Posted on 08/25/2012 7:11:50 AM PDT by marktwain
The security cam video of Jeffrey Johnson’s final moments have hit the ‘net. At the same time ABC is reporting that “[Jeffrey Johnson] was cut down in a hail of 16 bullets that left Johnson riddled with 10 bullet holes.” Sixteen (shots fired) minus 10 (bullet holes in the perp) leaves six (rounds). How did police fire wound nine bystanders? “Some of the 10 bullet holes were exit wounds, authorities said.” Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne added that it was “very likely” all nine bystanders were “hit by police gunfire or ricochets or fragments from the planters that were hit by bullets.” The media outlet’s reporting “significant damage” to anti-car bomb cement flower pots lining the nearby curb. Will we ever know how many injuries were caused by ricochets and how many by direct hits?
It does not appear that Johnson ever fires his handgun, so this may be a case of suicide by cop.
I wonder if he got away initially, if they would have been able to prove he was the shooter. I know they would have been able to prove he owned the kind of gun that was used in the shooting but, if they weren’t able to find the gun, I wonder if he would have gotten away with it.
Would frangible ammo have mitigated some of the collateral damage? At least a mix.
I don’t know about NYPD but a lot of police departments have cut back on their officer’s gun range training and qualification skills.
Police Training During Down Economic Times
By Richard Q Johnson
Whenever the economy goes south, police departments are expected to tighten their belts and reduce the budget size. Some programs can be scaled back with little impact on the community. However, one of the first hit tends to be the police training unit.
The training unit in any law enforcement agency frequently has the largest and most long term impact on a community. Trainers ensure that officers are current with all of their qualifications, but also make sure that officers are kept up-to-date with changes in the law and updates in department policy.
When a department starts to scale back the training unit, officers will be less trained and less able to assist the people they are employed to serve. Instead of well-qualified officers hitting the street, the public gets cops trained to meet the “minimum standard.” Is this a good idea in anyone’s book?
Bad economic times can require that departments trim costs, but the analysis needs to look beyond the short term gains and at the long term impacts of decisions. Training is a continuous process that when curbed can take years to get back on track.
The potential costs of less training includes wrongful arrests, officers using too much force, officers not using enough force, the use of improper investigative techniques and unethical behavior. One incident of any of these problems could result in a lawsuit that will dwarf any potential savings from cutting the training budget.
Administrators should look at areas outside of training to cut before taking the axe to education. For example, upgrades to existing equipment might be delayed until the next fiscal year. Likewise, selling surplus equipment can make up the budget shortfalls. I know my own agency sold several Harley Davidson motorcycles the motor unit no longer used to help cover our own deficit recently.
If a police training unit is hit with a shrinking budget, those officers can look at alternative means of delivering the training. Alternative means may not be as effective, but it is still better than going without any training.
Electronic delivery of information may be a cost-effective way of educating officers on topics that do not have a “hands on” component. Case law updates, for example, might be a good thing to deliver via e-mail, saving precious classroom time for defensive tactics.
Expenditure of ammunition on the firing range is also a costly line item in the training budget. Firearms instructors can work with officers on dry firing techniques to supplement range time. Dry firing isn’t the same as being on the range, but it is still a proven technique for improving accuracy and trigger control. Plus it doesn’t cost a dime.
Lets face it: budget cuts stink. Reduced budgets frequently prevent officers from getting cost of living increases and more often than not cost officers money in the form of higher insurance premiums and increased contributions into pensions. But the highest potential of concern is reduced training.
Training is important as it can keep up alive when the world explodes around us. If we cut our training, it can result in a more dangerous job.
Check out BlueSheepdog.com for more information on police training and officer safety. We offer articles, videos, podcasts, reviews and more for the law enforcement professional.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Q_Johnson
Had he already dispatched his original target?
Seems like police training these days amounts to watching old episodes of The Untouchables.
NYPD are not even allowed to use hollow-point. All their ammo is ball. Hollow-point is too "lethal" and icky and "its only purpose is to kill young black men".
Consequently, knowing that they knew this guy had just gunned down his target, it's hard for me to fault them for what happened, especially if the bystanders were hit by exiting rounds and/or shrapnel. It also looks like the one cop's aim was good, since Johnson went down fast with multiple wounds.
Yep, and that’s precisely why there was collateral casualties.
What? Mayor “BoomBerg” just last week said that we need to have NYC gun laws everywhere!
I guess that guy broke the law, he is in BIG trouble NOW!.
/s
The old Chief of the LAPD, Parker back in the 60s said that he would not allow his officers to carry hollow-point ammo because in his opinion, most cops were shot with their own guns and he thought hollow-points would be more fatal to his officers. Anyway later chiefs changed the policy, understanding that hollow points also lessened the chance of through and through wounds to perps which could cause the rounds to hit bystanders.
Stay alert, stay alive
Aug 25, 2012
- 3:25 -
Tips to survive getting caught in crossfire
http://video.foxnews.com/v/1803872929001/
The average shootout lasts only around 5 seconds.
It sounded like ball ammo. Therein lies the cause. Why on earth? PC Kills.
The NYPD has a long history of inaccurate shooting. Two years ago a gunfight erupted in NYC and 125 shots were fired. No one was hit.
About three years ago, a perp took 21 9MM rounds before the fight stopped. He survived and holds the NYC record for highest number of shots taken without expiring.
Hollow points, .45 ACPs and frangibles are probably not the most optimal for this crowd.
Interesting our troops are mindful of collateral damage abroad with one shot one kill, but Bloomberg’s thugs can go spray and pray without training on crowds of Americans.
Yep, he sure got his guns completely out of control, and, OF COURSE, it had to be A QUEER LIKE BLOOMBERG who had to start the shooting in the first place, because gays HAVE ZERO MANHOOD CHIVALRY VALUE.
IT is all about themselves.
I remember the last psychologist chick who told me men were overprotective of women because it satisfied their sexual ego of protection.
Yeah, with cynical interpretation from liberal psychs like that which make fun of “naive male” domination wants, we are going to go far as a society.
Useful idiots, all of them...
They had a few seconds to see, evaluate, and act.
I have watched the video several times and it appears to me that the officer on the left is firing his gun.......but not at the perp. It looks like he is aiming to the left of the perp. The gunman is taken down by bullets from the officer to the upper right. Anybody else agree?
Even with all of the injuries coming from the police, it is very difficult to fault them for what happened. The man stopped in a crowded place, saw them, and pulled his gun. Once that happened, the police really didn’t have many options. Maybe they could have just rushed him and tackled him, but I won’t fault them for not doing it. Perhaps the best they could have done is to rush up to him more quietly and tackeled him unaware before he could see them, but I’m not sure they even knew who the shooter was until he pulled his gun. He was just another man in a suit.
Yes, I thought the same thing.
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