Can cops fire warning shots?

[jlee]

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

leering at you with impunity from the 25yd line, knowing all you can do is poke little holes in them...

 

[rudeguy]

leering at you with impunity from the 25yd line, knowing all you can do is poke little holes in them...

mine tend to move on me too!

 

[smackababy]

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.

It shouldn't be "want to kill", but similar to "are willing to kill". If you are pointing your weapon at something and are not 100% okay with it dying upon you firing, you shouldn't be pointing at it.

 

[moonbogg]

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

Now what?

They fired into a grass hillside off to the right. I think it was the right call.

 

[JulesMaximus]

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.

a) I'm not a cop.
b) I've fired a gun tens of thousands of times and never killed anything or shot at anyone.
c) Most of the firearms in this country are privately owned.
d) 99% of the time a firearm is discharged in this country it is either for hunting or target shooting.
e) My comments were not aimed at training law enforcement as I assume they have their own training manuals and procedures.

f) Your point is moot... and it should be shoot.

 

[moonbogg]

So, given my hypothetical, do you think a warning shot is a good call?