Correctional officer kills friend in case of mistaken identity

Bellevillnewsdemocrat.com ^ | Feb. 19, 2005 | DON BABWIN

[paul51]

Once again, I don't know that's true. I (you) also don't know what the police or the witnesses or the shooter said. All I know is there is a dead guy. The shooter says he identified himself (to his friend) and then pump off the shots. For what? Because the guy didn't stop pounding on the window (if he aver was) even after he heard his friend. You have to be kidding me. This one smells so bad it hurts. Let's see what happens after they complete the investigation.

[PAR35]

In other words, McClendon (decedant) had a passenger and colleague in the car, who was a witness.

OK. He might have told his buddy what he was planning to do. Unless the buddy is just telling a self-serving story.

[Old Professer]

anybody who believes anything more of this whole piece than dead and 1 a.m., line up over here on the far left.

[Studebaker Hawk]

With all due respect for the decedent's and what-not, If I may just quote Steve Martin -

"Comedy is not pretty"

[HairOfTheDog]

All either of us have is the article, but it seems pretty clear to everyone involved that the friend was playing a joke, and that shooting him was a tragic mistake, but an honest one.

Do you pick apart and seek to find fault in all self-defense shootings by citizens? or only ones involving members law enforcement? I am trying to figure out the motive of someone who rejects all the findings in the article, preferring to trust his own imagination instead. We can't debate everything your imagination comes up with, lets just stick to what facts are put before us, OK? I mean, if we're tossing out facts... ~maybe~ the guy wasn't even shot.

[paul51]

Yep. When it smells that bad, something is rotten

[Bogey78O]

What got me was he says he identified himself as a cop then opened fire. I'm not believing there was much of a pause.

[Bogey78O]

If he's pulling on the door handle and the doors not opening the n it's locked. He deserved to have a gun pointed at him. Not to get shot. You're always supposed to show more accessment than that.

I support the right of every American to carry a gun and to be allowed to shoot a criminal on site. But shooting before discerning what you're shooting at is not a good example of responsible gun use.

[Redbob]

"Ignoring the fact that he shot someone without any cause,..."

Helloooo?

You call banging on the car door, trying to get at your wife and child "without any cause?"

Helloooo?

[paul51]

Hello yourself. To start with, how do we know any of that is true? The story doesn't add up and someone shot and killed someone that may have been guilty of stupidity although I have doubts about even that part of the story

[Ichneumon]

What got me was he says he identified himself as a cop then opened fire. I'm not believing there was much of a pause.

That's what gets me -- the shooter knew this guy *all his life*. I just can't imagine not recognizing a friend of mine standing by my wife's car, no matter what stupid stuff he was doing, unless I didn't even pause for a moment before opening fire.

If the shooter spent even the *minimum* amount of time and attention necessary to make sure it was a proper shoot before opening fire, I find it very hard to believe he wouldn't have recognized someone he knew well. Nor do I believe that the friend wouldn't have instantly gone, "hey, it's me!" if the shooter had identified himself and then actually waited for the "perp" to stop his "attack" before shooting. Sounds more like, "Halt, *bang* *bang* *bang* or I'll shoot!"

And even in Texas you can't shoot someone just for banging on a car window and pulling on the handle, no matter how nuts they're acting.

Going just by what's in the story (and admittedly stories like this are notoriously inaccurate), the shooter needs to face a grand jury.

[Bogey78O]

The only thing I can assume from this is the guy yelled "Freeze! Police" then shot him when he turned to see who yelled "Freeze! Police!"

Accidental shooting...yes.

Poor judgement by the shooter nonetheless. If you yell "freeze" you don't start shooting.

[Bogey78O]

I was always told the funniest things were always the most vicious. I believe there to be a great deal of truth in that.

[paul51]

Accidental shooting...yes.

Negligent at best. If the guy didn't have sufficient training and self discipline to avoid killing someone in this situation, he shouldn't have been allowed to carry a firearm.

[Bogey78O]

'And even in Texas you can't shoot someone just for banging on a car window and pulling on the handle, no matter how nuts they're acting.'

Banging on a car window is also a sign of urgency. The story could have easily been "cop shoots man fleeing from hooligans".

[NEBUCHADNEZZAR1961]

"It is a tragic accident, a case of mistaken identity,"

Oh that is a good one. Let some civilian make the same mistake and its 15-20 and complete loss of all their wealth. I'll have to remember that "mistaken identity" bit. This board is really entertaining!

[Ichneumon]

Banging on a car window is also a sign of urgency. The story could have easily been "cop shoots man fleeing from hooligans".

Right, or "cop shoots man frantically seeking help for his child who was injured in a nearby car accident", etc.

[vox humana]

Darwin Award?

This idiot is a clear Darwin Award winner. Anyone that stupid has a Constitutional right to the award. Faking a crime is not a joke.

[FairOpinion]

The guy forced the SUV to stop, then bangs on the window and tries to open the door at 1 am in an area where a lot of car hijacking have taken place in recent time.

If you saw someone do that to the car your wife and child were in, what would YOU think?

[Conservababe]

And even in Texas you can't shoot someone just for banging on a car window and pulling on the handle, no matter how nuts they're acting.

I'm not in Texas, but I would. Here in my small town of Missouri, a man who had robbed a pharmacy in broad daylight , escaped to his car. It wouldn't start, so he ran to a nearby drive in window of Wendy's. He tried to open the passenger door of this man's vehicle waiting in line. Too bad for him....the man had a gun and shot him.