Deputies fired 28 shots at suicidal man; hit only once

Knoxville News ^ | September 18, 2003 | J.J. STAMBAUGH

[Mulder]

bang

[CAPPSMADNESS]

28 shots and only ONE HIT???? sheeesh!

[Rebelbase]

Good thing the man wasn't a dog.

[South40]

A target on his chest and they couldn't hit him?

[StriperSniper]

28 shots and only ONE HIT???? sheeesh!

One can only hope that they were only trying to wing him, if not, give 'em the Barney Fiffe(sp?) treatment.

[PatrioticAmerican]

OK, not to poke fun at this situation, but this has just GOT to be embarassing to the cops shooting at a man with a target on his chest and hitting him only once, and barely once.

[Billthedrill]

Ambivalence time. I mean, I'm glad they missed him, but I'm not really happy about it. I'll only say this - a human-sized target is harder to hit at 25-30 yards with a pistol than you might think.

...but it's not that hard...

[07055]

A story that makes the case for better gun control on the part of the cops.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

The cops must have been firing just to warn and scare him, probably even the one who hit him. No PD can be this bad.

[dighton]

"Please, look out, the shooting is a bit wild, and that kind of shooting. Saved a man's life."

-- Dutch Schultz.

[fso301]

Sounds like a Reno911 episode if you ask me.

[dogbyte12]

Got him Andy!

[Mulder]

The cops must have been firing just to warn and scare him, probably even the one who hit him.

I don't think the PD's teach firing a "warning shot" anymore due to liability concerns and use-of-force protocols (i.e., firing a shot in the direction of someone, even if not aiming at them, still constitutes deadly force)

No PD can be this bad.

A lot of cops are lousy shots. They figure that just because they put on uniform, they will automatically become a crack shot. Also, they know if they do use their weapon, they'll have an FOP lawyer to back them up.

[UncleJeff]

I would like to be able to assume these officers were intentionally shooting wide, but at 25 yards at night they very likely had no prayer of being able to tell his handgun wasn't a threat. Only a fool or a TV cowboy intentionally "wings" a man with a gun.

I guess the one lucky hit will earn the firer the nickname "Deadeye"...

[Mulder]

A story that makes the case for better gun control on the part of the cops

What will the "only the police and military should have guns" crowd have to say about this story?

[Consort]

   
"We aim to miss"

[Delta 21]

Good thing these guys carry automatics!!

[gusopol3]

McGouey vs. Officer(s) McGoo. Kind of reminds me of the guy who was shot in D.C. several years back while threatening to jump from a bridge.

[Mulder]

28 shots and only ONE HIT???? sheeesh!

If Joe Q. Citizen has this "hit ratio" in a self-defense situation, he probably would have been charged with some crime in most jurisdictions in this country.