Officer kills armed man in wheelchair

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

[AzSteven]

Missed the part about the phone call attempt from the police, but I still would have tried bringing in the doctor or relatives before entry.

[jb6]

Someone comes breaking down your door, you've got a right to defend yourself, especially when you've committed no crime. Unless private property and a right to self defense mean zilch to you.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

This guy is one of my mom's friend's x-husband.

Sad to say, this appears to be a pretty clear case of suicide-by-cop.

Everybody knows that if you point a gun at a cop, they are going to shoot you. That's what they are trained to do.

If you point a gun at a cop, you are inviting him to shoot you.

All your friend had to do to keep from being shot was not point a gun at the police.

It seems a small thing to ask.

Did he not know they were police?

[Max Flatow]

You point a gun at the police, you will get shot. What is so hard to understand?

[trisham]

It sounds like Suicide by Cop to me.

***************

I think so, too. Especially considering the doctor's phone call to the police.

[jb6]

The man's x-wife, my mother's friend (whom I know very well) is, er was, on good terms with him, they could have called her.

[TalonDJ]

where did he get the idea he could point a gun a police and get away with it?

Maybe because the constitution projects us against unlaw searches but does not protect THEM if they want to kick in our doors without probable cause. What makes the cops think they can kick in a door and blow away a law abiding citizen and get away with it?

[daybreakcoming]

Very sad. But if a swat team breaks into my house - even unjustified - I am going to give them my gun. Immediately. I don't have a prepaid funeral plan.

[TalonDJ]

You kick in an innocent persons door and you get a gun pointed at you, is THAT hard to understand?

[KEVLAR]

What in the hell is the matter with you folks?

What crime justified the use of deadly force?

What crime justified forcing entry to the home?

What authority do the police have to be "giving orders" to someone inside their own home who did not ask for their presence in the first place and by all appearances committed no crime?

[jb6]

Everybody knows that if you point a gun at a cop, they are going to shoot you. That's what they are trained to do.

Eeeeh, wrong answer, that is what the military is trained to do, what I trained to do. This is not what the police are SUPPOSED to be trained to do. They're there to protect and serve, not put down. If they can get the guy out they should have. Why didn't they leave him alone? He didn't fire at them over several instances, so they sent SWOT after him? A little field training against a stationary target?

Worst case, switch off the power and bring in negotiators or relatives. But that's not as fun as a good SWAT action.

Even military police, when not on a battle field, are trained not to shoot when they can bring someone down in other ways.

[Graycliff]

The police were responding, to check on his welfare. It's a very common call, and not unusual to have to make a forced entry, and yes they have the authority to do that.

Lets just say it was one of your parents, you've called many times and no one responds. You call the police to go by and do a welfare check ( I've had to do many such checks ), Nobody responds. Would you prefer them to just walk away?

[American_Centurion]

Why yes it is the fault of the police.

What reason did they have to force their "help" on him?

Why couldn't they just say, "you don't want our help, we'll just leave"?

But the police insist on "helping" him, even if it kills him.

[Lloyd227]

"...but the Police were doing what they have to do.

yeah... they had to shoot him. Can't you see it? If they were to simply leave his property, then all those other dumb Americans might get the idea that the cops authority can be questioned....

We certainly can't have THAT! happening now can we?

[jb6]

The police department's SWAT team was called, and negotiations were attempted but cut short when the resident hung up his phone shortly before 11 p.m. The phone was later disconnected.

What's hard to understand is that the police backed off, called in SWAT and 3 hours later SWAT stormed his apartment, where he was alone threatening no one outside. That's what's hard to understand.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

This is not what the police are SUPPOSED to be trained to do.

Where did you receive your police training?

[American_Centurion]

Would you prefer them to just walk away?

As opposed to this outcome, certainly.

Even if they break the door, once the old man greeted them with the universal "GET OUT" sign, they didn't. Why not?

[jb6]

I have 3 friends who are police officers.