The murder of Kyle Dinkheller took place in
Laurens County, Georgia
Laurens County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,570, up from 48,434 in 2010. The county seat is Dublin. The county was founded on December 10, 1807, and named a ...
, on Monday, January12, 1998, when Dinkheller, a 22-year-old
deputy sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is commonly ...
, initiated a
traffic stop
A traffic stop, colloquially referred to as being pulled over, is a temporary Detention (imprisonment), detention of a driver of a vehicle and its occupants by police to Criminal investigation, investigate a possible crime or minor violation o ...
with Andrew Howard Brannan, a 49-year-old
Vietnam War veteran
A Vietnam veteran is an individual who performed active Army, ground, Navy, naval, or Air force, air service in the South Vietnam, Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
The term has been used to describe veterans who served in the armed fo ...
. Dinkheller had pulled Brannan over for
speeding
Speed limits on road traffic, as used in most countries, set the legal maximum speed at which vehicles may travel on a given stretch of road. Speed limits are generally indicated on a traffic sign reflecting the maximum permitted speed, expre ...
; both men exited their vehicles and greeted each other normally, but Brannan became belligerent after Dinkheller told him to take his hands out of his pockets, sparking a verbal confrontation and subsequently a gunfight that ended with Brannan fatally shooting Dinkheller. The entire incident was recorded by the
dash camera in Dinkheller's police cruiser and thus received significant attention throughout the United States, where it continues to be shown in many police academies for training purposes.
Dinkheller was armed with his
semi-automatic service pistol
A service pistol (also known as a standard-issue pistol or a personal ordnance weapon) is any handgun issued to regular military personnel or law enforcement officers. Typically, service pistols are semi-automatic pistols (previously revolvers) ...
, while Brannan was armed with his
semi-automatic M1 Carbine
The M1 carbine (formally the United States carbine, caliber .30, M1) is a lightweight semi-automatic carbine chambered in the .30 carbine (7.62×33mm) cartridge that was issued to the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War, and t ...
. The two men fired numerous shots at each other, but the deputy was hit nine times in various parts of his body before he managed to wound Brannan, who was hit in his stomach. Despite this, Brannan continued shooting, then reloaded his rifle and fired a lethal shot into Dinkheller's eye, following which he fled the scene in his
Toyota pickup truck. He was arrested the next morning, when officers found him hiding in a sleeping bag beneath a camouflage tarp, still within Laurens County.
While on trial, Brannan pleaded
not guilty by reason of insanity
Not or NOT may also refer to:
Language
* Not, the general declarative form of "no", indicating a negation of a related statement that usually precedes
* ... Not!, a grammatical construction used as a contradiction, popularized in the early 1990 ...
, claiming in part that he had been suffering from
post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...
due to his
military service in Vietnam. However, citing the footage on Dinkheller's dash camera, which captured most of Brannan's actions during the traffic stop, the jury found that the deputy had been murdered in a
premeditated, torturous, and cruel manner. On January28, 2000, Brannan was convicted and, two days later,
sentenced to death
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...
. On January13, 2015, he was executed via
lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting one or more drugs into a person (typically a barbiturate, paralytic, and potassium) for the express purpose of causing death. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but t ...
.
Encounter
Traffic stop
On January 12, 1998, near the end of his shift, Deputy Kyle Wayne Dinkheller of the
Laurens County,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, sheriff's office, encountered a speeding
Toyota
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...
pickup truck near
Dudley, Georgia
Dudley is a city in Laurens County, Georgia, United States. The population was 593 in 2020.
History
Dudley had its start in 1891 when the railroad was extended to that point. The city was named for Senator Dudley Mays Hughes.
Geography
Dud ...
, United States, which he clocked at around . The deputy pulled the truck over on Whipple Crossing Road, adjacent to
Interstate 16
Interstate 16 (I-16), also known as Jim Gillis Historic Savannah Parkway, is an east–west Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Georgia. It carries the hidden designation of State Route 404 (SR 404) for it ...
. The traffic stop at first appeared to be routine, with both Dinkheller and the driver, Andrew Brannan, exiting their vehicles and exchanging greetings. Brannan, however, placed both hands into his pockets, at which point Dinkheller instructed him to remove his hands and keep them in plain view.
At this point, Brannan became belligerent and yelled at the deputy to shoot him. He then began to dance and wave his arms in the middle of the road. Dinkheller radioed the dispatcher for assistance and issued commands for Brannan to cease his behavior and approach the cruiser. When Brannan saw that Dinkheller was calling for other units, he ran toward the deputy in an aggressive manner. Dinkheller retreated while issuing commands and utilized his
baton
Baton may refer to:
Stick-like objects
*Baton, a type of club
*Baton (law enforcement)
*Baston (weapon), a type of baton used in Arnis and Filipino Martial Arts
*Baton charge, a coordinated tactic for dispersing crowds of people
*Baton (conducti ...
to keep Brannan at bay. On Dinkheller's dashcam video, Brannan was heard shouting that he was a "goddamned Vietnam combat veteran."
