Police Shoot & Kill Grandfather While Responding To Burglary Call « CBS Dallas / Fort Worth

 

I find the description of this incident disturbing.

From the article:

 

The elderly man, who was armed at the time, was shot and killed in his own driveway by police responding to a burglary call. “We heard five shots,” Haskin recalled. They were just rapid fire one after the other.”

 

Speaking on the incident Fort Worth police Cpl. Tracey Knight said, “Officers felt threatened by the man with the handgun and he was shot.”

 

After the shooting Haskin said, “The police officers were sobbing uncontrollably and very distraught.”

I find the description of this incident disturbing.

 

What part do you find disturbing and why?

I guess I need more information before I can determine whether shooting this man dead in his own driveway was justifiable. With just the facts I have from this article, I find it disturbing as well.

Did the officers hail him to stop or announce their presence? It wasn't in the story. Is that practice anymore?

The event is horrible, no question about it.

 

However, imagine you are a police officer in a major city with a lot of violent crime and in the middle of the dark night you respond to a burglary and while doing so you are approached by a man with a gun. With that said, it is almost impossible for any of us to say specifically what we would or would not have done in this situation but I am pretty certain a number of us would have fired upon a perceived threat.

The headline seems strange to me as well as the opening sentence.

Did the officers hail him to stop or announce their presence? It wasn't in the story. Is that practice anymore?

 

Studies on perception/reaction time would say the officers giving up their position in this case would definitely give any threat a tactical advantage.

The headline seems strange to me as well as the opening sentence.

 

That is a combination of the media and Bluto.

The event is horrible, no question about it.

 

However, imagine you are a police officer in a major city with a lot of violent crime and in the middle of the dark night you respond to a burglary and while doing so you are approached by a man with a gun. With that said, it is almost impossible for any of us to say specifically what we would or would not have done in this situation but I am pretty certain a number of us would have fired upon a perceived threat.

 

In no way shape or form can a murder of a man on his own property not committing a crime be justified. It is the officers job to show restraint. They will have to live with this the rest of their lives and people should be fired and charges should happen.

I guess I need more information

 

Ditto

I jumped the gun a little. I to will say I need more info.

Studies on perception/reaction time would say the officers giving up their position in this case would definitely give any threat a tactical advantage.

 

So it's not common for police officers to issue a "Freeze & drop the gun now!" kind of warning?

That is a combination of the media and Bluto.

 

I'm talking about the inclusion of "grandfather" in the title and the opening line. Bluto didn't have anything to do with that. The opening line of the article reads..."A grandfather checking on his neighbor is shot and killed by Fort Worth police."

Listening to video at link it was at night and not in daylight. That adds another element.

 

Approaching first responding officers coming into an unsecured scene with a weapon drawn or in-hand may have been a problem.