SC officer shoots man reaching for cane

Big Chief

This one, I'll give the cop the benefit of doubt. The guy was probably doing what he does every time he he stops his truck and the cop just reacted to what he thought was him going for a rifle. Under investigation, so we will learn more.

Tragic event, but looks like the old guy will make it.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/sc-officer-shoots-man-reaching-for-cane/2014/02/26/1b97852e-9f3d-11e3-878c-65222df220eb_story.html

dld

ten years ago I would of said the Officer was probably at fault by shooting to fast, now days I can not blame him because people have just gotten weirder and you just don't know.

Buford

dld wrote: »

I can not blame him because people have just gotten weirder and you just don't know.

So just shoot and sort it out later.

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2

Teach

"The officer fired several times- - - - -" and scored one non-lethal hit! They ought to fire him for lousy marksmanship, even if they don't can him for being a trigger-happy paranoid jerk! At least the old geezer will get to be a millionaire on the county's money, if he's got a lawyer worthy of the name!

Jerry

Big Chief

Good thing the guy didn't grab a Hurrycane (as seen on TV) the cop might have thought it was a Gatlin gun :yikes: :rotflmao:


https://www.hurrycane.com/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

tubabucknut

Big Chief wrote: »

This one, I'll give the cop the benefit of doubt. The guy was probably doing what he does every time he he stops his truck and the cop just reacted to what he thought was him going for a rifle. Under investigation, so we will learn more.

Tragic event, but looks like the old guy will make it.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/sc-officer-shoots-man-reaching-for-cane/2014/02/26/1b97852e-9f3d-11e3-878c-65222df220eb_story.html

No way I give him a pass. You or any other regular Joe rear ends this guy, and he gets out and grabs his cane. You then stupidly shoot an unarmed man, and you go to jail. Cop should go too. Simple as that. Good for the goose and all that.

orchidman

I guess it depends on ALL the circumstances at the time.

For example, if the driver had reached in the tray of the ute and lifted the cane up so the tip of it came in sight first, wouldn't it resemble a rifle barrel?............and if he swung it in an arc and swung it towards the officer before his hand came into view, it could be perceived as a threat.

We were not there...............lets wait till the full facts come out.

Nomadac

Sounds like the officer needs some glasses and comparison of canes to long bbl. rifles, plus why was the man getting out of his vehicle during a traffic stop? What were the instructions from the office during the stop?

horselips

Most people who walk with canes have handicap plates on their vehicles. If the old man has handicap plates, the cop should have expected a cane or crutch. It also wouldn't have hurt if the old man had told the officer he was just reaching for his cane. Lots of Monday morning quarterbacking going on here.

The officer was wrong here. If we all just ran around blasting everybody we thought might be a threat, imagine what that might mean to people who open carry. OOOOH! A gun! Bang Bang Bang. Sorry cops, I know you wanna live just like the rest of us, but you're just going to have to take your chances with the public. But...but...But Nothing. I don't want to hear it. Besides, seriously, how often do 70 year old guys pulled over for a traffic stop try to pull a rifle out of their truck bed trying to get the drop on a cop? How about never?

JasonMPD

Teach wrote: »

"The officer fired several times- - - - -" and scored one non-lethal hit! They ought to fire him for lousy marksmanship, even if they don't can him for being a trigger-happy paranoid jerk! At least the old geezer will get to be a millionaire on the county's money, if he's got a lawyer worthy of the name!

Jerry

You have 2 seconds to draw, aim and hit a 12" wide target as many times as you can. Oh and if you don't, you'll probably die, so...go!

Wonder what your hit ratio would be.

Teach

JasonMPD wrote: »

Wonder what your hit ratio would be.

Probably better than the Nashville PD training officer who told me he carries a high-capacity Glock "So I can throw away a few shots while I'm diving for cover!" Maybe the guy in this incident subscribes to the NYPD model- - - -"Spray and Pray".
:guns:
Jerry

DurangoKid

Humm?? If a civilian with a CCW shot a crippled man reaching for a cane he would be in serious trouble. It would make the George Zimmerman case look like a school play.

