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Michael Brown shooting: when can US law enforcement officers fire? (fleeing felon rule)
The Guardian ^ | august 15, 2014 | Lauren Gambino

Posted on 08/15/2014 11:56:54 AM PDT by Cubs Fan

When can an officer shoot?

While there is no national statute outlining police use of deadly force, there are national standards, established by a pair of 1980s US supreme court decisions.

David Klinger, an associate professor in the department of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Missouri–St Louis and a former officer with the Los Angeles police department, said there are two permissible circumstances in which an officer can use lethal force.

Constitutionally, a police officer can shoot a suspect who is threatening the life of the officer, a fellow officer or a member of the public, said Klinger, a use-of-force expert. This is known as the “defence of life” standard. An officer can also shoot a fleeing suspect if the officer believes the suspect has committed a violent felony and his or her escape would pose a significant and serious threat, he said. The US constitution does not allow a police officer to shoot an unarmed, non-violent suspect in flight who does not pose a serious risk to public safety.

This was determined in a 1985 supreme court case, Garner v Tennessee. The justices ruled that deadly force “may not be used unless necessary to prevent the escape and the officer has probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious bodily harm to the officer or others”.

The decision limited the long-standing “fleeing felon” rule that permitted officers to use deadly force against a suspect who was trying to escape, even if the person in flight was not a threat to the public.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; US: Missouri
KEYWORDS: brown; ferguson; fleeingfelon
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To: Olog-hai

“The US constitution does not allow a police officer to shoot an unarmed, non-violent suspect in flight who does not pose a serious risk to public safety. …”

The Constitution does not allow a police officer to shoot a tricked out ‘57 Chevy either, but just because I happen to mention one of a million things that a cop cannot shoot does not make this silly, irrelevant straw man argument apply to the original topic matter.


21 posted on 08/15/2014 12:12:47 PM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (At no time was the Obama administration aware of what the Obama administration was doing)
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To: Kackikat
There are 4 pictures from the store surveillance camera showing Brown roughing up a small Pakistani clerk and holding the box of cigars. The sandals on his feet are a match for the guy laying face down in the street. It isn't an alleged assault. It was captured on video immediately prior to the arrival of the police for a strong arm robbery call.
22 posted on 08/15/2014 12:13:52 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: Cubs Fan

It is just as likely Brown was shot during the struggle in the car and wandered off 35 feet before collapsing.


23 posted on 08/15/2014 12:15:22 PM PDT by DB
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To: Steelfish

What if a felon deliberately hits someone with is car causing serious injury, and then tries to flee?


24 posted on 08/15/2014 12:16:07 PM PDT by Yogafist
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To: Cubs Fan

Sorry for ya, but the officer who killed him didn’t even know he’d robbed the store. And you had such a convenient little scenario going there too. Too bad.


25 posted on 08/15/2014 12:16:29 PM PDT by Shimmer1 (Nothing says you are sad that someone died like looting local places of business!)
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To: BunnySlippers

So says his buddy that was with him while robbing a store...

He could well have been shot during the struggle in the car and wandered off 35 feet before collapsing.


26 posted on 08/15/2014 12:17:54 PM PDT by DB
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To: Dallas59
Attacking an armed police officer is not a human right.

Also not a very bright idea no matter how big you are.

27 posted on 08/15/2014 12:17:55 PM PDT by GoldenPup
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To: Cubs Fan

Beating the crap out of a cop is a felony.

With that said, I have a problem with the law that says “if the cop BELIEVES the perp has committed a felony”. A cop gets disrespected by a guy who walks away and the cop shoots him in the back. “I thought he looked like a person I saw on a wanted poster.”


28 posted on 08/15/2014 12:18:34 PM PDT by VerySadAmerican (Liberals were raised by women or wimps. And they're all stupid.)
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To: Myrddin

The cops get radio d immediately with info, a description of person, clothes, and way they headed, if known. The cop knew all of it before he reached the destination, and this isn’t Brown’s first rodeo with the cops, if I read one article right.


29 posted on 08/15/2014 12:19:12 PM PDT by Kackikat (ELECTED officials took an OATH...Time to honor it....be a Patriot.)
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To: BunnySlippers

“But one he was in retreat ... he was shot [I think] it was 35 feet from the police car.

Once he was going in the other direction, it might be debatable.”

If he had been going the other direction, how was there no blood on the back of his shirt, no holes in the back of his shirt?

He died face down with his arms by his side.


30 posted on 08/15/2014 12:19:26 PM PDT by Beagle8U (Unions are an Affirmative Action program for Slackers! .)
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To: snowstorm12
maybe he got shot in the scuffle.

That's even worse than being shot in the fracas!

31 posted on 08/15/2014 12:19:43 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows ("Your Daddy Was Drunk and Your Mama Was Lonely" - http://youtu.be/4HYy62qiOwA)
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To: Shimmer1

The reports I’ve read said the officer was responding to a robbery - a robbery where this guy fit the description.


32 posted on 08/15/2014 12:19:56 PM PDT by DB
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To: Shimmer1

The cops were called to the scene because of the robbery. Graffiti was painted on the store (which was looted and destroyed) about “snitchers get stitches”.


33 posted on 08/15/2014 12:20:07 PM PDT by mrsmel (One Who Can See)
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To: BunnySlippers

According to the law if the guys committed strong armed robbery and beat the crap out of a cop, the cop could shoot him to keep him from doing it to someone else.


34 posted on 08/15/2014 12:21:10 PM PDT by VerySadAmerican (Liberals were raised by women or wimps. And they're all stupid.)
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To: Kackikat
"The radio description of robber would have noted his physical assault on the convenience store employee... making him sound dangerous....that would have played into the police officers information on the burglar. The fact he was assaulted also would have intensified the officer’s fear for the public."

IF that APB was out the POlice should be able to provide recordings/transcripts.

They will have to close this "Suspect in Strong-Armed Robery" loop with evidence. I suspect they would not make the assertion if they cannot.

They will have to show this officer was aware of the robbery, it happened before the deadly confrontation AND the officer was aware of the description.

Absent that, they will have to show the officer was under imminent threat. INITIAL reports says they can't do that.

35 posted on 08/15/2014 12:21:33 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Kackikat
I just have the pictures of him doing the robbery and laying the street in his own blood. The cops will have his criminal history by running his id. Too bad the officer didn't have a camera running to record the contact instead of depending on hostile witnesses.
36 posted on 08/15/2014 12:21:48 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie

a reasonable person can believe that a person trying to forcibly take another person’s gun, disarming them, has intent to use that gun on that person.


37 posted on 08/15/2014 12:22:11 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: AppyPappy

Maybe he was trying to pull up his pants above his thighs?


38 posted on 08/15/2014 12:22:28 PM PDT by b4its2late (A Liberal is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
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To: 43north
"This guy was a physically big thug and a bully. He probably thought he could do a beat down on the cop and get away with it. Wrong. Good riddance."

He may, in fact, needed killin'.

But that doesn't mean the cop had a legal shoot.

39 posted on 08/15/2014 12:22:59 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Steelfish

If he was fleeing why weren’t there any bullets in his back?


40 posted on 08/15/2014 12:23:27 PM PDT by butterdezillion (Note to self : put this between arrow keys: img src=""/)
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