MO - Off-duty officer (Katlyn Alix) shot dead by on-duty officer (Nathaniel Hendren), Jan 2019

[Indy Anna]

It is very difficult to wrap my head around this for sure. I don't think they had a death wish. IF the RR story is true, then my guess is that NH put one round in the gun and put the cylinder in a position where there should have been 4-5 trigger pulls before it fires. He tells KA this, so they both point the gun and pull the trigger thinking its safe. But NH has made a mistake and lost track of what position the cylinder is in. He points it at her thinking he has one more safe trigger pull before the cylinder advances the live round into firing position. But he is wrong and the gun goes off. I seem to recall that NH had boasted on FB or somewhere about having recently bought this revolver. He maybe just had very little experience handling it was unfamiliar with it. So, in this scenario, he didn't intend to shoot her. But I still think its manslaughter.

However, the whole RR story seems just crazy to me. So I don't rule out that something else entirely happened and the RR is made up. I don't think he intended to murder her. That would be crazy. In his apartment, on duty but out of patrol area, with a married woman, drinking on duty. Doesn't add up. NH needs to just fess up and come clean about what happened. I suspect that the full truth isn't really going to be too flattering to Alix, but whatever she was doing there, she didn't deserve to die.

While your explanation of what may have happened makes more sense, I still think the excuse that NH "didn't intend to kill her" is questionable. Trained LEO's know that any time someone points a gun at a target, there is a risk of the gun firing. There have been instances of this happening before and the person holding the gun was charged. IIRC, wasn't there a police Sargent a couple of years ago who accidentally shot a student in a gun safety class (thinking the chamber was empty) and was charged with manslaughter? In this case, NH was playing with the gun, knowing there was a bullet in a chamber, and knowing there was a possibility the gun could fire. It doesn't matter what KA was doing, her actions shouldn't be called into judgment because she didn't fire the gun and she's not around to defend herself. MOO

 

[PrairieWind]

While your explanation of what may have happened makes more sense, I still think the excuse that NH "didn't intend to kill her" is questionable. Trained LEO's know that any time someone points a gun at a target, there is a risk of the gun firing. There have been instances of this happening before and the person holding the gun was charged. IIRC, wasn't there a police Sargent a couple of years ago who accidentally shot a student in a gun safety class (thinking the chamber was empty) and was charged with manslaughter? In this case, NH was playing with the gun, knowing there was a bullet in a chamber, and knowing there was a possibility the gun could fire. It doesn't matter what KA was doing, her actions shouldn't be called into judgment because she didn't fire the gun and she's not around to defend herself. MOO

I didn't mean its as an "excuse." Other than that I think this is manslaughter, not murder. His extreme recklessness and stupidity resulted in her death and that is manslaughter. NH should have never had a badge or a gun. The combination of all his actions that night is just appalling.

 

[drama_farmer]

It is very difficult to wrap my head around this for sure. I don't think they had a death wish. IF the RR story is true, then my guess is that NH put one round in the gun and put the cylinder in a position where there should have been 4-5 trigger pulls before it fires. He tells KA this, so they both point the gun and pull the trigger thinking its safe. But NH has made a mistake and lost track of what position the cylinder is in. He points it at her thinking he has one more safe trigger pull before the cylinder advances the live round into firing position. But he is wrong and the gun goes off. I seem to recall that NH had boasted on FB or somewhere about having recently bought this revolver. He maybe just had very little experience handling it was unfamiliar with it. So, in this scenario, he didn't intend to shoot her. But I still think its manslaughter.

However, the whole RR story seems just crazy to me. So I don't rule out that something else entirely happened and the RR is made up. I don't think he intended to murder her. That would be crazy. In his apartment, on duty but out of patrol area, with a married woman, drinking on duty. Doesn't add up. NH needs to just fess up and come clean about what happened. I suspect that the full truth isn't really going to be too flattering to Alix, but whatever she was doing there, she didn't deserve to die.

BBM

Well, jeez, what's the fun in that? They're taking all of the risk of random annihilation out of the game!

 

[Indy Anna]

I didn't mean its as an "excuse." Other than that I think this is manslaughter, not murder. His extreme recklessness and stupidity resulted in her death and that is manslaughter. NH should have never had a badge or a gun. The combination of all his actions that night is just appalling.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean that you were using it as an excuse. Just saying that NH's claim that he didn't intend to kill KA shouldn't be used in court to lessen his guilt.

