Posted on 10/05/2010 6:01:36 AM PDT by Kaslin
The "Long Gray Line" is bringing pressure on the Vegas department following Erik Scott's death in a hail of bullets.
It was a foregone conclusion that a coroner’s inquest in Las Vegas would find three Metro police officers justified in gunning down Erik Scott in a hail of bullets outside of a crowded Costco on July 10, even though five of the seven bullets hit him from behind, and at least one appeared to have been fired while Scott lay prone, dead or dying on the ground.
Police were called to the store after an employee described Scott as both armed and acting as if he were under the influence of narcotics. As Scott and his girlfriend emerged from the store along with dozens of other shoppers, he was confronted by a trio of officers with weapons already drawn. Scott was identified by a Costco employee, and seconds later, Scott lay dead on the ground. These are the facts of the case that are not in dispute.
What is very much in dispute is whether or not Costco employees unnecessarily escalated the threat, whether the store chain’s unclear policies on customers carrying weapons and their employee training contributed to the events that led to Scott’s death, and whether or not police officers violated Erik Scott’s civil rights when they killed him in a confrontation that some argue was little more than an ambush or assassination.
Erik Scott’s family is expected to file a civil case against Costco, the Metro police, and the individual officers over his death, but that isn’t the only action being called for because of this incident. Metro has raised the ire of the the Long Gray Line — Erik Scott’s fellow graduates of the United States Military Academy.
Sources have provided PJM with copies of communications between members of the group. Alumni in the threaded discussion seem almost universally suspect of the coroner’s inquest process used in Las Vegas, where prosecutors and law enforcement control the witnesses called and the questions asked, and disallow cross-examination. Since 1976, law enforcement officers have been in front of the coroner’s inquest more than 200 times, and none has resulted in criminal charges being filed against an officer for even the most controversial shootings.
One alum wrote to the president of one of the larger West Point Society chapters:
I don’t know if you are aware of the tragic shooting of Eric Scott ‘94 in Las Vegas not long ago. It looks more and more like a police screw up and cover up on top of that. We are trying to bring as much political pressure to bear, as possible, to make sure the “truth” comes out.
Another suggested that members bring the Scott case to the attention of West Point and Naval Academy graduates in Congress: Rep. John Shimkus, Rep. Joe Sestak, Rep. Geoff Davis, Rep. Brett Guthrie, Senator Jack Reed, Senator John McCain, and Senator Jim Webb, and well as Nevada’s Congressional delegation, plus Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy and Chairman of the House Judicial Committee John Conyers. (Interestingly enough, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s name was never mentioned.)
One of the strongest comments openly suggested that the Metropolitan Police Department should be considered as an adversary:
I think that we, as a society, need to take a more active stance. This needs to go to the AOG. Remember the words of “The Corps.” We all took the same oath the Erik Scott did many years ago, on the Plain “to preserve and protect the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic.” The abuse of due process, not only for Erik, but all of the others who didn’t have a voice is an attack on the Constitution.
There were at least three of us at the vigil last night. I think that we need to have a much more visible presence to show our support of a member of The Long Gray Line.
Another graduate called Metro PD an “out of control police force,” a characterization that seems to match up with the analysis of the shooting conducted by Mike McDaniel, a former police officer and SWAT operator (also my co-blogger at Confederate Yankee) who recently analyzed the audio of the 911 call and the police radio transcripts. Troubling bursts of static in the Metro radio traffic at key points indicate that these communications need to be examined, and the lack of in-car camera footage from the multiple police cars is also odd — to put it mildly. This is on top of the fact that Costco’s cameras seemingly malfunctioned in the days before the shooting, meaning that none of the four cameras pointed at the scene of the shooting recorded the event according to Metro and Costco — the two entities that have the most to lose from disclosure of such evidence.
A letter composed by one of the officers has been submitted to Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division in the Department of Justice, outlining “an on-going pattern of police misconduct” by authorities in Las Vegas and citing 63 officer-involved shootings since 2005.
Eric Scott’s death may have been ruled justifiable during the coroner’s inquest, but the pending civil trial to be filed by his family, and the specter of a federal civil rights case being filed against the department, means that the spotlight on the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and its leadership will only get brighter.
She was with him, only a few feet away. She was shrieking at the top of her lungs at the executioners.
I wondered for a while why she didn't just go wrap herself around Erik to protect him, but after listening to her interview with Metro (a couple of hours after the gundown), I think she herself would have gotten shot by the trigger-happy Metro boys. I think Mosher panicked & screwed up the verbal commands, as evidenced by the audio, and the other two started shooting because Mosher was shooting.
She did seem very concerned and almost hysterical once the confrontation with the cops began, as if she figured something bad would happen. Perhaps that was because she knew of his impairment.
Did he drive? (no one has bothered to ask that question yet)
I've asked myself the same question. Perhaps if Scott's girlfriend responded to the subpoena for the inquest we would know by now. The Costco employee at the membership desk said Scott had bloody knuckles. I'd like to know why. It could be relevant.
Erik Scott was already dead anyway...
I'm almost convinced that you right about that.
Mr. Scott was (from all accounts) a very good, bright young man.
But even heroes can succumb to long term usage of sedatives and tranquilizers. If no one stops them, they die. One way or another.
Someone should have been doing Scott's shopping for him, if descriptions of his difficulties in the store are true. (I see no reason to doubt them. Not even his girlfriend denies he was having problems)
Still, that final shot after he was on the ground, has nothing to do with Scott's problems.
Same reason my ex-wife could drink a 12 pack every night, and yet I get woozy after 2 beers.
