# GVSU Student shot shot while police execute search warrant in his apartment



## Tinman16 (Mar 13, 2009)

Go to google and type in "Derek Copp" for a link,

They police didn't release too much information but I guess he was unarmed, and was studying at the time the cops broke in on a search warrant for reports that the place smelled like marijauna.

He was shot when he covered his hands from a bright flashlight.

They didn't find anything in his apartment that they could arrest him for.

This makes me genuinely sick to my stomach.


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## CasualGrower (Mar 13, 2009)

*Here is a copy and paste of the link I found.*





*Derek Copp is name of Grand Valley student shot, injured by police during drug raid*

*by The Grand Rapids Press Thursday March 12, 2009, 5:04 PM
*

*UPDATE:* hXXp://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/03/friends_of_grand_valley_studen.html"]Friends of Grand Valley student Derek Copp, shot by police in Campus View Apartments, accuse officers of overreacting]
ALLENDALE -- Apartment neighbors of Grand Valley State University student Derek Copp say they cannot fathom what prompted police to shoot him late Wednesday in a drug-related raid.
Courtesy PhotoDerek Copp
But they said they were aware of marijuana odors in the complex.
If you came down the hallway at the right time, you could smell the smoke," said Joe Putra, whose apartment door is in the same Campus View Apartments hallway as the shooting victim.
RELATED CONTENT &#8226; "hXXp://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/03/role_on_police_drug_team_invol.html"]
&#8226; ]hXXp://www.mlive.com/images/news/video.gif
&#8226; [URL="hXXp://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/03/friends_of_grand_valley_studen.html"]
&#8226; [URL="hXXp://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/03/derek_copp_is_name_of_grand_va.html"
&#8226; [URL="hXXp://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/03/update_shot_that_hit_grand_val.html"]
&#8226; [URL="hXXp://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/gvsu_shooting/"]

The 20-year-old student was in serious condition at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital.
Copp, a Spring Arbor native, has been at GVSU since 2007, the same year he graduated from Jackson Community College, according to his page on Facebook. He identifies himself as "a left-wing hippie peace-keeping liberal," who is seeking a film and video degree.
Copp plays the guitar and often volunteers at music festivals to see favorite bands for free, the social networking page states.
Putra described the wounded student as a "real nice guy" who was easy going. He said people would "come and go" to the apartment often, particularly last fall.
Still, he wondered why the student was shot.
"It must have been something more than just weed," he said.
Police said five officers with the West Michigan Enforcement Team, a regional drug unit, executed a search warrant on the apartment about 9 p.m. Wednesday.
An Ottawa County sheriff's detective assigned to WEMET fired one shot at the student, hitting him in the upper right chest. The student was unarmed, but police would not say whether they thought he posed a threat or what happened during the raid. The 12-year veteran deputy is on paid leave pending an investigation.
Michigan State police Lt. Cameron Henke also refused to disclose whether police found any drugs in the apartment.
*Police discuss GVSU shooting*Brian Gardner, owner of Campus View Apartments, said such an incident has never happened in the complex's 42-year history. He described the complex as a quiet place where many of the university's more studious students live.
"This was just a once-in-a-blue-moon incident," he said.
He said students who live there sign a "no party" agreement that prohibits kegs and essentially classifies any gathering of more than eight people as a party.
"That's why it's so disappointing this happened," he said.


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## cadlakmike1 (Mar 13, 2009)

There's obviously something more to this story. Something crooked went down or the police would have made some sort of statement as to why they shot. This kid is probably going to see a huge payday from this, I just hope he's ok.


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## Tinman16 (Mar 13, 2009)

cadlakmike1 said:
			
		

> There's obviously something more to this story. Something crooked went down or the police would have made some sort of statement as to why they shot. This kid is probably going to see a huge payday from this, I just hope he's ok.



Yeah, I hope he gets a huge payday out of this, I mean he did absolutely nothing wrong, they didn't even have anything to arrest him on, and he got shot in the chest and was very close to death. All because someone reported smelling marijuana.

