Is it me, or would this have been a solid opportunity for the use of a taser? How can a case for lethal force be made against an immobile person?
Not that the guy didn’t deserve what he got, but were I the cop, I would not feel good about the shot...
“So you shot a legless guy because what? You had no other options....
If you look at the photo in the article (which is larger and shows more detail, it appears the officer in the center has a Taser in the firing position. Note that his service pistol still appears to be in it's holster on his right side.
Whether or not the Taser was actually fired, misfired or failed to immobilize the knife wielder is not clear in the article.
The officer to the left appears to be the one who likely fired the lethal rounds; as he is in the process of deploying his service pistol. The man with the knife (which does not appear to be a “butcher knife” to me ...more like a large hunting knife) is clearly facing the officers (not hobbling away) and has his arm clearly in a position where he is intending to throw the knife.
Given the officers close proximity to a violent individual who had already stabbed/critically injured someone (for no apparent reason); the man's continued belligerence and failure to comply w/lawful orders; the officer's duty to protect the general public and the fact they had to make a life or death decision in a fraction of a second; it appears to me to be a case of justifiable homicide.
That doesn't make me happy and I don't envy anyone who might be placed in a similar situation by the actions of someone else.