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“Assuming that Scott was innocent would have gone against Mosher’s training and his duty as a police officer.”

Then the LVPD needs to seriously change how they do business. It is NOT the job of a cop to act as judge, jury and executioner on the basis of hearsay.

Nor does it require 20/20 “HIND”sight - just plain sight would do - just eyes that can see a person walking quietly out of the store. Remember, Mosher had to have Scott pointed out to him, and Scott had already passed by Mosher. Hmmm....either Mosher let an armed and dangerous threat pass by him without noticing, OR Scott was not an armed and dangerous threat.

But if cops can shoot on suspicion, we live in tyranny. When I flew patrol over Iraq in the 90s, we had to wait until we were fired on. We didn’t get to bomb a gun site just because it was there. Odd, isn’t it, that I couldn’t kill someone in Iraq on the same evidence that you believe the LVPD can kill people in Costco.

Are dispatchers allowed to order the death of civilians based on 911 calls? What sort of world do you want to live in, where someone can mark you out for death by just calling in, saying you have a gun, and were behaving erratically?

Maybe you want to live in a world where a cop can order you to your knees, and you have less than a second to comply or die. I don’t. And neither did the folks who founded our country.

When Scott was told to leave by the store by the Costco manager he refused. Instead, he became agitated, and told the manager that he was a Green Beret (which he wasn't). According to the 911 call, Scott later walked quickly to the front of the store touching his gun the whole way, which understandably was interpreted as threatening (My theory was that he was checking to make sure the gun was concealed.). It turns out he was going to the front of the store to get a basket (when he should have been leaving). He returned with the basket and met up with his girlfriend, at which point she told him that they were probably evacuating the store because him. As he got to the front of the store, all that matters is how he behaved once he made contact with the police.

At the front of the store as Scott was leaving Mosher touched his elbow. Scott pulled away and reached for his gun. Mosher understandably interpreted that as a threatening move, however I think it's possible that, once again, Scott was checking to make sure his gun was concealed. Scott told Mosher he had a gun. Understandably, Mosher probably interpreted that as a threatening statement. At that point Scott should have waited for instructions as any person in their right mind would do in that circumstance. Scott then lifted his shirt, reached around to unclip his holster and gun. At about that time Mosher became alarmed and quickly yelled out his commands, but Scott continued to move the gun toward Mosher, and Mosher shot him.

20/20 hindsight is irrelevant. I agree that Scott had no intention of shooting Mosher or anyone else, and that he most likely took the initiative to disarm himself. However, he made a series of bad decisions in a dangerous situation that got himself killed. After the inquest, even Erik's dad said that Costco was more to blame than the police. Maybe one day his dad will see that Erik had the most responsibility in his own demise.

Maybe you want to live in a world where a cop can order you to your knees, and you have less than a second to comply or die. I don’t. And neither did the folks who founded our country.

If I made the same mistakes Erik did, I would expect to die. I don't think he would have lived to see 40 with the mixture of drugs he was taking. I think our founding fathers expected us to act like responsible citizens. That's why they gave us the right choose our leaders and to be armed.

CCW holders have more responsibility than others. Scott should not have been carrying his guns that day. He was impaired by drugs. After he knocked over a sign a cashier heard Scott tell his girlfriend that he shouldn't be out in public because of his condition. CCW holders are supposed to keep their weapons concealed. As soon as Costco told him to leave because of it he should have left.