The war on drugs is such a failure.


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## IRISH (Mar 13, 2009)

just seen this here. this is the area i'm from. this is headline news here. his mom and dad are saying he'll make it this evening. .

the bullet broke some ribs, punctured a lung, and blew away part of his liver. the bullet will be removed from his lower back tomorrow.

his major was arts and entertainment. he told his mom he was going to turn this into a book, or a movie.

he's one of the lucky ones. 

all this over a little weed. and he was'nt growing...bb...


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## Sir_Tokie (Mar 13, 2009)

This is just total nonsence, shoot because you smell some smoke? This cop should loose his job. And be put into jail. And then not to even find anything? This is one of the 1000's of reason the MJ laws need to be changed NOW!!!...take care..


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## Motor City Madman (Mar 13, 2009)

This really scares me living in Michigan. It just goes to show us the the police use excessive force and get paid leave for doing so. This officer should be put in jail. You shoot a unarmed person it is attempted murder, anyone without a badge would be throw in jail not given paid leave.


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## Alistair (Mar 14, 2009)

If the cops are that afraid of being hurt, then perhaps they shouldn't take the job.  In other words, it sounds to me that the cop was afraid and shot the guy.
It also seems like they could have found a bigger fish to fry.  If you live in Michigan, then your tax money is paying for idiot maneuvers like that one. What a goober!

Michigan is a great place to be, but regarding marijuana, it sure has changed quite a bit over the years.


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## city (Mar 14, 2009)

Do you think that they should have just knocked on the door? That's how most warrants get served...


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## IRISH (Mar 14, 2009)

exactly city! they snuck in the back door. and, still found nothing!!!

med mj will be legal here in two weeks. and thier going after college student tokers? 

he was alone, studying in the dark, at his computer, when this went down. 

shameful. down right shameful. 

the name of thier task force--- WEMET...bb...


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## Newbud (Mar 14, 2009)

Shoot first ask questions later then?
Poor lad my heart goes out to him, bet the poor lad crapped himself when they came in like something from a bad movie.

Sure am glad all cops in uk dont carry guns.
Its bad enough when they start swinging there telescopic truncheons at ya i'd hate to see what they'd be like wiv a gun


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## nvthis (Mar 15, 2009)

Man, I've seen (on tv, of course) cops shoot themselves, shoot their partners accidentally, shoot bullets off into space, shoot intentionally at people and never hit them. Seems they should re-examine there training or phsyc evals or something cause I don't feel all that safe with some of these idiots running around with loaded weapons. Absolutely crazy.


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## Old Bud (Mar 15, 2009)

Don't be too hard on cops; bullies, sadists, sociopaths and similar sickos have to work too.


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## blancolighter (Mar 15, 2009)

Old Bud said:
			
		

> Don't be too hard on cops; bullies, sadists, sociopaths and similar sickos have to work too.


 
Hey man, take it easy on cops (for real, I'm not being sarcastic like you were). Just cause theres a couple bad apples doesn't mean they're all bad. Some of our best standup citizens are cops and I would have it no other way. I mean think about it, as weed growers we're in the same boat, a few bad apples have ruined our name so badly that we can make some cops so nervous they shoot. This cop should definately have his gun taken away for ever and be put on dispatch for the rest of his career along with other punishment (and not a paid vacation), but its our country's ridiculous MJ laws that really breed this kind of situation as many have stated above. For just about every bad thing a cop has done, I can think of about 4 times a cop has saved lives and been a true benefit to our society. 

Now I def. agree they shoulda just knocked on the door, and this could have all been avoided, but ya know why they just bust in? Because pot dealers and growers in the past have blown 12 gauge slugs through the door as police knock. This kind of news doesn't get posted on this site, but it happens just as often as the type of news that started this thread. Its a two way street with unfortunate casualties on both sides, with the real perpetrator here being our countries riduculous MJ policies.