 

[PrairieWind]

BBM

Well, jeez, what's the fun in that? They're taking all of the risk of random annihilation out of the game!

Right!!! But seriously, these were not two suicidal people or people that had nothing to live for. So thats what makes me think they were not REALLY playing RR.

I havent heard anything yet about a wrongful death suit being filed. That may or may not eventually happen.

 

[jjenny]

It is very difficult to wrap my head around this for sure. I don't think they had a death wish. IF the RR story is true, then my guess is that NH put one round in the gun and put the cylinder in a position where there should have been 4-5 trigger pulls before it fires. He tells KA this, so they both point the gun and pull the trigger thinking its safe. But NH has made a mistake and lost track of what position the cylinder is in. He points it at her thinking he has one more safe trigger pull before the cylinder advances the live round into firing position. But he is wrong and the gun goes off. I seem to recall that NH had boasted on FB or somewhere about having recently bought this revolver. He maybe just had very little experience handling it was unfamiliar with it. So, in this scenario, he didn't intend to shoot her. But I still think its manslaughter.

However, the whole RR story seems just crazy to me. So I don't rule out that something else entirely happened and the RR is made up. I don't think he intended to murder her. That would be crazy. In his apartment, on duty but out of patrol area, with a married woman, drinking on duty. Doesn't add up. NH needs to just fess up and come clean about what happened. I suspect that the full truth isn't really going to be too flattering to Alix, but whatever she was doing there, she didn't deserve to die.

The whole point of Russian Roulette game is that you don't know if the gun going to fire the bullet or not. The cylinder is spinned so location of the bullet isn't known. At least if the game is played properly. There is therefore a decent chance you are going to get killed, and the more shots are fired, the bigger that chance gets.

 

[PrairieWind]

The whole point of Russian Roulette game is that you don't know if the gun going to fire the bullet or not. The cylinder is spinned so location of the bullet isn't known. At least if the game is played properly. There is therefore a decent chance you are going to get killed, and the more shots are fired, the bigger that chance gets.

Which begs the question: were they really playing RR? If so, why?

 

[Betty P]

I understood this info (passing gun to each other) came from NH's partner PR. Allegedly, he told them they were acting like kids, and left the room after scolding.

No excuse for NH - his gun, his actions ended KA's life.

ETA: add 1/28/19 news account

.......Alix then took the gun and pointed it at Hendren and pulled the trigger but the gun again did not fire.

Hendren then took the gun back from Alix and pulled the trigger, shooting Alix in the chest, police say. She later died at the hospital.

Charging documents say Hendren’s partner told Hendren and Alix that they shouldn’t play with guns, and the partner "didn't want to have any part of it."

The partner was leaving the room when Hendren shot Alix. Authorities said he walked back into the room and saw Alix was shot in the chest.
Officers were playing type of Russian Roulette when off-duty officer was shot, prosecutors say

Thanks, I understand your point, but there's still no objective information that has been made public about whether the story Hendren and his partner are telling is true. I'm glad the victim's family has hired an attorney who will take a very close look at all the evidence and fully investigate the incident.

 

[GordianKnot]

He may be trying to minimize any culpability he may have, while covering for his partner. Only one person knows the whole truth about what happened, and she's not talking...she's dead. JMO

BBM:

Well, there are actually 2 people who know the whole truth about what happened.

One isn't talking because she's dead.

The other one isn't talking because he intentionally pointed a gun at her chest and pulled the trigger.

There's no way this can be construed as an "accident." That's laughable.

At best, it's intentional moronicity (*moronicity is not an actual word, but it fits here).

At worst, the RRR is a cover story for something else entirely that transpired b/t a man and woman who were co-workers having an extramarital relationship.

JMO.

 

[Betty P]

BBM:

Well, there are actually 2 people who know the whole truth about what happened.

One isn't talking because she's dead.

The other one isn't talking because he intentionally pointed a gun at her chest and pulled the trigger.

There's no way this can be construed as an "accident." That's laughable.

At best, it's intentional moronicity (*moronicity is not an actual word, but it fits here).

At worst, the RRR is a cover story for something else entirely that transpired b/t a man and woman who were co-workers having an extramarital relationship.

JMO.

Yes, I still wonder if there was some jealousy involved, perhaps Officer Alix was calling off the relationship with Hendren. We just don't have all the info yet - final autopsy, crime scene analysis, etc.

 

[GordianKnot]

Right!!! But seriously, these were not two suicidal people or people that had nothing to live for. So thats what makes me think they were not REALLY playing RR.

