Officer kills armed man in wheelchair

Charlotte Observer ^ | Thu, May. 12, 2005 | GARY L. WRIGHT

[jb6]

This guy is one of my mom's friend's x-husband. I knew him when I was a kid. He was an alright guy and not over the top.

The family are saying that he was feeling bad and called a doctor. The police arrived and started battering down the door. Now, considering the guy was inside his own house, by himself, with no hostages and he wasn't shooting at anyone, what right have the police to threaten him on his property? What right have the police to shoot someone in their own house for no real crime? A month ago, the Charlotte police took care of another such "threat" to society, this time a black guy also in a wheel chair.

[Graycliff]

Can he speak English?

[Texas Federalist]

This story stinks. The firefighters, concerned for his welfare bust in to his house and he has a gun pointed at them. They leave, and the story should be over. Instead, cops enter the house. Why? He committed no crime.

[mountn man]

Can he speak English?

Not any more!

[Leo Carpathian]

Leftover police goons from Clintonistas?
This is sick, getting sicker!

[andyk]

Bridges said a Salisbury physician, who had been talking to Ehrenburg, had contacted police and asked them to check on the man's welfare.

Hey, thanks, Doc.

[Gary - Peters]

What do the Charlotte cops have against disabled people in wheelchairs ?

May they're easier to shoot - they don't move to too fast ?

[jb6]

Considering he spent 30 years in the US working as an engineer, yes and very well.

[Old Mountain man]

This is a really bad situation. The police were not in the right on this. They had no reason to break down a man's door to his own home. Neither did paramedics. They all should go to prison, but of course, they won't.

[konaice]

what right have the police to threaten him on his property?

Regardless of why the police were there, where did he get the idea he could point a gun a police and get away with it?

What an incredibly stupid thing to do. It sounds like Suicide by Cop to me.

In almost every place I know of, if you call an ambulance or a fire truck, you get cops too. Its a package deal.

When he called the doctor (did he really, or did you make this up?), and the doctor was sufficiently alarmed so as to notify the police, then there must have been (1) and emergency sufficient enough to require it (2) a suicide threat, (3) some other threat such that the doc notified the police.

If the doctor notified police then you should address your questions to the Doctor, but the Police were doing what they have to do.

[Graycliff]

You got to be kidding.

His doctor calls the police to check on his welfare.
Police and fire fighters respond.
When the fire fighters, enter the residence, he points a gun at them.
He hung up on the police repeatedly, until he finally disconnected the line.
He refused police orders to drop his weapon, he refused.

Tragic as it is, he's at fault, not the police.

[jb6]

Militarized police with all the backbone of the Iraqi National Guard. I remember I came back from the Army to visit my folks. They left for something or other while I was out. I came back and didn't get the code right and the alarm went off. Anyways, got my father on the phone, got the password, etc to turn off the alarm. The company tells me they've already notified the police and that they are on their way. So I go outside to wait for them. 45 minutes later, a cop car is leisurely driving around, looking for the number. I had to wave the idjit down when he passed the house.

Then he tries to interrogate me, trying to get "official" on me. Piece of crap.

[jb6]

They're on consumer trimming, you know, disabled dessimation is all the rage this year. They're consumers not producers.

[jb6]

If he was going to fire on the police, he would have done so on the get go. Did you consider Ruby Ridge lawful too?

[AzSteven]

The paramedics part I am not so annoyed with - they got a call from a doctor requesting a health/welfare check, got no response at the door, and entered. The guy in question, understandably vexed with an apparent B&E, held his gun on the paramedics, but did not fire on them. This part sounds like lots of well-intentioned mistakes; bad, but no body count yet.

Its the police part that has me angry. Parameds report incident to police. Police respond. OK, fine so far. Police enter house and engage the guy in the wheelchar. Why not try to communicate first? Or locate family? Or bring his doctor who orignally called in to speak to the guy? This was pretty avoidable.

[Graycliff]

Then he's to blame for the whole thing. He pointed the gun at fire fighters, then he hung up on the police. negotiator, then he points his weapon at police, when they make entry.

[jb6]

bump