YASECT: cops shoot mentally ill man holding a small screwdriver

[Red Squirrel]

I agree that many times the cops seem to quick to pull the trigger but you have to remember they are not here to dance around and have a cutsy fist fight and hopefully come out on top while the rest of you cheer and tweet it out. When the cops come people have to realize this shit is for real and your actions in the next few minutes will determine if you live or die. Act accordingly. Wave a screwdriver at them? LOL die dumbass. Simple concept. Bleeding hearts can suck an egg here.

However I do have a solution. On nature shows I have seen helicopters swoop down while they shoot running animals with tranq darts. The cops could easily chase people and dart them from the safety of their own vehicle and then just call for an ambulance. Hell they could just dispatch a drone from the police station these days.

Actually tranquillisers would not be a terrible idea for situations like this. Tasers work too but they're a bit more tedious to use. You shoot it once, then you have to set it all up again, at least I think so anyway. Though I guess tranquillisers don't work instantly so wont work if someone is charging you.

We can sit here and say he should have done this or that, but guess in the heat of the moment it's hard to make the right decision. On the other hand that should really be part of training and cops should be very good at making split second decisions, it should be in their blood. Think of an air traffic controller, that kind of fast decision making and keeping up with the situation is part of the job and a skill that is built up.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I couldn't tell whether the guy actually rushed or menaced the cops with the screwdriver from the video. Why wouldn't tasers be used in that situation? Maybe have one cop pull his taser and have the other one back him up with firearms if he missed with it or something. I don't blame them if he really did appear to be attacking them with the screwdriver. I question the necessity of deadly force a a first resort though.

Pretty much my exact question. Why were guns drawn? No threat was present. The appearance of a male is not an imminent threat. If necessary when you see an object in their hands the MOST I can justify is a taser.

 

[soulcougher73]

LOL @ all you armchair cops. You dont charge a cop with anything and expect to not get shot. Learn that rule and youll avoid being shot by a cop in this lifetime.

 

[PliotronX]

Pretty much my exact question. Why were guns drawn? No threat was present. The appearance of a male is not an imminent threat. If necessary when you see an object in their hands the MOST I can justify is a taser.

Tasers do not always make a man incapable of stabbing or thrusting. Not only did he disobey orders, he advanced towards officers in close proximity. We can play the coulda woulda shoulda game for eternity but it won't change the fact that the guy advanced with a potentially dangerous object towards cops with drawn weapons. What did he expect? Was this suicide by cop?

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Tasers do not always make a man incapable of stabbing or thrusting. Not only did he disobey orders, he advanced towards officers in close proximity. We can play the coulda woulda shoulda game for eternity but it won't change the fact that the guy advanced with a potentially dangerous object towards cops with drawn weapons. What did he expect? Was this suicide by cop?

Look, I understand what you're saying. He shouldn't have charged and nothing would have happened.

But I'm under a simple principle that any trained officer should have been able to trip that dude and have a knee to his throat in 2 seconds flat.

 

[soulcougher73]

Look, I understand what you're saying. He shouldn't have charged and nothing would have happened.

But I'm under a simple principle that any trained officer should have been able to trip that dude and have a knee to his throat in 2 seconds flat.

Meh. Easier to shoot and not to risk getting yourself stabbed in throat or something attempting such acrobatics. If he was unarmed sure go MMA on him.

 

[moonbogg]

Charged officer with a screwdriver after being told several times to drop it...

What did you expect to happen? What would you have done?

This is hard to answer, and for this specific reason, I would have likely shot him. If I have to sit here and think about it, then that means in the 5 seconds that cop had to think about it, he probably didn't know either, so he shot. I would have probably shot him.

 

[moonbogg]

Mom calls to get her son to the hospital. Gets him sent to the after life instead

Damn it, Naer.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Seems that cops need to be trained that their job is not nearly as dangerous as they think it is.

Taking trafic fatalities out of the equation for cops; being a truck driver is a much more dangerous profession.

 

[brianmanahan]

ah, i love the smell of a YASECT in the evening

 

[Rakehellion]

This is evidence that you should never call the police for any reason.

 

[PieIsAwesome]

This is evidence that you should never call the police for any reason.

Yep, especially if it has to do with a mentally disabled person.

 

[DesiPower]

Damn, Its TX, wild wild west, and the officers are scared of a screw driver, just imagine what Clint Eastwood would have done...

 

[Rakehellion]

Someone called the cops called on my roommate once. They came in, called me names (retard, asshole) and threatened to arrest me because my roommate was a criminal.

Cops are total irredeemable assholes. Wipe those grease stains off the planet.

 

[DesiPower]

Someone called the cops called on my roommate once. They came in, called me names (retard, asshole) and threatened to arrest me because my roommate was a criminal.

Cops are total irredeemable assholes. Wipe those grease stains off the planet.

 

[Blitzvogel]

No taser?
No leg shot?

It seems that cops are taught to "shoot to kill" only. I don't see why they can't ever be taught to retreat a little bit (situation permitting) to give them the time to make disabling shots to the legs.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

No taser?
No leg shot?

It seems that cops are taught to "shoot to kill" only. I don't see why they can't ever be taught to retreat a little bit (situation permitting) to give them the time to make disabling shots to the legs.

There is NO cop. Nor ANY training that says to shoot someone in the leg. If they shoot a target, the object is to neutralize the threat of the target.

If a cop ever shoots someone in the leg he should be fired for not doing his job correctly.

Now in this case, I disagree in regards to why the weapons were drawn in the first place. You have 2 large males vs 1 puny mentally handicappped one with a screwdriver. Pull out your taser if need be, but even that I don't think is necessary if you are a properly trained officer. I guess training has gone down-hill and is more in favor of approving donuts munchers.

 

[pcgeek11]

Yes, the only possible way to resolve the situation was to kill him and then continue to shout at his dead body to drop the screwdriver it was now lying on.

Nobody said it was " The Only Possible Way" for Christ's sake. It was a split second call and in this case it was acceptable IMO. You do have the right to disagree with my opinion.

 

[pcgeek11]

Think of an air traffic controller, that kind of fast decision making and keeping up with the situation is part of the job and a skill that is built up.

Plane loads of people have also died due to their mistakes in judgement also.

 

[pcgeek11]

No taser?
No leg shot?

It seems that cops are taught to "shoot to kill" only. I don't see why they can't ever be taught to retreat a little bit (situation permitting) to give them the time to make disabling shots to the legs.

That is true. As it should be. Real Life doesn't equal Movies...

 

[halik]

Isn't there a video from the other cop's perspective? If someone is going for my neck with a screw driver, I'd shoot as well.

Edit: Not surprised he got shot, he swings for the other cop

 

[irishScott]

No taser?
No leg shot?

It seems that cops are taught to "shoot to kill" only. I don't see why they can't ever be taught to retreat a little bit (situation permitting) to give them the time to make disabling shots to the legs.

Shooting anyone in any body part will be considered lethal force in a court of law. Leg shots are Hollywood. There's this thing called the femoral artery, it runs down your leg. You can bleed to death in minutes without treatment. That factor aside, leg shots are also nearly impossible to make. Go rent a gun at your local range and see how much you suck hitting a stationary man-sized target, then imagine hitting moving legs while your heart is racing.