Police shoot, kill man

Press Enterprise (Bloomsburg, PA) ^ | 8/22/2003 | Susan Schwartz

[Born Conservative]

MOCANAQUA — State police shot and killed a man who was swinging a garden rake at them while his horrified wife or girlfriend and neighbors watched, witnesses said.

Life Flight was called to help the man neighbors identified as Edward Vega, of 121 Italy St., after he was shot in the chest around 6 p.m. But the Life Flight doctor declared him dead, and the helicopter took off without him, said Dr. George Hudock Jr., county coroner.

A pool of blood and the garden rake remained in the middle of the road. State police strung crime-scene tape to block the street. A forensics team arrived on the scene, and a trooper began interviewing neighbors. The road was still closed off at 9:30 p.m.

It's unclear how the incident began. Channel 28 reported that state police said Vega and a woman who lived in the house with him had been fighting. The woman reportedly called police and said Vega was violating a protection from abuse order.

Neighbors, who said they feared to give their names or get involved, said they came out of their homes to see the man they knew as Ed in the roadway swinging tree branches at two state troopers.

They said Ed backed away toward his detached garage, where he dropped the branches, grabbed the metal rake and began swinging that at the officers.

That's when one trooper, about three steps away from the raging man, fired the shot, the neighbors said.

The man's wife or girlfriend ran into the street, crying and covering him with kisses, they said.

Neighbors recall friendly man

Neighbors said the couple had four children, with a fifth on the way.

Some neighbors said they had seen police cars at the house before.

But several said they were shocked by the shooting.

One weeping woman was gently escorted away by a trooper. Other stunned neighbors watched the troopers from their porches or the sidewalk.

Johnny Cielli, 81, of 102 Italy St., said the man he knew only as Ed and his family had moved into the neat white house with red trim just a few months ago.

Ed was a small man, weighing only 130 to 140 pounds, he said. Cielli used to walk by his house every day.

"I'd see him, and he'd always say 'Hi,'" Cielli said. "He had a little dog, and he'd tell me, 'Don't worry about the dog. He won't bite you.'"

Annette Knorowski, 56, of 126 Pond Hill Road, stared when she saw the police tape and heard what had happened.

"Oh my God, he was such a nice guy," she said.

She said she baby-sat two children in a house just down the street from Ed's home.

She would walk by his house while she took the youngest girl out in her carriage.

Ed always smiled and talked to her, she said.

Sometimes, he would walk with her on his way to do gardening work around the town.

"He told me it was a nice town, that everyone kept the street so nice and clean, that the people were so friendly," she said.

He was always busy, doing yard work for people, she said.

Another time, he stopped by the house where she worked and dropped off some flyers advertising a new house cleaning service he and his wife were offering, he said.

"He was a hard worker," she said. "He was always going someplace to do something for somebody.

"If he just had a rake, they shouldn't have shot him," she said.

State troopers said they would not release a statement about the shooting until their investigation was completed.

Hudock said he would be conducting an autopsy this morning at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.

[Centurion2000]

Hope you don't have kids that will learn your respect for the law.

I don't respect the cops anymore; not after seeing all the crimes they have committed under color of law.

People need to learn to obey authority.

If you feel like licking their boots, go ahead. My children will learn about their rights.

Cops need to start learning the the firearm is the LAST level of violence. Nightsticks/tonfas are lethal force that would have perfectly matched a rake.

When I want them to act like stupid people that got refused by the military I'll send them to the ATF for training.

[Erik Latranyi]

"People need to learn to obey authority. "

"You've gotta be frigging kidding me! You can't be serious. "


Yes, I am. I believe that too many young people today have no respect for authority of any kind.

[Centurion2000]

You can seriously injure (or kill) someone with one if you swing it at them hard enough.

I do know what a garden rake but thanks for the explanation.
My question is why are we so accepting of the shoot first, shoot some more and then say stop actions of the cops lately ?

In the last 20 years we have seen a total culture change of the cops from peacekeepers to occupying army. Every shooting should be reviewed by a DA and ALL people (cops and CCW holders) should be held to the SAME standards.

[toomuchcoffee]

Oh, give me a break!! Actually she's 5'7" and her weight is NOYB :-) Stop with the sexist crap.

[Bon mots]

Maybe the cops should have responded with a rake of their own... I would choose a nice New England clam rake for my weapon...

