Poll: Was this police shooting justified in your opinion? (Graphic)

[Brawndo]

News story under the video, shooting occurs at 0:42.

Is a human life really worth so little that a half a dozen police officers will not try to overpower and disarm one man with a crowbar? I mean what is event the point of spending thousands of dollars equipping and training police with batons, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and police dogs if the cops aren't going to use them? The officer who shot the suspect didn't even go for the leg shot, it just looked like he panicked and unloaded.



On another note, the guys recording the shooting really disgust me. I can't believe their reactions at seeing another person get shot to death 30 feet away. Their comments ("They merc-ed that mothafucker!") make it sound like they are watching someone play Xbox Live or something. Absolutely vile. One or two of them show a little humanity later on in the video once they come to their senses.

 

[evilneko]

Here's what I see: the officer behind the suspect lowers his weapon, perhaps even to retrieve a less-lethal alternative though that's just speculation, and the suspect turns on him. The other officer, seeing this, immediately starts shooting in defense of his fellow officer who at that very moment does not appear ready for such an attack.

A "leg shot" or anything other than center-mass shot is exceedingly stupid and just as likely to be lethal.

There is also this:

The suspect then walked inside, while workers and customers ran outside. Police arrived and surrounded the building, but investigators say the suspect was refusing their commands, and a Taser didn't stop him, either.

The suspect swung the three-foot metal bar at officers twice, police said, forcing two officers to open fire on the suspect.

Sauce: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=8515794

My conclusion is: Absolutely justified shooting. If the officer with the dog hadn't started shooting, the other officer might well be seriously injured or even dead right now.

Edit: Actually you can even see in the video where they tried to taser him. So that's what the first officer was doing when he appeared to lower his weapon. He was probably going for his gun or attempting to reset the taser!

Yeah, there are plenty of examples of unjustified shootings--this one just ain't one of them.

 

[Mazza35]

Sad case, but justified.
If you come at a police officer with a weapon, expect to be shot.
It's not like they had half an hour to calm him, and maybe get a taser out, no. They got called about a guy terrosing people with a crowbar, he came out, saw the officers, and came at one. He was shot, and I want to hear none of this 'He could of fired a warning shot, or a leg shot, or a disabling shot' No. When you make the split second call to shoot someone, you want to make sure that fucker goes down. You don't know if they are high on drugs (I have first person accounts of Insurgents in Afghany taking 20 rifle rounds to go down when they are high)

In short, sad but justified.

 

[Scorekeeper]

I came to this fully expecting a clear-cut case of police brutality/overreaction. However, the guy who was shot got what he had coming to him. His body language was aggressive, he was armed with a deadly weapon, and the officer was within reach. The armed man was a fool, plain and simple.

 

[BathorysGraveland]

I think it is justified, yes. He seems to be a violent criminal who made a threatening move to the police officers, and they retaliated. Sometimes, violence is the only language these criminals understand so I think the officers did nothing wrong here.

 

[The Preened Mr. Fust]

Tragic as it always is when life must be extinguished. There could be any number of reasons for this man's behavior from drugs to psychosis and more; However the officers that protect innocent citizens often have to make snap judgements when confronted with another human being armed with a deadly weapon.

This poor man has my feelings regardless of how foolish and suicidal it was, but I certainly cannot cast any negative light on Police trying to protect others.

Afterall, a taser in the face clearly did not work. If I may ladies and gentlemen, I can say without a doubt that 25,000 volts applied to my face would not encourage me to any actions other than surrendering and I would wager most of us average citizens would do the same.

 

[Mazza35]

Here's what I see: the officer behind the suspect lowers his weapon, perhaps even to retrieve a less-lethal alternative though that's just speculation, and the suspect turns on him. The other officer, seeing this, immediately starts shooting in defense of his fellow officer who at that very moment does not appear ready for such an attack.

A "leg shot" or anything other than center-mass shot is exceedingly stupid and just as likely to be lethal.

There is also this:

The suspect then walked inside, while workers and customers ran outside. Police arrived and surrounded the building, but investigators say the suspect was refusing their commands, and a Taser didn't stop him, either.

The suspect swung the three-foot metal bar at officers twice, police said, forcing two officers to open fire on the suspect.

Sauce: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=8515794

My conclusion is: Absolutely justified shooting. If the officer with the dog hadn't started shooting, the other officer might well be seriously injured or even dead right now.

Edit: Actually you can even see in the video where they tried to taser him. So that's what the first officer was doing when he appeared to lower his weapon. He was probably going for his gun or attempting to reset the taser!

Yeah, there are plenty of examples of unjustified shootings--this one just ain't one of them.

Yeah, you can see them taser him. He just waves it off.

 

[Riki Darnell]

I think it's justified because that cop acted on basic instinct. If I had a gun and a man with a weapon turned at me in a threatening way I wouldn't hesitate to shoot.

 

[Esotera]

He was moving for the other officer, in the circumstances that's perfectly justified. If you don't like it, petition your police to carry tasers or mostly nothing at all, as it seems to work fine in the UK.

