Posted on 11/24/2009 9:29:36 AM PST by DCBryan1
Police beat
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Two gunmen rob Razorback Pizza
Two men armed with handguns robbed Razorback Pizza in southwest Little Rock late Sunday, forcing people to the floor before taking money from the register, safe, employees and customers and firing shots randomly as they ran away. No one was injured.
The men walked into the restaurant at 10900 Stagecoach Road not long after 9:30 p.m. showing their weapons, police said. They ordered customers and employees to put their personal belongings wallets, cell phones and other items into bags.
The gunmen then forced the customers from the bar into the dining room, telling them and the employees to lie on the floor. The gunmen took money from the register and the safe, police said.
One of the men fired several shots inside the restaurant and outside in the parking lot as they fled, police said. Police had made no arrests as of Monday night.
Among the restaurants customers was Seth Thomas, an off-duty Little Rock police officer. Assigned to the southwest patrol division, Thomas is a four-year veteran of the force.
Department spokesman Lt. Terry Hastings said it would have been unsafe for Thomas to confront the robbers. Thomas job in that situation was to keep everyone safe, including himself, and provide officers with a detailed suspect description.
Hes going to be a great witness for us when we get these people into a courtroom, Hastings said.
Police described one of the gunmen as black, in his mid-20s, 6 feet tall and weighing about 180 pounds, wearing jeans and a dark top with a white shirt covering his face. The second robber was black, 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighed about 180 pounds and wore dark clothes, police said.
My concealed carry instructor imparted similar advice. Of course we are not off duty cops, or on-duty cops, for that matter.
THEY WERE ALREADY SHOOTING.
What the hell is so hard to understand about that? THE ROBBERS WERE FIRING.
Since we’re playing pretend, let’s say the cop just happens to be multi time national/world champion pistol shooter Todd Jarret. Jarret moves to his first station using the cover of the booth. Being a World champion of nearly godlike ability, he proceeds to drop both with shots to the brain stem in approximately .5 second, but some customers are unaware anything has even happened because of how quickly and smoothly he dropped both perps and just continue asking for refills for their iced tea.
I like the plays I call a lot better than yours. Much more satisfying. What we do know is that two robbers were firing shots randomly and a cop just let them go.
"Do you have any idea who you're stealing from?? You and your friends are dead!"
I suppose he's the witness who provided the sort of "average height, average weight, dark clothing" description? Good job!!
police described one of the gunmen ... with a white shirt covering his face.
LOL
I never said he was a coward. I wasn’t there. And presumably he didn’t run like a Frenchman when the shots were fired, so he’s at least that brave.
I like how you split hairs over firing random shots/executing people. Are people who are hit “randomly” from an intentionally fired shot any less dead than someone who is “executed?” In your mind it certainly seems so. Firing randomly shows a willingness to kill anyone and everyone in the restaurant, and in fact the immediate area. This cops apparently heard gunshots receding into the distance and felt no particular urge to do something about it.
What I have a problem with isn’t that he didn’t leap into Dirty Harry style action. You keep saying “he wasn’t in a good situation to go on the offense,” but what you don’t realize is, the situation is ever evolving. Once they left the restaurant he was certainly in a good position to chase them, all the more so because no one was injured in the store and he was free to pursue the two robbers who basically just assaulted everyone in the store.
You’ve done nothing but armchair quarterback. Anyone discussing it is engaging in that. You’re just occupying his team’s bench, so you think it doesn’t count. If you don’t want to discuss it, don’t discuss it.
The perps got several shots off, both inside the restaurant and outside.
Or are you talking about the cop not getting shots off?
Yeah, better to keep that dangerous pistol holstered than to use it while executing your duty. And don’t run outside after you hear them firing in the parking lot either, because you might hit an innocent person on the sidewalk by opening the door too quickly. And then don’t get in your car and give chase because two guys are moving a giant mirror across the road and you’ll just crash right through it anyway. And then what will you tell the dance studio whose mirror you so cruelly destroyed in your haste to execute your duty as a peace officer? Sorry? I don’t think so.
I’d say that two armed robbers randomly shooting is a pretty damn good story to explain why you shot back.
“...just like the Chicago cops were afraid of Capone.”
The Chicago cops weren’t “afraid” of Capone, they were “on the take” from Capone. That might be the case too with the meth labs in your area.
And, yes, once the thug robbers start shooting inside the place, all bets should be off. Not leaving at least one of them bleeding out on the floor only emboldens them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43L1IR5qHIU&feature=player_embedded
This video is HILARIOUS, but 1:36 applies to this thread.
(But for an ‘everything happens for a reason’ moment, check out :17)
Does it occur to you that he may be referring to the cops thought process and not the perps?
“Id rather not risk life for the evenings take at a pizza parlor.
I bet the robbers get caught anyway.”