Very sharp and deadly. Can be swung fast too.

On second thought, I'll opt for the Glock.

[Erik Latranyi]

"If you feel like licking their boots, go ahead. My children will learn about their rights"

Having respect for an officer trying to enforce a restraining order is not licking his boots.

If that is your position, then you are lost.

[Dead Corpse]

Having respect for "law" and marching to orders lock-step are the difference between a free people and fascism. Respect is earned. Not beaten into you to set up a Pavlovian response.

[Paulus Invictus]

Should the cop have stood still for a rake to the head? Is a rake a deadly weapon? Was it a leaf rake made of plastic or a metal one with long sharp tines? What should he have done? let's say you were the cop, what would you have done? Just curious here...

[LibWhacker]

More info from Channel 28:

A Luzerne County man is shot dead by state troopers Wednesday Night... who say they had no other choice--but to open fire.. Police responded to the Italy Street home in Mocanaqua just before six. Police say the man, 36 year old Edward Vega was out of control and very threatening...and allegedly attacked them with a rake. Police then open fire. The names of the troopers have not yet been released. Both the state police and District Attorney's Office are investigating.

[Erik Latranyi]

"Having respect for "law" and marching to orders lock-step are the difference between a free people and fascism. Respect is earned. Not beaten into you to set up a Pavlovian response. "

I did not see anyone trying to beat the man holding the rake. In fact, I see it as exactly the opposite.

Respect from ignorant, uneducated, disrespectful people is worthless.

Respect is earned when you appeal to the free-thinking in people, not into their 'group-thought' by labeling all police shootings as brutal.

[toomuchcoffee]

" Every shooting should be reviewed by a DA and ALL people (cops and CCW holders) should be held to the SAME standards."


Say what? I have a CC permit and i'm held to really strict standards. Opinions are fine but, when stated as fact, they lose any consideration. CC permits don't allow me to just walk down the street, shooting anyone with whom I have a fashion disagreement.

[Erik Latranyi]

From Channel 16 - "Troopers were called to the home on Park Street for a domestic argument. Newswatch 16 has learned Vega had a violent past. The district attorney says Vega came after troopers with a weapon. A witness says it was a garden rake.

Troopers were called about a protection from abuse order violation. Vega was arguing with his girlfriend, Christina Shatrosky. Despite the order they lived together."



Violent Past. Protection From Abuse Order.

Nice guy you are all defending!

[Dead Corpse]

Free thinking people? Didn't you just get done saying people need to obey authority?

Don't start back peddling now.

[toomuchcoffee]

Don't respect cops? Sure hope you have a sign on your lawn stating that.

[Erik Latranyi]

More from Channel 16 - "A police source says so far the investigation shows the trooper was justified in shooting Vega. We do know that police are trained to use deadly force when they feel their lives or the lives of others are in danger. The district attorney will decide if the shooting was justified. "

[Porterville]

Is this from Reno 911 on Comedy Central??? What kind of pu$$y cop nails a dude swinging a rake??? Cop should be fired and put in jail for 5 years.

[Erik Latranyi]

"Free thinking people? Didn't you just get done saying people need to obey authority?
Don't start back peddling now."

No back peddling here. Free-thinking people do respect authority.

Ignorant people make blanket statements that we should not respect authority.

[Porterville]

I would have at most shot him in the arm.

[Shryke]

I am curious how you would, hypotheically, stop some raging guy (with a 5-6 foot metal claw) with your 2 foot night stick. Throw it at him? Give him a stern verbal warning? Fire a warning shot into the air (that WILL come down and may hit someone - my Lord that was the dumbest thing I've seen posted on this thread)?

You are certainly entitled to your mistrust of police, but applying it to this situation, which IMO is very clear cut self-defense, is irrational and simply brands you as a cop-hater, which is unfortunate.

P.S. Too many people seem to thing that only a gun or knife (or large cutting instument) qualifies as a deadly weapon. For those that do, ask your worst enemy to pick up a pencil and try to hurt you with it. Or a nice heavy metal rake. Then come tell me how non-lethal they are.

[toomuchcoffee]

Free thinking can't be law abiding? Well then, I'll just join those wacky, free thinking blackshirts that have those free thinking parties in downtown SF or Seattle or points otherwise. How about engageing your brain in this discussion?