Posted on 05/18/2013 6:40:46 PM PDT by LibWhacker
The 21-year-old Hofstra student who was killed during a Long Island home invasion was shot dead by a police officer as the gunman had her in a headlock and was trying to drag her out of the house, officials said Saturday.
Nassau County Police said at a news conference Andrea Rebello was killed by police, not by the armed gunman who was trying to rob the off-campus house where she was living with her twin sister, Jessica, and several others.
Rebello, a Hofstra junior studying public relations, and suspect Dalton Smith, 30, were both shot and killed as he was trying to back away from police with a gun to her head, police said.
An officer fired eight rounds, seven of which hit the suspect and one that hit Rebello in the head, police said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnewyork.com ...
Yep...I know now, my fault.
I’d guess the officer paniced. Went into an adrenaline rush. If he hadn’t emptied his weapon - he’d still be firing.
Of course its easy to be an amrchair quarterback. But if only the officer had taken one or two accurate shots - the victim might still be alive.
What you wanna bet her family sues the police department?
cop did a spray and pray. there aren’t negative repercussions so cops just do it.
“Her family sues the police department?”
You can bet the lawyers are calling her family non-stop.They can smell the money,drives them into a frenzy.
What I'm a little worried about is that the officer's first shot inadvertently killed the girl, then he had a clear shot for his seven remaining shots.
Definitely all for pinning the blame on lenient judges and the parole board, and of course Smith himself, most of all. Not a cop myself, but it seems like a cop has little choice but to fire if some POS points a gun at him. Can't just stand there and let himself be murdered. NBC is such a bunch of sleazeballs, I'm still not convinced the cop killed her... Just have to cross our fingers and wait a final determination.
Don’t feel bad, just trying to read the article and make sense out of it is a test. Another 6 - 7 year graduate of some community college school of journalism.
Come on folks, there was no dog to shoot so the cops’ fall back was the girl. Someone had to be shot, so the civilian got whacked, along with the perp. Collateral damage is OK; no problem. Yup, that’s about right for liberal cesspools like Nassau County.
Very sad. But often in the past, the cops have let things go too long and the killer gets to kill not only the immediate victim but also a lot of other people. Think of that horrible thing in Connecticut a few years ago, where the killers were raping and burning to death a mother and her two daughters...and the police were outside and didn’t want to rush the house because they were afraid somebody might get injured in the shooting.
I think the cops might need more time at the range, but on the other hand, this guy would probably have killed at least one of the girls anyway.
I have to sympathize with the cop too though, I'm pretty sure he's horrified as well. Hard to say just reading an article but I've been shot at a few times and it always flooded my system and left me twitchy.
Unfortunately life doesn't always have a happy ending.
Then, sorry, but I blame the cop. If a suspect is holding a hostage, it is way too risky to shoot at him with a handgun. That shot should only be taken by a marksman with a scoped rifle.
The only exception would be if the suspect has just shot someone, and is now preparing to shoot again. Then all bets are off.
I feel for the cop. He was trying to do the right thing in a horrible situation. But he made the wrong call.
From the article: "Smith was released on parole in February after serving time for first-degree robbery and has a lengthy criminal record that includes assault"
The cop was wrong. But let's not forget that it's a judge who is ultimately responsible for this tragedy.
It’s illegal, even for cops, to have more than 7 bullets in a gun in NY state.
YUP! First time I read it, I thought the officer was female and was the one in the headlock.
Not Guilty! Oh we’re not playing that game, sorry.
“Smith was released on parole in February after serving time for first-degree robbery and has a lengthy criminal record that includes assault, police said. A warrant for his arrest was issued last month for parole violation.”
Smith pointed his gun at the cop in close quarters. The cop has to fire or die.
The police are first and foremost in self defense mode. Never call the cops if YOU need protection
That’s the problem right there: lenient sentencing and little follow-up.
I’m glad at least that the cops managed to kill him. And you’re absolutely right: I have a police officer in the family, and she said that when a creep points a gun at you, you know that only one of you is going to go home alive - and you want it to be you.
It’s terrible that this girl was killed, but the thug probably would have killed her and all of his hostages anyway. He shouldn’t have been out of jail in the first place.
Tragic. The Nassau County police need better training.
I’m not bragging, but our sheriff took out a bank robber at 100 yards who had a gun to a clerk’s head. One shot, one kill.
You need time on the range to make critical shots.
Prayers up for the unfortunate woman.
This story just breaks my heart. God Bless the young woman’s family, and the police officer. He is going to go through a rough time along with the girl’s family. They will need tons of prayers.
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