DoctorWho

JasonMPD wrote: »

You have 2 seconds to draw, aim and hit a 12" wide target as many times as you can. Oh and if you don't, you'll probably die, so...go!

Wonder what your hit ratio would be.

I know Jerry, he has his head on straight, I have also seen Jerry shoot, if the chips are down, My bet is on him, I am sure God will direct his shot, if it ever becomes necessary. I pray it does not become necessary.

Big Chief

Joking and speculation aside:

I was a tragic event, if nothing else. My :angel2: are with the old feller and the cop who must be torturing him/herself over this inside. I'm sure both wished it would not have happened like it did and they would have acted differently.

Jeeper

Big Chief wrote: »

This one, I'll give the cop the benefit of doubt. The guy was probably doing what he does every time he he stops his truck and the cop just reacted to what he thought was him going for a rifle. Under investigation, so we will learn more.

Tragic event, but looks like the old guy will make it.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/sc-officer-shoots-man-reaching-for-cane/2014/02/26/1b97852e-9f3d-11e3-878c-65222df220eb_story.html

IMHO, *THIS* is why it is a poor choice to hire someone as an LEO at age 21 with almost no real life experience outside the jail/law-enforcement community. Their ONLY viewpoint of the world is that narrow spectrum of an LEO, without the wisdom needed to avoid snap decisions and tragic consequences like this. Yes.... I know he was 24, but if you read the article, you will note that he had been an LEO for 3 yrs.... ie, he was hired at age 21.

Luis

DoctorWho

The real problem is proper training at the academy, not every LE academy has the budget needed to hire the right Instructors to really bring LEOs up to speed on how to deal with the many diverse situations they will encounter in the field.

If you are scared to death and tremble every time you need to pull someone over, you really must find another line of work, one that does not directly involve making life and death decisions, or be a desk ****.

Not everyone is psychologically fit to be a Police Officer.

KSDeputy

I am a retired peace officer and I use a cane. Knowing both sides of the equation, I probably would have said I need my cane, ok? Had I been the officer I would challenge the senior and said do not reach for anything. I have always been very careful, but I do not lean towards using deadly force unless I have a gut feeling that my life or that of someone else is in danger. Hindsight is 20/20, I was not there. Had it been me, I am a bit more conservative or mellow if you will. Too many years on the job gives you more insight into human behavior, plus having been to the range quarterly for many years lets me feel confident that I can hit what I need to with a couple of shots. Thank goodness the senior was not killed for a cane.

horselips

I'll say it again - how often do 70 year old senior citizens try to shoot police officers during traffic stops? Oh, I'm sure it's happened once in the last 50 years - or not. This shooting was incredibly stupid and wrong -and not from a 20/20 hindsight point of view - it was wrong from the start. That cop is clearly a mental case and should be fired immediately and prosecuted for his crime - and all the rationalizations and excuses be darned. God, I wish I could curse and swear on this board.

Big Chief

Here is the dash-cam video, scroll down it should play.


http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/03/13/dashcam-shows-deputy-shooting-70-year-old-man-at-traffic-stop-but-what-cop-did-next-might-be-the-biggest-shock/

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/deputy-weeps-shooting-70-year-old-traffic-stop-thought-cane-gun-video-article-1.1721404

DoctorWho

Having done a few stints as a LEO, I am very careful with My hands when I am pulled over, sometimes, I will get smart aleck questions about why I am being so careful, and I point out as a reserve LEO, I do not want them to feel threatened until they can verify who I am.

Edited to add:

There was no reason for that man to exit the vehicle during a traffic stop, anyone that simply watches enough television knows that.

pjames777

Truly unfortunate. LEO had headlights in his face even if the stopped vehicle had spotlights on it still hard to tell what the object in the old man's hands is.....LEO was a little quick on the draw IMHO but I wasn't there.