US police won’t tell me why they shot my son, says mother

The Irish Independent ^ | Friday July 04 2008 | Louise Hogan

[hdstmf]

But but but he was such nice boy...

[NRA2BFree]

Mr Hanlon was living illegally in the US after his holiday visas had expired. His sister said he had begun to have psychological problems over the past few months.

"He was never actually diagnosed with any psychological problems but he went in and out of delusions and paranoia and stuff like that," she said

The fact that he was having delusions and paranoia and "stuff like that" is the first clue that he might have pulled some kind of weapon on the officer causing him to fire in self defense. The young man probably did so out of fear he would be arrested because he was in the country illegally and he didn't want to go home. Since he was in the area of the burglary it's routine for the police to stop him and question him. I could be wrong, but it will probably be a justified shooting.

Nonetheless, it is a terrible tragedy, and my heart and prayers go out for his heartbroken family. May God comfort them and give them strength in the difficult days ahead.

[SuziQ]

I don't know that these investigations, especially by an internal affairs type group, have any oversight by someone out side the system, but if not it would certainly go a long way in calming such appearances if they did.

The story mentioned another investigation by an outside group. It will be interesting to see what conclusions are reached. It's good, though, that the investigations are not leaking information to the press. We need the FACTS, not conjectures.

[packrat35]

Mr Hanlon was living illegally in the US after his holiday visas had expired.

Key sentence

If he hadn't been here illegally, he'd still be alive.

[Kenny Bunk]

Officer Tony Gonzalez encountered Mr Hanlon

Affirmative Action Appointee
Encounters Illegal Alien Nutjob
In other local news, insensitive and politically incorrect headline writer fired.