Can cops fire warning shots?

[moonbogg]

Well, can they? Ok, I'm sure they can, but is it legal?

 

[DaveSimmons]

On TV, sure.

If they're singing cowboy cops, they can shoot the gun right out of the perp's hand!

 

[jlee]

Short answer, no.

 

[Printer Bandit]

if a cop shoots a warning shot in the air, and then the bullet comes down and lands on someones head, kills them. can they be charged with first degree murder?

 

[disappoint]

if a cop shoots a warning shot in the air, and then the bullet comes down and lands on someones head, kills them. can they be charged with first degree murder?

doesn't sound premeditated.

 

[Rakehellion]

if a cop shoots a warning shot in the air, and then the bullet comes down and lands on someones head, kills them. can they be charged with first degree murder?

A cop can't be charged with anything ever.

 

[rudeguy]

Well, can they? Ok, I'm sure they can, but is it legal?

I'll try to actually answer:

It all depends on the state. Most states consider firing a gun in an occupied area a crime unless you are shooting to stop a threat. Firing a warning shot may fall into that area but the risks of hitting an innocent person are too great. One of the basic rules of gun safety is you only aim at something you want to kill. Firing a warning shot into the air or at the ground doesn't jive with that rule. There is a very real chance that you could hit an innocent person. The thinking is that if the bad guy is enough of a threat to fire a warning shot at, he's enough of a threat to shoot.

There was a case here in MI where 2 guys at a club got into a fight. nothing major, that happens every day. One guy pulls a gun and then a 3rd guy pulls his gun and fires a warning shot into the ceiling. That doesn't stop the other guy with the gun, so the third guy shoots and kills him. The 3rd guy wasn't even tried to murder since it was a clean shoot. He was charged for firing the warning shot and got prison time for it.

 

[SunnyD]

A cop can't be charged with anything ever.

Except uninformed involuntary sarcasm.

 

[PliotronX]

Warning shots are a waste of ammo, that's what tasers are for.

 

[smackababy]

Firing a warning shot servers no purpose. If you are going to be firing your gun, you had better be doing it with the intent to kill. Otherwise, don't fire it.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I'll try to actually answer:

It all depends on the state. Most states consider firing a gun in an occupied area a crime unless you are shooting to stop a threat. Firing a warning shot may fall into that area but the risks of hitting an innocent person are too great. One of the basic rules of gun safety is you only aim at something you want to kill. Firing a warning shot into the air or at the ground doesn't jive with that rule. There is a very real chance that you could hit an innocent person. The thinking is that if the bad guy is enough of a threat to fire a warning shot at, he's enough of a threat to shoot.

There was a case here in MI where 2 guys at a club got into a fight. nothing major, that happens every day. One guy pulls a gun and then a 3rd guy pulls his gun and fires a warning shot into the ceiling. That doesn't stop the other guy with the gun, so the third guy shoots and kills him. The 3rd guy wasn't even tried to murder since it was a clean shoot. He was charged for firing the warning shot and got prison time for it.

Is it kill or destroy? Or is it shoot?

I was always taught that you never point a gun at anything you don't intend to shoot. The last 10-15 years I see the rule posted as never point a gun at anything you don't intend to destroy or kill.

I prefer the old ways. Keep it simple stupid. And don't change it up for the kiddies with short attention spans.

I love my Colt manual. In it you find simple safety warnings like, this Colt pistol is designed primarily to discharge bullets and it will do this efficiently when it is loaded and you squeeze the trigger.

 

[smackababy]

Is it kill or destroy? Or is it shoot?

I was always taught that you never point a gun at anything you don't intend to shoot. The last 10-15 years I see the rule posted as never point a gun at anything you don't intend to destroy or kill.

I prefer the old ways. Keep it simple stupid. And don't change it up for the kiddies with short attention spans.

I love my Colt manual. In it you find simple safety warnings like, this Colt pistol is designed primarily to discharge bullets and it will do this efficiently when it is loaded and you squeeze the trigger.

It should be kill, IMO. I don't expect people to be anything except incapacitated if I fire at them and you shouldn't either. Letting people feel they can simply wound someone, even if not directly implying it, it bad. If you're not okay with whatever you are shooting dying, you have no business shooting at it.

