Posted on 02/23/2003 7:18:02 AM PST by AStack75
Sunday, February 23, 2003 · Last updated 5:44 a.m. PT
1 Dead As Police Car Hits Fla. Sunbathers
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- A police officer searching for robbery suspects on the beach drove over two tourists Saturday, killing one and critically injuring the other.
Miami Beach police officer George Varon was driving a marked sports utility vehicle along the crowded shores, searching for two robbery suspects believed to be on the beach. He apparently didn't see two French sisters lying in the sand, police said.
Stephanie and Sandrine Tunc were taken to a hospital, where Stephanie, 27, died. Sandrine, 26, was listed in critical condition Saturday evening. Police said the sisters, who lived in Britain, were on vacation.
Several witnesses said the officer's actions were reckless and that he wasn't using a siren.
"The cop was just running around like a crazy man," Stacy Kandell told WPLG-TV in Miami. "I don't know what he was doing to run over two girls."
Officials said speed did not appear to be a factor in the death.
Varon, a seven-year veteran, was placed on administrative leave following the accident, said Bobby Hernandez, Miami Beach police spokesman.
A decade ago, another European sunbather was killed by a police car on a Florida beach. Christa Lina Emilie, 67, of Berlin, was accidentally hit and killed by a police car in New Smyrna Beach on March 29, 1993.
I'll repeat my comment that I'm surprised the headline didn't read "SUV runs over French sisters."
A word to police FReepers - sometimes, you gotta get out of your vehicle and walk or run. Also, when you go to do some routine work, and you see that the person you want to talk to has a large dog, see if you can reach for the scub or the spray first, instead of the service piece. They're dumb, and they tend to run off when they feel pain.
I'll also add that you need to safe your weapons when you go home, especially if you have small children.
The last thing I have to say to any cop FReepers or lurking chiefs or administrative types - the Glock is a military weapon, not a police weapon. There is no need for your average street cop to have anything larger than a .357 revolver, left uncocked on one empty chamber, so that the act of shooting someone is deliberate as opposed to accidental. If you take the Glocks out of your street arsenal, you can save a bunch of money that could be used to give raises, increase manpower, improve training, or **shock** return to taxpayers.
I think I will just sit back and wait for someone to explain it to you. If no one else does I guess I will.
The cop was distracted.
Has anyone of you been to a topless beach crowded with female models from all over the world?
Assistant Police Chief George Navarro said officers received a call at 12:33 p.m. of a strong-armed robbery at Washington Avenue and 18th Street. The victim said the two muggers were running east toward the beach.Navarro said Varon was in the city's only four-wheel-drive vehicle on the beach. He headed south along the sand after lifeguards reported seeing the suspects. Varon drove over the women in the area of the 1800 block at about 12:55 p.m., Navarro said, possibly being distracted by scanning the crowds for the robbery suspects.
Especially since most of the routine cop bashers around here view me as a statist pig.
Secondly no one carries a double action .357 revolver cocked. Also no double action revolver made in the last 50 years needs to be carried with an empty chamber. They all have either a hammer block or a transfer bar. They are no more safe on an empty chamber than on a loaded chamber. You could literally beat the back of the gun with a hammer and it would not fire.
What has this to do with guns anyway?
I will point out a few more ignorant remarks later as someone just drove up.
As to the gun thing, its about the number of rounds.
When departments started going to semiautomatics, it was in answer to the perception that there were hordes of gangbangers who were better armed than cops, and the fear that street cops were all going to be gunned down by them.
It was a ridiculous notion then, it is a ridiculous notion now.
The first generation of semis that were used at least had safeties that the user had to consciously switch - but as departments have been adopting Glocks (and don't even try and tell me that the trigger thingie is a safety), a number of people have been accidentally shot.
A full house 10 is considerably more powerful than a .357 energy wise. As far as stopping power I believe the .357 is still top of the heap according to Marshall/Sanow - just barely.
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