Cop arrives at traffic accident, shoots Air Force airman’

Daily Caller ^ | 03/14/2014 | Robby Soave

[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.

[Slambat]

“If the airman had been smoking spice, then, ironically, it may have saved his life.”

Your theory may be valid.

This could be the case but it also could have been planted
evidence. No doubt this will be used to discredit anything
Davidson has to say. On the other hand, it could be that
when the ambulance showed up before Davidson had a
chance to die at the scene, the throw down gun was picked
up and replaced with the drugs.

[sonofagun]

I’ve come to the conclusion that these guys must be frightened out of their skulls on a deep emotional basis. I just can’t equate the trigger-happiness I read in these reports on anything else.

I agree.

I also wonder how much informal "training" is being done at home using "Grand Theft Auto" or "Call of Duty".

Instant reaction under stress is usually trained reaction and "muscle memory".

[Magnum44]

Or shopping at Cosco...

[sonofagun]

The only thing that matters is that the Police Officer went home unharmed.

This may have been sarcasm, but it's true.

Why do you think more and more warrants are being served by swat teams?

I'm sure you watched Boston go into paralysis over a teenaged "terrorist" on the run.

These guys are trained to look after their own and to stay safe. There are LEO's and there are civilians.

There was a time that when they were paid to risk their lives for the safety of the citizen.

Now the only targets they use for training are "citizens" and "perps", both of them "civilians".

[Flick Lives]

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.

Things that cops may mistake for a weapon...

[Chode]

prolly munchin doughnuts...

[DEPcom]

This is the third Police shooting I have read about. The one in NC were an elder man pull his walking stick out from the back of the truck.

Another where the police was serving a warrant in GA, kill a kid at the front door with a game controller in his hand.

Now this one, three different states. I think they need to look at police training, are they scaring the officers in the training were they think every person they pull over is going to pull a gun.

How many of those Officer serve in a War Zone? It appears they have been train like they are serving in a war zone.

The last tea party protest I attended, the park police were arm for war.... After talking to them, I found out they were brief that extremist protestors were on the way from intel reports. The intel source: Free Republic Postings...

The Police are trained to be scared of the public...

[Rusty0604]

Well they are called “safety officers”. It’s their own safety that they are concerned with, and I think being unionized has a lot to do with it. Imagine if the unions could get our military unionized? They succeeded with the TSA.

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

Is this story for real?

No. The fact that you can't read makes it all false.

[NormsRevenge]

Shoot first, litigate later.

[Rusty0604]

There are many, many more than three police shootings. And that’s just humans, count the dogs and it’s many more.

[sport]

the cops can do no wrong crowd will be here shortly defending him. But in the officer's defense, there was not a dog to shoot and after all, he had to deal with these damn civilians , and again, no dog to shoot and he had to shoot someone. So, it looks like it just wasn't the airman's day.

Moral of the story: Make it an obsession to stay the hell away from the police. That way you get to celebrate more birthdays.

[sport]

Ping.

[trisham]

Only 20. What a tragic thing.

[Little Bill]

Laz: I was looking at my State Constitution and the Federal for that matter.

The County Sheriff is the only Constitutional Officer in my State with Law Enforcement powers across Town lines.

In the Towns and Cities local Cops are a delegation from the people and created by them to preserve order. WE can and have abolished police departments when they get out of hand. Even the State Cops exist at the whim of the General Court.

[sport]

If you read the news, doing anything, including breathing, is an excuse for an officer to shoot you.

Or doing nothing is an excuse for an officer to shoot you.

If you are in contact with an officer that wants a promotion or wants some paid time off without using his/her vacation or sick time, well to say the least, it is not going to be your day. Your day is about to go from bad to worse.

[Jet Jaguar]

Acitve Duty ping.

[sport]

I would be willing to bet that they put it there and the only reason they did not find a gun and child pornography is that the officer with them had not arrived .

[COBOL2Java]

I’ve known several officers over time and in various locations around the country. The good ones have told me that ‘common sense’ is no longer common in the ranks. They have also told me that the bullies are becoming more and more prevalent and that they too are worried. Some of them are VERY worried.

Blame 9/11. After Bush II's expansion of "protection" (US Department of Homeland Security, TSA, the Patriot Act, weakening of FISA courts, etc.), the emotional response tilted the country in the direction of "protection trumps civil liberties". Law Enforcement began to take a blind eye as bullies began filling the ranks. These thugs wanted, and either through deliberate encouragement or passive negligence by superiors, took steroids so they could be bigger, stronger than "the enemy".

Unfortunately, the law of unintended consequences wins every time. We the innocent became "The Enemy": nuns and the disabled at airports, old men reaching for their canes, barking dogs, you name it.

Al Qaeda is laughing their butts off. They won.

[sport]

Amen! And more and more people are learning this the hard way each day.