Thursday, September 6, 2012

Man shoots and kills highway patrol officer during routine traffic stop


Tuesday morning around 8:30 a.m., California Highway Patrol Officers pulled over 36-year-old Christoper Lacy, of Corning, CA on southbound I-680. According to a sheriff's spokesperson, video from a CHP dashboard camera showed Officer Kenyon Youngstrom speaking with Lacy for about 30 or 40 seconds when Lacy pulled out a gun and opened fire without provocation. Lacy was then shot and killed by Youngstrom's partner.
Officer Youngstrom was stuck in the neck and his spinal cord was severed. He died the next day.
Investigators are unsure of a motive. They found a loaded semi-automatic handgun, two ammunition magazines and a knife in Lacy's Jeep.
Lacy had no criminal record. He was arrested for DUI in 2006 but the charges were later dropped for lack of evidence. He had one fine for speeding.
According to Lacy's father, Lacy was diagnosed as bipolar and put on lithium after he suffered a psychotic break during his senior year at San Francisco State University.
37-year-old Officer Youngstrom leaves a wife and four children.