On Saturday, May 11, 1996 at 12:00:00 AM UTC-7, BOBnTACOMA wrote:

Cop Killer or Self-defense?

Pierce County sheriff's deputies raided a East Tacoma home on Oct. 16,
1996. When the raid was over, a deputy was shot dead and, Brian Eggleston, 25, also wounded in the raid, was charged with aggravated first-degree
murder and is still being held in the death of deputy John Bananola.

The story begins in the early morning hours when sheriff's deputies raided the home of Brian Egglestons mother and father.

Officers believed Brian Eggleston to be a low-level marijuana dealer, but they were concerned because of allegations by a confidential informant
that Brian Eggleston's brother, Brent Eggleston, a deputy sheriff, had resided at the east Tacoma address while defendant had made sales and/or
used marijuana at the house. It was later learned Brent Eggleston moved
out of the house 3 1/2 months earlier.

It was unnecessary for deputies to "ram" the back door as it was not
locked. They went through the kitchen and into the living room. The defendant's father was sleeping on the living room couch, and said he recognized the men as deputy sheriffs because of their uniforms. He
complied with demands to keep his hands visible. At about that time,
police say the defendant entered the hallway from his bedroom and fired at victim Bananola who had entered the hallway through the kitchen.

A volly of gun-fire erupted. Deputies reported, they had difficulty determining who was shooting and where the shooter was located. Deputy Bananola had been hit by the gun-fire, dropping to the floor at the edge
of the hallway leading to the bedrooms. After retreating, deputies
realized that Deputy Bananola was still inside. Within seconds they
obtained a shield designed for such contingencies.

Using the shield for cover, they re-entered the house. It was at that
point they found the defendant on the floor of the hallway near his
bedroom. He was bleeding profusely from wounds while his mother was rendering aid to him.

Deputy Bananola was found dead or dying just inside the living room at the end of the hallway.

Brian Eggleston, who was wounded in the drug raid on his home, was trying
to protect his family, his mother said. The first thing Linda Eggleston
heard the morning Pierce County sheriff's deputies raided her East Tacoma home was her son's shouted warning.

"I woke up to hear Brian yelling, 'Mom! Run and hide! They're going to
kill us!'" Linda Eggleston said.

"We were terrified. I swear we did not know they were police." "I yelled, 'My son's a deputy,' thinking that would scare them off," Linda Eggleston said. "They pulled me up by my hair and they screamed, 'We know.' "That's
the first time I ever got the slightest impression they were police."

Brian Eggleston claims he didn't know he was shooting at a Pierce County sheriff's deputy. "He says, 'Had I known this was an officer, this would
have never happened. I had no idea,'" said Staurset, attorney for Brian Eggleston.

Heather Becker, a friend of Brian Eggleston's for five years said, "Nobody
is as sorry as Brian." "He would never intentionally hurt anyone - ever.

Linda Eggleston said she had spoken with her other son, Peirce County
Deputy, Brent Eggleston. "He knows what's in Brian's heart," she said. "He knows that Brian would never, ever hurt a policeman. He's worried about us right now."

She and Patterson said they and others who believe Eggleston is innocent
sent more than 300 letters to Ladenburg urging him not to seek the death penalty. "I don't think he even looked at them. I don't think he even
cares," Linda Eggleston said.

The sheriff's investigators have been criticized the for not knowing.
"What kind of trust can you have in the investigation when the close surveillance of the last four months didn't reveal the guy wasn't living there for three months?" Eggleston's attorney asked.

On April 11th, Pierce County Prosecutor John Ladenburg decided to seek the death penalty for Brian Eggleston.

Eggleston's attorneys and family, who insist he was acting in self-defense and didn't realize he was shooting at deputies, condemned Ladenburg's
call. They said it was motivated by political considerations instead of
the facts of the case, but that, in a way, the decision actually might
help Eggleston.

A trial is set for September, 1996.

I'm sickened that Brian is still in jail - he just went through an appeal and LOST! WTH is wrong with our justice system!?! People who have done far, far worse than defending their home (even if he did mistakenly shoot a cop who didn't identify himself!
)have been let out of jail. The Innocence Project refused to take his case because there is no DNA evidence or 'new' evidence involved.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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