Posted on 09/11/2018 9:35:52 PM PDT by Pining_4_TX
Dashcam video from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) cruiser shows a suspect shoot and wound a female officer at point blank range before being shot and killed by her partner. The Los Angeles Times reports that the suspect in the video, 32-year-old Richard Mendoza, was a gang member. After being asked to exit his vehicle Mendoza can be seen “[pulling] a .380-caliber handgun from his side and [shooting] the female officer who is standing just inches away.”
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
“She should have told him to exit the car facing the front of the car.”
Sadly, at least down here in San Antonio, you are wrong.
Many, many years ago a good friend of mine was a cop. He told me the most stressful part of the job was walking up to a car and wondering if the guy has a gun and is going to shoot as soon as you get there. He said if you want to improve your chances of getting a warning, always get out of your car and walk back towards him where he can clearly see you are unarmed. In the 40 years since I haven’t gotten a lot of tickets, but I’ve always followed his advice and have received several warnings as a result.
A couple of months ago I was pulled over by a cop. While I had no idea why, I immediately got out of my car and started walking towards him. He got on his loudspeaker and bellowed “get back in your car - NOW.” Eventually he walked up and told me I had been stopped too close to the railroad tracks at a red light. He also said the city policy had changed and to never get out of the car when you are pulled over. You are to sit there and let the cop walk up to the door.
I wonder what genius came up with that rule?
Glad the officers survived.
What’s the old saying about not carrying a caliber that doesn’t begin with a 4 or larger?
Hehehe I noticed that too.
I do the same thing when putting down rabid Animals.
Watch as his Family makes hay out of that!
It’s coming, multimillion dollar lawsuit...Juan was turning his life around, just enrolled at the local Junior College.
Life cut short by a over stoked Cop on roids.
Maxine Waters will be leading the charge with Al and Jesse in tow.
NOt a Cop, never been a Cop but it seemed to me she was way to close to him. She had neither the room or time to react. IMHO
The bodycam of the second officer really shows how FAST a situation can change (become deadly). In an INSTANT (fraction of a second) the situation went from a friendly (officer and perp knew each other) conversation to one officer down and the perp firing on the second officer.
The split second reaction of the second officer probably saved BOTH officer’s lives.
I love that when the second officer went to cuff the probably dead guy, he said under his breath, “fuck you”.
Blue lives matter! Gang bangers, not so much.
“.attempting to brazenly kill a police officer.”
attempting to brazenly kill TWO police officers.
“He was very cooperative, and showing his hands constantly... right up until the moment he shot the female officer.”
EXCELLENT point!
C’mon, you don’t pull your gun approaching every vehicle. You’d go nuts if you were at gunpoint for your next traffic violation.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes ...
While I don’t know the reason for the initial stop - which is a vital piece of information - this appears to be a tactically and procedurally sound traffic infraction car-stop.
If the officers knew the driver was wanted on a warrant or had just committed a crime, in other words they knew in advance the encounter would end in an arrest, they would not have approached the vehicle. In such a case, they would have used the PA in their squad car - while staying at a safe distance - to order the suspect out of the vehicle with his hands up.
If this was, as I suspect, a “routine” traffic stop, they did a terrific job.
It was justified to me, because the officer couldn't the perp as he laid on the ground, and his partner was still in view of the perp.
It is these sort of sudden ambush shootings that make cops very nervous when the suspect doesn't immediately obey commands.
I don't know what era your cop buddy gave you that advice, but it most certainly does not apply in 2018. There have been too many people who exit the car and immediately start shooting. The officer would you rather stay in the car with the door closed, which limits your ability to target the approaching officer.
The proper response is to pull over safely, turn on your hazard lights, fully lower your window (both windows if there is a second officer and you have power windows,) turn off the ignition and place the keys on the dashboard, keep your hands on the wheel at 2 & 11 so the officer can clearly see them, and do nothing else until requested.
Do not lean over to your glove box to get out your registration and proof of insurance until you are asked to produce them. If you lean over to your glove box while the officer is approaching your vehicle, expect to have a gun in your left ear when you sit back up again.
Be calm, be polite, and be compliant. It is safer for all concerned.
“How stupid is that? Exit the car to shoot a cop with another cop already pointing a gun at you.”
Works in video games and movies. Not so much in reality.
>>> I wonder what genius came up with that rule?
I don’t know, but I received the same instruction from an officer in the Dallas area a few years back.
I think nowadays, the best plan is to have your papers ready before the officer gets to your window, keep your hands on the wheel, be polite and friendly and hope you get away with a warning.
(it’s worked for me twice since then, haven’t had a ticket in about 4 years, knock, knock)
Your mileage may (will) vary.
She should practice daily so that her reaction goes from her eyes straight to her trigger finger and doesn't waste that tiny fraction of a second going through her brain.
“It looked to me like she did everything right, they guy was showing his empty hands, until he made a poor choice.”
It is a concern that she approached the car from the driver’s side. I haven’t been stopped for probably 20 years or more, but I do note that when the CHP makes a stop they always do two things: Stop their cruiser with the front wheels pointed toward the highway and approach the car from the passengers side. I am assuming that gives them a much better view of the driver and where his hands are. Having the driver able to hide a weapon until the door is opened seems like a bad situation.
“C’mon, you don’t pull your gun approaching every vehicle. You’d go nuts if you were at gunpoint for your next traffic violation.”
And if that were widespread protocol, you can just imagine how long it would last before the public demanded that it be stopped. A drawn weapon means it’s likely to be used.
“I don’t know what era your cop buddy gave you that advice,”
About 1969 - 1970. That far back I can’t remember for sure.
I have been told that the Highway Patrol in Texas will stop at your back bumper and tell you to step out of the car. Since I’ve never been stopped by them, I can’t say I know that for sure.
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