Posted on 07/28/2005 7:50:13 PM PDT by Pharmboy
CRATER LAKE, Ore. (AP) - A camper brandished a club and threatened to kill two park rangers, then was shot dead by one of them, a park spokesman said Thursday. The man encountered the rangers as they answered a call about a domestic disturbance at a campground at Crater Lake National Park after dark Wednesday, said park spokesman Mac Brock.
When the rangers tried to talk to the man, he became increasingly hostile and wandered around the campsite despite orders to stay still, Brock said.
"Still brandishing the club, still ignoring warnings to stop, he directly approached the rangers and threatened to kill them," Brock said.
When the man came within 10 feet of one of the rangers, the ranger used pepper spray, but the man didn't stop, and the second ranger shot him twice, Brock said.
The man, whose name was withheld pending notification of next of kin, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Tim Hughes and his family from San Demas, Calif., were camping nearby.
"This guy was way out of control," said Hughes, whose wife and children were inside their trailer at the time. "They did all they could to try to get the guy to cooperate, but he was just gone. I think he must have been on narcotics, because he didn't exhibit rational behavior."
The rangers remained on duty, but were not in the field. Their names were not released.
Brock said the shooting was the first he had heard of in 12 years at the park. Shootings in national parks are rare, occurring about every 10 years, said David Barna, the National Park Service's chief of public affairs in Washington, D.C.
"In fact, don't point a gun unless you are willing to kill whatever it is pointed toward."
I'd say don't pull out a gun unless you are going to kill..but you are right.
Also one to the haed as well.
If you ever take any gun safety classes or conceal and carry class, you will learn the real reasons why LEOs and everyone else aims for the body. We're not necessarily shooting to kill, but we are shooting to stop with as few bullets as possible. Heaven forbid somebody else dies from a ricochet when you had ample opportunity to make sure you hit your target the first time.
Of course he was high, it's Oregon for heaven's sake!!!
But can I bring a gun club to a fight?
What about bringing a gun to a fight club?
Depends...how big's the fight?
:-D
Never mention fight club!
It could have been a 6'-4" foaming-at-the-mouth, club wielding maniac against a 5'-8" ranger. It doesn't even say if the rangers were male or female.
The wife tried to get him to settle down, they pepper sprayed him. Nothing worked.
Maniac got put down.
I suspect crystal meth.
If it was a bear out of control, I bet they would have used bear strength pepper spray. It's OK to shoot the human who doesn't belong in a park.
That reminds me of a "wisdom saying" of the Shadoobies: "Do not pull out your skiwaxwax (their usually lethal, always painful guavgoo-shooter) unless you have your skinning knife."
Faster, Pussycat . . .
I am reading about a domestic disturbance at a campground. The "disturber" walks away from the "disturbee" and goes after the 2 Rangers. As he attempts to club Ranger #1, Ranger #2 shoots him, dead. So far so good. Then I see "The man, whose name was withheld pending notification of next of kin, was pronounced dead at the scene." Don'tcha think the "next of kin", being the above "disturbee" already knows?
Sheeeesh!
If you're going to defend yourself with a firearm, your object is to shoot to stop the threat.
When the man came within 10 feet of one of the rangers, the ranger used pepper spray, but the man didn't stop, and the second ranger shot him twice, Brock said.
You have a circumstance where the individual had the means (a club in his hand), the opportunity (he was ten feet away from the officers), and the motivation (he was moving toward the officer with club in hand). How long does it take to cover a ten-foot distance? Measure it off on the floor of the room you're in and try it.
In this type of scenario, if I'm armed, I'm shooting to stop the threat.
I've taken enough gun safety courses for everyone on this thread.
I know all the rules.
But whenever something like thisw happens, I am given pause. It's easy to read a brief news story and say, justified. But if he were your buddy, and you knew his kids, you'd be saying, What the hell?
All I'm saying is, there is always a human factor. Unfortunately, every one of these cases is different, so I fully understand why it's safer overall for any defender to have a one hundred percent rule.
By the way, Pharmboy knows plenty about guns.
He was already given quite a gift (the ten foot threshold), much more than he should have been given.
He wasted it and got wasted.
You omitted a small fact. The guy came at the two rangers with a club in hand and verbally threatening to kill both of them. He wasn't dissuaded by pepper spray. Two rounds to the chest put an end to his attack on the rangers.
Your rule is better, although mine would cover folks just walking around with a gun in their hand.
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