Posted on 12/13/2016 7:25:23 AM PST by wyowolf
An unarmed grandfather in the early stages of dementia was shot dead by police while he walked around the block near his home. Francisco Serna, 73, was hit nine times by gunfire from police in Bakersfield, California, answering a call about a man with a gun - but no weapon was recovered from the scene. He was stood in his neighbor's driveway at around 12.30am Monday morning when he was gunned down. His family said he took the late-night walks to tire himself out.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
This happened just a couple of miles down the road from my house. Whoever called this in to 911 said he had a gun.
Brace your but, things are going to get a lot less friendly out there. Daily Mail seems to want to sensationalize this story from the beginning. Bakersfield news still has a somewhat open mind on the story. Could this have been a SWATTING incident? Perhaps the caller is more responsible than the cops. Answering a call of a man with a gun in the current climate is going to result in the shooting of lots of folks who are either unwilling or unable to comply with commands.
I have heard that some women are told to yell “Fire!” if someone tries to rape them. People respond more quickly to cries of “Fire!”
If someone calls 911 and says “I see a guy walking in my neighborhood — can you send a cruiser?” there might be no response. Maybe someone got the bright idea to call 911 and say “I see a guy walking in my neighborhood — AND HE HAS A GUN — can you send a cruiser?”
That would be a tragic error in judgment that led to other tragic errors in judgment.
I think the issue with many of these shootings is this. Residents want the police to come. And they know that they won’t come quickly unless they say that the person might have a gun. They say something like “I am afraid he might have a gun” or “I heard he had a gun” or after asked if he is armed they respond, “he may have a gun.”
So the cops arrive. Some even go out of their way. They know its hunting season. The cops that arrive know they can shoot anything that moves. Now there are cops that are good, most are good. In fact the overwhelming majority are good. But the bad cops that just like to use their weapon hear that call and its like blood in the water around sharks. Those cops are there for the excitement.
An old man with a little dementia who doesn’t know where he is or why the cops are yelling at him gets mad. He thinks he has rights. He thinks he can protest. He has no idea that someone told the cops he may be armed. He doesn’t understand why cops are there. He did nothing wrong. His family is not there to explain things. Then he turns around too quickly, and one cop shoots. Then the rest just want to get in on the action.
And if the man in question has dementia?
Why weren’t tasers used? They found no gun at the scene.
Cops should keep in mind reports from the field aren’t always accurate.
While I’m an unapologetic supporter of police in general - I have a “Blue Lives Matter” decal right above my Benefactor Life Member NRA decal, there are, nonetheless, some bad cops and some pretty bad departments.
Quite some time ago, I use to make custom holsters for some cops who competed in PPC events. One of the guys, whom I had gotten to know very well once told me, “I’m seriously thinking about quitting the force.” When I asked why, he told me that “...some of the guys I have to work with are worse than the guys I arrest every night.”
Since then, every one of those cops - all on a large urban police force in Ohio - have quit.
Guarantee it will be ruled a "good shoot" He will not face criminal charges. At worst rather than charge him the DA will sent it to grand jury which will then be given only evidence to exonerate the cop.
What do you mean ruined? You mean like he won't ever be able to get a job? will get sent to jail? No and no. That he might have to put up with some high fiving in the PO dept locker room? Well possibly. But I'd say that he pretty much ruined the like of the guy he killed wouldn't you?
Swatting??
******************
That's very possible.
And none of them go to prison. And that's why officially sanction murder continues. And that's why slimeballs like "Black Lives Matter" get traction: their accusations (even when false) are credible.
The police in Bakersfield are so overwhelmed by all the crime they just don’t come out unless the circumstances are dire. Your house can be broken in to, everything stolen, and when you call they’ll ask if you think there is still someone in the house. If the answer is no then they tell you to fill out a form online for insurance purposes.
Like the rest of California Bakersfield is one big crime pit.
This is murder.
In the USA today there is a safe, risk free to kill someone. Call the cops and say a guy has a gun and is acting erratically.
The guy is killed and you get not even a warning.
Guaranteed.
I know almost nothing about California but I think I've read that Bakersfield is kind of working class...not a slum but not Beverly Hills either.Also,I think I've read that Bakersfield has a pretty bad gang problem.If I'm correct about the gangs,in particular,it's understandable that the cops there are pretty nervous at that hour.I know *I* wouldn't want to be a cop in such a scenario.
An old,confused guy...probably couldn't hear (or understand) instructions given to him.Hard to imagine anything more sad.
“answering a call about a man with a gun”
Liberal paranoia kills.
What’s a “swatting incident”?
Sure it does. Police Academy Training. Wannabe Spec Ops dirtballs who couldn’t pass a military physical or don’t want to shoot people who would be shooting back.
This is directly related to the conversion of peace officers to paramilitary thugs. It goes back to the Bushes and has escalated under the current POS in chief.
“Whoever called this in to 911 said he had a gun.”
Probably just said it to get the cops to respond faster.
If someone dies as a result of your actions, even if you didn’t intend it, isn’t that manslaughter? Charge whoever made the false call with that!
A Christmas they will never forget. And what will happen to the “perp”, i.e. the idiot who killed him? Nada. Nothing. The Blue Wall of Silence will enfold him and the unions will cover him with their batwings.
Bakersfield used to be working class. Now we are a welfare city. We have been overrun with illegals and their anchor children. Second generation Mexicans do not have the same values as their hard working parents. Many of them become thugs or gang bangers. Yes, we have a bad gang problem. This summer there were shootings every single day.
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