The woman wounded is doing well. She has a few more operations ahead of her to regain movement of her shoulder. Best possible outcome, considering.

To the person who was wonding if this situation was handled in the best way possible. I say it was. When a man enters a house with a shot gun and shoots someone, you dont stop and think whether or not to use mace, or a taser. Its unfortunate that this family lost a father, but this man entered the house with the intention of killing everyone inside. Its a blessing that only one life was lost.

Dear GOD...bless the Harrington family.
Does anyone know the latest condition of the wounded mother in law? My thoughts and prayers go out to her as well.

I can't understand what you are talking about.

WOW these posts really got off topic. By reading just the posts, I couldn't even tell ya what the origional article was about. Nice job people!

Schmeb, It always kind of amuses me when people comment on a story that hasn’t been commented on in (in this case) 2 days and 5 hours, asking why people are still (in this case) badmouthing this guy. Don’t you know (or do you?) it puts the story in a higher position on the list?
If 10, 15, 20 or more people comment on a post, all saying, “Yeah, you’re right, I agree with the previous 25 posters.”, who would read and comment on the posts, or, if so, why? What more would there be to add? It would just die a natural, peaceful death. Don’t most of us post on a story to get our own view point across? “Debate”, more than agreement, probably keeps most posts going-and let’s face it-might be a bit more “interesting”, if it’s reasonable and not posted just to inflame.
Adding agreement is nice, and friendly, but perhaps, after awhile, unnecessary. New, reliable details are also very good. Adding argument is probably most common. What were YOU looking for, Shmeb?

I am sorry that you have so much anger in you and that you are so annoyed by other people. If you are not interested in what other people are thinking, maybe posted comments are not right for you. If you could only let go of your anger and listen to other people, you might learn a lot. It may not be what you thought you set out to learn and it may not be something that you agree with, but in time you will learn to tolerate other people's views and opinions without being threatened by them.

SCHMEB,
Apparently you havn't read mine. You are incorrect. Not everybody in here is casting stones as you say.

You all that wish to spar via the "Janesville Gazette" blog should go get a private room. We are sick and tired of hearing your petty arguments. Just post a comment, and leave it at that. For Christ's sake.....gazzeteer1

I so agree with you to this statement you posted!!! I come on to read the stories and then read peoples views on the subject and it is just people argueing and calling each other names and talking about things that dont even pertain to the story....the gazette needs to enforce their posting rules!!!

gazzeteer1...lol.....all i can say is what do u expect read the articles.....and the way things were portrayed...........garyprimer.........reading the article(s) not knowing the family it is easy to draw some nasty conclusions.....hopefully no hard feelings ........i am only speaking for a friend who can not for himself(i prefer he still could, but choices he made led to his own demise....i am thankful everyday he did/does not take anyone with him.......and hope i have not caused any hard feelings......happy new year!!!!....hopin all have a great new year.... :)

garyprimer..
I admire you for saying that. It says alot about you. I'll let you in on something.....
Two years ago, I was a very bitter, judgemental, selfish person. (We all can be!)
I had a monumental wake up call in Feb. '06 that's totally changed the way I look at things. I used to just say what was on my mind regardless of the consequences of whom it may hurt or affect. I'm nobody special, believe me! I've just simply stopped thinking of me all the time because I've realized that there's other people in this world besides me.
It's not just about me. I've simply made the choice to not be influenced by the negative media out there that's hurting so many people and eroding our society as a whole. I'm taking in the best possible media there is which is leading me to give out positive to others rather than the negative garbage they don't need. I wish I could hug everyone and lead them to the same thing I've been blessed with but I know it doesn't work that way! So, I've made the choice to be the best father, husband and friend I can possibly be on a daily basis and hope that I can pass that feeling onto someone else so they might do the same. That's all. No ego's, no agenda, I just want to help make a difference. That's it. God Bless

I choose to apologize for hurting anyone's feelings. I did not know this man and I am sure that he had many fine qualities as a human being and many flaws as we all have. I write what I think at the time. You should be aware that there is a chance that others are thinking the same thing but do not take the time or opportunity to write it. This is called a reaction to story or comment. It is not an edict from the supreme court. It is not a plan to save the world. I probably have no idea what I am talking about and need to be set straight. Thank you for taking the time to do so.

garyprimer........hidin' behind the keyboard I see. Stay bitter and be part of the problem. Your choice.

Looks like somebody just read a book from Oprah's list and now has a major in philosophy.

Everyone adding comments in this site or any site for that matter (including me) have the power within them to go out in this world and make a positive difference. It's real easy to hide behind a keyboard and spew negative towards one another in this cybernistic society we're cursed with. Here's the thing, it doesn't have to be that way! We have too many people on this planet pointing fingers at everyone else and pointing out their "shortcomings", when they should be looking at themselves. You can't make a difference in others unless you work on yourself first. It starts at home. God has a purpose for each and every one of us while we're here on this Earth and I can assure you, God doesn't make "junk". Therefore, if we, as individuals (including me!) aren't working at finding that purpose and fulfilling it, we're not honoring our creator with our whole heart. Whether you have a spiritual side or not doesn't even matter. If we all just make an effort to respect others and just make an effort on a daily basis to do the right things, tragedies like this will happen less and less in our communities. We have the power make it happen, the question is, are you going to sit behind the keyboard of your computer, the TV, the local watering holes.....or are you going to step up and do something about it???!!!! It's called "get bitter or get better"
God bless everyone!

You all that wish to spar via the "Janesville Gazette" blog should go get a private room. We are sick and tired of hearing your petty arguments. Just post a comment, and leave it at that. For Christ's sake.....

agreed.......well said ihavealife................i had the pleasure of spending some time with tim and michelle's children.......they are 4 beautiful,well mannered children .......i only hope this tragedy or any of the aftermath doesn't do irrepairable damage...............hopefully as friends and family we can help and stop this from destroying any more lives

garyprimer

maybe the clinton community rests a bit easier knowing that u wouldn't travel thru their community or better yet u don't live there............as we know all opinions /comments have 2 sides.......as i have said before my FRIEND tim made some poor decisions that were out of character.....but yes i agree we all should take responsibilty for ours actions........i never would participate or condone his actions.....nor would i abandon my friends alive or even after u judge him and his situation when he isn't here to defend himself........when all that is left is his family and friends to make sure he is remember for how he lived not how he died.............i too am glad the police nuetralized the situation before it degraded i am well aware and fear how bad it would have been had they not been present......but a tragedy none the less......we should all hope that this experience can be prevented....with
some wisdom gained from this

ihavealife,
lets all have more forgivness in our hearts... very well said, don't you think!