Shootout
Despite commands issued by Dinkheller, Brannan walked back to his pickup truck and drew an
Iver Johnson
Iver Johnson was an American firearms, bicycle, and motorcycle manufacturer from 1871 to 1993. The company shared the same name as its founder, Norwegian-born Iver Johnson (1841–1895).
The name was resold, and Iver Johnson Arms opened in 2006, ...
M1 Carbine
The M1 carbine (formally the United States carbine, caliber .30, M1) is a lightweight semi-automatic carbine chambered in the .30 carbine (7.62×33mm) cartridge that was issued to the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War, and t ...
from underneath the driver's seat, taking cover near the driver side door. Dinkheller positioned himself near the passenger door of his cruiser and gave Brannan commands for approximately forty seconds before Brannan stepped away from his pickup truck, pointed his rifle at Dinkheller and fired several shots. Dinkheller fired the first shot at Brannan but missed, leading some to speculate that it might have been a
warning shot
In military and police contexts, a warning shot is an intentionally harmless artillery shot or gunshot with intent to enact direct compliance and order to a hostile perpetrator or enemy forces. It is recognized as signalling intended confronta ...
.
Dinkheller did not strike Brannan initially and thus was forced to reload.
At this point, Brannan ran from his truck toward Dinkheller and began to fire again, hitting the deputy in exposed areas such as the arms and legs. Brannan then began to reload his weapon as the now-injured Dinkheller tried to position himself near the driver side door of his cruiser. Brannan appeared to go back to his car to retreat before another shot from Dinkheller was heard. This enraged Brannan, who began advancing and firing at the deputy, hitting him numerous times. Before being disabled from gunfire, Dinkheller was able to inflict a gunshot wound to Brannan's stomach. Dinkheller had been shot nine times when Brannan took careful aim, said, "Die, fucker!" and fired a final fatal shot into Dinkheller's right eye. Brannan then retreated into his truck and fled the scene.
Aftermath
Brannan was arrested the next morning without incident; he told the investigating authorities that "they can hang me". He was found guilty on January 28, 2000, for the murder of Dinkheller and was
sentenced to death
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...
. On January 2, 2015, the
Georgia Department of Corrections
The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) is an agency of the U.S. state of Georgia operating state prisons. The agency is headquartered in Forsyth, on the former campus of Tift College.
Headquarters
The GDC has its offices in Gibson Hall, ...
announced that an
execution
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in ...
date of January 13 had been set for Brannan. On January 6, a
clemency
A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...
hearing was set for January 12, at which the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles voted to deny clemency. On January 13, Brannan was executed by
lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting one or more drugs into a person (typically a barbiturate, paralytic, and potassium) for the express purpose of causing death. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but t ...
, the first person in the U.S. to be executed in 2015.
Perpetrator
Andrew Howard Brannan was born on November 26, 1948, and graduated from high school in 1967.
In August 1968, Brannan joined the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
and received his
induction training
In human resource development, induction training introduces new employees to their new profession or job role, within an organisation. As a form of systematic training, induction training familiarises and assists new employees with their employer ...
at
Fort Benning
Fort Benning (named Fort Moore from 2023–2025) is a United States Army post in the Columbus, Georgia area. Located on Georgia's border with Alabama, Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve compone ...
in Georgia. In February 1969, he entered the artillery officer candidate school at
Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
's
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (137 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost .
The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark a ...
and was commissioned as an artillery officer in July 1969.
[ While he was still in the U.S., Brannan served with the ]82nd Airborne Division
The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into hostile areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...
. In July 1969, he was ordered to service in the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, where he served in the Field Artillery Branch as a forward observer and executive officer with the 23rd Infantry Division at Chu Lai
Chu Lai is a seaport, urban and industrial area in Núi Thành District, Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam. The city is served by Chu Lai International Airport. It is also the site of the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone (Vietnamese: ''Khu Kinh Tế M� ...
, South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
, until July 1971.
During his service, Brannan witnessed an officer being killed after stepping on a landmine
A land mine, or landmine, is an explosive weapon often concealed under or camouflaged on the ground, and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets as they pass over or near it. Land mines are divided into two types: anti-tank mines, whi ...
, an incident he later recalled during a psychiatric interview in 1989.[ He also assumed command of a company on two occasions, after its commander was killed.][ Afterwards, Brannan arrived at ]Washington state
Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...
's Fort Lewis Fort Lewis may refer to:
* Fort Lewis (Colorado), a former United States Army post (1878–1891) in the U.S. State of Colorado
** Fort Lewis College, a college in the Durango, Colorado, United States
** Fort Lewis Skyhawks, athletic teams of Fort L ...
, where he transferred to the United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a Military reserve force, reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed ...
, in which he served, periodically, for two weeks at a time until being discharged
Discharge may refer to:
* The act of firing a gun
* Termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer
* Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from service
Flow
* Discharge (hydrology), the a ...
in June 1975.[
During his time in the Army, Brannan was awarded the ]Bronze Star
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Wh ...
and two instances of the Army Commendation Medal
The Commendation Medal is a mid-level Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issu ...
