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.
Prolly not. If this guy was hopped up enough to ignore the face full of pepper spray they gave him first, the tazer would probably have had no effect on him.
LOL!
Actually, no -- it's SOP to shoot any bear who acts like that around people.
And if the odds are not with you that day? If the club swing knocks you silly?
Then, the crazed idiot grabs the ranger's gun, shoots the family, the ranger, and whoever else is around until the gun is unloaded.
What if the ranger shoots at the legs? What if the bullet misses the leg and goes through the opening between the legs? What if that bullet then sails through the leg opening and kills the young child in the camping trailer?
Remind me to never hire you as my bodyguard.
After being hit with pepper spray. The guy in the next trailer describes him as completely out of control. I'm guessing the autopsy shows he was on something.
You making fun of Tuco, blondie...??!!!!!!!
Okay, the book smart comment is gatuitous.
as for the quotes - that's why they are single quotes - not double. but hey - whatever works for you.
Like I said - if you want to shoot to wound - then more power to you, and good luck with that.
Lesson learned here is, don't attack armed LEO with a club while high.
As I said, I come from a cop family, so I do know what techniques are involved even if I have never applied tham.
No harm, either way.
Have a great day.
Does that make you an expert?
The answer to that question is, no.
That wasn't too cryptic for you, was it?
Please try to pay attention; I never said anything about shooting at the guy's legs.
I didn't say you said that. I used shooting at the legs as an example of attempting to stop somebody without shooting that could kill.
A "shoulder shot" could become a shot through the heart by a combination of poor shot and body movement.
It is too bad this person died. Sometimes, mentally unstable people do weird things, possibly off bipolar/schizo medicine or the person was using narcotics. Obviously, it would have been better if the person was stopped and too bad he had to die.
That said, I don't fault the rangers. Even mentally unstable people know what the word STOP means coming from a person wearing a uniform. The rangers did their job.
Warning shots only work in the movies. When a crazed and potentially high lunatic starts coming at you and threatening to kill you, you shoot the body. You may not have another chance to put them down.
I still don't know what your point was or is and what's more, could not care less. Learn some manners--it might do you some good.
If a snoot full of pepper spray had no effect, I doubt a loud noise (warning shot) would have.
Shooting his legs out from under him is also not a good idea.
You shoot to stop, not to wound.
TASER?
2 rangers one bad guy - take the club away from the bad guy and kick his a$$ all the way to the jail.
Yep...that's my take on this. But an awful lotta Freepers wanted to shoot this guy where he stood. Go figure...
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