I hope that everyone who thinks this is a swell guy who just had some problems lives in Clinton. Do me a favor and don't move anytime soon and I will be sure to drive around and not through town if I need to pass that way. Good luck to all of you.

Honeybee,
Thank you for taking the time to read my comments. I sincerely pray that what I say can make a difference in someone's life. As to wondering if I live by the words I write, like I said in my last passage: I've decided to live by the golden rule: "DO ONTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE DONE ONTO YOURSELF"
I truly feel I'm a person of high character and integrity and if I weren't, I wouldn't have said what I said. It goes back to holding myself accountable for my actions. My actions in life get me the results I get in life. If I don't like my results, I change my actions. My actions are modeled after 10 golden rules that GOD makes clear in a very special book that I'm sure we've all heard of!
I have found that if I just live right and make it a point to serve others, great things come back to you in return. It's a win-win!
The great part is, it's available for anyone who has the desire to change and you don't have to have to be any certain religion to just simply live your life in accordance to them. If we all just did that, religious or not, the world would be such a greater place to live in for all of us. I personally, choose to be a leader. A leader isn't a boss or an authority or better than anyone else, a leader just simply leads by example. I so pray that I can make a difference that way. '
Again, God bless everyone!

kleej, Thank you I wish that more people shared your views and I hope you live by them as well.

We have a problem in society and it's called lack of accountability. This whole story is a major tragedy. It's a product of the culture which we are stuck with because so many people are into finger pointing and blaming others for the problems in their lives and not taking the personal responsibility to do something about it. As adults, we need to be the example to the upcoming generations, not part of the problem.. Too many people whining about how life has treated them and not willing to confront reality and do something about it. It's your life! You have the power to change it! I'm living proof that it can be done. We need more leaders and less followers in our communities! We need to be lifting others up instead of kicking them when they're down. If we, as a country, don't wake up to what's happening out there, we are going to see more tragedy's like this one on a continually growing basis. Not just in Clinton, but, EVERYWHERE!!!! Me personally, I've made the decision to take a stand and hold myself accountable for how I live my life! I've decided to live by the golden rule: "DO ONTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE DONE ONTO YOURSELF" ..........I beg people, just try on a daily basis to be positive and be an uplifter to people you meet everyday. You'll be pleasantly surprised as to how good it makes you feel, while at the same time, helping someone else. Whether we like it or not, we're all in this together. WE NEED TO BE THE EXAMPLE AND GO OUT AND MAKE THIS COUNTRY GREAT AGAIN. Anyone up for that???!!!! God bless all of you!

I would much rather see "Cop Kills Clinton Man" than "Clinton Man Kills Cop" and I realize the need for alliteration to turn out snappy headlines, but I feel it would be more responsible to use the term "police officer" or "deputy" when referring to the same. This is a classic suicide by police and the victim who suffers the most in these cases is the officer who is manipulated into using deadly force.

Tim you crazy sob! Too soon for the wrong reasons rest in peace my friend!!! Your blaze of glory is written here below by people who did not know you well or at all. I only wish you could have learned to live more and realise what you had.
Michelle I am so very sorry!
For you, the kids! The many long days ahead, and if you ever read this then you will know me, who I am.
I've been gone for some time.
Tim and I spent many hours together for a lot of years.
I knew him well, and sadly enough knew this day would come. He called me and told me the things he'd done. I had no words for him, there was nothing anyone could have said to him to make things different. An unchanging direction of mind. Strong willed to the point of absurd. The making and ultimate demise of a man I knew well. Again rest in peace my FRIEND! I pray you find your way.

I have emailed the Gazette Staff to have Evansvillehousewife banned from any further posts on the Gazette website. She is totally abusing her privilages. She is clearly using this site to vent her anger and frustrations.

Finally people with sense... All of us should be grateful something like this has never darkened our doorstep...we never know what the future holds.... So lets all pray for the Harrington Family....

Thanks Toots, I am tired of hearing everyones negative thoughts of Tim, he was a great guy and a family friend of ours. We will miss you Timmy, RIP!

I knew Tim. Of course what happened was awful, but to derive a psychological diagnosis out of an article in the paper is impossible. All these shrink-wannabe's should just hope a tragedy like this doesn't visit your family.

Starboy,
What irritates me is people who read the newspaper, because they think if it was in the paper, it HAS to be true! COME ON people. If you didn't know Tim, you don't have a right to call him such rude and cruel names. Do you know the Tim that went and had his picture taken with his kids to give to his wife as a suprise? Do you know the Tim that would be at the hockey rink watching his kid during practice and come to every game, EVEN UP UNTIL THIS HAPPENED WHILE PEOPLE CONTINUED TO JUDGE HIM AND TALK ABOUT HIM BEHIND HIS BACK? Do you know the Tim that was always around his kids and was a dedicated family man? Look, I am not saying that all was perfect, far from it, but, he is also NOT the monster that he is being portrayed to be. One little incident, ONE THING, and ANY OF YOU that are talking so badly about him, could be in his situation. I feel so much remorse for Tim and what happened, BUT, I DO KNOW that he would have never done this intentionally if he was in his right frame of mind.
I think the world would be a better place if people like Starboy mentioned would just shut their mouths. If you have nothing nice to say, and you don't know the person affected, why don't you just mind your business and stay out of it? Read your article and go about your day. Every time you say something mean and cruel, know that one of us who REALLY KNEW Tim and Michelle and their family will be on here telling you to shut up because YOU don't know them and have NO RIGHT to judge.

Exactly, Starboy.
Let's hope none of the people judging him ever are judged for the things they do. Nobody is perfect.

kleej ......... wish everyone felt the same as you .... good job

starboy..... well said i think your comments are the best of all. to bad we have such selfish people in the world and closed minded people..