 

[rudeguy]

Is it kill or destroy? Or is it shoot?

I was always taught that you never point a gun at anything you don't intend to shoot. The last 10-15 years I see the rule posted as never point a gun at anything you don't intend to destroy or kill.

I prefer the old ways. Keep it simple stupid. And don't change it up for the kiddies with short attention spans.

I love my Colt manual. In it you find simple safety warnings like, this Colt pistol is designed primarily to discharge bullets and it will do this efficiently when it is loaded and you squeeze the trigger.

Well you don't shoot at anything you don't want to kill. I've never heard destroy.

 

[Rakehellion]

One of the basic rules of gun safety is you only aim at something you want to kill.

Cops aim their guns at people as a warning.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Is it kill or destroy? Or is it shoot?

I was always taught that you never point a gun at anything you don't intend to shoot. The last 10-15 years I see the rule posted as never point a gun at anything you don't intend to destroy or kill.

I prefer the old ways. Keep it simple stupid. And don't change it up for the kiddies with short attention spans.

I love my Colt manual. In it you find simple safety warnings like, this Colt pistol is designed primarily to discharge bullets and it will do this efficiently when it is loaded and you squeeze the trigger.

Cops shoot to neutralize the threat. Simple enough. Their intention is not to kill, but if it comes to that in order to neutralize the threat, then so be it.

 

[rudeguy]

Cops aim their guns at people as a warning.

Which is a huge problem I have with cops.

Drawing and being at low ready is one thing but the way so many cops draw down on people just isn't right.

 

[olds]

Never admit to firing a warning shot. Say you missed.

 

[JulesMaximus]

It should be kill, IMO. I don't expect people to be anything except incapacitated if I fire at them and you shouldn't either. Letting people feel they can simply wound someone, even if not directly implying it, it bad. If you're not okay with whatever you are shooting dying, you have no business shooting at it.

I think it should be shoot. When you pull the trigger the result isn't death. The result is a bullet being discharged from the barrel at the target. Guns are lethal weapons, anyone handling one should already know this.

Dumbing down instructions for idiots makes no sense to me. Just don't let idiots handle your gun.

This is what I was taught.

1. Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
2. Never point a firearm at anything you do not intend to shoot.
3. Always be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
4. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are on target and ready to fire.
5. If someone hands you a firearm, check to see that it is unloaded.

Well you don't shoot at anything you don't want to kill. I've never heard destroy.

I shoot at paper targets all the time. It is a target that is impossible to "kill." I think it is poorly written in this manner. You shoot a target, killing is incidental. Destroying is an equally stupid term. All I do is put holes in paper targets. I shot the side of that barn the other day... did I destroy it? :thumbsdown:

And I have heard destroy here on these forums and elsewhere.

 

[jlee]

I think it should be shoot. When you pull the trigger the result isn't death. The result is a bullet being discharged from the barrel at the target. Guns are lethal weapons, anyone handling one should already know this.

Dumbing down instructions for idiots makes no sense to me. Just don't let idiots handle your gun.

This is what I was taught.

1. Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
2. Never point a firearm at anything you do not intend to shoot.
3. Always be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
4. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are on target and ready to fire.
5. If someone hands you a firearm, check to see that it is unloaded.




I shoot at paper targets all the time. It is a target that is impossible to "kill." I think it is poorly written in this manner. You shoot a target, killing is incidental. Destroying is an equally stupid term. All I do is put holes in paper targets. I shot the side of that barn the other day... did I destroy it? :thumbsdown:

And I have heard destroy here on these forums and elsewhere.

+1

 

[Jimzz]

In most places outside of official police stations no.
This is an example of a fully vetted warning/test shoot allowed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=948-2Vzgi3w

 

[moonbogg]

What about if there are two people involved, such as the following situation. A man is mishandling a woman, treating her poorly and she is screaming saying for him to let her go. A cop hears it and approaches. He said put your hands up, the man fails to fully comply. The man is still standing by the woman, so if the cop shoots, he could hit her by accident, so he fires a warning shot to scare the man into compliance as an option before shooting him and risking hitting her. The man is scared, complies, and the situation is resolved without death or injury. If the cop didn't do that, he might have waited until he felt truly threatened and had no choice but to shoot the man, and possibly her as well.

