Posted on 10/08/2005 10:49:33 AM PDT by Hetty_Fauxvert
A suspected child molester killed by Petaluma police last weekend was shot 27 times after he pointed a loaded handgun at officers, authorities said Friday.
Five officers fired 42 rounds, striking 72-year-old James Anthony Decosta over much of his body, including his head, neck and chest.
Petaluma Police Chief Steve Hood said the officers risked their own lives while standing down an armed fugitive.
He said the 42 shots were necessary to stop Decosta, who had led officers on a brief car chase last Saturday before pulling over in an industrial park.
***
Sacramento authorities had recently learned that Decosta might be cashing Social Security checks in Petaluma. He had been sought since 1998 on a $100,000 arrest warrant accusing him of child molestation.
Sacramento Police Sgt. Justin Risley said Friday that the case involved allegations Decosta had raped and sodomized his 10- and 11-year-old stepdaughters.
"He packed everything and left before she (Decosta's wife) realized it," Risley said. "We investigated it and were never able to locate him."
(Excerpt) Read more at 1.pressdemocrat.com ...
I don't feel sorry for him, the result was very predictable.
Not harsh at all. Just wish a whole lot more trash was taken out.
27 out of 42? Back to the range you dogs!
This report is very disturbing. It is shocking that of 42 shots fired, only 27 sent the child molester to NAMBLA Neverland.
"27 out of 42? Back to the range you dogs"!
Nobody bothered to reload? Humph. Pikers.
buy shares in lead companies and sell shares in legal paper companies, because apparently the criminal justice system is becoming obsolete.
A suspected child molester killed by Petaluma police last weekend was shot 27 times after he pointed a loaded handgun at officers, authorities said Friday.
Nahhh...that ain't harsh.
"Good riddance to bad rubbish! There's one sicko who won't be a repeat offender!"
That's harsh. ...but it still isn't harsh enough for the likes of that foul creature.
I can relate. I hope he's burning in hell.
27 hits out of 42 rounds fired...? They need to learn to shoot better.
It is all about gun control, especially if you are a bystander.
Due to the adrenaline in the cops system and the heat of the moment, I am impressed that they hit as many times as they did.
Was the perp still standing until the 27th shot? Need hollow points.
When Decosta lowered the gun, Hood said, the officers stopped firing and shouted for him not to raise it again. Decosta ignored the order, raising the weapon a second time, prompting more gunfire from the officers, Hood said.
is it too stupid to say, "innocent until proven guilty?"
And you would have reacted different?
His actions prove him guilty!
---All the officers involved in Saturday's shooting were carrying semiautomatic .40-caliber Glock handguns, which usually have 10 to 15 rounds.
Most U.S. law enforcement agencies switched to semiautomatics from revolvers after shootouts in the 1970s and 1980s in which officers were outgunned.
Lt. Danny Fish, who oversees special operations for Petaluma police, said officers don't carry semiautomatics because they are easier to fire but because they are more technologically advanced.
"We try to provide our people with the best item out there," he said. "Right now, that's semiautomatic weapons."---
Some weapon details. They said the perp was carrying a 9mm. I'd sure like to know which one. It appears to have jammed with 3 rounds still in it.
All this dead perv had to do, was show up and answer the charges. He ran, and pulled a weapon on LE. He chose to not go to court. His choice does not make our legal system a failure.
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