Our society is filled with negativity. It amazes me the amount of people who just love to fill these blog sites with "negative" info.
Here's a challenge for everyone (including myself) the past "is what it is" we can't change that. Go out in your communities on a daily basis and find one person everyday and find something nice to say about them and let them hear it. Those that know the Harrington's and were friends with the deceased, this is your chance to turn a huge negative into a huge positive from this day forward! I would venture to bet that had Timothy been encouraged with positive words from his outside world on a daily basis, this tragedy would've never taken place. Is it anyone's fault??? Of course not! It's OUR fault as a society. I take my share of the blame for this and I never even knew the family. Our society is too involved at pointing fingers and focusing on the negative's of the past. Don't live in the past, learn from it. Can't we all swallow our pride and go out in this world on a daily basis and do something positive for someone else? Our world would become a much more positive environment for all of us....especially our children, the next generation of people who will be duplicating the examples we set. Let's not let Timothy Harrington's tragic death be in vein. Be a part of the cure and not the disease! I respect all of you and your comments and I would hope you would do the same for me. Remember, "ONE OF US IS NOT AS GOOD AS ALL OF US"....We can all make a difference, TOGETHER if we choose to change and make it happen.

i apoligize for the negativity .....but i will not stand by and let my friend,tim harrington,be insulted by those who don't know him and do not have the right to judge him.......with that being said "toots" and "RR815" thank you and good for you .......i believe we should all defend and stand up for our friends .........share with them in their lives....triumph with them in their good days....help them thru their bad days......as tru friends should..........tim left behind family and friends that love him and will miss him......a part of us will always be with him as a part of him will always be with us.......god bless all of us left to carry on with out our loved ones

"gazettefan".....do u work for the paper already...or brown nosing for a job???...i may be wrong but i suspect few agree with u

now on to those who would judge my friend and call him names by the actions of the past 6 mos of his life...........let me ask him u ..did u know him ???.. did u know his family???.....what qualifies u or gives u the right to judge.............but please let me be more specific to those who judge.........."zach" u refered to my friend as a psychotic killer apparently u have a degree??....in what i wonder ,last i checked the only death in this sad story was tim's and he didn't kill himself...3 words dee dee dee :)............"nutty"if u are in a bad situation one day hopefully u will be shown the same compassion u show to others.........."majormojo"..u refer to my friend as dangerous killer again let me point out who died here u also must have a degree, because u were aware he was beyond rehabilitation.and my fav u say according the article,now i wasn't there so i don't know,but were u? do u believe everything u read?? all i can say is the world needs sheep too good luck............"dub190"...u refer to tim as a sicko...similiar questions for u. u knew tim,u where there,ur degree(similiar place as the previous i suspect) ............"gazetteer1"..again i hope some day u are shown the compassion u deserve when u are in need..........and the grand daddy..."fldpan"....u refer to my friend as a crazy murderer...a dirtbag..and then make reference to the MEN on the clinton police force ,as i recall the clinton officer's name was kim...a man..maybe...maybe not.....obviously u didn't know tim...or much of anything ur narrow minded ,pea brained comments speak for themselves

now on to the reporting ..........omg......could u be a litle less heartless....his/her children and family...and lets not forget the officers involved and their families will read what u write .........shame on u to blame deadlines and lack of time......in the real world if do our jobs that well we get fired!!!......i understand the deal is to sell papers...but at what price??

and yes please don't forget the officers involved........i cannot imagine what they went thru....and how hard the decision must have been to take tim's life .....they did what they felt they had to do to save the family from harm as michelle's mother did.....they are all heroes and deserve our support and love........do i also wish that this could have been resolved without the use of lethal force.....yes ......for all the obvious reasons......but i also know tim was aware of the consequence of his actions....i don't pretend to know what his thoughts were....but stress and/or divorce can change a person and affect the decisions we make

i read so many of these comments and i can't believe what i am reading..........tim is my friend and will always be.....i grew up with his family .....he was a father,a husband,a brother,a son and a friend.......did he make some poor choices...yes..do i condone the choices...no...... but he is and will always be my friend..........i want to express my deepest condolences to his wife,his family and his friends......we all love him and wish things were not as they are now

very well put sandman

Understand..... this maniac was aiming his shotgun at his wife! His mother in-law jumped in front of the daughter and took a bullet to the shoulder. Saved her daughters life! Harrington was intending to kill his wife and kids! The cops did what was necessary in this case. You can't take the chance of this guy firing on someone else. If he'll kill any of his family members without hesitation, everyone is fair game in his eyes. He had a death wish and was selfishly looking to take his family down that dark road with him. The police averted what could have been a major tragedy. Put it this way, if someone had to die in this case, the right person did......god rest his soul. Let's pray for the wife and children and the mother in-law that is fighting for her life in the hospital as well.

Tim Harrington was ultimately the author of his own fate, period, and he paid the price for his out-of-control actions. While I'm sure that those who knew him well could point to the many good qualities he might have displayed (as we all likely have) over his lifetime, his track of late was obviously a widening gyre that set him on a collision course for personal and family disaster. Unfortunately, the long-term effects of the choices that HE MADE will be felt by all involved, and that is the real tragedy of this event. "The System" cannot, will not, and should not be expected to identify and "fix" every flawed individual, nor will it ultimately save most of us from ourselves. All it can do is provide opportunities for structure, assistance and personal change. It's up to the individual to put forth the effort -- in many cases considerable effort -- and to not lapse into lashing out with pathetic, self-centered and maladaptive "coping" mechanisms. The police regularly use an extreme amount of patience, tolerance, and restraint in dealing with such individuals and circumstances -- more than most of these immature, selfish individuals deserve. My hat is off to all officers during this unnecessarily difficult holiday season, but especially to the officers who were involved in this pointless incident and who were forced to make a difficult and instantaneous decision that very likely resulted in several other lives being spared.

dub190 this is an extreme case, This is a wake up call for the court systems to NOT ALLOW WOMEN to continue to use there kids as PAWNS!!! The courts need to step in and say enuff is enuff! Im not saying this is what had happened in this case, but I know what I have heard from close family members.

majomojo, i never sed Timmy wasn't to blame I just sed he needed help and the system failed him. Who are you to say he couldn't be rehabilitated. Your not GOD! I understand he shot an innocent woman in the process and it was wrong, but do any one of us really know what happened... and what led up to this horrific instance? no we don't...

It is to bad the the system here has alot of flaws. I agree everyone should take responsibility for their actions however, sometimes we all need a little help, kindness and understanding and then maybe all of this could have been avoided. mymaro to bad you feel the system is a good one take off your rose colored glasses because it's not i know how the system works and as long as a conviction is made and the state gets it's money thats the end of it.

WOW!!! Most of what I just read had nothing to do with this story just childish bickering can't we all just get along everyone is entitled to their opinions we really don't have to take it personal. My interest in the story is the family and the police officers. I have a cousin (deputy) who just reciently shot a man (he survived) who was threatening to take his own life when the police arived to try and talk this man out of commiting suicide he turned the gun on the police they had no choice to defend themselves. It is a very hard thing to have to deal with most people would have a hard time taking someone's life a officer is no different. These children may be reading these comments the man no matter what he has done was their father so we should all be careful of what we say for their sakes.
Happy Holdiays

I know how the system works (courts, human services, etc) and it's unfortunate what happened to this family. While people need to be accountable for themselves, the system does make it hard for accountability to occur. There's obviously a lot more going on than meets the eye. We're seeing first hand reports of people who knew the family and by most accounts, they seem to be a great family. Officers are trained to shoot to kill and they can't afford to second guess. That is scarey, considering when some of them face some one they don't know too much about, for example what if the person is mentally challenged or deaf. Sad tragedy.

I have known TJ for about 7 years, I never thought this would be the end of the story! There is always 2 sides to a story. I know from personal experiance that the system isn't always fair. I've heard some of the situations that arouse before the out come of this tragic situation. Its like this in the court systems there more for the women then the men! As a father of 2 and having custody of one of the children, it kills me when my Ex-wife tries to distant my children from me , wont let me have them on my weekend or holiday, because she knows it will take months to drag her back into court for contempt, calls me a loser in front of them and amoung other things. Theres actaully a medical term for what she does (PAS) Parental Alienation Syndrome, but the court system does not recognize it till its to late! Its always a fight with her. From what I have heard, kinda the same situation with TJ! Women cry out Domestic abuse but its Ok to verbal abuse someone till they cant take it no more, Hit people over the head with a frying pan so bad you cant use it no more! Im not saying that what TJ did was ok by any means! But if you know someone has problems which TJ did and was getting the help he needed. You dont push and push till the endding outcome is this! It dosen't suprise me at all that theres outcomes like this when women push men to there breaking point, because they know they got the Family Court commisioner to back them! I can relate to TJ. but also I would have done the same as the officers in the situation, you cant expect any differant outcome when you put them in that situation. As for the comments about he should have been put in a phyc ward after the August stand off, He was and he was there for sometime, and he was getting the treatment he needed but obviously not enuff. I'm not here to feel sorry for TJ or try to alter everyones thoughts on him, He knew what was going to happen if he went in that house with a gun, and Im not trying to make Michelle the bad one! RIP TJ,

To go back to the start of the thread for a moment, there is nothing wrong with the term Cop or using it in a news story. It is not a derogatory term. It originates from years back when police constables patrolled city and village streets. Cop was simply short for "constable on patrol" later it was shortened to "Cop" and is still in use today.

DoubleK, I retract the statement about him being deranged. I realize that everyone has problems in life and stability problems, but according to the article, he shot an innocent woman in the back. My heart goes out to all of the family members that were involved and my prayers are with them. However, I do not have any sympathy that he was shot while in the process of committing a crime. He knew what he was doing.

MajorMojo, can you embellish your qualifications to make that determination never knowing Tim Harrington?

Vegasgirl, that is really a pathetic stance on the issue. Blame everything on the system that failed little Timmy. He was a deranged killer who shot a woman in the back. This is not the case of someone who was able to be rehabilitated.

"Awe, so your trying to get your life together"
Well then do it. Pull yourselves together and put your lives back on track. Quit feeling sorry for yourselves and start making a differance.

Tim Harrington shot a woman in the back. No sympathy for him. A coward died a cowards death, and good ridance to it. And let it be a lesson to us all. I am not going to fall to my knee's and mourn over Tim Harrington's demise. HE SHOT A WOMAN IN THE BACK! WHAT WERE THEY SUPPOSED TO DO?

I went to high school with Tim.
I laughed with Tim.
I shared some of Tim's frustrations in life.
I would have shot him also.
Sad it came to that, we need real mental health services NOW!

I am human. Some of you obviously are not. May god have mercy on our souls.

I read and comment on a lot of national news and am pretty impressed with the overall warmth and compassion expressed here. Makes me proud to call Southern Wisconsin my home.

Part of the problem, I think, is that Sheriff Spoden is to preoccupied with his own public image. Almost every time we check the publicly available Court records on these murderers/thieves/child molesters, we find they more often than not have a lengthly criminal record. Many times right out of Rock County itself.
And yet these same people "slip through the cracks" with a signature bond and a promise to behave. Meanwhile that jail fills up with non-violent offenders that pose no risk to the public in general.
How well does it serve our community to concentrate on speeding/parking/truancy/underage smoking violations? Is it okay, as long as we get a conviction? Is their a scoreboard on a wall at the Sheriffs Department with a gold star next to the name of the officer that ticketed the most drivers going 5 miles over the speed limit? Do we only convict the clear cut criminal cases, and wait for the worse case scenario to play out in all others? As in wait untill someone dies untill we prosecute? What's more important here? The guy that holds an armed stand-off? Or the kid that will never wrap his car around a telephone poll after "one to many cigarettes". You decide.

Shame on everyone who thinks this is a joke by bickering like little kids. I've know the Harringtons for many years and his family as well as Timmy are wonderful people. If any one should be blamed lets blame the authorities it is obvious Timmy had some issues going on and instead of kicking him aside why didn't our wonderful professionals pick up on the warning signs and offer support and get him the help he needed after the first or second incident? Clearly there was a problem. HMMMMM .... My heart goes out to the Harringtons .... I will keep all of you in my prayers.

