This story has been around for a couple of weeks now but the police dashcam video of the event (above) was only recently released. From an argument over use of the Walmart toilet, it ended up with one of the family fatally shot by police, another wounded in the stomach, and a police officer shot in the leg. All of the family were taken into police custody and face numerous serious charges, and two children have been put into government care.
Apparently the family were camping in the Walmart carpark, and got into an altercation with Walmart security who called police. One story says the argument began when the Walmart security woman mistook one of the female members of the family for a male and tried to prevent her using the female toilet.
Police were called, and were already in attendance when the second police dash cam vehicle and its occupants enter the car park. At that stage, there seems to be a conversation going on between Walmart workers, the police and members of the family.
This seems to challenge the police version of the story from before the release of the video wherein they claimed that the family has immediately assaulted the police upon their arrival at the scene.
Its hard to work out what is going on from the video, but for sure, the family didn’t go down easy. However, I’m not sure they provoked the issue. The aggressive posture of the arriving police officer who immediately grabbed a girl from behind seems to have sparked off the brawl, with her brother trying to protect her. There seems to have been no intent by the Police to bring a peaceful conclusion to the event.
(I thought that the police in the US had to follow a procedure of arrest before they could assault any person that is just standing in a public place, but maybe I am wrong about that.)
The Walmart staffer also seems pretty interested in violence and continues to assault one of the family members who to me didn’t look all that keen on a fight. The family were apparently unarmed with only the police firing shots, using multiple tasers and pepper spray.
I am seeing comments and remarks on many news site saying the family were white trash and deserved everything they got. I’m not so sure I concur with that view. I lived in Idaho for a while and found it to be one of the most peaceful and law abiding places I have ever been.
The family performed as a band called “Matthew 24 Now” and apparently this was their only source of earned income. They have pleaded not guilty to all charges and their story of the events differs markedly from the police report.
The arrested, all family members, have been identified as the Gavers, from Boise, Idaho. David, 18; Nathaniel, 27; Jeremiah, 29; Ruth, 52; and Peter, 55, were all booked into the Yavapai County Jail, according to jail records. Two juveniles were also taken into custody. David was shot in the stomach and hospitalized. 21-year-old Enoch, was shot in the head and later died.
I think there is still a lot of truth to surface on this event.
TrueblueNZ 
13 responses to “Walmart carpark brawl with 8 members of Idaho Christian family and Arizona police”
Concur there is more to this story.
Overzealous Policing does seem to have kicked it all off.
Not one to miss the opportunity for some gratuitous violence, but I got the impression that the family were reluctant participants.
As for an armed Constabulary, they would be the biggest danger to themselves. How does dealing with an unarmed family justify shooting yourself in the leg.
Sorry self defense for the family.1. Fire arms training for the Police on how not to shoot yourself. and 2. When it is appropriate to draw a weapon in the first place.
Potty training for the Walmart staff, you get what you pay for.
We are going down that road here with the drop in recruiting standards.
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I have always been a supporter of Police but I now think they are out of control in the US. However I think it is a cultural thing mostly in that its become a jungle out there.
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What I have noticed is a remarkable drop off in the quality of our Police over the last few years.
I have experienced corruption firsthand in the form of a speeding ticket, hence my wanting to defend the next ticket and winning.
I have witnessed the bad attitude of Police to patrons at a bar, all but asking for a slap.
The inability to investigate etc.
Standards are dropping fast.
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Sure the US cops are out of control. Their marksmanship is shocking – 8 shots to drop someone at 10 yards! Here we see once again how pepper spray and tasters are nothing but a waste of time and make things more dangerous for the cops. How were they to know these “white trash” were so deficient in their constitutional responsibilities as to not open carry?
Fact is when called to stop by a US cop you lie on the ground with your hands on your head (or if you’re in a car, stand with your hands on the hood). If you don’t, you’re dead.
The only safe way to deal with a rioting family is to assume the “family” took their constitutional responsibilities serious, called on them once to surrender, and then at that range taken head shots on all of them to minimise casualties. It’s called justice – something NZ desperately needs!
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“Fact is when called to stop by a US cop you lie on the ground with your hands on your head (or if you’re in a car, stand with your hands on the hood). If you don’t, you’re dead”
I don’t support that kind of big govt tyranny. Nor do I support the mass murder of those who oppose it. You sound just like the Chicom generals you profess to disdain.
Cops need to follow process, and if society is so out of control that this kind of violence is necessary then its not a problem policing will repair.
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I agree cops need to follow due process: calling on the criminals to surrender and them opening with carefully aimed fire to avoid casualties to bystanders. Clearly the police failed in this and many other cases.
The real failure here was Walmart which not only does not require its employees to be armed, but in fact forbids it. Had the Walmart employee been armed and suitably trained they could have prevented the transvestite from using the wrong bathroom with a minimum of deadly force.
And yes I strongly agree that this could better have been resolved by a private security armed response than relying on minimum-wage “cops” reporting to elected “police chiefs”.
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Surely you Jest?! Justice needs to be served in Court.
In this case, the procedure should have been to ask them to move along peacefully.
If they refuse and become law breakers, then a riot squad might have been appropriate.
No riot squad, then wait for one.
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I do not jest. Arizona and Idaho are open carry states. Cops must assume that citizens are armed at all times and their protocols must respond accordingly.
The correct protocol must be to “ask them to move along peacefully” and then to respond with minimum deadly force to ensure minimal casualties among responders (first) and the bystanders (second).
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This is the first time I heard this.
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I thought it was an amazing story, and have been disappointed to notice so much comment in the US along the lines of “these people got what they deserved because they’re white trash”.
There but for the grace of God go I. Frankly I think this is an example of tyranny with the police conducting a major public relations offensive to cover up what was a very poorly handled situation.
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Berwick said: “It’s called justice – something NZ desperately needs!”
You don’t know if it was “justice”, nobody does yet.
And I guess it’s easy to applaud so long as you feel safe yourself.
You sound like some ignorant, arrogant kid, steeped in video games, who can’t differentiate between those and the real world.
Grow up.
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As I said above: I know damn well when cops in the US tell me to stop I stop.
If they tell me to stand with my hands on the hood, I stand with my hands on the hood.
If they tell me to lie on the ground with my hands on my head, I lie on the ground with my hands on my head.
If I do not comply with a policeman’s lawful request – or frankly any other citizen’s lawful request: to get off their land, to get out of their way etc, or if I break the law – them I am well aware Constituional American justice will be served to me, swiftly and directly.
That’s what “open carry”, “stand your ground” and the “castle doctrine” mean – and why they are so vital to freedom!
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