Posted on 10/29/2013 9:59:16 AM PDT by Uncle Chip
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) — Sheriff's officials say the Northern California deputy who fatally shot a 13-year-old boy is a firearms instructor who has trained his law enforcement colleagues in the proper use of force for nearly two decades.
Sonoma County spokesman Assistant Sheriff Lorenzo Duenas said 48-year-old Erick Gelhaus has been an instructor and rangemaster for the county for 19 years.
He also teaches pistol, carbine, shotgun and rifle lessons for Gunsite, a private company in Arizona, according to the company's Web site.
Gelhaus, a 24-year sheriff's office veteran, is a frequent contributor to S.W.A.T. magazine, a monthly firearms publication.
Duenas confirmed that Gelhaus is one of 26 gun instructors for Sonoma County.
He has not only given shooting lessons but also has provided instruction on the proper use of force, Duenas said.
To do that job, "you've got to be good at instructing others," Duenas said, adding: "You have to be able to instruct others on policy and procedures and use-of-force policy issues."
Gelhaus shot and killed Andy Lopez last week in Santa Rosa.
Investigators say Gelhaus mistook the pellet gun Lopez was carrying for an assault rifle....
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I see your point. It looks to me that the deputy was spooked for some reason and simply unloaded into the kid at first movement, which apparently was the kid beginning to turn around.
However, in these days of drive-bys, gang wars, school-workplace-movie-mall shootings, home invasions, armed robbery, etc anyone is stupid to be walking around holding a gun, be it real or replica.
Gun range, ok. Paintball warfare area, ok. A known teen sporting area, maybe ok. Walking around on the street or otherwise in public? At least have it holstered or slung over your shoulder, not held at the ready. And at night, don’t do it at all.
Good lord man, don’t be obtuse.
Barrel tips are noticeably different
How often is somebody going to take a $1500 AK47 and modify it by cutting off the barrel thus affecting its accuracy.
It looks to me that the deputy was spooked for some reason and simply unloaded into the kid at first movement, which apparently was the kid beginning to turn around.
* * *
That was my initial take, that the deputy, who is a war veteran, might have some PTSD and be on the trigger-happy side because of it. His online stance of “take them out before they take you out” adds to my opinion that he was trigger-happy. (The other deputy, with several years’ experience although he was a trainee, did not shoot at all.) At a minimum, I’d like to see this guy off the street, and permanently at a desk job. I think he might honestly be guilty of manslaughter, though I doubt he’ll be convicted, if charged.
“and he couldn’t tell the difference between a pellet gun and an assault rifle?..................... “
Somewhere, I have an old Replica Model of an MP-40 “Schmeisser” machine pistol. Metal, exact size, weight and appearance. Bolt works, magazine detaches, no orange tip. It came with a letter from the ATF certifying that it was incapable of firing live ammunition. I guarantee you that no one would be able to tell that it was fake without handling it and closely examining it.
These days I wouldn’t point my finger at a cop, let alone anything that looked like a gun.
And I don't want to impugn the kid, but it's not like no one's ever been held up with a fake gun.
I'm as dismayed as anyone about the apparent trend with police shootings, but I can't get to the "every cop is a remorseless killer" mindset either.
If one is going to bitch about the way cops are acting, they also need to acknowledge the dramatic increase in the numbers of anti-social thug nutbags out there as well.
It sucks that good people are getting mixed up the predictable results.
LOL, whatever guy.
The gunman never said that the boy was” turning on him” with the fake gun. He said he thought the boy might point it at him. That right there says that the gunman was tired of carrying all the time without getting to shoot someone. It is too bad the boy did not have a dog with him.
The kid did not point the gun at the gunman. The gunman did not even say that the kid pointed it at him. He said he thought the kid might point the gun at him.
He said the kid turned towards him. I wouldn’t wait either. But I was the one who said “Point that at me and I’ll shoot you.” I wasn’t attributing that to the cop.
One of the deputies twice ordered Andy to drop the weapon, according to a witness, police said.
The teen was about 20 or 30 feet away from the deputies with his back toward them when he began turning around with what one deputy described as the barrel of the rifle rising up and turning in his direction, police said.
A ten seconds is an eternity if you’re getting shot at, or think that it’s coming. A man-sized person turning with what looks *exactly* like a weapon only gives you a few beats to react.
The Devil is in the details, of course, but I can’t fault the cops on this one yet.
Let’s put this in terms that gun owners here can understand:
You borrow your neighbor’s Bushmaster for some hunting and as you are taking it back to him, carrying it in one hand walking down the street as you are legally permitted to do, you hear a voice behind you saying “drop the gun”. You turn to see who is saying that to you and as you are turning around of course the gun turns with you and because of that the officer shoots you 7 times.
That’s what happened to this kid except he was carrying a pellet gun.
So can old age.
<>A Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy twice told the boy to drop the weapon, but he instead raised it in the deputy’s direction, police said at a news conference Wednesday.<>
The police are having a hard time finding witnesses to back up that claim because of this time line:
• 1514:15 hrs – Sonoma County Sheriff’s Dispatch created an incident of a suspicious person in the area of Moorland Ave. and West Robles Ave.
• 1514:19 hrs – The Deputies call for emergency assistance from other Deputies in the area
• 1514:25 hrs – The Deputies notify dispatch that shots have been fired
• 1514:41 hrs – Emergency medical advised to respond to the scene
https://local.nixle.com/alert/5081815/
Some say he issued the order from within the car thus making it difficult to hear. Either way he gave the order and shot 8 times all within 6 seconds.
Nope, maybe a promotion, but no trouble. Her can now paint a silhouette of a child on his car and 4 when he reaches 5 , he will attained ace status. >
Or an infant in a baby buggy, or in its mother’s arms. The main thing is kill the uppity son of a bitch.
This guy should never have had a badge and gun.
Well, now that we have conflicting media reports neither POV makes a credible base to comment on. One thing hasn’t changed though; if you turn on me with a ‘toy’ like that I will shoot first if I can.
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