Thank you for calling me an idiot, MajorMomo, and Merry Christmas to you. I can assure you that I got a lot more out of the story than doughnuts.
I was a journalism major at the UW, and had I ended a story about a cop killing a suspect with a line about doughnuts, I would have had my grade reduced.

Sorry, I didn't know I was 'arguing'. I was defending myself regarding a personal attack, which seems to be a common occurance.
I have absolutely no interest to personally correspond with the particular person who chastised me for asking a TOPIC RELATED question.
Merry Christmas to you, too.

If you want to argue with one another, instead of posting on here, why don't you click on their name and you can personally email them. Save your bickering and fights for those emails. Leave the comment board to "comments" of the article at hand, not personal bashing!
Merry Christmas.

justinswife.sorry that your opinion is based differently other than mine. but i think if you were to read the article it says that the man didnt want to be named.but even before it says that
the officers name is stated.read a little more carefully next time
peace

Stupid is as stupid does-December 19, 3:52 Sangus (Scott Angus) post, this thread.

mymaro, I agree with you. People are idiots that read an article like this and all they get out of it is some comment about doughnuts. GROW UP PEOPLE !!

Could someone please tell me where the editor tryed to explain this headline. I can't find it.

There's nothing wrong with using the word "cop." There's everything wrong with putting an unnecessary paragraph about cops eating doughnuts at the end of a serious, tragic story. Trying to defend that line as "a bit of color" is like Andy Pettitte's BS semi-excuse for using HGH. How could anyone write (or read) a line like that and NOT think about the old "cop-doughnut" stereotype? Scott, you should have just admitted it was a dumb thing that slipped by the editors instead of trying to defend it.

xnfrcr, right on. This is tragic to all involved. My prayers are with the family and both officers.

Sorry, Mr. Angus. I don't buy your explanation of the headline. You say the incident is "unusual" and "unfortunate," and I agree. But as to making it fit in a small space, how about being more accurate and saying Cop kills armed man. What was unusual about the man? That he was from Clinton or that he was armed. If that's the best you can do under deadline, then maybe the editors need better training. Your bias is showing.

What hockey team were the kids on?

I certainly feel for this family but my compassion also goes out to the officers who were forced to kill another human being. Police officers are people and they have feelings like everyone else. I seriously doubt any of them ever go into the profession hoping they will get the opportunity to kill another human being. Incidents like this are traumatic to them too.

I wish people who are not trained in Law Enforcement would not judge police officer's actions, before they know all the facts. Officers have very intense and thorough training on the use of force. No officer wants to take another life. They do what must be done to get control of a bad situation and protect the lives of everyone involved. How many citizens realize how many officer's are shot and killed every month, while repsonding to domestic situations? Check out the Law Enforcement Memorial website and get an eye opener!
http://www.xnfrcr.com/offcrmem.htm
As for the family, my deepest sympathies are with you and to the officer and deputy involved also! This will be a bad Xmas for all involved! Thank you for reading.

DIDNT THE PREVIOUS INCIDENT IN AUGUST AS STATED SHOW THIS YOUNG MAN NEEDED HELP!! OR IS IT JUST EASIER TO GIVE A SIGNATURE BOND AND RELEASE. THEN SHOOT THE ONES NEEDING HELP THEN TO TREAT THEM. APPARTENTLY HE DIDNT HAVE INSURANCE!!!!

My dearest sympthy goes to the Harrington Family and police officers involved! This is no doubt Tragic!

simondavid, maybe if you would have read the article better you would have remembered that it was not an officer or department giving that information out, they were named by someone other than law inforcement. called a source. Just because they refuse to be named doesnt mean crap. They need to have a complete investigation before, any names should be released. How would you feel if this happened to you would you want your name in thae paper?

Tragic anyway you want to put it, The police officers did what they had to, to difuse a situtation! End of story! Hats off to them. Who Cares what the headline Reads!!! No one is being racist. Lets look at the BIG picture, What is wrong with the editor at the Janesville Gazette, Are you Nuts? Why would you put a picture of the Father, son and husband being put into the corners Van? Are you stupid? These kids that have been affected by this TRAGIC situation are going to see this! Use some taste!

The officers did a wonderful job, they are HEROS. Their quick action prevented the death of another or more. Their job isnt easy, if it were, more people would be interested in it. It takes special people to make a split second decision, so others can debate it for days. I wish the Officers involved well, and thank you.

To RR815 - Thank you for your comments. Everyone is so worried about what a headline said, or how it was worded. That is the most minor thing of this whole incident. Please let your family know that the "hockey family" is sending their prayers to both families and if there is ANYTHING anyone needs, only ask and it shall be done. I hope that Michelle's mom makes it through and that the family can start to grieve. No matter what anyone on this blog has said, please know that there are plenty of us out here that have great empathy for Michelle and Tim and we understand that this was a tragic turn of events. My son plays hockey with Michelle's son, and, please let her know that his hockey team is thinking of him at this time and sends him their prayers.
If we call could just stop and look and pay attention and if we see someone in need take a minute to help. That is one message that is quite clear in this situation. Your comment, make the world a better place than you found it... AMEN and nothing more needs to be said.

what i think is funny is how the officer declined not to be named due to the lack of investigation. but waht good does declining do when they have already stated his name in the paper. not a very smart move if you ask me.

Let us all be real for one moment. Does this headline really suprise anyone? This paper has always done this! It will never change because it sells! My hat off to the police. Please do not let the editors/reporters of this paper get you down! Thank you for what you do!

Being in law enforcement for over 30 years I think I know how other offers feel, especially how the media portrays them. Sangus, I understand that “cops” call each other “cops”, however would the Gazette have used a racial slur to describe an individual who committed a crime or was involved in an incident? I think not. All I am saying is that after speaking to many law enforcement officers yesterday after the headlines came out, they were offended. In the future a little thoughtful consideration would be appreciated.

My prayers go out to ALL the families!! There's no way the officers'intended for the situation to end up the way it did. I think they both did an excellent job and they both should be commended for the great job they did.

