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Hearne PD involved in shootingJul 23, 2012 (The Eagle - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A Texas Ranger continued Sunday to investigate the weekend shooting of a man by a Hearne police officer investigating a burglary report, according to officials. It wasn't clear where the man was shot, but Tim Ottinger, spokesman at St. Joseph's in Bryan, confirmed that a shooting victim from Hearne -- Benny Carroll -- was released Sunday and was in good condition. Hearne police officers responded to a residential burglary in the 200 block of Hall Street at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, according to a four-sentence statement released by the police department. Hearne police authorities said when officers arrived, they located a suspect, shots were fired and a person was injured. The statement didn't say who was shot, whether anyone was charged or even if it was the officer who fired the gun. Several officials familiar with the case confirmed it was an officer who fired the weapon; however, they weren't clear if the officer was placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure in officer-related shootings. A dispatcher answering the phone at the department said she was told only to release the statement and she couldn't answer questions. Repeated calls to Interim Chief Thomas Williams and Mayor Ruben Gomez were not returned. Carroll's family couldn't be reached for comment. However, his parents did speak to KBTX-TV, saying the 20-year-old has never been arrested and that they were waiting on answers from the police department. They told the Bryan-based news station that their son was shot in the knee and underwent surgery. It was not clear if Carroll was armed. A Texas Ranger reached by phone Sunday afternoon said he couldn't release any information because the case is pending. ___ (c)2012 The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) Visit The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) at www.theeagle.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |