(Austin) Woman fatally shot by police

Austin American-Statesman ^ | JUNE 12, 2002 | Jonathan Osborne and Claire Osborn

[jackliberty]

They told KEYE they felt police should have called a mental health expert to help calm her down.

Thanks, deport, for the update article. It proves beyond a doubt that Sophia's neighbors are idiots.

In post #7 ValerieUSA guessed Sophia might be 5'10", weighing 300 pounds. Your update article's picture seems to confirm this. At least it shows anorexia was not the mental illness from which she suffered.

To Officer Coffey; good shot. (And I hope you give up your membership in the NAACP after their reaction.)

[Mulder]

They could have shot her in the leg.

What an idiot.

Mental patient or not, going around trying to stab people with knives, is grounds for a deadly response.

[cadillac cowboy]

singing koom-by-ahh sounds good to me.

[Jhoffa_]

Yeah, it might not save anyones life..

but, it's got a beat and you can dance to it.

[Own Drummer]

Hey, the cop should have said he was aiming for her leg--but as she moved to stab the guy, the bullet hit her in the heart instead.

Two comments:
1. Anyone want to bet me that her kids will be brought up on stories of "racist cops done killed yo' Mama"?
2. Why hasn't anyone bothered to interview her landlord (the guy on the ground)? I bet his story would be a little different from the idiot neighbors', something along the lines of "Thank you, Officer Friendly."

[Michael Barnes]

re: #6

Your kidding right? The MMM seriously considers anyone under 25 a "youth"? I know they have skewed numbers in the past. But they really have moved to that extreme?

[speekinout]

If Austin doesn't appreciate Coffey, I'd like to have him work in my town.
Hmmm - if an angry naked woman with known mental problems is standing over me with a butcher knife, do I want Coffey there, or someone who is "sensitive to her needs"?

[Rome2000]

Sounds like the cops had a good reason to shoot, she was about to stab somebody.

In Miami, cops often kill mental cases holding knives even when there is no immediate threat, ie there is no citizen about to be stabbed and the cops could simply back away or use non-lethal means.

Shooting soembody in that situation is simply cold blooded murder, it's happened here about 4 times over the past 2 years, with no charges brought against the killer cops.

[coloradan]

It was in one of their handouts given at an annual meeting. I just looked at their website right now (Huuuuuuuurl!@#$%^) and could only find references to 0-19, not 25, but it was done at least in the past. Seriously. (And, the "10 kids a day" turns into something like 1.4 kids a day when you consider 0-14 only, in other words, excluding gang bangers.

[Don Myers]

"Helluva shot. Restores my faith in police competency."

I understand that the average cop really can't shoot worth a darn. It might have been a bank shot off the nearest innocent bystander.

[ValerieUSA]

Knives are dangerous, as demonstrated in gun-free Sydney:

Thursday June 13, 01:17 PM

Man charged over triple murder

A 21-year-old man was charged with the triple murder of a Sydney couple and their teenage daughter. The man was charged at Chatswood police station after being arrested this morning by detectives who executed a search warrant at a nearby home unit.
Teddy Gonzales, 46, his wife Loiva, 43, and daughter Clodine, 18, were all knifed to death in their North Ryde home in July last year. The throats of both women were slashed.

A home unit? Is that Australia's version of public housing?

[drlevy88]

If all the officer has is a gun, then yes he should shoot to prevent a maniac from killing someone. This is a situation where it is sad that there was no immediate nonlethal alternative at hand, such as tazer.

[TADSLOS]

Registerer - member since 09-24-04. Welcome to FR.