This argument that has been bantered about here for the past couple of days is just from watching too much TV and movies. I know it happens in movies and on TV, but I will tell you, (again I was in LE for over 10 years) this kind of stuff just doesn't happen in the real world. Believe me, even in big cities, cops know other cops on their departments that are on the same shifts, and divisions. No perp is going to get away with posing as a cop. Ijust wouldn't work. And as to a rescue/EMT type, again, those people are known to each other. Some strange guy, in an EMT uniform without an ambulance/firetruck/rescue squad, is going to stick out like a Carrot Top would stick out at an Islamic Jihad prayer service. The reason this guy gets away is a simple product of response time. Regardless of the situation, response time is still going to be several minutes. Remember, at one of the early shootings, there was a State Trooper right across the street from the shooting. Don't you think that if this cat is dressing as a cop/EMT/reporter (take your pick) that the Trooper would have been a little intrigued by the fact that immediately after the shooting, there was an EMT/Reporter/Cop standing there in the area without a patrol car/ambulance/newsvan? This guy is well prepared. He recons his shoots very carefully. He probably gauges the traffic flow in the area for the given time of day that he intents to make his hit. He probably picks places that he feels fairly confident that he will be able to be several miles away before the first units on the scene can put out an APB, and by then he is in some public place blending in. Those things are not difficult to ascertain if one is determined to carry out an operation such as this. It just takes time, patience, and disciplined planning. He is not a big risk taker. His biggest risk was the shoot with the cop across the street. But he was in a position to know that the cop would react first to the victim and not him. That is what cops are trained to do. Further, he knew, because it is not hard to figure out, that a cop who is writing a ticket, upon hearing a gunshot, is first, going to duck for cover, assuming the shot is coming at him, recon the area for his safety sake (since a dead cop cannot help anyone) and then and only then, head across the street to check on the victim. The cops attention is on the victim, and not the perp. The shooter had his getaway route planned, and IMO his route is always immediately away from the scene, not toward it, so he is gone before the cop can do a thing, or see a thing. This is one cool, calculated, cookie. He wouldn't be so stupid to try and dress like a cop/emt/reporter. Not smart or safe.
<mr. helpful>
punctuation is your friend !
(a good explanation of the following is also available in the 'help' section at the bottom of each posting page)
<br> = line break
<p> = paragraph break
(no need to close either of those tags)
without formatting, we all look like we're using amphetamines ... 
</ mr. helpful>