TexasCHLforum.com

The patrol officer who stopped Roland Carnaby for speeding Tuesday morning was about to detain him as a possible CIA agent impersonator when he took off in his SUV, Houston police said Thursday.

Two days after officers shot Carnaby to death at the conclusion of a high-speed chase, more details emerged about the bizarre chain of events, including phone calls Carnaby made after he was pulled over.

First Carnaby called an acquaintance in Houston Police Department's internal affairs division, trying to get someone to vouch for him to the patrolman. Later, as he raced away from pursuing officers at speeds up to 120 mph, the man who had for years projected the persona of a federal intelligence officer apparently called a contact he knew in the FBI.

Carnaby initially had thought that by showing an ID card bearing the seal of the Central Intelligence Agency he could be on his way. But the officer who stopped him along Texas 288 near West Orem, already suspicious because of Carnaby's nervous behavior, did not recognize the ID card and told Carnaby he would check it out, HPD homicide Capt. Steve Jett said.

"The officer went back and checked the guy, and when he checked the license, the handgun permit came up and he was like, 'Why does a federal agent need a concealed handgun permit?' " Jett said.

Increasingly suspicious, the officer asked Carnaby for proof of his connection with the CIA.

"He asked him questions like who's your supervisor? Do you have a contact number you can call and verify? And the answers weren't very good," Jett said.

That was when Carnaby called someone he knew at HPD's internal affairs division. The officer asked the acquaintance if Carnaby really worked for the CIA.

"The answer was 'possibly yes,' " Jett said. "But the officer was obviously not inclined to just let him go. He was being very thorough and probably was going to write him a ticket, if not put him in jail for something, probably for not presenting a concealed handgun permit when he was stopped."

State law requires holders of concealed carry permits to present them when stopped by police if they have weapons in the car.

Mike1951 wrote:Many LEO's in Texas also maintain a CHL.

It's all part of the conspiracy, I tell you.

Mike1951 wrote:I'm sorry! I fail to see any humor in this incident, regardless of how it turns out.

Wife of man who claimed CIA link sues
Federal case says HPD officers who shot, killed Carnaby violated his civil rights


By DALE LEZON
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

The wife of a man fatally shot by Houston police and who claimed to be a CIA agent filed a federal lawsuit Friday against the city, accusing the officers of violating his civil rights.

Roland Vincent Carnaby, 52, was killed after he led police on a high-speed chase after a traffic stop Tuesday morning. The CIA has denied that Carnaby was connected to the agency.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Houston, also names Houston Police Department Sgt. Andrew J. Washington and Officer Charles Foster. Both fired at Carnaby.

It states that the officers violated Carnaby's right to protection from unreasonable search and seizure and his right to due process.


Police actions defended
The shooting was unjustified, Randall Kallinen, the attorney for Susan Carnaby, said in a news conference after filing the suit.

HPD spokesman Victor Senties said the department does not comment on pending litigation and directed questions to the city attorney's office.

"I think (the officers) operated the way they should have according to proper police procedures and according to constitutional requirements," said Arturo Michel, Houston city attorney.

Police officials said Washington and Foster fired because they were in fear for their safety.


Excessive force alleged
After the chase ended, Carnaby stopped and was getting out out of his Jeep Commander but refused officers' commands to put his hands in plain sight, officials said. Carnaby then reached under the driver seat and grabbed an object as he began to get out of his car, police said. That's when the officers fired.

"When a person has their back to you, the officer cannot be in reasonable, objective fear for his life," Kallinen said.

Kallinen said Susan Carnaby hopes the suit will make the city change its methods about use of excessive force on suspects. She is also asking for unspecified monetary damages.

Police said the chase started after Carnaby was stopped for speeding along Texas 288.


Hard to verify
The officer who stopped him became suspicious when Carnaby appeared nervous and claimed to be connected to the CIA. Police were trying to determine if Carnaby's claim was true when he sped off.

Officers chased the Jeep north along the South Freeway, with speeds reaching 120 mph, toward downtown Houston and then west on the Katy Freeway. Carnaby then headed south along the West Loop, exiting at Woodway, where the chase ended.

Police said officers would find three weapons in Carnaby's SUV, including two pistols and a pistol-grip shotgun.

Dozens of blog posts refer to Carnaby as a noted intelligence service veteran. The blog posts have been difficult to verify.

Kallinen said that questions surrounding Carnaby's life do not justify his death.


Discipline problems
He also said that the officers who shot him have had several disciplinary problems at the department.

Foster, who has been on the force for about 28 years, has been reprimanded twice for rules violations, according to city records.

City records show that Washington, on the force for about 22 years, has been suspended once for five days for striking a suspect and once for one day for speeding.

He also was suspended for three days for insubordination and violating department rules. That suspension was reduced to one day in arbitration.