Once again, the Gazette puts out a headline which implies the police are somehow at fault "COP KILLS CLINTON MAN" How about Officers quick reactions may have SAVED A LIFE(S)! The Officers on scene did an excellent job to protect innocent people from an obviously crazy individual.

I cannot even imagine what this family is going through. I send my respects.
And for those of you arguing and "picking" at each other ought to be ashamed of yourself

Please stop fighting and arguing. It is this kind of intolerance and over sensitivity that leads to violence. As a family member of the victim, I am further hurt to read the harsh comments about the hard working people that try to bring us the news or put their lives on the line to protect us and those we love. I know that no one meant to hurt or shame anyone. Michelle’s mother put her life on the line to protect her grandchild and could lose hers in the process. We have loved and cared about Tim and feel sad that it had to come to this. There is always more to a story than is published. Don’t be hasty to pass judgments. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family. They have lost someone they love and care about. Do you not think that they are hurting deeply and have you given any thought to how the comments being made about Tim must make those wounds bleed even deeper? Some thoughts ought to remain silent. His family didn’t try to hurt anyone and they don’t need to be punished. Where are we as a society if we can’t have empathy for those around us? How would you want to be treated if it were you or your loved one in any one of those situations? A quick second and a turn of events and it could be you. Please let our families, on both sides, begin to heal in peace. There has been enough fighting and enough violence. Go out and do something good to someone else, lift someone’s burden - try to make the world a better place then you found it.

This is a very sad story. Even though there was abuse in the home I'm sure his wife and kids must be devistated. My heart goes out to them. It's too bad that there couldn't have been some sort of intervention to stop the abuse and keep this family together before things got so out of hand. I have to say that I feel bad for the cop who shot him too. It must be hard knowing that, even though you did it to keep people safe, you killed the kids' father.

nothing

My heart goes out to this family. Alot of you people have said and are under the assumption that police are trained to shoot to kill. This is incorrect. They are trained to shoot center mass: 1. Center mass provides a larger target thus better chance of hitting it and less of a chance of missing and hitting something or someone else. 2. Shooting center mass 95% of the time reduces the immediate threat to the officers and surrounding persons.

GOSH! "COP kills....."........Could you be more biased and unprofessional?.......Makes me sick.....Do you need headline writers?...."Officer shoots suspect"......"Officers shoots armed suspect"........"Law Enforcement Officers fire upon armed man".........But no, it has to be "cop"?............Be ashamed......very ashamed.........you officially went from being a reluctantly respected rag to a tabloid.........Shame.

the picture of the body bag is sooo disrespectful :(

Wow, once again I get to read all kinds of name calling garbage in the midst of another tragedy. Hmm...so let me agree with the last few bloggers and send my condolences to the Harrington families and to the families of the officers involved. As a community, how can we expect others to behave appropriately if we are doing nothing more than displaying hatred towards eachother. Happy Holidays everyone!

My thoughts & prayers go out to Michelle and her children. I think that you should all be ashamed of yourselves for bickering with each other over this horrible tragedy. I used to work with Michelle. She is a good person. I did not know her husband, but at one time she must have loved him very much and it is sad that any relationship ends because of violence. I believe that the police did what they had to do to insure the safety of those children and everyone there. I'm am sure they feel as bad as we do about the outcome. Deepest sympathy to all of Tim's family.

justinswife...you are correct, to often in these types of shootings nobody thinks of the officers. Most times people just assume they are fine as they are just doing their job, but as you said they are human beings with feelings also.

This is a tragedy for all involved...My 7 year old son is best friends with their 7 year old...my heart goes out to Michelle and the kids...they are in the thoughts of their hockey "family".

I was disgusted with the front page of the gazette tonight. A lot of lives where effected by this tragedy. A picture of the officers carrying out a body bag is all about selling newspapers. I hope the children don’t see this newspaper. My deepest condolences to the Harrington family.

We all comment on how bad we feel for this family what about the police officers that had to shoot him, do u actually think they are sitting at home having a good time. One of these officers is my cousin, and he is having a hard time with what he had to do. Maybe you should have thought that go out to their families also. Police officers may be doing their jobs but they also have feelings too, when you are not a criminal shotting cause you want to, but a person killing because you have to, it is very emotional, think of them too, and hope they can move on from this. I hope that these police officers realize you did what you had to, and we as citizens are thankful for what you did to protect and serve your communities. I feel safer knowing that someone would protect me if I needed it.

This comment is for the person who asked if less than lethal force could have been used. Firearms shoot further than 15 ft. Officers are not going to get close enough to a man with a loaded gun to use a less than 3 foot baton, a mace spray that goes less than 10 feet, or a taser that doesn't go further than 15 feet. It would not be wise to try to use less than lethal force when dealing with a firearm situation.
It is sad whenever an officer has to use his or her firearm because the outcome should be death. Officers are not trained to shoot to wound, they are trained to shoot to kill which is why an officer rarely fires their weapon, they know the outcome will most likely be death.

I to agree that I'm feel very sorry for the mother and the children in this situation, but you have got to be nuts if you think that for one second, that I will feel sorry for the nut job that got what he deserved. I have had a relative that was drain on society and when he passed I didn't feel grief, or sadness, the one this I felt was relief. Times get hard for everyone, but not everyone jumps off the deep end.

I cant believe the comments that I am hearing. We ought to thank others so that we don't have to pay for someone to sit in jail? What if that guy were your brother, your cousin, your uncle or your father? I went to school with Tim, know the family and the children. This is a VERY sad situation with an ending that NO ONE, including Michelle, probably wanted. Tim was a wonderful guy, Michelle is a wonderful girl and their children are so well adjusted and behaved. You have never walked a day in his shoes or his families for that matter. To Michelle, I am so very sorry that this happened, especially at this time of year and I pray for you and your children that the fear and pain will some day go away to some day be replaced by fond memories of better days. I hope your mom is ok and will be able to recover. Please know that us hockey moms are behind you and we send our love and support. To Tim's parents, I want to give you my deepest regrets and condolences. Tim was a great person to be around until he had trouble in recent times...I am sure if he was thinking clearly he would have never intended for this to happen or anything that happened this year to have happened to Michelle or his children.
This family and their extended family lost a father, a husband and a son. I think they deserve for everyone to shut up and think about that for a minute, because, sometimes when things get hard, its hard to imagine them ever getting better and for Tim - he just couldn't see the better times coming. I only pray that he is seeing better times where he is now because no matter what, his children did love him and so did his wife.

