She said that she ordered him to the ground, but Harris instead advanced toward her, and she fired one shot.
When police arrived, Harris was found lying nude in the street. He had been shot once in the lower abdomen. He died a short time later at Sacred Heart Hospital.
“Ms. Nussbaumer could and did stand her ground in accordance with applicable Florida law,” according to a State Attorney’s Office report.
Comments
15 Responses to “State Attorney: Reserve Trooper Justified In Shooting Naked Armed Invader”
Tabbatha, you were a good cadet, a good officer, a good crime scene tech and an excelllent Trooper. You know the law like the back of your hand and you remained calm and did what needed to be done. Good Job.
Being a 12 yr LEO who lives in a moderately sized town but still doesn’t know everyone in that town (including some of my neighbors) I can completely agree with the shooting. He entered her home ARMED and that is a threat on her life as well as anyone else in the home. I could care less if her son opened the door and let him in, he’s 9 and not exactly in the best position for good judgement. She got that ARMED man to a place where she could reach her weapon and away from her child. She gave him a command and a way to prevent being shot. He chose not to follow that command and she acted accordingly. She fired a single shot. It’s really easy to Monday morning quarterback and so much easier to add additional blame on law enforcement personnel. Anyone who has ever had to take a life struggles with that every day for the rest of theirs, despite how justified it was. And as far as her being “safe” upstairs, I’m not sure how you can determine safety when there is an armed man in an altered state in your home. You don’t know her home OR where she keeps her weapons. She is a RESERVE trooper with a young child, I’m doubting her home is an arsenal. I’m a full time officer and my home is by no means an arsenal and the upstairs is in way a place of safety. As an officer she approached a dangerous situation instead of running from it. That’s what we are trained to do, that’s what she will do when she comes to save your life. Good job Trooper.
REGARDING:
“But now I realize that you are the real deal, you’re a real psychic. You knew what he was going to do before he did it. You have a real gift. ….END sarcasm”.
No reason for the sarcasm to end now–
You are absolutely right, only a psychic could presume to know that a naked man out in the open with a bow and arrow demanding money might be a danger to the lady, to her child or to others in the future. He was probably harmless. After all most naked men with bow and arrow demanding money are perfectly harmless; every psychic knows that. He probably never would have threatened anyone else ever again had she just let him have his way with her and her child, only a psychic could predict otherwise.
Further, he probably never would have taken the cocktail of “cocaine, cannabis, opiates, methadone and amphetamines” again. It was probably a one time thing, only a psychic could predict it might ever happen again.
Feel free to prove me wrong when I see a different future had he been allowed to continue as he was.
David with the mental gifts
of a working brain
& just a tad of sarcasm
“So she protected and served herself, her child and the next people he would have gone after in his altered state.”
David at first I thought you were just assuming and guessing and making stuff out of thin air. . But now I realize that you are the real deal, your a real psychic. You knew what he was going to do before he did it. You have a real gift. ….END sarcasim.
At one point the child and mother were upstairs and safe. Just curious why she didn’t lock herself and her child in a room and call for help. Why did she feel safe enough to interact with the “intruder.” With two law enforcement officers living at that house surely there would be protection upstairs. God bless
REGARDING:
“Law enforcement officers took an OATH to protect and serve.”
So she protected and served herself, her child and the next people he would have gone after in his altered state.
All’s well that ends well.
David for not making oaths
but keeping those you do
Law enforcement officers took an OATH to protect and serve. This officer clearly forgot that. Just my humble taxpaying opinion
Ottoman who may not know his nieghbor but HAS CERTAINLY SEEN THEM BEFORE. God Bless
Sounds like concerned citizen doesnt like the fhp to well..if this story never mentioned this lady is with the fhp i wonder what kind of comment would be made? i think she did the right way a citizen would protect her house and most importantly her son.i commend her for that and thank god she and her son wasnt hurt.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the LEO and her child. She did the right thing.
Concerned Citizen: what would you do? Would you pull an intruder up a chair and offer him/her coffee? Get real!
I wonder what “Concerned citizen” would have done in Ms. Nussbaumer’s shoes.
REGARDING:
“God will judge this officer, I pray for her lost soul.”
So you’ve judged the state of her soul. This makes you equal to God.
Impressive
David less certain
and who doesn’t know
all his neighbors all the time
Good shot.
To address the comment by ‘Concerned citizen’:
First of all the victim in this situation is NOT the dead man, it is the child and woman that he threatened with a weapon. I don’t care if the child may have invited the man into the home or not, he was committing a felony by attempting to rob them and threatening them with a weapon. She did the right thing in protecting herself and her child. I hate that someone had to die, but by the what was in the dead man’s system (cocaine, cannabis, opiates, methadone and amphetamines) it appears he was well on his way to dying, either by overdose, or by his actions while high. I love how you said he was “having a reaction and need assistance”. A reaction….really!!!! The only assistance he was looking for was getting more money for more illegal drugs. No, don’t go to a LEO when you are so high your own family calls the cops on you then leave your house enter a neighbor’s home, point a weapon at her and/or her child, demand money and strip naked. If you were such a “concerned citizen” you would see the situation as it is a high junky that wanted to get money for his habit.
It is very clear from talking to the victims family that when you are having a reaction and need assistance, NOT to go to any LEO for help. They will shoot you dead. And make up a crazy story. The LEOs will circle the wagons and protect thier own. Was it ever proven that the “intuder” forced his was in or was he invited by the nine year old?? The first crumbs of the story released was that the nine year old did not recognize the “intuder.” How can that be THEY WERE NIEBHBORS! God will judge this officer, I pray for her lost soul.
There was never a doubt that she was in the right. It is always sad when a life is lost just glad it wasn’t her or her sons. As someone who has worked with her on numerous occasions, she has always set the bar and been a leader! Praying for all involved and TWICE for the LEO’s doing the job. And as always a thumbs up to William and Northescambia for being the best news source around and not taking sides!