Lethal Force!

[ZeroX]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051228/ap_on_re_us/police_shooting

Summing the article up about 15ish cops gunned down a guy with a knife. Now reguardless too what the artticle says from what I have been told (by people in the local police department) all police must go through basic hand too hand self defence (that includes one on one dodging and disarming a person with a knife) Even if they have no training in this matter they could have easially shot him in the shoulder or leg pepper sprayed him/maced him (That shit fucks you up for the record) and he would have been down and a minimal threat. The use of lethal force was extremelly bullshit i can see if it was one on one or one on two but not 15 cops all with guns drawn too one guy with a knife.

[trust]

Your local police department isn't in New Orleans.

My take on this: Pretty much, oh well.

[ZeroX]

I have friends in the area that work down at the Police station and I asked them what there thoughts where on this subject.

[Sidoh]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051228/ap_on_re_us/police_shooting

Summing the article up about 15ish cops gunned down a guy with a knife. Now reguardless too what the artticle says from what I have been told (by people in the local police department) all police must go through basic hand too hand self defence (that includes one on one dodging and disarming a person with a knife) Even if they have no training in this matter they could have easially shot him in the shoulder or leg pepper sprayed him/maced him (That shit fucks you up for the record) and he would have been down and a minimal threat. The use of lethal force was extremelly bullshit i can see if it was one on one or one on two but not 15 cops all with guns drawn too one guy with a knife.

Personally, I don't think much of this.  If some guy is running at me with a knife trying to slash me and I have a gun, I'm not going to take the time to aim at his shoulder or leg and risk missing.  I'm just going to aim in his general direction and pull the trigger.  The mace and pepper spray have a relatively short range and take a few seconds to immobalize/blind someone.  If you're 10 feet away from the guy and manage to shoot him in the eyes with pepper spray, you'd be doing pretty good.  Chances are, he's already coming at you pretty fast.  If he manages to perceive where you are, there's little doubt you're going to get stabbed.

In a "heat of the moment" situation like this, I probably would have done the same thing.  I would've only shot him once, though.  If that didn't stop him from coming, I'd shoot him again.  I agree it's pretty fucked up he was killed, but the unexpected happens...

[iago]

That's happened twice here in the last year. I'm not sure how many cops were present at the situations, but lethal force was used on somebody with a knife.  If somebody is attacking the police, I agree that they should take any actions they feel are necessary to save themselves.  If you're going to attack police, be prepared to accept the consequences. 

[Ergot]

IIRC, we had a situation like this, where an Asian lady had a vegetable peeler or w/e... They shot her. Police shoot to kill, it's more humane or something.

[CrAz3D]

eh, oh well, no loss for that community & that dude's kids (if he had any).

If he is running around w/a knife threatening people he isn't a good father figure, better for everyone this way.

[iago]

eh, oh well, no loss for that community & that dude's kids (if he had any).

If he is running around w/a knife threatening people he isn't a good father figure, better for everyone this way.

Although I fully agree with what the cop did, I also fully disagree with your reasons.  Pretty much for the same reason that I disgree with capital punishment. 

[rabbit]

BTW, Zero, he was only shot by 3 cops, not 15.

Also, I'd like to point out that

The officers are trained to treat knife attacks as deadly force and are not schooled in disarming suspects with knives using hand-to-hand combat

which blows away your "they are trained ..." argument.

Nextly, they used pepper spray, which didn't work:

One witness, local defense attorney Robert Jenkins, said police showed "great restraint" in the shooting Monday. "They hit him with a host of pepper spray and he still doesn't go down," said Jenkins. "He just wipes his face like it's nothing."

It sounds like you skimmed, Zero.

[Blaze]

Maybe he just wanted to show the poilice his nice shiney knife... I know I like to show people the knife I made....

[leet_muffin]

Have you ever had someone run at you with a knife?

I haven't, but I have had someone run at me with a 9" screwdriver, and let me tell you this, there isn't much thinking involved in the reaction. If I had a gun I probobly would have shot him.

I don't much like police, because 95% of the times, they are assholes. I don't think how they react most of the time is acceptable, however, if the case was that the guy was running at the police officer with a knife, and I mean 5-10 ft. away, then yes, fire away.

[Sidoh]

Maybe he just wanted to show the poilice his nice shiney knife... I know I like to show people the knife I made....

ROFL!!

Have you ever had someone run at you with a knife?

I haven't, but I have had someone run at me with a 9" screwdriver, and let me tell you this, there isn't much thinking involved in the reaction. If I had a gun I probobly would have shot him.

I don't much like police, because 95% of the times, they are assholes. I don't think how they react most of the time is acceptable, however, if the case was that the guy was running at the police officer with a knife, and I mean 5-10 ft. away, then yes, fire away.

That's what I was saying, I don't think there's much preemptive thought involved...