Posted on 07/06/2005 2:45:11 PM PDT by radar101
When veteran San Diego police Officer Phillip Bozarth shot and killed a 24-year-old man June 25, it marked the fifth person he has killed on the job in his 20-year career, police confirmed yesterday
The four other shootings were ruled legal and justified – and the latest involving the death of Ricardo Morales Carbajal remains under investigation.
"We don't want to see a sixth," said Mary Powers, national coordinator for the National Coalition for Police Accountability.
Despite being what some might consider a cowboy cop, San Diego police officials call Bozarth one of the department's best officers.
Bozarth, 42, is a respected field training officer and works the front lines, usually in high-crime areas, his colleagues say. After the latest incident, Bozarth was assigned to administrative duties.
"He is an excellent and tenacious officer, a compassionate, caring man with a stellar record and a strong work ethic," said Executive Assistant Chief Bill Maheu.
Bozarth's most recent fatal shooting involved a man he found asleep in the driver's seat of a car parked on Island Avenue in Stockton, in front of his estranged wife's house, about 4 a.m. June 25.
Police said the man grabbed a gun from the passenger's seat after the officer tapped on the car. Bozarth, fearing for his safety, fired several shots at the man.
A news release said the officer then tried to retreat to a safe position as the man stepped out of the car.
"Unable to see the suspect's right hand, which was concealed behind his right leg, the officer fired several more rounds at the suspect," the release said. "The suspect walked to the passenger side of the patrol vehicle and collapsed."
He was pronounced dead 15 minutes later. A handgun was found on the car seat, police later said.
(Excerpt) Read more at signonsandiego.com ...
The guy has received an anal exam after each shooting/killing, and was cleared. Read the full article, it provides a lot of good background material. The guy deserves a medal for continuing with his service.
She obviously prefers the ones who lounge around Krispy Creme eating donuts all day. They seldom shoot anybody!
They should definitely use some scrutiny in this situation.
This guy has a 20 year career in San Diego, a city over-run by illegal immigrants and criminals of the worst sort. Spend one night in National City and I bet you'll be re-thinking the one perp every 4 years ratio as being miraculously low.
usually in high-crime areas, his colleagues say.
Does this mean the chances of him running in to a criminal was higher??
YES! Will criminals try to kill you if you are a police officer?
YES! End of questions.
He thought he saw the guy reaching for his gun, so he started to unload? Sounds a little trigger happy to me. He was hiding behind an object, couldn't see the man's hand, so he shot him some more? Again, sounds trigger happy to me.
When an officer shoots somebody, regardless of the circumstances, there should be a thorough investigation. When the investigations are done too quickly and are just 'routine' we should worry. I'm not saying this incident is on par, but Ruby Ridge comes to mind.
The bottom line is that when a representative of the government is shooting people we need to be 100% certain it was justified. I'll close with a quote from the Declaration of Independence:
"For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States"
A story told me by a retired Philly cop friend:
Back in the late 50's or early 60's, there was a Philly cop fresh out of the academy. He stood about 5'2" and weighed about 100 lbs soaking wet. At the time, there were a lot of breaking and entering of stores after hours and his district and shift coincided with this rash of crime.
It seems that what he got in the habit of doing, was responding to a silent alarm, going to the back door of the business, taking out the squad car's shotgun, securing it against a street lamp (because he was so small) and waiting for the burglar to leave. He'd shout "Freeze!" and when the perp usually turned to him with a weapon drawn, he'd blast them.
In the space of about 2 months he'd killed three armed burglars (he must have had a talent for determining if they were holding a gun or not because he never shot anyone who wasn't holding). All three were investigated, and were found to be legit kills, but at the rate he was going, he was going to amass a ridiculous total, so he was "asked" to leave the force.
Rumor had it he went on to become a cop in either Kentucky or Texas and killed five more felons.
Owl_Eagle(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
Mmmmmkay. So exactly what is the problem here?
Sounds to me like he's an effective LEO.
My son's best friend (who I consider an adopted son), who is a police officer shot and killed two criminals within a week. He had only been a police office for less than a couple of years when this happened. Both killings were justified.
>>
It just seems strange that he killed this many people.
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Bell Curve. Millions of cops, most never have to shoot anyone; some tiny few are faced with an abnormal number of such situations.
Don't get suckered in by the leftist quota mentality.
"..."Ah, ah, I know what you're thinking. 'Did he fire six shots or only five?' Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I've kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"
~ Blue Jays ~
Oh yeah... let's suspect the cop first! What is your problem?!
The cop saw a guy sleeping in the car and he drew down. The cop protected himself and shot someone who was (a) a suspect, and (b) with a weapon.
That's a clean shoot.
Do you have any evidence, even from this idiot reporter's story that would contradict what police said happened? If not, then your reckless insinuation that it was a bad shoot is way off base.
Just a couple of days ago, a report of an officer who WAS SHOT was contradicted by the local TV crew who said that the perp never had a gun. Here and there, are two incidents where the rabidly anti-police press (and apparently a supposed FReeper) will suspect the cop and not the idiot running from the cops.
Good. They're not the same thing and, of all people, a police officer needs to understand that.
Honestly, though, some people ya just can't please. If ya kill the perp, they rip ya for doing your job. If ya don't kill the perp, they rip ya for NOT doing your job. If the perp comes and goes before you arrive, they rip ya for "hangin' out at the donut shop." "Never a cop around when ya need one." It's a tough gig; often little more than the crappy end of the stick.
So, you want to level your fat mouth at Law Enforcement? Go pound a beat in So. Central L.A. for a month. IF your raggedy hide makes it out alive, THEN you can say you've earned the right to flap your chops. Until then, just shut up!
Go crawl back to DU and bash our troops in Iraq, or something else similarly destructive.
"Most cops never shoot anyone. "
Afraid they'd shoot the "wrong" political correct perp and thus seek solace at the nearest Dunkin' Donuts, maybe?
Huh? What's her problem?
BTW he is an excellent shot.
"perp" means someone who commits a crime...sleeping in a car is not a shooting crime.... But who am I?? Sure, go ahead--if you can't see someone's hands, you as a cop have the right to kill them....
As long as a cop is working in a high crime area, s/he should have the right to shoot anyone...what if they have no hands and the cops think they are just hiding them? Shoot anyway....We should go along with what ever ANY cop does because they never make mistakes... </sarcasm>
I would like to send Officer Bozarth a complimentary box of rounds. Please advise what caliber you desire.
The weapon was on the front seat of the vehicle. Of course his prints would be on it. The article didn't say, but I don't think the gun magically appeared there before the suspect went to sleep.
The only problem I have here, is did the suspect know the cop was a cop when he went to grab his gun. This happened in Stockton when he was out of town visiting and no doubt out of uniform.
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