OUTRAGE AT U.S. SHOOTING

Sky News ^ | 06/16/03 | Sky News

[tomball]

There has been controversy in the United States after two police officers shot and killed a suspected drunk driver in Louisiana.

The incident happened in a supermarket car park in the town of Shreveport and was captured on CCTV.

The 25-year-old man jumped out of his car and pointed what the officers say they thought was a gun.  They responded by shooting him eight times in the back as he ran away.  They then discovered his supposed weapon was only a mobile phone.

Police had chased him to the car park after he jumped a red light.  A spokesman for the local police said they had studied the video tapes of the shooting.  They decided it was justified because the officers felt threatened.

Shreveport police chief Jim Roberts said: "They felt their lives were in danger."

He said he believed the victim had engineered the incident to get himself killed in a "suicide-by-cop".

[Grando Calrissian]

Aim low is a good thought, however, if you hit a human target center mass with one shot, it should be enough. Unless the good people of Louisiana have super-human strength.

On the other hand, maybe it's just a stereotype, but doesn't everyone and their mother own a gun in Louisiana? Don't you think a police officer in that environment would have enough famiarity with guns to be able to aim low?

[Rad_J]

freeeee,
just watch the video of the shooting. One cop did not shoot him 8 times. It was two cops shooting and from the video it looks justified to me.

[sinkspur]

If a cop cannot tell a cell phone from a gun, he should not be a cop.

Could you tell, from a distance? Let me tell you something, mister. If a stranger points something at me, at night, I'm going to blow him away. I have a CCL, and the rule is "If you are in fear for your life, you have a right to use deadly force."

I am sorry, but a presumption of innocence on the part of a citizen is more important than a cop's safety.

Nope. You point ANYTHING at a police officer, you're as good as dead. Period.

[sinkspur]

The average John Doe couldn't justify such a shooting in his own bedroom at 3 am during a violent home invasion.

8 shots to the front of an assailant will get you convicted.

Maybe in Massachusetts; not in Texas or Louisiana.

[discostu]

The problem with human beings is that there's a big gap inbetween the amount of damage that will prove fatal eventually and the amount of damage that will make you not a threat right now. If you blow a guy's heart right out of his chest he'll be clinicily dead with no brain waves and no voluntary muscular action in just a couple of seconds, problem is it only takes a couple of seconds to aim and fire so he still poses a threat to you for those couple of seconds. That's why the rule of thumb is to double tap the 10, as long as the person is still moving like they're trying to aim and shoot you're still defending yourself by continuing to plug them.

[Poohbah]

Fact: You absolutely cannot legally use defensive force unless your life or that of others is in immediate danger. And a single gunshot to the back, nevermind multiple ones, is prima facia evidence to every DA in America that you were in no such danger.

If you view the images, the suspect is pointing a shiny object at one cop when the other cop shoots him. The cops were widely separated, so the suspect was facing away from ONE cop, but facing another.

[Rad_J]

I am surprised this hasn't gotten more attention around the country.

I guess with video evidence that shows the cops were justified, makes it harder to make it a national story.

Al Sharpton and the black community in Louisiana have made it a big political story in the area. They started boycots against every "white" businesses in the area. They know that most of the black community will not examine the evidence or even care what the evidence shows, as long as they can use it for political purposes.

[Poohbah]

a cop cannot tell a cell phone from a gun, he should not be a cop.

The shooter was pointing the cellphone at the cop with a two-handed shooting stance.

Also, there are guns available out there that are designed to look like cell phones.

[Lysander]

Try dropping a perp hyped up on PCP.

And let's not forget the effect on their sex drive. We need to protect our women too. Black guys with cell phones might be trying to date our daughters.

[roadcat]

"Don't you think a police officer in that environment would have enough famiarity with guns to be able to aim low?"

I don't know. My brother-in-law says his CHP training is to go for dead center, and to double tap, just like discostu says.

[Poohbah]

Don't you think a police officer in that environment would have enough famiarity with guns to be able to aim low?

Ever hear of this amazing chemical compound called "adrenalin?"

[Minutemen]

When I was growing up, it was chicken S**T to run away.

[Grando Calrissian]

Regardless, the guy got shot eight times for drunk driving (and sheer stupidity). I'm not going to join Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and all the other minstrels of black hate in protest, but I'm not going to applaud the cops either. Anytime anyone kills an unarmed man, it should be questioned vigorously.

[Poohbah]

Regardless, the guy got shot eight times for drunk driving (and sheer stupidity). I'm not going to join Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and all the other minstrels of black hate in protest, but I'm not going to applaud the cops either. Anytime anyone kills an unarmed man, it should be questioned vigorously.

I did question it; I went and examined the photos.

He was unarmed. He sure tried to ACT armed--he was pointing the cell phone at the cops in a two-handed isoceles stance. BTW, there are "cell phones" that are actually disguised firearms.

This guy was not a victim; he was a volunteer.

[Lysander]

One other thing KEEP IN MIND that they put up with ASSHOLES all day, EVERY day they are on duty,

...and that's just with their co-workers. Think about having to put up with the 16 year old assholes sitting in the K-mart parking lot too!

[Grando Calrissian]

Yes, but the California Highway Patrol is probably the least likely law enforcement organization to actually have to use their firearms, therefore, they are taught the most most expedient manner to take down the bad guy.

I have a friend whose dad's a cop and they refer to the CHP as the Auto Club with guns. I'm sure the CHP has some similar euphemisms for their friends not on the highways, just thought it was funny.

[sinkspur]

Anytime anyone kills an unarmed man, it should be questioned vigorously.

He was armed....with a cellphone. And, he assumed the two-hand stance.

You'd think after all these kinds of shootings, the dumb perps would get the idea that they are not going to survive a confrontation like this with the cops.

I've got two boys who are cops, and they go for their guns, right away, in a tense situation like this.

This was a "suicide-by-cop" situation, anyway.

[sinkspur]

This guy was not a victim; he was a volunteer.

LOL! And, no doubt,hopped up on something.

[discostu]

Watch the videos or check out the stills. The guy got shot 8 times for acting like he was trying to shoot somebody else. He enters into a classic two-handed shooters pose and in that lighting it looks like a stubby chrome 9-mil in his hand and he's pointing it right at one cop. Then when the other cop makes a grap for him he splits to the convenience store but he still keeps arching around holding the phone like a gun and point it at the cops. You can tell the cop closest to him (the one getting pointed at most often) honestly thinks he's going to be shot at, he's crouching and ducking and weaving doing everything he can to minimize his target profile.

Regardless of what happened before the second the guy start acting like he had a gun and intended to use it the situation became valid self defense. Things like this are exactly why cop cars have video cameras, to make it not the cops word vs nobody elses because anybody but them is dead. You can review the situation from 3 different angles (3 cars responded). Until I saw it I was with you, now that I've seen what was going on I must admit I'd shoot him too and I'd vote to aquit if I was on the jury whether it's cops or citizens doing the shooting.

[Grando Calrissian]

Ever hear of this amazing chemical compound called "adrenalin?"

Adrenalin is just a myth concocted by the vast right wing conspiracy.