I havent heard anything yet about a wrongful death suit being filed. That may or may not eventually happen.

Agreed. That's where I'm at with this case.

Which scenario seems more plausible:
1) On-duty male police officer shoots off-duty female officer dead playing game of Reverse Russian Roulette at his apartment during his shift.
2) Married female involved in an extramarital affair is shot dead by the boyfriend.

JMO.

 

[flute4peace]

Agreed. That's where I'm at with this case.

Which scenario seems more plausible:
1) On-duty male police officer shoots off-duty female officer dead playing game of Reverse Russian Roulette at his apartment during his shift.
2) Married female involved in an extramarital affair is shot dead by the boyfriend.

JMO.

This pretty much sums it up for me.

#1 would be hard to believe if it were John Q. Idiot playing drunken games with his buddies. Factor in the fact that these were highly trained weapons professionals, supposedly sober, and I think we’ve got a better chance of being collectively struck by lightning while shooting baskets in the basement with a circus monkey.

 

[Indy Anna]

BBM:

Well, there are actually 2 people who know the whole truth about what happened.

One isn't talking because she's dead.

The other one isn't talking because he intentionally pointed a gun at her chest and pulled the trigger.

There's no way this can be construed as an "accident." That's laughable.

At best, it's intentional moronicity (*moronicity is not an actual word, but it fits here).

At worst, the RRR is a cover story for something else entirely that transpired b/t a man and woman who were co-workers having an extramarital relationship.

JMO.

Ah, yes. I should say, the only witness to what really happened who can be trusted to tell the truth is dead.

 

[Indy Anna]

Agreed. That's where I'm at with this case.

Which scenario seems more plausible:
1) On-duty male police officer shoots off-duty female officer dead playing game of Reverse Russian Roulette at his apartment during his shift.
2) Married female involved in an extramarital affair is shot dead by the boyfriend.

JMO.

OR 2b) Male officer wanted to have an affair with the victim, who rejected him.

 

[Mercedes]

I think that the victim's family is staying pretty quiet. The whole situation does not portray the victim in a favorable manner. She was recently married, and already at a man's house, in his bedroom, past midnight, when he was supposed to be at work...playing some sort of "game"...I don't know.

In his bedroom?

 

[PrairieWind]

In his bedroom?

I think they were in the living room when the shooting occurred.

 

[mickey2942]

I think they were in the living room when the shooting occurred.

I thought it was the bedroom, because the apartment wasn't that big, the other guy left the room they were in, that doesn't leave a lot of choices in a one bedroom apartment.

 

[Southern_Girl]

I thought it was the bedroom, because the apartment wasn't that big, the other guy left the room they were in, that doesn't leave a lot of choices in a one bedroom apartment.

I’d actually never read this exact article before, but I’ve read the same thing other places as well.

“The other officer on scene stated that Hendren and the victim started to play Russian Roulette with a revolver, at which point the officer said he was uncomfortable with “the drinking of alcohol and the ‘gunplay,’ so he walked out of the living room, and as he did so, he heard a single gunshot,” the court document reads.”

Court documents: Hendren was 'in love' with Officer Alix, planning on moving in together

 

[Woodland]

Opened this thread for the first time 2 days ago - have been hooked ever since.

Fwiw, I agree with marble - page 42, post #837 - there was role-playing going on with that gun. That would denote that only NH was handling the gun and would bring more serious charges, hence the change to a form of RR. I think NH forgot there was a bullet in that gun and that KA believed there was no bullet in that gun.

Also, suspect partner PR did not see the shooting as he was in another room with someone else - I don't believe he was about to walk out of the apartment just as the gun went off. My reasoning is, why would PR want to hang out at NH apartment while on duty with not much to do, other than listen to NH and KA do whatever they planned to do.

If there was a 10 minute delay in calling for help after KA was shot (as stated a few times) a 4th person might account for that - give them time to get well clear of the neighborhood and give time to make a bed or whatever needed to be done.

If there was a 4th person there that night, LE know about it from texts etc. Maybe unable to prove s/he actually showed up, or that 4th persons identity might be a bombshell.

All jmo.

 

[Seattle1]

I thought it was the bedroom, because the apartment wasn't that big, the other guy left the room they were in, that doesn't leave a lot of choices in a one bedroom apartment.

I also believe it was LR, and partner left room to go to kitchen where he allegedly poured his beer down the sink....