 

[The Preened Mr. Fust]

He was moving for the other officer, in the circumstances that's perfectly justified. If you don't like it, petition your police to carry tasers or mostly nothing at all, as it seems to work fine in the UK.

Seems like he's carrying...

...Nothing at all
...Nothing at all
...Nothing at all


Unfortunately, looks alone do not quite do it for a guy in a cop's line of duty.

 

[Esotera]

He was moving for the other officer, in the circumstances that's perfectly justified. If you don't like it, petition your police to carry tasers or mostly nothing at all, as it seems to work fine in the UK.

Seems like he's carrying...

...Nothing at all
...Nothing at all
...Nothing at all


Unfortunately, looks alone do not quite do it for a guy in a cop's line of duty.

Then maybe this image will help you:

Spoiler

He's quite clearly carrying something that could cause considerable damage to another person, then swings it at a police officer, who have been telling him to put the weapon down.

 

[Zeema]

I wouldn't have done anything different. Completely reasonable i rekon

on Full screen you see him going towards the officer in a Swinging motion with the Crowbar [on full screen it looks like a Hammer]
a if he released the dog the dog could have got smashed in the face
that guy's Adrenaline would have been going thru the roof and a Taser wouldn't be able to stop him straight away
i dont rekon he would be able to hit him with the baton and stop the other officer from getting hit. [same goes for pepper spray]

also imagine if your friend was getting rushed at with a crowbar, would you aim for the leg?. its easy to say 'he shud have done this' but in heated situations like that, it can get outta of control.

Plus who was this guy? a Criminal, he did something wrong and he died its life. its called a Punishment, the Officer did nothing wrong. i wouldn't have changed a thing.

but thats what i rekon.


http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=8515794 [Also the New's Story]

 

[manic_depressive13]

Right. He makes a vaguely threatening gesture and gets shot ten times. I'll never understand how someone could so casually kill another person. More importantly, why did the taser have no effect? Why did they even have a dog there? Why couldn't three officers and a dog simply overpower one person?

 

[The Preened Mr. Fust]

He was moving for the other officer, in the circumstances that's perfectly justified. If you don't like it, petition your police to carry tasers or mostly nothing at all, as it seems to work fine in the UK.

Seems like he's carrying...

...Nothing at all
...Nothing at all
...Nothing at all


Unfortunately, looks alone do not quite do it for a guy in a cop's line of duty.

Then maybe this image will help you:

Spoiler

He's quite clearly carrying something that could cause considerable damage to another person, then swings it at a police officer, who have been telling him to put the weapon down.

You need to re-read my posts more carefully, it seems you have missed what I said entirely to focus on something different.

 

[Soviet Steve]

Plus who was this guy? a Criminal, he did something wrong and he died its life. its called a Punishment, the Officer did nothing wrong. i wouldn't have changed a thing.

Nope, it's called murder. Punishment is something ordered by a court.

In this situation the actions of the police officer would appear justifiable as the suspect ignored orders to disarm and surrender, and then proceeded to attempt an armed attack an officer.

If there had been a good distance it would have been advisable to go for more measures non-lethal force but sadly the fine gentlemen recording the video were too inconsiderate to give us an angle and a measuring tape on the spot to judge whether or not the situation was 100% justified in using lethal force.

 

[Zeema]

Plus who was this guy? a Criminal, he did something wrong and he died its life. its called a Punishment, the Officer did nothing wrong. i wouldn't have changed a thing.

Nope, it's called murder. Punishment is something ordered by a court.

In this situation the actions of the police officer would appear justifiable as the suspect ignored orders to disarm and surrender, and then proceeded to attempt an armed attack an officer.

If there had been a good distance it would have been advisable to go for non-vital parts like legs or arms imo but sadly the fine gentlemen recording the video were too inconsiderate to give us an angle and a measuring tape on the spot to judge whether or not the situation was 100% justified in using lethal force at the distance.

Well Death is still a Punishment, call it what you want he still died. he did something wrong and he paid the price. The policeman's action's were justified and i would consider it too be murder but i wouldnt condem the man

 

[evilneko]

Plus who was this guy? a Criminal, he did something wrong and he died its life. its called a Punishment, the Officer did nothing wrong. i wouldn't have changed a thing.

Nope, it's called murder. Punishment is something ordered by a court.

In this situation the actions of the police officer would appear justifiable as the suspect ignored orders to disarm and surrender, and then proceeded to attempt an armed attack an officer.

If there had been a good distance it would have been advisable to go for non-vital parts like legs or arms imo but sadly the fine gentlemen recording the video were too inconsiderate to give us an angle and a measuring tape on the spot to judge whether or not the situation was 100% justified in using lethal force at the distance.

It is never advisable to go for a "non-vital" shot. Cops, soldiers, and anyone else acting in defense of themselves or another are taking unnecessary risk when they do so. Yes, sometimes it works, and it's quite dramatic when it does, but it's supremely risky and can still be lethal. Center mass shots are the safest for all involved.