Fort Worth police officers responding to a burglary alarm call this spring went to the wrong house because of poor lighting and fatally shot an armed homeowner, reports the city’s Star-Telegram. A search warrant affidavit released Wednesday said Officers B.B. Hanlon and R.P. Hoeppner were dispatched to 409 Havenwood Lane at 12:51 a.m. May 28. But after arriving at 12:58 a.m., they “inadvertently began searching” across the street at 404 Havenwood, where 72-year-old Jerry Waller lived.
“There is no lighting around the home and the officers had only the use of their flashlights,” according to the affidavit. As the officers approached, they encountered Waller, who “was armed with a handgun standing near the corner of the home,” according to the affidavit. The officers identified themselves and ordered Waller to drop the gun, but he pointed it at the officers, prompting Hoeppner to shoot Waller, according to the affidavit. Waller's relatives have disputed the officers' account, accusing police of misrepresenting details of the incident. Police are investigating the shooting.