Posted on 02/23/2002 9:00:18 AM PST by RCW2001
Pennsylvania state trooper fatally shoots woman who answers the door armed with shotgun
JOE MANDAK, Associated Press Writer
Saturday, February 23, 2002
©2002 Associated Press
URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2002/02/23/national1229EST0497.DTL
(02-23) 09:29 PST PITTSBURGH (AP) --
A state trooper responding to a report of fighting at a suburban apartment complex Saturday shot and killed a woman who answered her door armed with a shotgun, police said.
Bonnie F. Bugosh, 42, of East Huntingdon Township, about 35 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, was hit with a one bullet from the trooper's gun, said state police spokeswoman Jeanne Martin.
It was not immediately known if the shotgun Bugosh held was loaded.
Martin said a resident at the Laurel Hill Apartments complex called police around midnight to report a fight in a hallway. Initial reports indicated that Bugosh's daughter, who is in her late teens or early 20s, may have been involved in the fight, but it wasn't immediately clear who directed police to Bugosh's apartment or why, Martin said.
Neighbors told the troopers that Bugosh was home and that her car was parked outside, but the officers got no response to repeated knocks and a demand that the door be opened, Martin said. When Bugosh did open the door, she allegedly pointed a shotgun at the troopers, and one them fired, Martin said.
Neither trooper's name was released.
There will be an internal investigation, which is routine whenever a trooper fires his weapon, Martin said.
A message left on the answering machine at Bugosh's apartment on Saturday was not immediately returned.
©2002 Associated Press
He fired his weapon.
She used bad judgement.
She died.
Wrong. The trooper reacted in the only manner he could. Or do you have another option if someone points a shotgun at you while you are standing in a stairwell of an apartment building - i.e. you are standing exposed in an area with no cover?
If she didn't know it was a trooper at the door and she opened the door with the shotgun pointing out the door, I'd still want my spouse to shoot first and ask questions later.
If she gave a warning that she was opening a door with a pointed gun at the ready, then that trooper should have backed off immediately and not let the situation develop.
Therefore, the only way this trooper is wrong regarding her/his own life at stake is if a warning was given by the woman.
Good point. I made my comment under the assumption she knew it was cops.
Based on the little info in this article, I don't think so. If someone points a shot gun at me, I'd go into the red zone for sure.
It doesn't matter. You don't brandish an unarmed weapon and think you are protected or absolved or responsibility. There are a lot of unknown factors--the press does an unjustice by muddying the waters so much. I'm with post #7.
You seem to be in posession of many more facts than are in this article. Care to enlighten the rest of us?
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