Former Cop’s Criminal Charges Dropped

The criminal charges against former Mountain View Police Department officer Israel Guidry have been dismissed. On June 16, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Weatherman filed one count of voluntary manslaughter and one count of armed criminal action against Guidry. The charges stemmed from the officer-involved shooting death of Angela Perkins, 38, of Cotter, Ark. on September 29, 2019. 
 
Guidry’s case was set for a preliminary hearing to take place on November 25, but on November 16, the prosecution dropped the charges. Mr. Weatherman did not respond to a request to comment from Howell County News. 
 
Guidry’s attorney, Tyson Martin of Cole & Martin in Springfield, confirmed Guidry is no longer subject to criminal proceedings, which he said was, “the right result given the facts.”
 
Mr. Martin indicated the dismissal came as a surprise to him. 
 
“I was prepared for the setting next week,” he commented.
 
Regardless, Martin was unambiguous on the subject of his client’s innocence. He said his reading of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s investigation showed a “justifiable use of force.”
 
According to a probable cause statement filed by MSHP investigators, Guidry said he was concerned Perkins had been injured in a collision that occurred shortly after his pursuit of her vehicle.
 
He exited his patrol car and approached the driver’s side door of Perkins’ truck. Guidry had his duty pistol drawn in the low ready position because he was “unsure of the driver’s intentions.”
 
Perkins was trying to free the truck from where it was stuck in the ditch while Guidry stood approximately five feet from the driver's side door giving commands to Perkins to cut the engine, which she ignored.
 
Perkins shifted into reverse and drove backwards out of the ditch and into a residential driveway. Guidry positioned himself in the roadway and continued to give commands to shut off the vehicle. 
 
The driver ignored these commands and instead drove forward. Guidry said he heard tires spin and recalls seeing the truck come towards him. He said he believed it was Perkins’ intent to kill him. 
 
Guidry fired five rounds into the hood, windshield, passenger’s side A pillar, passenger’s side front window, and passenger’s side extended cab window. Guidry reported seeing Perkins duck under the dash at the sound of the shots. Perkins’ vehicle drove on a short distance before it crashed on County Road 3080. Guidry arrived at the scene of the crash where he began to administer first aid to the wounded and bleeding woman. Officer Charles Brown arrived soon after to assist. An autopsy of Angela Perkins determined her cause of death to be a penetrating gunshot wound to the torso that entered from the lower right back that traveled up through her liver, lungs, and aorta. 
 
Mr. Martin said Perkins’ death was a “traumatic incident” for Guidry. 
 
“I’ve never spoken to a police officer who enjoyed pulling a weapon [while on duty], let alone discharging it,” he explained. 
 
“We believe from the beginning that he was wrongfully charged. This is good news, and we’re grateful,” said Jason Johnson. 
 
Johnson is the President of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund (LELDF), the non-profit organization that funded Guidry’s legal defense. 
 
“We’re in a climate now where there’s so much pressure on elected officials to take absurdly excessive action against law enforcement,” he continued, “Organizations like ours exist to push back...Certainly, there are cases where [lethal use of force] is appropriate. I would suggest this is one of those matters.”
 
The Missouri Attorney General’s office filed an Administrative Complaint against Guidry in September, effectively revoking his POST commission and rendering him ineligible to serve as a law enforcement officer in Missouri. A representative of AG Schmitt’s office confirmed on November 18 the administrative litigation is ongoing. Moreover, an attorney from the Administrative Hearing Commission confirmed over the phone on November 20 that the administrative case is ongoing. However, it should be noted the Complaint as filed referenced only the allegations in the criminal matter and probable cause statement. Howell County News will continue its investigation into this administrative matter. 
 
For now, Guidry’s attorney says his client is “trying to put things back together” in the wake of the circumstances that have made headlines since last September.
 
 
by Amanda Mendez, publisher
 

Howell County News

110 W. Main St.,
Willow Springs, MO 65793
417-252-2123

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