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## nvthis (Mar 15, 2009)

Not bangin' on cops as a whole, just pointing out that maybe not all of them should be carrying around loaded weapons. See above. Case in point.


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## Motor City Madman (Mar 15, 2009)

The cops have a job that sucks. They are under paid and stressed out. But discretion still needs to be used. There are a lot of **** holes in Michigan this was campus apartments. I would expect them to smash the door down, not unload their guns.


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## clanchattan (Mar 15, 2009)

Just thought i'd bring the "PAID LEAVE" to everyones attn.

If i almost KILL someone at work and have to take time off because of an investigation i get paid $0.00.

Cop screws the pooch AND continues to be paid? Cops and local weather personalities, what a racket......


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## ugmjfarmer (Mar 17, 2009)

If this is not on everybody's radar, it needs to be this is a huge story. Michigan DEA forces broke into a 20 year old student's apartment shooting him in the chest after he shielded his eyes from the police officer's flashlight. The student is recovering in the hospital and the State Police and the Sheriffs office are investigating the incident as a criminal investigation.

Students have begun protesting the event calling this another example of the drug war violence and horrible policy.

Full Coverage including multiple stories, oppinions and blogs:

hxxp://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/gvsu_shooting/


Initial story: hxxp://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/03/grand_valley_student_shot_whil.html

*Grand Valley State University student shot while police execute search warrant in his Campus View apartment, school says*

*by Nate Reens | The Grand Rapids Press Thursday March 12, 2009, 7:20 AM
*
Dave Odette | The Grand Rapids Press

 ALLENDALE TOWNSHIP -- A Grand Valley State University student was shot in the chest Wednesday night while police executed a search warrant at his off-campus apartment, according to school officials.

Investigators Wednesday night refused to say if the injured student shot himself or was shot by authorities in the 9 p.m. incident at Campus View Apartments. But a source with knowledge of the investigation said this morning that authorities indicated they believe the shot came from a police officer.

The 20-year-old student was in stable condition at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital, police said.

The shooting caused police to lock down the building, but residents were not evacuated and were never in danger, state police Capt. Gary Gorski said.

Authorities released little information, but GVSU's Website said police were entering the student's apartment at 10255 42nd Ave. at the time of the gunfire.

 Gorski said the warrant was part of a drug investigation conducted with the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department and other agencies.

"(This is) an isolated incident," Gorski said. "(It) started out as a drug investigation, a search warrant was conducted, which resulted in a shot being fired."

Residents who live in the three-story building said they did not hear gunshots or a commotion. They were unaware of the shooting until several police arrived to probe the incident on the north wing of the first floor.
 Several residents in the complex complained they were not told what was happening in the hours after the shooting.

"Yikes, that's insane," said Kent Winters, a 20-year-old sophomore. "Man, I'd never think of anything like that happening around here. It's quiet."

Winters lives on the south side of the first floor. He was informed of a shooting third-hand.

"I would have liked to have known," he said.

The suspect's identity has not been released by authorities, but residents in the complex called him a "nice guy."

Joe Putra lives across the hall from the 20-year-old, who has at least one other roommate. The suspect was in his second year living in the building, Putra said.

"When I moved in, he came and asked if I needed any help with anything," Putra said. "I'd see him out back when we were barbecuing. He was a nice guy."

Putra said the suspect, who often played the guitar and frequently carried the instrument around campus, built a large snow fort this winter in the back of their building.

Shawn Driggers, who lives in a different Campus View building, was going to 
work out in the complex's exercise facility when multiple police cars caught his attention.

Driggers, a sophomore studying finance and marketing, believes the area is safe despite what happened Wednesday.

"I never got the sense of urgency or of danger, and I don't think that's going to change," Driggers said. "You can't live being scared about your safety 24/7."


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## Dr. GreenBrain (Mar 17, 2009)

HOLLY ****, I USED TO GO TO GVSU! F-ING FASCISTS. I'm so glad I now live in the Land of Milk and Honey.


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