[Tupelo]

Before condemning the cop, I would like to see an untouched photo of the Air-soft gun to see if the orange tip was painted black. IF so, I defy anyone to determine the difference between the air-soft and the real thing from 20 feet, especially in a rough neighborhood. In other words, this sounds to me like a good shoot. Tragic yes, but no wrong doing by the cop.

[driftdiver]

So carrying a firearm is justification for the death penalty?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Sounds to me like you think cops are given a license to kill if they see anybody carrying a gun.

[null and void]

For some people, every police shooting is fully justified.

[Uncle Chip]

Post 24

Which one is real???

If you can’t tell then you don’t know guns.

If you can tell then why couldn’t a deputy with 24 years who also is a gun expert and trainer.

[TexanByBirth]

this sounds to me like a good shoot.

Really?

I can not believe you actually wrote that!

[absalom01]

It would seem that you didn’t get the memo. Just FYI, it is no longer permitted to have an adult conversation on Free Republic regarding any domestic US law enforcement matter.

The rules, at least as I currently understand them are as follows:

1. We must assume either incompetence or bad intentions on the part of any local LE officer, preferably both.

2. We must take the word of the family’s lawyers and lawyer-hired experts at face value. To question their press releases or media spin is both bad form and evidence of poor reasoning abilities.

3. Any prior military experience on the part of the cop is not exculpatory, or indicative of his or her patriotism, courage and character as would be the case in most other contexts here, but rather, is evidence that he’s a “Rambo”
“looking for action in a sleepy town”.

4. Even if there is photographic evidence to the contrary, we have to assume that as in this case, a replica rifle is “obviously” a toy, and that only someone utterly unfamiliar with firearms could ever have mistaken it for a real weapon.

5. Everything the cop in question says is an obvious lie.

6. If you disagree with the hard-line Libertarian take, you are a vile “statist”, worthy only of mockery and contempt. Therefore, you will not be engaged in honest debate.

We are all Radly Balko now.

[from occupied ga]

In other words, this sounds to me like a good shoot

I guess I didn't get the memo that carrying a gun (real or otherwise) was an instant death sentence offense.