Paris Police place cop on paid administrative leave after confrontation with Lamar County resident

PARIS, Texas (KXII) - A previous version of this story incorrectly listed Sherman, TX as the dateline. This incident happened in Paris, Texas. We regret this mistake.

Paris Police placed one of its officers on paid administrative leave while it said it conducts a review of an encounter between the cop and a Lamar County resident, whose son was paralyzed in an officer-involved shooting.

Belcher: “Seemed like we helped you out pretty good before.”

In this video, Officer Derek Belcher said he stopped driver Joey Carico because of a hand gesture.

Belcher: “You’re the one driving around us, flipping us off, honking your horn, sitting outside the PD. Do you need help with something?”

The Paris Police Department said it is now conducting an administrative review of this encounter and put the officer on paid administrative leave.

Carico: “Yall’'s feelings are hurt.

Belcher: My feelings ain’t hurt. I’m not the one ...

Carico: Yeah, you’re f******* feelings are hurt.

Belcher: Who’s the one riding around, flipping people off, acting like a little...

Carico: Like a like a little b****? Is that what you was going to say? B****.

Belcher: I didn’t say it though. Did I?

Carico: Yeah, you wanted to.

Officer Belcher mentioned in the footage he was there the night Carico’s son, Colton, was shot in the back.

Joey Carico also was arrested that night, pleading no contest to interfering with public duties and terroristic threat to a public servant.

He received a deferred sentence.

Belcher: You’re son made his decision that night, okay?

Carico: My son was suicidal b****. Your officer shot him in the f****** back.

Belcher: He’s alive then ain’t he?

When police arrived at his house in 2021 after finding his rolled truck, body cam footage from the incident shows Colton Carico pointing a rifle under his chin.

“I’m going to blow my f****** brains out right here,” said Colton Carico in the body camera footage released last year.

Then an officer shoots, leaving Colton paralyzed.

When the body camera footage was released over the summer, Colton told News 12 he was in a mental crisis.

The Texas Rangers found the shooting to be justified, and a Lamar County grand jury cleared the officer of any charges who fired the shot.

Carico: You ain’t very big, are you?

Belcher: No, I’m not.

Joey Carico then took out his phone to record.

Carico: You got your hand on your side by your gun.

Belcher: Is that illegal?

Carico: No, it’s not illegal.

Belcher: You have a problem with it?

Carico: Yeah.

Belcher: Then do something about it

Carico: You don’t want me to

Belcher: Do it.

Carico: You don’t want me to.

Belcher: You’ll get away with it. It’s just me and you right now.

Carico: Yeah, it is just me and you. Yeah. I’d go to jail mother f*****.

Carico sent the following statement to KXII:

“I drive a truck up and down these roads every week. Most of the time I give a peace sign to the police, but I give the middle finger to the Paris Police Department because they shot my son in the back. The last statement this officer said made me post this video. I find it sickening. Justice for Coco.”

The footage ends with Officer Belcher saying this:

Belcher: Tell your son we said hi.

Paris police said Officer Belcher’s conduct will be evaluated against the core values of the department.

It did not want to comment further at this time, but you can find its full statement on its Facebook.

Colton Carico is also suing the officer who shot him and the city of Paris.

He is asking for compensation of more than ten million dollars for the injuries he now lives with.

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