GED Graduate Killed — Gone too Soon

Norfolk police speak about standoff that killed teen







Norfolk police speak about standoff that killed teen
Filed by Katie Collett

WAVY-TV

updated 3:35 a.m. ET, Thurs., Aug. 14, 2008

NORFOLK (Va.)-- Norfolk Police spoke to WAVY.com about a standoff that left a 17-year-old dead. It happened on Maltby Avenue in Norfolk, Sunday. After several hours of negotiations and being barricaded inside her home, police shot and killed Tameika Jordan.

Tameika Jordan turned 17 in January. Her mother Catrina says her daughter just got her GED and planned to attend TCC in the fall. However, late Saturday night something went wrong.

"The daughter, threatening to kill her mother, that's the call that was made to 911," says Norfolk Public Information Officer Chris Amos.

Amos says police were told Jordan had a gun. The teen barricaded herself in her Maltby Avenue apartment and moments later Norfolk's Special Operations Team surrounded the Barraud Park neighborhood home.

"They're highly trained, extremely professional, show tremendous restraint. They have handled dozens and dozens and dozens of calls like this that all have ended peacefully," says Amos.

Amos says for about seven hours, negotiators tried to talk Jordan into surrendering. Catrina contends her daughter was ready to walk out when officers burst through and shot Jordan. Police say that's not the case.

"Shots were definitely fired from inside the apartment."

Amos says past tragedies have taught police when a gun is fired, action needs to be taken.

"Columbine showed us that the idea of setting up a perimeter and simply waiting while shots are being fired inside a building, unacceptable."

Police say Jordan aimed a gun at officers when they entered and they were forced to fire. It was a devastating tragedy, Amos says they wanted to avoid.

"We were going back maybe to the early 80s, maybe late 70s, the last time a team entered a situation like this and they were forced to take a life."

The shooting is still under investigation. In the meantime, Jordan's family is planning her funeral.

Participant in GED Graduation Ceremony Shot and Killed

Tomorrow is NOT promised… and, honestly, tonight is not promised either.

I don’t want this to be a doom and gloom message, but I’d really like for you to hear my heart. In the past few weeks I’ve personally been affected by five deaths. These are people I’ve been connected to in one way or another.

We’re taught to celebrate death because that person is going on to be with Jesus, but there is a grief process. Ecclesiastes says there is a time for everything… a time to laugh and a time to cry.

When we’re around someone every day and then they vanish from our lives to never be seen again on this earth, it hurts. Your heart hurts; it’s heavy. We remember the good times and cherish all the wonderful memories - and we have the right to grieve. I understand we need to be strong, but please take the time to deal with your pain. It’s okay to cry.

This past weekend one of the students who participated in our First Annual “Breathe Again Magazine” GED Graduation Ceremony was shot and killed. She was only 17 years old. She was just a baby. My heart goes out to her family. Please pray for them.

Cherish each day God gives you. You don’t know if it will be your last. Make the most of it. Live your dream…start today!

Don’t waste another day. You can’t get it back.