.[ While in the military, his superiors spoke favorably of him, saying that he was an "outstanding" and "exemplary" officer.][
Brannan's ]defense
Defense or defence may refer to:
Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups
* Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare
* Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks
* Defense industr ...
was that he suffered from post traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster, traffic collision, ...
(PTSD) as the result of serving in battle.[ In 1975, he was married, although the couple divorced six years later as a result of Brannan's violent behavior stemming from his PTSD.][ A ]psychologist
A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...
for the defense indicated that the bizarre encounter with Dinkheller in January 1998 "was likely the result of a flashback to Brannan's time in combat." In 1994, the Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing lifelong healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...
had declared Brannan 100% disabled for experiencing depression and bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that each last from days to weeks, and in ...
.
Although Brannan's lawyers tried to get his death sentence commuted on the grounds that he was not criminally responsible for his conviction by reason of insanity, both the Georgia Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...
refused to intervene on his behalf on the day his execution was scheduled to take place.[ Brannan was executed by lethal injection at 8:33 p.m. (EST) on January 13, 2015, the first person executed in the U.S. in 2015. He was 66 years old at the time of his death at the ]Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison
Opened in 1969, Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison (GDCP) is a Georgia Department of Corrections prison for men in unincorporated Butts County, Georgia, near Jackson. The prison holds the state execution chamber. The execution equip ...
near Jackson, Georgia
Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Butts County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,045 in 2010, up from 3,934 at the 2000 census. In 2020, its population was 5,557. The community was named after governor James Jackson.
Hi ...
.
Brannan made a final statement, in which he said, "I extend my condolences to the Dinkheller family, especially Kyle's parents and his wife and his two children" and, "I feel like my status was slow torture for the last fifteen years. I had to say that with them here. I have to tell the truth. I'm certainly glad to be leaving."[ A pastor then delivered a prayer and Brannan was executed.] He was executed one day after the 17-year anniversary of the shooting.
Victim
Kyle Wayne Dinkheller was a deputy with the Laurens County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) in the U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of Georgia. After his death, he was named the 1998 Deputy Sheriff of the Year by the Georgia Sheriffs' Association.
Dinkheller was born on June 18, 1975, in San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, California to Kirk Dinkheller. He graduated from California's Quartz Hill High School
Quartz Hill High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Quartz Hill, California. Founded in 1964, it is the third oldest comprehensive high school in the Antelope Valley Union High School District.
Campus
The basic layout of Q ...
in 1993. He joined the LCSO as a jailer in March 1995 and became a certified police officer with the State of Georgia in 1996. He was 22 years old when he was murdered.
The "Dinkheller video"
The video recording of the murder, known as the "Dinkheller video", has become ubiquitous in U.S. police academies.
The video has, for instance, been adapted to include an interactive sequence in which trainees encounter Brannan before he kills Dinkheller. Police trainers use this setup to test officers' willingness to use deadly force, and to impart to them that "there could be a time... when pulling the trigger is the only way".
In popular culture
* The incident is the focus of the 2014 short film ''Random Stop''.
* On January 12, 2018, to mark the 20th anniversary of Dinkheller's death, film maker Patrick Shaver released his documentary film, ''Dinkheller'', which tells the story of his passing.
*The recording of Dinkheller's death was sampled in the song 'i just killed a cop now im horny' by American experimental hip hop producer JPEGMAFIA
Barrington DeVaughn Hendricks (born October 22, 1989), known professionally as JPEGMafia (stylized in all caps as JPEGMAFIA), is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. Born in Flatbush, Flatbush, Brooklyn, he signed with Deathbomb Arc t ...
on his 2016 debut album, ''Black Ben Carson
''Black Ben Carson'' (stylized in all lowercase) is the debut studio album by American rapper JPEGMafia. It was self-released on February 15, 2016. The album was supported by the three singles "You Think You Know", "I Smell Crack" and "Digital B ...
''.
See also
*
* List of people executed in Georgia (U.S. state)
This is a list of people executed in Georgia. Since 1976, a total of 77 people have been executed by the state of Georgia in the United States.
List of people executed in Georgia since 1976
Demographics
Record number of executions
In 2 ...
* List of people executed in the United States in 2015
Twenty-eight people, twenty-seven male and one female were executed in the United States in 2015, all by lethal injection. One person, Alfredo Rolando Prieto was a foreign national from El Salvador.
List of people executed in the United States ...
Notes
References
External links
Video of the murder
at ''YouTube''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dinkheller, Kyle Wayne, Murder of
1998 in Georgia (U.S. state)
1998 murders in the United States
American police officers killed in the line of duty
Capital murder cases
Deaths by person in Georgia (U.S. state)
Filmed deaths in the United States
January 1998 crimes in the United States
Laurens County, Georgia
Law enforcement in Georgia (U.S. state)
Filmed killings in North America
Shootouts in the United States