Posted on 03/16/2014 8:07:52 AM PDT by Rusty0604
An Alabama police chief has determined that one of his officers used “appropriate force,” when the cop arrived at the scene of a traffic accident and immediately shot an apparently unarmed Air Force airman.
The airman, 20-year-old Michael Davidson, was shot in the chest and nearly bled out before receiving medical aid, according to the Raw Story.
Davidson was driving to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He may have been driving erratically, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
After clipping another vehicle, he pulled over to exchange insurance information with the other driver.
Eventually, Officer Phillip Hancock arrived on scene. Accounts differ as to what happened next.
Davidson’s father claimed that Hancock shot his son almost immediately.
“They couldn’t have been there three or four seconds when I was shot,” said Davidson, according to his father’s account.
Police Chief John McEachern, on the other hand, said that Hancock did not not fire until coming to the erroneous conclusion that Davidson was a threat.
Hancock ordered Davidson to put his hands on his head, and then fired, according to McEachern.
“It was at this point that the officer perceived what he believed to be a threat,” McEachern said. “Officer Hancock then pulled his service weapon and fired two shots at the suspect.”
One shot hit Davidson, severely injuring his stomach and colon. He may have permanent damage, and it is likely that he will be physically unable to serve in the Air Force.
The accounts agree that Davidson was unarmed when shot. He may have been holding his wallet, however. It’s not clear whether Hancock mistook the wallet for a weapon.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
I think I saw the video of the events you are referring to and I could see why a cop could confuse a cane with a gun. That straight round shaft looked a lot like a barrel especially when pointed in the cop’s direction. Unfortunate event but I could see why it happened and if some of the people here are half so trigger happy as they claim they would have shot the guy too.
how that amendment go........ a well armed wallet......
Despicable.
The officer should do time while the department covers the hospital bills, recovery expenses, and substantial damages.
Instead, some “chief” somewhere attempts to justify the unjustifiable.
This sort of travesty is occurring more and more frequently all over the nation.
I played laser tag one time in a huge tree story place, with two teams playing against each other. Each team wore a different color. I though for sure I would just shoot anyone because I had no training. I was surprised at myself for determining in a split second what team the person was on before I shot.
DITTO
Know the major difference between a gang-banger and a LEO in many jurisdictions?
The uniform.
OPELIKA, Ala. — Opelika Police Chief John McEachern III stated during a Friday morning conference that early evidence suggests Officer Phillip Hancock used appropriate force when he shot a 20-year-old airman.
On March 6, Hancock responded near mile marker 63 on Interstate 85 after receiving reports of an erratic driver in a silver GMC Envoy, McEachern said. When he arrived, he saw the Envoy pulled over, along with an 18-wheeler and several other vehicles.
When the driver of the Envoy, Michael Darrett Davidson, stepped out of his vehicle, the officer gave verbal commands for the airman to place his hands over his head.
“It was at this point that the officer perceived what he believed to be a threat,” McEachern said. “Officer Hancock then pulled his service weapon and fired two shots at the suspect.”
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2014/03/14/3002443/opelika-police-chief-officer-used.html
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