[quote]taylorsj wrote:
Airtruth wrote:
taylorsj wrote:
Air Truth,
So say a prisoner is trying to escape from prison and is hauling ass while carrying a knife. Let’s say one of the guards managed to get a handgun and steps between the prisoner and his escape route in an effort to stop him. Is it the officer’s fault if he (the officer) gets stabbed in the process of the prisoner escaping, even if by accident?
In both cases, the real one and my hypothetical one, the officer puts himself in harm’s way in order to prevent the perp’s escape. In both cases the “escapee” has a weapon that can kill (knife, vehicle). Whether the perp intends to kill the officer or not is unclear in both cases, but he still poses a threat to the officer’s life.
In my opinion, if the prisoner kills the corrections officer and is subsequently charged with manslaughter, whether intentionally or accidentally, that is the risk that the prisoner accepted when he decided to try and escape from prison.
In the case of the real scenario, the suspect accepted the risk of possibly killing someone when he decided to evade the police. Furthermore, he accepted the risk of possibly putting a police officer’s life in danger while trying to escape. His intentions matter not. So in my opinion, deadly force was justified in this scenario.
The officer was just doing his job–trying to prevent the suspects escape. Whether he needed to jump on the hood of the vehicle or not is unclear. Either way the vehicle was coming at him and the officer’s presence was not deterring the driver’s acceleration. Whether the driver was just trying to escape or intentionally trying to harm the officer doesn’t matter. The suspect was risking the life of the officer with his actions, and thus had to be met with deadly force.
Wonderful except like others you COMPLETELY missed the point. If you would like to make your story more like the video you would have to say the police officer runs and slides firing 2 guns at the same time trying to kill the prisoner. If he kills the prisoner, great. If he gets killed is it still great? Or was he an idiot for thinking he was jet li? Considering the fact that he is sliding if he accidently shoots one of his own officers what happens then? Gets brushed under the table?
Here we have a tape clearly displaying a foolish action and instead of everybody trying to support improvement we have hey the criminal deserved it. I bet these are all the same people crying over officer Tillman getting shot by friendly fire.
This is not the first incident of a police officer jumping on a hood of a car, and nearly all of them end up with somebody dead. The most notable case an undercover in New york Jumps on the hood holding a gun at the driver. 51 shots fired in that case. I would sure like to see what anybody here would do if somebody in street clothes jumped on the hood of their car holding a gun.
In this case a criminal who may or maynot have deserved it died, what happens when its the cop who jumps in front of the car who dies? Will police procedure change then?
Air Truth,
I don’t think I missed your point at all. I think you just don’t agree with mine, and I don’t agree with yours.
You see a cop re-enacting something out of a John Woo movie. I see a cop climbing on to the hood of a car to avoid being hit or pushed by it, while still not allowing the suspect an avenue of escape.
The final moments of the video are dramatic, indeed. I agree with you on that. But I absolutely DO NOT agree that the officer was trying to perform an acrobatic gun wielding feet for glory. I think you’re being over-dramatic.
The officer did not create that situation. The suspect forced his hand. Even if the officer did not jump on the hood, he still would have shot the suspect, and rightfully so. The car was coming at him, showing no indication that the officer’s presence was acknowledged or respected. The speed could have increased. The officer could have been caught underneath the car had he been knocked over. A number of things could have happened. The officer had established his position before the charge occurred. It is not the officer’s responsibility to dodge the suspect’s vehicle so that he is not forced to shoot him. It’s officer’s responsibility to apprehend or stop the suspect.[/quote]
We HAVE to be watching two different videos. Did you not see the cop open his door from the side of the vehicle hope out and jump on top? How am I overdramatizing that, THATS WHAT HAPPENED. It’s on the video? As someone else said they can’t possibly teach that in police procedure. Far as the suspect getting shot, if you stole a car and see a cop on top of your car and try to accelerate then yes you have a right to get shot. That doesn’t make the officer anymore right in the situation.
People seem to think putting on a badge means its Ok to be stupid, or you are above the law. He pulled up on the side of the guy, he could have just as easily stuck his gun in the window and shot him? In fact his wife should be equally mad becuase that action could have unneccessarily left his child without a father.
And this hindsight stuff(not directly to you taylor)? With video we do have hindsight, not into the situation of the past but the future. So that you know not to do the same dumb shit again.