Judgments? Opinions?

 

[smackababy]

I think it should be shoot. When you pull the trigger the result isn't death. The result is a bullet being discharged from the barrel at the target. Guns are lethal weapons, anyone handling one should already know this.

Dumbing down instructions for idiots makes no sense to me. Just don't let idiots handle your gun.

This is what I was taught.

1. Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
2. Never point a firearm at anything you do not intend to shoot.
3. Always be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
4. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are on target and ready to fire.
5. If someone hands you a firearm, check to see that it is unloaded.




I shoot at paper targets all the time. It is a target that is impossible to "kill." I think it is poorly written in this manner. You shoot a target, killing is incidental. Destroying is an equally stupid term. All I do is put holes in paper targets. I shot the side of that barn the other day... did I destroy it? :thumbsdown:

And I have heard destroy here on these forums and elsewhere.

It should be 'kill'. You are not authorized to discharge your service weapon under any circumstances that don't allow for the use of deadly force. And, you should never been using it if you don't fully expect for the target to be killed. You don't make policies or practice with the assumption you're going to be shooting targets and barns; that is just stupid. The last thing we need is for police to further dehumanize what they have to do. How would you like it if a cop came out and said "well, Michael Brown was simply a target!" Don't get me wrong, I actually support cops, unlike quite a few on this forum, but I still want them to practice and preach only using their weapons with the intent to incapacitate via deadly force.

 

[jlee]

What about if there are two people involved, such as the following situation. A man is mishandling a woman, treating her poorly and she is screaming saying for him to let her go. A cop hears it and approaches. He said put your hands up, the man fails to fully comply. The man is still standing by the woman, so if the cop shoots, he could hit her by accident, so he fires a warning shot to scare the man into compliance as an option before shooting him and risking hitting her. The man is scared, complies, and the situation is resolved without death or injury. If the cop didn't do that, he might have waited until he felt truly threatened and had no choice but to shoot the man, and possibly her as well.

Judgments? Opinions?

Or he fires a warning shot, it fragments off the ground and strikes the victim in the face.

Now what?

 

[jlee]

It should be 'kill'. You are not authorized to discharge your service weapon under any circumstances that don't allow for the use of deadly force. And, you should never been using it if you don't fully expect for the target to be killed. You don't make policies or practice with the assumption you're going to be shooting targets and barns; that is just stupid. The last thing we need is for police to further dehumanize what they have to do. How would you like it if a cop came out and said "well, Michael Brown was simply a target!" Don't get me wrong, I actually support cops, unlike quite a few on this forum, but I still want them to practice and preach only using their weapons with the intent to incapacitate via deadly force.

Except the intent is not to kill. The intent is to stop a threat. Whether that's a center mass, pelvic, or head shot-- the ultimate goal is to stop the threat.

I don't think we really disagree; it's more a matter of semantics, but once you cross the threshold of deadly force the 'kill' aspect becomes irrelevant to the decision. If the line is "don't shoot anything you don't want to kill", then that implies that someone "wanted to kill" - which is not the case.

 

[rudeguy]

I think it should be shoot. When you pull the trigger the result isn't death. The result is a bullet being discharged from the barrel at the target. Guns are lethal weapons, anyone handling one should already know this.

Dumbing down instructions for idiots makes no sense to me. Just don't let idiots handle your gun.

This is what I was taught.

1. Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
2. Never point a firearm at anything you do not intend to shoot.
3. Always be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
4. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are on target and ready to fire.
5. If someone hands you a firearm, check to see that it is unloaded.




I shoot at paper targets all the time. It is a target that is impossible to "kill." I think it is poorly written in this manner. You shoot a target, killing is incidental. Destroying is an equally stupid term. All I do is put holes in paper targets. I shot the side of that barn the other day... did I destroy it? :thumbsdown:

And I have heard destroy here on these forums and elsewhere.

I kill paper targets all the time. I hate those little bastards!