Here is his quote you are referring to...and here is your question regarding it, for clarity’s sake.
“Does it occur to you that he may be referring to the cops thought process and not the perps?”
How did it occur to you is the question. Looks like he quite clearly said “I.” Is there an alternative use of I that is commonly used to describe others, particularly police officers? Perhaps he was referring to the cooks thought process, since his use of “I” leaves his meaning so unclear.
“That may very well be true, but something tells me you’d defend the guy without even reading the entire article... “
True, I didn’t dwell on shots fired inside. I was impressed that noone got killed.
Putting myself in the cops shoes, I think he did pretty well. As someone else said, if they started executing people, then that’s a different thing.
No you don’t say ‘coward’ explicitly. But anyone reading your last post and the one prior to that “the Oh crap montage” can get a clear picture of exactly what you’re thinking about what this guy didn’t do, in your opinion.
And if they see the guy trying to draw a weapon and kill or wound him and they then have another gun, how about that hypothetical? Now they’re pissed off about that.
The article makes no mention if the off-duty cop was carrying a weapon. Whether or not it’s policy. Not every off-duty cop everywhere is under orders to carry when in plainclothes. But I suppose he should have gone after them with a knife and fork, then.
The “oh crap” montage was supposed to be your thought process, based on what you said. YOU would wait until someone was “about to be executed” before doing something. Don’t try to twist my words. It was clear what I meant. I was mocking the illogical process that you claim to use.
THEY’RE ALREADY SHOOTING. THEY’RE ALREADY SHOOTING. THEY’RE ALREADY SHOOTING. Did you read at least one of those three sentences? Did you? What, do you suppose, was their intention in firing RANDOMLY inside of and into a occupied building? Huh? Ventilation? To let more light in?
Nice straw man you’re building there. No one has suggested that he go after them with a “knife and fork,” in fact, I’ve never suggested he do anything at all while in the store. In fact, I haven’t said anything about what he should do except that he should have maintained contact with them. Which is his duty, armed or not. What I want to know is what you think the proper thing for a policeman to do is when he hears shooting in the parking lot? Should he pursue? Using your logic, no cop should ever chase any criminal...because someone might get hurt.
I like how you avoided all of my questions, and instead brought up some silliness about a knife and fork. Nice evasion. Shooting randomly into an occupied building is an attempt on all their lives. Yes or no?
Crook: [during a diner robbery] What’s you doing, you pighead sucka?
Harry Callahan: Every day for the past ten years, Loretta here’s been giving me a large black coffee- except today she gives me a large black coffee and it has sugar in it. Alotta sugar. I just came back to complain.
Crook: Say what, sucka?
Harry Callahan: Well, we’re not just gonna let you walk out of here.
Crook: Who’se we sucka?
Harry Callahan: [slowly drawing his .44 Magnum] Smith and Wesson... and me.
“But I suppose he should have gone after them with a knife and fork, then.”
Someone earlier said that maybe the cop had a few drinks in him and decided he wasn’t in shape to act. That would have been a mature judgment.
Recently in NYC, there have been several incidents of deadly DUI accidents involving off duty cops. Can you imagine the repercussions of shooting while intoxicated?
In my town, a cop slammed into a couple of teenagers while on duty and killed them He’s facing murder charges. It’s very sad.
Man, you must have amazing vision that enables you to see each shot fired and know if it killed someone or not. Simply amazing.
We should strap you to the top of a Humvee and you could instantly let our troops know if an incoming round is an “executer” round or if it’s just a hi, how you doing sort of projectile coming at you at 500-3500FPS. Because simple gunfire isn’t enough any more, not after you’ve seen 3 Matrix movies.
I personally think the cop did fine, up until the point at which they broke contact with the store and continued shooting in the parking lot. It was then his duty to engage them, however and in whatever way he was then able to do so.
Go back and read the posts. Since you are so astute, you will figure it out.
“Recently in NYC, there have been several incidents of deadly DUI accidents involving off duty cops. Can you imagine the repercussions of shooting while intoxicated?
In my town, a cop slammed into a couple of teenagers while on duty and killed them Hes facing murder charges. Its very sad.”
Man, that other case where the guy was drunk is totally like this case if this guy was drunk but we don’t know if he was drunk but he might have been like this guy in this one case who was drunk.
Your intellect is dizzying. Are there any other scenarios you can imagine in which you’d be correct?
What was wrong with my motorcycle wreck/cast theory? Why don’t you refer to it? Think of how outraged the public would have been if he had opened fire while not even able to grasp the pistol. Now that is a fictional scenario.
“Man, you must have amazing vision that enables you to see each shot fired and know if it killed someone or not. “
Sticking with just the facts of the story, no one was shot. Presumably, the cop saw that the shooters weren’t aiming at anyone in particular. For all we know, they were shooting at the ceiling.
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