Harrington shot someone. The police did a good job. The story was well written.

I really can't stand when the Gazette titles articles like this. "Cop Kills Clinton Man." They make it sound like the police are the ones who are the bad guys. It should be titled "Officers save family from psychotic gunman". To many times the public sheds a bad light on police officers even if they do not intend to. That is one of the main reasons that I backed out of a law enforcement career. These officers did their job and made the community a safer place by doing it. Many people say that they are horrified at the loss of a human life. This man was going to kill his family, and had already opened fire. He was already convicted of assault to his wife and his children, and a standoff with police earlier in the year. He was a threat to society and now he is gone and will not be sitting in prison soaking up your tax dollars. These officers are heroes and I thank them for doing their job.

My thoughts and prayers to the family...

SANGUS , Thank you for doing a wonderful job ! ..

E-villehousewife needs to shut the computer off and go tend to her children!!! The good mother she is. Once again people are sick of you!!

Believe me, the Gazette meant no disrespect. The fact is that cops call each others cops. The days of it being a derogatory tag are long gone in most people's minds. Also, we had a deputy and a Clinton officer involved. "Cops" covers both. The most important part of the story was that a law enforcement officer killed someone. Sad, but true. It's very unusual. It's very unfortunate. But it's also very newsworthy. And lastly on the headline, we need to make it fit in a small space, and we're doing it under extreme deadline pressure. Maybe not perfect, but the best we could do under the circumstances.
As for the doughnut reference, it was merely an observation by a reporter on the scene - a bit of color, if you will. Again, we had many reporters scrambling this morning and feeding information to the office. It all came together in the last minutes. If you think we had the time or the inclination to think of including it as a joke or derogatory remark about cops, you are sadly mistaken.

Scott Angus
Editor

I cannot believe how HEARTLESS you people are as I am reading these comments. This is such a sad situation. I am a friend of this family. Michelle is a wonderful mom and these children are all great.(Tim was also a good person before he fell mentally ill) Put yourself in their shoes and have some compassion! God bless the Harringtons! I will be praying for you all!

CAN WE PLEASE GROW UP .. EXCHANGE NUMBERS AND GET OVER IT !

Wow, I'm shocked but all the childish comments that are made here. With the exception of Transformer and snookums everyone else should just stop. I can almost bet that most of you don't have a clue about the job police officers actually have. They are professionally trained to serve us and protect us. This man was dangerous and an obvious threat to everyone involved. Do you honestly think that in a seconds time they are going to be able make sure the kids leave the room and make sure they are careful and "just shoot him in the knee?" He was a THREAT to the family and the officers. You truly need to understand what actually happens in those situations to even be able to have any type of valid opinion.

Why is there so much trash talking on here??? The bigger issue is someone was shot and may/may not live, a young mother and her kids are in a lot of pain over the events that have unfolded in their lives over the past months. Now maybe they can start the recovery proccess. Lets as a community try and help them thru this.

Do you all have to air your "dirty" talk here???

Come on, stop focusing on how this "article" has affected you and let's focus on how the "FAMILY" has been affected.

I would rather not be the "talk of the town" and if the gazette wants to write about donuts so be it, it's their ink!!!!

Ihavenolifeotherthanobsessingaboutenillehousewife typed:e-wifey STOP!!!!! because no wants to talk to you

You sure seem to. *HUGGZ*

I know that what is flying around this town is usually just a "bunch of rumors" at a time like this, because it is a small town and that is what always happens here, but according to the rumors that I refuse to spread, I will state that I do believe one part and that is the fact that, it sounds like she was protecting the children and in the process got shot. If that is true, she is a truely loving and brave woman to put herself in harms way for her kids. We all say that we would if it was us and I believe I would too, but you never truely know if you could until you are put in the situation. She possibly risked her life for a chance to be parallized to save her kids from harm or even death. God bless her.

EVNSVLLE clearly gets out of bed daily to argue .

Mikki had an ah-HA moment and typed:Then you say “Nor did I ever insult anyone for circumcising, namecall, or formula feeding: after saying
“Oh, and I forgot- don't forget to cut off a part of your kid's penis without anesthesia. They won't remember it, and it makes them look better in the locker room.”

Yes, I am CLEARLY supporting circumcision in that statement- i even give two SUPPORTING arguments. How is that insulting??

Yes, it is sad for these children, but really it does not sound like they had such a happy childhood anyways. The police were doing their jobs and stopping a threat to themselves and to this man's family. As sad as it is, it really does sound like this guy would have eventually taken his own life anyway and possibly hurt his wife and children on the way of doing it. I just hope that the children can get the help they need to grow up differently than they have seen so far.

That poor little 5 yr old boy is a student in the same class as my 5 year old and my heart and home are completely open to him and his siblings. I wish I could help them or take away there pain. These are some very well behaved loving children and I hope that their mother comes out of this ok.
Luckily I was able to escape my marraige before it got to any kind of situation like this but he didn't make it easy. I wish Michelle the best and hopefully she can recover and raise those kids in a healthier environment.

Rock County Deputies dont carry tazers, to answer someone's question. Regardless, the comment about shooting someone in the knee caps, that is crazy - Police are trained to stop the threat, shooting someone in the knee caps doesn't stop the threat. Let's not judge until we get all the facts, this is very sad for everyone involved. I also agree the Gazette should be ashamed "Cop kills Clinton Man", but it does not suprise me - this paper thrives on causing a negative reaction with people. I, like the others would also like to know how this paper decides on their headings? Was it necesary to put the donut comment at the end? That was tacky and not important. Gees, can't they hire some respectable reporters for this paper?

Mikki continues on:“I never fail to be honored at people who join just to give me a piece of their angry little minds” rudeness?
Not really. Why is being honored rude?

tnimmo,
You could shoot someone in the knee but if they were still armed they would still be able to shoot you or others. Most officers never have to use their gun but it's there for these instances where you have to preserve other peoples lives and your own. Also in order to use your baton, or taser you need to be close to the person. How close would you want to get to an armed man?

