...until it's really over.
The videos may be disturbing to some.
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A homicide suspect is being pursued on foot after firing at officers. Two officers catch up to him and he shoots at them. They both fire back and the shooter goes down, hit 8 times.
One of the officers kicks the weapon out of reach. The man is still alive--so that's a good idea. They do not cuff him. One officer pulls up the back of his shirt to see if he has anything in his waistband at the back but they don't search him. Over a minute later, after he rolls over onto his back under his own power--still not cuffed or searched, they allow a bystander to approach the man to arm's distance and lean over and speak to him.
Awhile after that, one officer finally unzips the shooter's jacket to see if he has additional weapons on the front of his person but no pat-down is ever performed and the video ends with the shooter still unrestrained.
The shooter survived and remains hospitalized.
Fortunately there wasn't a second weapon or things could have gone very differently. The shooter could have posed a deadly threat to the officers and/or the bystander since he wasn't restrained or searched initially.
Don't assume that multiple hits and a downed attacker means that they can't possibly pose a threat. Since armed citizens don't typically carry restraints, don't typically have the training to use them, don't have backup to provide cover while searching a downed attacker, it's best to stay back or get farther away--guns work just as well when shooting from the ground as when shooting standing.
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After a standoff, a man charges police with a knife and is shot multiple times with 12ga "bean bag" rounds.
He continues the charge and is then shot multiple times by at least one officer who mag dumps. The man falls to the ground and rolls around. The officer continues to hold him at gunpoint--WITH HIS SLIDE LOCKED BACK. Good thing there were other officers on the scene.
The man gets up and charges another officer. This officer shoots him multiple times and the man goes down again, this time he falls like a dead weight.
After awhile he begins moving again.
Don't assume it's over when someone goes down solidly--they may still be very much alive.
If you end up having to shoot to slide lock then either reload or GET AWAY at that point.
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Two officers corner a car with their cruiser, ending a chase. When they approach the car with guns drawn, the driver jumps out and puts at least two rounds on the nearest officer, then turns to fire at his partner who shoots him. The attacker goes down hard.
The officer walks over to the downed attacker while holstering his gun. He takes up a position standing over the attacker with his gun holstered. There is a LOT of confusion while other cops arrive and deal with the wounded officer.
During this timeframe, the officer leaves the shooter lying alone on the sidewalk for awhile, near the weapon he used to shoot the other officer, then returns to take up his position standing over the suspect.
At one point, standing over the downed suspect, the officer takes his body armor off to see if he's been shot.
The officer does not search the suspect, cuff him, or examine him. He advises other officers that the suspect is down and that he shot him.
Four and a half minutes later, things calm down a little bit and while the officer is in the process of repeating that the suspect is down and shot, the suspect, who has been lying face down this whole time, flaps both his hands, as if to let the cops know that he is conscious and alive. They begin medical care and he survives.
Don't assume that because you shot someone and they went down hard that it's over. With a bit more determination this suspect likely could have retrieved his weapon (or a second weapon) and done more damage.
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It's over when the attacker no longer poses a threat, but don't make assumptions about when that is.
Attackers who are shot can continue to pose a threat.
Attackers who are hit multiple times can survive.
Attackers who go down, even if they fall hard, can get back up again.
Attackers can stay still for awhile after falling and still be alive and conscious.
Fortunately, in all of these shootings, while the lessons are there to be learned, nobody had to pay the price for the unjustified assumptions that were made.
The videos may be disturbing to some.
------------------------------------------------
A homicide suspect is being pursued on foot after firing at officers. Two officers catch up to him and he shoots at them. They both fire back and the shooter goes down, hit 8 times.
One of the officers kicks the weapon out of reach. The man is still alive--so that's a good idea. They do not cuff him. One officer pulls up the back of his shirt to see if he has anything in his waistband at the back but they don't search him. Over a minute later, after he rolls over onto his back under his own power--still not cuffed or searched, they allow a bystander to approach the man to arm's distance and lean over and speak to him.
Awhile after that, one officer finally unzips the shooter's jacket to see if he has additional weapons on the front of his person but no pat-down is ever performed and the video ends with the shooter still unrestrained.
The shooter survived and remains hospitalized.
Fortunately there wasn't a second weapon or things could have gone very differently. The shooter could have posed a deadly threat to the officers and/or the bystander since he wasn't restrained or searched initially.
Don't assume that multiple hits and a downed attacker means that they can't possibly pose a threat. Since armed citizens don't typically carry restraints, don't typically have the training to use them, don't have backup to provide cover while searching a downed attacker, it's best to stay back or get farther away--guns work just as well when shooting from the ground as when shooting standing.
------------------------------------------------
After a standoff, a man charges police with a knife and is shot multiple times with 12ga "bean bag" rounds.
He continues the charge and is then shot multiple times by at least one officer who mag dumps. The man falls to the ground and rolls around. The officer continues to hold him at gunpoint--WITH HIS SLIDE LOCKED BACK. Good thing there were other officers on the scene.
The man gets up and charges another officer. This officer shoots him multiple times and the man goes down again, this time he falls like a dead weight.
After awhile he begins moving again.
Don't assume it's over when someone goes down solidly--they may still be very much alive.
If you end up having to shoot to slide lock then either reload or GET AWAY at that point.
------------------------------------------------
Two officers corner a car with their cruiser, ending a chase. When they approach the car with guns drawn, the driver jumps out and puts at least two rounds on the nearest officer, then turns to fire at his partner who shoots him. The attacker goes down hard.
The officer walks over to the downed attacker while holstering his gun. He takes up a position standing over the attacker with his gun holstered. There is a LOT of confusion while other cops arrive and deal with the wounded officer.
During this timeframe, the officer leaves the shooter lying alone on the sidewalk for awhile, near the weapon he used to shoot the other officer, then returns to take up his position standing over the suspect.
At one point, standing over the downed suspect, the officer takes his body armor off to see if he's been shot.
The officer does not search the suspect, cuff him, or examine him. He advises other officers that the suspect is down and that he shot him.
Four and a half minutes later, things calm down a little bit and while the officer is in the process of repeating that the suspect is down and shot, the suspect, who has been lying face down this whole time, flaps both his hands, as if to let the cops know that he is conscious and alive. They begin medical care and he survives.
Don't assume that because you shot someone and they went down hard that it's over. With a bit more determination this suspect likely could have retrieved his weapon (or a second weapon) and done more damage.
------------------------------------------------
It's over when the attacker no longer poses a threat, but don't make assumptions about when that is.
Attackers who are shot can continue to pose a threat.
Attackers who are hit multiple times can survive.
Attackers who go down, even if they fall hard, can get back up again.
Attackers can stay still for awhile after falling and still be alive and conscious.
Fortunately, in all of these shootings, while the lessons are there to be learned, nobody had to pay the price for the unjustified assumptions that were made.
