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 ...
I have NO problem with seeing a sixth murderer, rapist, or career violent criminal dead. None.
Ok, let's take this part of the story - the guy was parked outside his ESTRANGED WIFE'S house, at 4 AM, with a gun in the car. Do you think maybe he was there to kill her? I'm not saying he was, but what other motive do you have being there, at that time, with a weapon? I mean seriously folks, this ain't a game, and I'd rather have dead bad guys than dead good guys. There's LOTS more bad guys.
Why would they examine his anus each time he kills a perp? After all, this is San Diego, not San Francisco.
I agree, and thanks for doing my writing for me.
After reading the whole article I don't think he was a cowboy either. I am surprised some of those other nuts he apprehended that were armed and dangerous weren't shot too.
The question I have is were the "perps" fingerprints on the weapon?
Come to the town I work in and I'll show you a memorial dedicated to a police officer who knocked on the window of a vehicle occupied by someone sleeping. The perp picked up a pistol hidden on the seat and fired. The officer was able to get a shot off before he died. The perp was wounded, but will now spend the rest of his worthless, useless life being warehoused by the State of Alaska.
I have to agree. He's been proven in the field under extreme circumstances, for many years. Personally, I think he deserves a break from the pressure, unless he truly enjoys his work.
Well said.
"Oh yeah... let's suspect the cop first! What is your problem?!"
What is YOUR problem? You must be one of those who think anyone with a badge has a licence to blow anyone away with impunity!!
Did that sound rediculous? good I wanted to start as rediculous as you did....
There are very good, very bad, and all sorts inbetween in all walks of life, cops are no different, in fact the power of the job tends to attract more than it's share of the bad. Anyone who would assume the death of a citizen at the hands of a government agent was justified IS A FOOL!!!
Did you read "The four other shootings were ruled legal and justified – and the latest involving the death of Ricardo Morales Carbajal remains under investigation."?
Given the rediculous number of blatantly wrong shootings that get blessed by the ensuing investigation, and the few blatantly justified shootings where officers get railroaded for no reason other than to appease a completely absurd public. If the investigation is not over why would one not want to be sure?
Just because I asked an OBVIOUS question, why would you assume I want to crucify the cop?
Go away and get a life.....
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.
He's an Ace
"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"
After reading this sentence, I initially thought it referred to Bozarths estranged wife. After re-reading, I don't see a problem.
Just curious, what would your reaction be if somebody woke you up while you were sleeping in your car? I'd wager the guy had the gun there for protection; something a lot of people on this site would understand. They failed to mention if this man had a criminal record. How do you know the man's wife hadn't kicked him out and he had to sleep in his car for the night with a gun for protection?
Believe it or not, I'm all for cops shooting violent criminals. I just think that a lot of people seem all too ready to support the officer without really considering the possible other side of the story. An officer is a protector of civilians, but also an agent of the government. Five shootings is way above the norm and is cause for careful scrutiny.
Please see post #40.
They were, and are.
Officer involved shooting warrant major investigations. In LA, they have officer involved shooting teams, these are conducted generally by seasoned detectives and internal affairs types. If it's a bad shooting, it usually doesn't take long to determine.
"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....
perhaps I should have used the word "suspect" since the cop felt there was probable cause to question the person he viewed as a "suspect".
I wasn't there, all I read was the same article the rest of you read. Expecting key information to be left out of a mainstream media story, I came up with the one question I would have wanted answered if I was investigating...
I did not assume the cop murdered the guy and then left a plant on his seat, I did not assume the dead guy was a serial rapist who deserved to be shot.... I merely asked the question I thought a normal thinking person would want answered in the article.....
The big question? Did the suspect know he was a cop when woke up?
I am a one-time resident of New Orleans, so never fool yourselves into believing I automatically believe what police have to say.
However, the "odds" based criticisms are faulty, as they assume trouble is random.
This is not so.
Some cops are better at (and more dedicated to the duty of) sniffing out trouble than others.
Simple fact.
In that area of San Diego, there are two types of officers: THe Quick and the Dead. If you are not the first, you will be the second.
Information not in news: This guy sat out in his car, taking on liquid courage. By his history, he was probably going to confront and shoot the "estranged " wife.
Yeah. And that wouldn't even have made the local news, unless it was a slow day.
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