Tallen- it's a sad irony, isn't it, that violence gets worse when an abused woman tries to leave the situation.
It also doesn't surprise me that this guy has been charged with child abuse.

I would like to say that i disagree with the comments left about simply wounding the man in question... I am from Clinton and know that that wouldn't have stopped anything. I have been a victim of domestic abuse in this town and around here the cops simply slap you on the hand and say stop fighting and thik it will all go away. In a few different situations I have seen things like this almost have happened. How about feeling sorry for the caring mother who tried to leave him and give her kids a better life and is now laying in a hospital suffering from a gun shot wound!

Hey Sybil...
“Another clueless woman obsessed” name calling? “I also assume that name calling and rudeness is poor role modeling for children. Do you disagree”
“I never fail to be honored at people who join just to give me a piece of their angry little minds” rudeness?

“Assumption on your part, fallacious regardless.” But then YOU ASSume “Again, I spend less time on here then you spend watching TV” and “Again, I spend less time here than what most of you spend watching Lifetime or the Oxygen channel”

Then you say “Nor did I ever insult anyone for circumcising, namecall, or formula feeding: after saying
“Oh, and I forgot- don't forget to cut off a part of your kid's penis without anesthesia. They won't remember it, and it makes them look better in the locker room.”

Of course, I am pulling these from just your recent tirades, at least, those which haven’t been removed by site staff.

tnimmo,
have you ever been in a situation which you have to shoot someone? As police officers they are well trained to use there firearms however they barely use them. In this situation, domestic volience is where most police officers get killed. I support the officers who were their and assure the shooting was justified. Once Dane County does there part, it well show. Police officers are trained to shoot and kill.

momof5 asked:how do you know I had 5 well-spaced pregnancies. For all you know I could have triplets and 2 other children or twins and 3 other children

Well, I DON'T know. You could be making all your children up; they could be mythical for all real purposes.But you talked at length on the other board of your 2 c-sections, followed by 3 VBACS. You might have lied, but I went on that info.
The only ASSumption around here is is that I assume your short term memory is shot.
I also assume that name calling and rudeness is poor role modeling for children. Do you disagree?

Yea tnimmo, and maybe our armed forces should be shooting people in the knees or shoulders. This isn't the movies where they jump from behind a tree with two guns in each hand and kill ten people while they're flying through the air. Just like the millitary, police are trained to stop the threat. Shooting someone in the shoulder isn't going to cut it.

RS1398: I agree with you whole-heartedly! Perhaps "Clinton domestic dispute ends fatally" could have been more sensitive and respectful to the officers and families involved! Mr. Angus, with no undue disrespect meant, could you tell us how and why headlines are picked? It might make sense to us then???

You would think that the Gazette could come up with a more respectful heading than “Cop kills Clinton man”. The fact is that the officers involved desire better than this. Regardless of the catchy headlines, they are police officers, deputies, or law enforcement offices. Not the derogatory title of “cop”.

Could non-leathal action of been taken? Was it necissary to shoot, and kill him?? Honestly...police have mace, batons, now even the taser guns...if a gun was necissary the officer could of shot in the knees the shoulder somewhere elese...this is upsetting...

Yes, back to our regularly scheduled story.

With only 5 days until Christmas, what an awful experience to have to deal with. And with 4 kids...little ones, who may yet believe in Santa. What should be a magical time for this family has turned into a nightmare. My thoughts are with them.

Hey Syb would love to answer to all your comments but right now she is in the rest room . When she gets back to her bar stool she will be sure to come back with some stupid comment !

BTW--I would just like to bring this thread back to the topic at hand and offer my condolences to the Harrington family!

LOL LOL LOL LOL Mikki!

Sounds like someone is off their meds.

e-ville: you don't know me. how do you know I had 5 well-spaced pregnancies. For all you know I could have triplets and 2 other children or twins and 3 other children. Thanks for ASSuming you know more about my parenting and life than I do. And, for the record, read all the parenting magazines you fancy. Doing so does not make you a good parent or ensure that your children will grow up to be respectful of others and their great magazine reading role model parents!

Hey Syb..... Get a life !!!!!! Find a job !

momof5 brayed:have come to the conclusion that "sybil from e-ville" (see the thread on "Beloit picks jury for murder trial to get the joke!)

It's not much of a joke, and it's also name-calling.
How are you going to teach your children to be respectful if you can't be a role model? Surely you had time to read some parenting magazines between all 5 well-spaced pregnancies.

Thank you gazettefan, I am happy someone realized my surprise at the closure of the story.
Yes, it was a life taken. Yes, the cops were working hard and risked their life in the apprehension of this man. It was a horrific situation and frankly, given the mental instability of this man, I am grateful only one died (though it is still too many) instead of the whole family.
Hence, the heightened absurdity of the closing line.

Her comment wasn't a reference to the cliche of cops eating donuts but only to the mention in the story of cops buying donuts.

How horrible for these 4 children to lose their father one week before the Holidays.

I have come to the conclusion that "sybil from e-ville" (see the thread on "Beloit picks jury for murder trial to get the joke!) just likes to make controversial statements to get everyone all worked up. Her s/he of a husband must not give her attention at home and that is why she comes here; to look for attention. Just like toddlers who throw temper tantrums. They do so to get attention. Even negative attention is attention. Ignore the problem and HOPEfully it will go away! Let's not comment on any of her outlandish wacky remarks and see if she just slips back into non-existence.!

I wonder if it was his wife he was with, the one with the restraining order?
I guess we will find out at the press conference.
As for the police, I guess they are not allowed to eat after a long night. Maybe someone's jealous that the donuts were all gone when she got there.

mine as well , how very sad ! At a very special time of year !

My heart goes out to this family, and the (probably) traumatized individuals who were on the scene when the man was shot.

The reporters were at the diner talking to the owner and reporting on what was going at the local hotspot, including the "talk of the town." I think it was the reporters' attempt at indicating that the investigation hasn't ended and that there are a good number of officials still working on the case.

.. GOSH IT IS A LIFE TAKEN ! .. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU ?

Sad. Scary.
But why does this horrific tragedy end up with a closure of cops buying donuts???