How similar would the toxicology be on someone who ingested a certain drug over a long period of time, and someone who just ingested a bunch at once?
I.E. Might the level in his system be due to long term use rather than a recent deadly dose?
We fled Las Vegas in 1991 - and have not looked back.
Every day we find another reason to be happy to be ‘not there’. The last time we visited friends in town, there were 3 murders - in one day - with one body found in the area behind out our Inn.
Just crazy!
besides the obvious and watered down natural Right, protected by the 2A, its my understanding that the 'law' in nevada is open carry allowed and CC 'permitted', with I'll ASSume, a requirement for public domains to be labeled as potential kill zones when their store policy prohibits armed patronage...
sure, they can ask a customer to leave, but the request for an army to intervene on their behalf, for what amounts to 'try it before you buy it' of a backpack is nanny statism run amuck...Id imagine if he was really beligerent about the 'confrontation' that simpy asking him to buy the damaged case would be unnerving for sheep...but ratcheting up the challenge, and then callin in the calvary is waaaaay beyond my comprehension, when simply allowing him to shop and purchase, and then leave would protect the stores interest and its customers much more efficiently...
beyond that, the evac of the store, creating the chaos that results in 'officer safety' situations was negligent to the extreme, for scott, the cops and society as well...
Im simply disgusted at the state of the mentality of the People as well as their 'servants'.../rant
OK,assuming what you're saying is correct (no,I'm not calling you a liar) then,first of all,you feel bad for the guy having sustained a painful,long lasting injury in the military *but* being under medical care surely doesn't mean he wasn't an addict...as the result of long term use of narcotic drugs.It happens,trust me.Having worked for 20 years in an inner city ER I could tell you stories that would make your jaw drop.
And as for what represent lethal levels of a particular drug that is *not* open to debate.Clinical journals and textbooks have clear,unambiguous tables showing that if you have "X" amount of medication "Y" in your system then you're in serious trouble.Trust me on that too....my ER experience involved hundreds of such incidents.
Remember that the hearing only tells one side of the story.
True.But in a trial if it's established that he had huge amounts of habit forming,mind altering,drugs in his system and that he was under investigation for "doctor shopping" (a *classic* addict activity) then the reports of erratic behavior (and worse) could take on an increased level of credibility.Add a handgun (or two) to the mix and...well,I think you get the picture.
I don’t know. I only know that the body does build up an immunity that inhibits effectiveness.
The cop is/was trigger happy.
‘effe him
Too bad that NONE of the security cameras that the Security Officers were watching Mr. Scott on 'worked', or we could see for ourselves if it was true.
I have little doubt that Mr. Scott stumbled, was at times incoherent. I know people that have been in the same condition, and go shopping anyway. (though they didn't have a gun).
The bottom line is that whatever his 'impairment' may have been at the time, he did nothing to deserve being shot two times in the front, four times in the back, and one while lying dead on the ground.
The reason cops are trained to shoot 5 rounds into the back of a down suspect is so they don't live and permanently end up in a wheelchair. The payouts for wheelchair cases are 10 times a typical amout of a wrongful death payout.
Were they four messages, all with just one word? HELP
(sorry, had to play devil's advocate, just to be unbiased)
Before you totaly buy into the findings of the inquest, you should remember that this is not like a trial were both sides of the story are presented. The inquest is like a grand jury, the only evidence presented is that which the DA wishes. He can nake the outcome to be what he wants.
That was certainly the inference at the inquest because then it clears the cops of any wrongdoing. And you must know that prolonged use builds an immunity to meds and inhibits their effectiveness. That scenario also calls into question the expertise of a pain management specialist so it's quite a smear. What I read stated that surgery wasn't an option so long term management was the only alternative. And the cop that fired the first shot was VERY relieved at the news that Scott was on pain meds. If he was so "screwed up" why would there be such relief? Maybe because Scott wasn't "screwed up"?
In the last 4 years, this cop has shot 3 people, killing 2. We have a cop in the family. He's been one for 16 years. He's never shot anyone. Even when he works drug enforcement. This cop also said that he saw Scott had bloodshot eyes but he didn't see the gun was holstered? A lot of this doesn't make sense.
And as for what represent lethal levels of a particular drug that is *not* open to debate
But it does call into question the integrity of the autopsy.
and that he was under investigation for "doctor shopping"
He had a doctor. Again, this hearing is one sided and will make statements and NOT clarify them.
then the reports of erratic behavior (and worse) could take on an increased level of credibility
There were witnesses that disagree with the descriptor "Erratic" behavior. They refused to testify at the LV party but have talked to Robert Scotts attorney and will testify for them.
I agree. I think Officer Mosher had PRE-DETERMINED that this was a dangerous criminal, on drugs, who had weapons and had been 'flaying' his gun around the store. I think that is the 'story' the COSTCO employee conveyed. Senior officers were not on site, and other junior officers who happened to be near jumped at the chance to 'TAKE CHARGE'. I heard it on the AUDIO of the police scanner.
The three cops involved in the shooting had different plans. One was 'shoot him if he moves', the other was 'shoot him if he doesn't'.
Mosher fired first, and the other two cops fired in response. Mosher's bullets spun Mr. Scott around, and the other four fired shots hit Mr. Scott in the back, and knocked him to the ground.
Then, one of them shot him while he was on the ground (dead?).
Trigger happy is one thing. That final shot is another.
Thank you for that info.
With plenty of time to analyze the situation and with hindsight one can say that, but considering what the officers knew at the time and what they observed, they did what they were trained to do.
Maybe those water bottle cases are hard to tear open. : )
>>and pull all the dung in DC in on top of them.<<
That would make quite a mountain!
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