Robbed ex-cop kills suspect

Detroit Free Press ^ | 6/6/03 | Ben Schmitt and Cecil Angel

[Djarum]

A retired Detroit police officer shot and killed a man and wounded two others early Thursday morning after being robbed outside an east side bar, police said.

Robert Strickland was walking toward the Elbow Lounge on the 7300 block of Macknear Field in Detroit at 12:50 a.m. when he was approached by three teens. One brandished a gun and demanded money, said Homicide Inspector Craig Schwartz.

[Nick The Freeper]

The guy gets shot, fires 17 rounds off at the criminals, and then goes in and has a seat at the bar! Good work Strickland. I wish a speedy recovery for Strickland and long jail terms for the scum that tried to take his money.

[Arkie2]

Nice work for a wounded man. The only problem I see here is he was packing too light. A heavier caliber might have put them all down for good.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

The third suspect, Antonio Harris, 18, was killed after being struck in the head, Schwartz said.

There's one less repeat offender to worry about.

[Henrietta]

"The teens fled. Strickland opened fire with two handguns he was carrying legally -- a .25-caliber and a 9mm -- Schwartz said. He fired 17 shots, striking the 15- year-old suspect in the back and an 18-year-old suspect in the back of the left leg."

No "ordinary" citizen would get away with shooting an assailant in the back. Nice to know that ex-cops get a "pass," though.

[Arkie2]

I'm sure you noted that Strickland was shot first?

[umgud]

I have no problem that he shot them as they were running away. They did rob and shoot him. But....... technically, he was no longer protecting himself.

[Henrietta]

Yes, I realize that he was shot first. But once your life is no longer in danger, you don't get to shoot the perp.

Look, I agree that society is better off because these scumbags are off of the street. The point of my post is that if an ex-cop can do this, why can't the ordinary Joe? If this guy were not an ex-cop, you can bet that the D.A. would be looking very hard at criminal charges for the victim for shooting his attackers in the back while they were fleeing (which is basically revenge, not self-defense).

Why do cops and ex-cops have more rights than the rest of us?

[Leisler]

If you abanden the law for crime and enter a state of lawlessness, then the law should be no protection. For a moment of time it was the law of the jungle, and these punks got jungle justice.

[joesnuffy]

Didnt know they had CCW for citizens..in Detroit...
cool....

[Hacksaw]

Didn't think it would take long for the cop haters to find a problem with this. You people are morons and I would take a cop over you any day.

[Mark]

Maybe he thought he would die and was just "marking" them for evidence.

[toddst]

. . . I realize that he was shot first. But once your life is no longer in danger, you don't get to shoot the perp.

Please notice this man gave these scum what they demanded and he was shot anyway. Once he had been shot everything else he did was self-defense. He had no assurance some of these slugs wouldn't attack him again.

The first rule of survival in a situation like this is to fire until your adversaries are no longer a threat.

This is well understood by anyone who has been in a firefight.

[anchorclankor]

When in doubt empty the clip.

[gcruse]

No "ordinary" citizen would get away with shooting an assailant in the back. Nice to know that ex-cops get a "pass," though.

That's what I was thinking, too.  Unreasonable force, they'd call it.
I wonder if him getting shot first has anything to do with it?  But
since they were running off, was it self defense?

At any rate, good for him.

[xm177e2]

Strickland opened fire with two handguns he was carrying legally -- a .25-caliber and a 9mm

Did he go John Woo or was it a New York Reload?

[Freedom4US]

I have no problem that he shot them as they were running away. They did rob and shoot him. But....... technically, he was no longer protecting himself.

Technically, he's protecting all of us, by preventing yet another armed robbery in the future. Considering they shot him, I rather doubt this was their first caper, and undoubtedly wouldn't have been their last had Officer Strickland not taken care of the situation. I wish him a speedy recovery and best to his family.

[xm177e2]

once your life is no longer in danger, you don't get to shoot the perp.

When you're gut-shot, your life is in danger.

[Djarum]

Did he go John Woo or was it a New York Reload?

He could have fired 17 rounds from one Glock. Anyone know what combination of .25 and 9mm would produce 17 total, assuming he emptied both mags?