Shawn Payne

How they died

Deadly force

Police officers received a report that a man who turned out to be Shawn Payne had allegedly attempted to commit sexual assault and had stolen the victim's pickup. Police were tracking the truck via the victim's cell phone, which was still in the truck. Multiple police and sheriff's departments were dispatched. Payne swerved and avoided "spike strips" on several occasions. The state patrol then performed a "tactical other intervention," sending Payne off the road in a spin. Payne refused to leave the wreckage and was reportedly armed with a handgun. A deputy fired tear gas into the wrecked pickup, forcing Payne to exit out the back window with the black handgun allegedly in his right hand. When he pointed the gun toward the officers surrounding him, they open fired and killed Payne.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Shawn Payne, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources