CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The three Charleston police officers on the scene of a deadly friendly fire incident on Sunday apparently didn't know Patrolman Jerry Jones was near Brian Scott Good's vehicle when they opened fire and killed both of them.

Police have released the names of seven officers placed on administrative leave because they were either involved in the incident or arrived shortly thereafter, said Police Chief Brent Webster.

According to sources familiar with the investigation, Good, 31, of Milliken, pulled off the road and into the gravel parking lot by the side of Quick Road north of the city. He then spun around and ended up with his truck facing the highway. Jones, 27, followed Good into the parking lot and got out of his cruiser.

The other police cruisers arrived next, with at least two blocking Good's path. With Jones somewhere behind or beside Good's truck, Good allegedly tried to ram his way through the cruisers. The officers then opened fire on the truck, hitting both Good and Jones. It is not clear whether Jones was hit directly or by ricochet, sources say. Four additional officers arrived at the scene shortly thereafter.

Webster stressed that placing all seven on administrative leave was not because he believed there was any wrongdoing.

"We're doing this for their mental health," he said. "The average person just doesn't see something like this."

On Sunday, Webster said five officers were placed on leave. Two others were added because they also showed up at the scene. One of the seven has been on the force for 15 years. None of the others has more than four years experience.

The officers are: Patrolman Christopher Burford, a 20-month veteran of the force; Patrolman Duane Fields, who has been on the force since January; Patrolman Anthony Gaylor, who has been on the force since January; Cpl. Travis Hawley, a nearly 15- year veteran of the force; Patrolman Scott Layton, a three-year veteran of the force; Patrolman Owen Morris, a two-year veteran of the force; and Patrolman Robert Welsh, a four-year veteran of the force.

"In this case, it is purely stress debriefing," Webster said of placing the officers on administrative leave.

According to the department's administrative leave policy, the leave will not cause the officers to lose pay or benefits and should not be interpreted to imply that the officers have acted improperly.

The officers are all required to undergo a debriefing with a psychologist, and can't return without a recommendation from a therapist, Webster said.

Officers involved in the use of deadly force resulting in injury or death are to be placed on administrative leave for at least three days, according to the leave policy.

Webster said that when the men do come back, he may bring them back all at the same time. He said he doesn't want to imply that any of the men acted improperly.

Kanawha County Sheriff Mike Rutherford said he believes officers didn't see Jones standing nearby when they opened fire.

"It's one o'clock in the morning and it's very dark," Rutherford said Thursday. "You have blue lights flashing, and it's very hard to see.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The three Charleston police officers on the scene of a deadly friendly fire incident on Sunday apparently didn't know Patrolman Jerry Jones was near Brian Scott Good's vehicle when they opened fire and killed both of them.

Police have released the names of seven officers placed on administrative leave because they were either involved in the incident or arrived shortly thereafter, said Police Chief Brent Webster.

According to sources familiar with the investigation, Good, 31, of Milliken, pulled off the road and into the gravel parking lot by the side of Quick Road north of the city. He then spun around and ended up with his truck facing the highway. Jones, 27, followed Good into the parking lot and got out of his cruiser.

The other police cruisers arrived next, with at least two blocking Good's path. With Jones somewhere behind or beside Good's truck, Good allegedly tried to ram his way through the cruisers. The officers then opened fire on the truck, hitting both Good and Jones. It is not clear whether Jones was hit directly or by ricochet, sources say. Four additional officers arrived at the scene shortly thereafter.

Webster stressed that placing all seven on administrative leave was not because he believed there was any wrongdoing.

"We're doing this for their mental health," he said. "The average person just doesn't see something like this."

On Sunday, Webster said five officers were placed on leave. Two others were added because they also showed up at the scene. One of the seven has been on the force for 15 years. None of the others has more than four years experience.

The officers are: Patrolman Christopher Burford, a 20-month veteran of the force; Patrolman Duane Fields, who has been on the force since January; Patrolman Anthony Gaylor, who has been on the force since January; Cpl. Travis Hawley, a nearly 15- year veteran of the force; Patrolman Scott Layton, a three-year veteran of the force; Patrolman Owen Morris, a two-year veteran of the force; and Patrolman Robert Welsh, a four-year veteran of the force.

"In this case, it is purely stress debriefing," Webster said of placing the officers on administrative leave.

According to the department's administrative leave policy, the leave will not cause the officers to lose pay or benefits and should not be interpreted to imply that the officers have acted improperly.

The officers are all required to undergo a debriefing with a psychologist, and can't return without a recommendation from a therapist, Webster said.

Officers involved in the use of deadly force resulting in injury or death are to be placed on administrative leave for at least three days, according to the leave policy.

Webster said that when the men do come back, he may bring them back all at the same time. He said he doesn't want to imply that any of the men acted improperly.

Kanawha County Sheriff Mike Rutherford said he believes officers didn't see Jones standing nearby when they opened fire.

"It's one o'clock in the morning and it's very dark," Rutherford said Thursday. "You have blue lights flashing, and it's very hard to see.

"I don't think they would have ever put another officer, especially one they work with every day, in danger if they knew that he was there."

Rutherford said it's unrealistic to speculate over whether officers should have simply tried to wound Good to stop him. Good was inside the truck, in the dark, with only his head and shoulders visible.

He said trying to shoot out the tires of the pickup truck would not have been a good idea. Officers didn't have time, and Rutherford said shooting at the tires can be dangerous to innocent bystanders.

"That is one of the last resorts that you do," Rutherford said. "You don't know what's going to ricochet or who it's going to endanger."

Police officers are trained to stop a threat, and shoot until the threat is over. Rutherford said the officers had to make decisions in less than a second, with a truck barreling down on them.

"You don't have time to think, 'I'll aim for the arm,'" the sheriff said. "You aim for the mass. You have to stop him, period."

Saturday evening, Good rammed his truck into the car of a woman he knew at about 9 p.m., Webster said Sunday. He led police on a chase, which was eventually called off, he said.

State Police had tried to use a tire spike strip to stop Good, to no avail, Rutherford said.

After midnight Saturday, Patrolman Jones spotted the suspect's truck on the East End, Webster said. He pursued the car from the intersection of Washington Street and Ruffner Avenue to Greenbrier Street, then onto Quick Road, Webster said. The suspect had a female passenger in the car, he said.

During Jones' chase of Good from Charleston to the parking lot on Quick Road, the woman in the car threw things out of the vehicle to stop police, Webster said. The woman has yet to be identified or charged.

Chip Ellis | Gazette photo

A large rock serves as a makeshift memorial near the spot where Patrolman Jerry Jones and Brian Scott Good were killed.

Chris Dorst | Gazette photo

Black wreaths and flowers memorialize Charleston Police Patrolman Jerry Jones, who was killed in a parking lot along Quick Road in a friendly fire incident on Sunday.

Reach Gary Harki at gha...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5163.