The Martin Firm - selected case information

LEDGER-ENQUIRER

Saturday, April 14, 2001

Concern for kids spurred gunfire

Wounded suspect released from hospital, will appear in court today

By S. Thorne Harper Staff Writer

Aflac security officer John Keegan said he feared for the safety of children when he opened fire Wednesday on an unarmed 18-year-old man outside the insurance company's day-care center in Columbus.

"My big concern was for the children and their safety," Keegan said Friday. "That was the main factor. I wished it didn't have to happen, but that's the way it was."

Hoseia Sparks was wounded twice after fleeing from police and running onto Aflac's international headquarters shortly before 5:45 p.m. He was released Friday from The Medical Center and booked into the Muscogee County Jail on a drug possession charge.

The 32-year-old Keegan, who has been placed on administrative leave pending completion of a police investigation into the shooting, appeared tired as he and his attorney, Frank Martin, recounted details of what happened.

Police have said that Sparks was being pursued after a woman accused him of trying to sell crack cocaine near METRA headquarters, on Linwood Boulevard, about 5:15 p.m. He was spotted on Buena Vista Road about 15 minutes later by a METRA driver who phoned police.

About 5:30 p.m., an off-duty Columbus police officer, who was working traffic control outside Aflac as employees were leaving work, received the call in his police cruiser. An Aflac security officer, who was assisting the police officer, also heard the call and notified Aflac security headquarters, Martin said.

Within 10 minutes, Aflac security dispatched Keegan to Aflac's day-care center to provide security and to assist Columbus police in catching the man, Martin said.

Martin said an added sense of urgency accompanied an already tense situation because Aflac security has shift change at 5:30 p.m., leaving a 10-minute window in which the day-care facility is without security. It was during that time when Sparks made his way onto the grounds of the day-care center, Martin said.

Sparks

At some point, Sparks allegedly knocked down a female employee in the Aflac parking facility before running nearly 200 yards to the day-care center, police and Martin said. As parents were retrieving their children, Sparks dropped a cell phone near a car occupied by a woman who was with her 4-year-old in the day care's pickup area.

When Keegan arrived, Sparks was a few feet from the woman's car. After seeing the uniformed security officer, Sparks ran about 30 feet and crouched behind a parked car. Martin said Keegan got out of his marked car and positioned himself between the day-care facility and Sparks.

At least twice, Keegan told Sparks to "surrender, come out and lay down," Martin said.

Keegan said Sparks began to slowly rise out of his crouching position and reached behind his back. Fearing that Sparks had a gun and that he would fire in the direction of the day-care center, Keegan fired five rounds from his .38-caliber revolver.

Sparks then ran several feet along a fence line before turning and facing Keegan, who then fired the last round in his cylinder, Martin said. Sparks got through or over the fence and fled along Brown Avenue. He doubled back toward Keegan and the day-care center after police spotted him. As he closed on Keegan, now with an empty gun, police grabbed him, Martin said.

Police said they found an undisclosed amount of crack cocaine on Sparks.

"Personally, I think (Keegan's) a hero," Martin said. "He thought (Sparks) was coming up to fire. John did what he was asked to do - protect the day-care center and to help apprehend the guy."

Police continued Friday to probe the shooting. Sparks, meanwhile, is being held on $2,500 bond. His hearing will be at 2 p.m. today in Columbus Recorder's Court.

Keegan said he doesn't believe he did anything wrong.

"No one thinks to ask the guy who had to do this: How do you feel?" he said. "There's no way you could ever feel good about something like this. I wish it didn't happen. Every night when I close my eyes I have to live with the fact of having to pull that trigger."