Once that many rounds started being fired by several cops at a moving target, the “human shield” was dead either way. One well-placed shot is all that was required.
Go to a range that uses targets that pop up and move around - like I had the opportunity to do during a deployment with the US Army.
Then add the adrenaline to the equation. Your accuracy drops by orders of magnitude. That is the situation to avoid if there are human shields.
I will grant you, I wasn’t there, don’t know how difficult the shots were nor the distance. I am just very frustrated every time I see civilians get killed in a “hail of gunfire” that perhaps wasn’t the best strategy.
I agree with the poster who said that using the bean bag first was extremely STUPID. Taking him out before provoking him would have been a sounder strategy.
The range??
This was not some stress free range environment, where one is prepared to be tested and everything is ready and ya basically know what's coming, where the biggest unknown is when a target pops up. Get real.
This is real life and death split second situation with all the associated stresses etc. You're watching too many movies.
The only thing the cops screwed up in my opinion was not dropping the suspect as he was backing up towards the female. They should have dropped the suspect before he was able to take her hostage.