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Unarmed Grandfather 73, shot 9 times by cops.
The Daily Mail ^

Posted on 12/13/2016 7:25:23 AM PST by wyowolf

An unarmed grandfather in the early stages of dementia was shot dead by police while he walked around the block near his home. Francisco Serna, 73, was hit nine times by gunfire from police in Bakersfield, California, answering a call about a man with a gun - but no weapon was recovered from the scene. He was stood in his neighbor's driveway at around 12.30am Monday morning when he was gunned down. His family said he took the late-night walks to tire himself out.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: donutwatch; jbta; murder; wearetheonlyones
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To: Moonman62

Are officers trained to use their eyes? If a cop is told by somebody elese that someone is armed, he is thereby authorized to shoot him on the basis of someone else’s word? If the officer isn’t sure, he ought to find out before shooting.

Nine times. If the man was armed and had gottne a shot off, that would be entirely different.


101 posted on 12/13/2016 12:41:08 PM PST by Hieronymus ( (It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged. --G. K. Chesterton))
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To: Hieronymus

Are officers trained to use their eyes?

...

Of course. It was 12:30am and we have no facts about the lighting, distance involved, or any other factor that could affect visual assessment.

***************************

Nine times. If the man was armed and had gottne a shot off, that would be entirely different.

...

Once officers determine that shooting is justified that’s what they’re trained to do.


102 posted on 12/13/2016 1:13:59 PM PST by Moonman62 (Make America Great Again!)
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To: Hieronymus
Maybe he couldn’t sleep and wanted to go for a walk. Yes, it is a bit odd and might attract the attention of the neighbors, but it is, or was, a free country.

Who in their right mind would let a dementia patient take midnight strolls without supervision?

103 posted on 12/13/2016 1:18:50 PM PST by EVO X
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To: trisham

.
>> “His family must be devastated.” <<

Their lawyers will be “gratified.”
.


104 posted on 12/13/2016 1:23:43 PM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: circlecity

.
>> “I’m thinking there’s a lot more to the story than isn’t being reported here.” <<

Like a neighbor who was irritated with the old fart, and called the police and said he was brandishing a gun...
.


105 posted on 12/13/2016 1:26:25 PM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: editor-surveyor

I’ve speculated he was SWATted as have several others on this thread. Seems to be a likely explanation, they seriously need an in-depth interview with the person who called this in. Other neighbors would likely know if there was some sort of issue between them, too.


106 posted on 12/13/2016 1:28:45 PM PST by RegulatorCountry
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To: EVO X

Early stages of dementia can mean a fair number of different things. If he was still living on his own, he let himself do it.


107 posted on 12/13/2016 2:04:25 PM PST by Hieronymus ( (It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged. --G. K. Chesterton))
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To: EVO X

The article, if one bothers to read it, says that he was in the habit of taking late night walks to tire himself out. It doesn’t say he was institutionalized, or anywhere close to that.


108 posted on 12/13/2016 2:06:26 PM PST by Hieronymus ( (It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged. --G. K. Chesterton))
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To: Hieronymus

His living arrangements are still a bit murky. I’ve read articles that said he was living with his wife and a daughter. Another said he was living with a son. Guess it is time to take a chill pill..


109 posted on 12/13/2016 2:20:23 PM PST by EVO X
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To: Hieronymus; EVO X
"The article, if one bothers to read it, says that he was in the habit of taking late night walks to tire himself out. It doesn’t say he was institutionalized, or anywhere close to that."

It also says the Police had been out there multiple times. The family's version of these calls sound innocent enough, but it is THEIR side.

Alzheimer's patients can become agitated and even violent. A relative of mine took to bitting and scratching family members who were tending to her. I can see that being a more likely reason for the repeated calls then the ones listed by the family. Also, letting this man wander around when it's possible these spells could strike is all kinds of stupid, especially at night.

110 posted on 12/13/2016 2:28:03 PM PST by moehoward
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To: moehoward

TKS for the insight...


111 posted on 12/13/2016 2:47:11 PM PST by EVO X
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To: MeganC

Good God.


112 posted on 12/13/2016 3:52:51 PM PST by Lil Flower (American by birth. Southern by the Grace of God. ROLL TIDE!!)
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To: wyowolf
He was stood in his neighbor's driveway at around 12.30am...............

He was stood....

113 posted on 12/13/2016 3:54:45 PM PST by Osage Orange (Cover up after cover up...OUR GOVERNMENT is OUT OF CONTROL)
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To: matthew fuller
The cowardice of many people....is pretty telling.

I wouldn't just paint the Police with a broad brush.

But that's just me...........

114 posted on 12/13/2016 3:56:43 PM PST by Osage Orange (Cover up after cover up...OUR GOVERNMENT is OUT OF CONTROL)
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To: wyowolf; Alaska Wolf; DCBryan1; Slings and Arrows; Doomonyou; napscoordinator; Shimmer1; ...
JBT Ping list

The training did PRECISELY what it was supposed to do.

NO MORE HESITATION...

115 posted on 12/13/2016 6:01:30 PM PST by null and void ( If you defy federal law, we deny federal funds.)
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To: Moonman62
Once officers determine that shooting is justified that’s what they’re trained to do.

Yup.

With NO MORE HESITATION...

116 posted on 12/13/2016 6:21:45 PM PST by null and void ( If you defy federal law, we deny federal funds.)
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To: pabianice
Doesn’t the pic of his son show him flashing gang tats? Was his address connected to gang/drug activities?

How would that affect anything?

The 73 year old was not shot at his address, and the cops had no idea who he was related to.

117 posted on 12/13/2016 8:09:17 PM PST by Oztrich Boy ("Laws are for the guidance of wise men and the blind obedience of fools" Solon, Lawmaker of Athens)
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To: Osage Orange

If you had read my post carefully, you would have seen the words “some police”. Don’t put words in my post, or otherwise twist what I said.


118 posted on 12/13/2016 9:06:57 PM PST by matthew fuller (Why is there lethal injection poison (potassium chloride) in Dasani Water?)
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To: null and void

According to the officers side of the story I am seeing that he approached the officers with his hand in his pocket and refused to take his hand out of his pocket. They had no clue he was in early dementia state and all they had was a call or a man with a gun and would have no way of knowing his mental state.

The next question would be what did he do with that hand in the pocket that precipitated the officers firing. Video, audio or third party credible witness would help clarify the event more.


119 posted on 12/14/2016 12:12:43 PM PST by sarge83
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To: sarge83

Yes, they did EXACTLY as trained.

The important thing here is they got to go home, that’s all that matters.


120 posted on 12/14/2016 12:41:01 PM PST by null and void ( If you defy federal law, we deny federal funds.)
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