Didn't they shoot one of the NY prison escapees as he was fleeing into the woods? He was unarmed and the police knew it but they knew he was going to make it to the woods and gave the order to shoot him.

He was no longer in the car. That was the deadly weapon that he had used. He no longer had his "murder" weapon.

 

True, but in that hectic scene, the officer thought the kid had been shooting at him. Just an awful situation. Had the kid not been so reckless with his life, the officers and the citizens of that obvious residential neighborhood, he'd still be alive today.

Edit

Isn't that the fleeing felon law?

True, but in that hectic scene, the officer thought the kid had been shooting at him. Just an awful situation. Had the kid not been so reckless with his life, the officers and the citizens of that obvious residential neighborhood, he'd still be alive today.

 

I agree with you. I don't agree with plantmanky's approach to the issue.

I agree with you. I don't agree with plantmanky's approach to the issue.

 

Same.

I think ultimately the officers will be cleared of criminal charges, I'm not sure if their careers will survive though. I think we're getting to a slippery slope when analyzing officers actions when they had seconds to analyze, dissect, and take action in a high stress, and high danger situation. I'm worried that the pendulum will swing too far back and a lot of officers will be forced to react instead of act. Waiting to be fired upon, stabbed, struck by a car, before they take action.

 

I blame the media. Yes, bad officers need to be exposed, but more people are killed by malpractice than "bad shoots", so why no outcry for them? Citizens expect perfection from guys that get paid as little as $25k a year? It's frustrating to watch media bias that only tell one side and paint criminals as saints in a lot of cases. I feel for this young mans family, but he put himself in this situation and can't be portrayed as a saint and that's what the media will do.

Isn't that the fleeing felon law?

 

See Tennessee v Garner

 

Under U.S. law the fleeing felon rule was limited in 1985 to non-lethal force in most cases by Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1. The justices held that deadly force "may not be used unless necessary to prevent the escape and the officer has probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious bodily harm to the officer or others."[2]

What is the true debate? If someone is running from police there is a reason correct? in this case the reason was he tried to murder them, and was therefore shot.

 

Say he gets away. Next day he is positively identified sitting alone on a bench with nobody within 100' of him. Are the police allowed to bring in a sniper and smoke him on the park bench? He's already shown he is a threat by trying to commit murder with the car the previous day, right?

 

Your logic is flawed and dangerous. Glad better minds than yours are making policy for our police forces. If he no longer presents a clear and present threat (i.e., running away without a weapon), you are entitled to pursue but not entitled to discharge your weapon.

 

Shootings yesterday in both Cincinnati and Louisville may present a more interesting question: does a knife (and a "machete-like instrument," whatever that is in the Louisville report) present a clear and present threat? Depends on how close the suspect is to the police and others. If he's brandishing a knife in the middle of a park 50' away from the cops and bystanders, probably not. He makes a move toward anyone to reduce that distance and he puts himself in jeopardy of being shot.

Say he gets away. Next day he is positively identified sitting alone on a bench with nobody within 100' of him. Are the police allowed to bring in a sniper and smoke him on the park bench? He's already shown he is a threat by trying to commit murder with the car the previous day, right?

 

Your logic is flawed and dangerous. Glad better minds than yours are making policy for our police forces. If he no longer presents a clear and present threat (i.e., running away without a weapon), you are entitled to pursue but not entitled to discharge your weapon.

 

Shootings yesterday in both Cincinnati and Louisville may present a more interesting question: does a knife (and a "machete-like instrument," whatever that is in the Louisville report) present a clear and present threat? Depends on how close the suspect is to the police and others. If he's brandishing a knife in the middle of a park 50' away from the cops and bystanders, probably not. He makes a move toward anyone to reduce that distance and he puts himself in jeopardy of being shot.

Has to be a point where he lays it down correct? IF not, then what?

So another punk breaks the law and tries to use a vehicle as a deadly weapon and ends up getting shot. Oh well, chalk another one up for the good guys.

You can't frown upon murder in one breath and promote it in the next...

 

I mean you are, but it's pretty contradictory.

 

Not following you here?

So another punk breaks the law and tries to use a vehicle as a deadly weapon and ends up getting shot. Oh well, check another one up for the good guys.

 

So you also condone murder in one instance but not the other.

He was no longer in the car. That was the deadly weapon that he had used. He no longer had his "murder" weapon.

 

So a murder isnt a threat because they dont have a weapon? He couldnt kill someone with his bare hands?

I blame the media. Yes, bad officers need to be exposed, but more people are killed by malpractice than "bad shoots", so why no outcry for them? Citizens expect perfection from guys that get paid as little as $25k a year? It's frustrating to watch media bias that only tell one side and paint criminals as saints in a lot of cases. I feel for this young mans family, but he put himself in this situation and can't be portrayed as a saint and that's what the media will do.

 

The media is by far the biggest issue when it comes to everything we are seeing in our country right now, IMO. As you stated, the bad eggs on both sides of the fence need to be identified and dealt with, but the media and its sick obsession for fanning flames is extremely detrimental to the process.