Posted on 02/19/2014 3:37:02 PM PST by servo1969
A Georgia family is in shock following the death of their 17-year-old son, who was accidentally killed by a police officer who believed the video game controller he was holding was a gun, according to the family’s lawyer.
Christopher Roupe of Euharlee, Georgia heard a knock at the door of the family’s home last Friday night. Upon opening the door, he was immediately shot by a female police officer.
Roupe was pronounced dead upon arrival at a local hospital.
The officer broke down it tears upon realizing her mistake, according to The New York Daily News.
She had been making a probation-related visit to the home. She thought Roupe was holding a gun, according to a statement from the police department.
Cole Law, the family’s attorney, said he believes that the officer did mistake Roupe’s video game controller for a weapon. Roupe was holding a remote controller for the Nintendo Wii when he opened the door, according to Law.
Standard-issue Wii controllers are white cylinders, but specialty controllers shaped like guns do exist. It is not yet known what type of controller Roupe possessed. (RELATED: Update: Texas teen faces 8 years in prison over Facebook comment)
Neighbors confirmed that Roupe had a Wii controller, not a gun, according to Law.
“The eyewitnesses on the scene clearly state that he had a Wii controller in his hand,” said Law, according to WSB-TV. “He heard a knock at the door. He asked who it was, there was no response so he opened the door and upon opening the door he was immediately shot in the chest.”
Roupe had plans to enlist in the Marines after finishing high school. He was involved in the ROTC program at his high school.
The officer has been placed on administrative leave while the police department investigates the matter. The family will likely file suit against the department.
[video]
And 15 minutes later the SWAT team is there smashing in the front of your house and spraying everything with automatic weapons fire.
If the copette was expecting trouble she would not have been alone.
Premeditated would not be out of the question. She obviously had her gun out and aimed when the door was opened. She would have shot the kid whether he had anything in his hand or not.She was looking for a kill.
She will get none of that. It might seem to be getting time for old time vigilante justice. It is the only sort available when police go about murdering citizens.
yes. In more cases than one to date. When a cop runs your car tag and sees that you have a CCW you get spreadeagled, beaten up and your car’s interior destroyed in Tampa, at least.
I notice there are fewer and fewer of those comments on thes threads.
If you have it in a holster when approached by a cop your chance of getting shot is veryhigh.
The local Dunkin' Donuts must be a popular place during shifts.
She gets “street cred” from her peeps too
See post #120.
I’m in Tampa and do worry about that.
Have not seen it yet.
“What’re your thoughts?”
Oh, Lord.
First off, I have been in the situation. I once answered the door at 12:30 AM and it was a cop seeking directions. (He said he knocked on my door because the lights were on.) I had a gun in my hand considering the time of night. Fortunately, before opening the door, I rested my hand, holding the gun, on the wall beside the door so that the cop never saw it. It looked like I was just leaning on the wall. It’s more nervous making in retrospect than it was at the time although I was startled and very aware of the gun when I saw the cop. I was in my late teens and this happened before things became what they are now.
I think many of the folks who say “never draw till you have to shoot” have the delusion that they are quick draw artists like the heroes in the old “B” Westerns. They seem to think they can give the bad guy the edge and out draw him. Those folks are probably more like the duffer in the old Westerns, the one the bad guy can let go for their gun first because the bad guy is a quick draw artist and can outdraw them.
For myself, if I wait till I know I have to shoot before I draw, I’m almost certainly going to get hurt. If I’m in a “situation” I want my gun in my hand. I might retreat from the situation, but I still want my gun in my hand. However, it won’t necessarily be pointing at anyone or even seen. My hand may be on it under my concealment or it may be moved from the holster to my pocket or hidden behind a package or coat or something in my other hand or I may have it hidden behind me or behind something else, but I want it ready. Admittedly, I don’t always get what I want and I may not have time to get it ready depending on how quickly my situation goes sour, but that’s what I want.
On the other side, I don’t want to assume that just because someone has a gun in their hand they are going to use it. There are a number of reasons why they might have a gun in their hand with no intention to shoot.
On the gripping hand, I am aware of the folks who think that you should only draw if you are going to shoot and that if someone sees me with a gun in my hand for any reason they might be one of those folks and believe that because I have a gun in my hand they are in danger, even though they aren’t, and either draw and shoot me or force me to shoot them. (I hope you get the idea because I don’t feel like fixing that sentence right now.)
A lot depends on the situation. And “The default setting for the Universe is ‘complexity’”.
Will that do?
“What’s another dead kid right. I mean as long gone as the cop goes home safe.”
I disagree.
Your response has some merit but is too general. The statement falls apart once a stranger goes onto someone’s property and knocks on their door. Someone answering the door with a gun does not necessarily mean they will shoot. It simply means they are uncertain if they are in danger and as a precaution have come prepared to shoot if threatened.
So I don’t accept your premise ... in this case. And that’s even if the kid had had a real gun rather than a remote (that doesn’t look anything like a gun). I think IF the kid had a real gun that was pointed at the officer and the officer thought he was going to shoot ... then the officer might have a case
Hope the family wins, and collects big on this.
Accident, hell. Officer Cup Cake intentionally pulled the trigger without being sure of her target.
I always wanted to shoot that damn dog for laughing at me every time I missed.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.