Posted on 12/16/2004 6:54:58 PM PST by lightman
STEELTON, Pa. -- Police shot and wounded a man in Steelton Wednesday night.
Two police officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation by the District Attorney's Office to determine if the use of deadly force was justified, as is procedure.
Traces of blood stain the walls and carpets in the basement of a house in Steelton where police shot Driss Alami (pictured, left), 32, Wednesday night.
Family members said Alami came home and was acting crazy, and when police came to calm him down, his rage intensified.
"One officer shot him with a Taser gun first, and it didn't affect him so they put more juice into it. He eventually fell down and got back up again," said Jeanne Alami, Driss Alami's sister-in-law.
Alami, who speaks very little English, then came at one of the officers with a hammer, hitting him in the wrist and breaking it. Officers then shot the man in the face and chest. The family said officers' actions may have been too extreme.
"Could they tackle him on the ground or something other than shooting him and shooting him twice at that, in the face and chest? Could they shoot him in the leg?" said Jeanne Alami.
Police said one shot from a Taser is usually more than enough to subdue a suspect. Alami was hit twice.
Since June 2004, Steelton police have used their Tasers 14 times. They said each pervious time has been successful.
"I don't know why it didn't drop him immediately. It's very unusual historically from our point of view," Steelton Police Chief Ken Lenken said.
Family members are left trying to figure out what happened and what drove Alami to act the way he did.
"There is no history of drug or alcohol abuse, but back in Morocco where he is from, back in Morocco, there were some mental health issues with him," said Jeanne Alami.
Family members told News 8 that he has been in the states for only about three years and may not have fully understood what was going on.
He is currently in stable condition.
The officer with the broken wrist is recovering at home.
And yes, a blunt instrument used in the manner of that hammer is a deadly weapon justifiying the police response that was made.
For the record, the article details a wrist injury to one officer.
And he got into the country HOW????
What an unhappy story for all involved.
The man attacked a police officer with a deadly weapon. Shooting him is a justified escalation of force.
So the Department of Homeland Security is letting crazy Muslims loose in the country.
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