Is this suicide by cop? or just a Darwin candidate?

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Drizzt

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Posted on Mon, Apr. 04, 2005

San Diego police kill driver who they say reached for fake gun

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO - Police shot and killed a 24-year-old minivan driver who pointed what turned out to be a fake handgun at them early Monday, a senior officer said.

An officer stopped Jacob Richard Faust in downtown San Diego around 1:45 a.m. for making an illegal turn, police Capt. Jim McGinley said. The San Diego man handed over a license that was suspended last month.

Faust cranked up his stereo, drawing the attention of a second officer who stopped to offer assistance. The second officer spotted the handle of an apparent handgun in a pouch behind the passenger seat, McGinley said.

Faust refused orders to get out of the minivan and one of the officers fired a blast of pepper spray to subdue him. At that point, Faust "reached into that pouch and pulled that handgun out and began to point it at one of the officers," McGinley said.

One officer fired three shots, hitting Faust, who died later at a hospital.

The item thought to be a weapon turned out to be a realistic replica of a semiautomatic handgun, McGinley said.

There was no explanation for why Faust reached for the replica, McGinley said. Nothing else of significance was found in the van; his license was suspended last month for an arrest for driving under the influence.

"He's the only one who is going to know the answer to that," McGinley said. "He clearly did not follow officers' orders to get out of the car, and purposefully went for that gun."

The officer who fired his gun, an 11-year department veteran, was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. Findings from the probe will be forwarded to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, McGinley said.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/breaking_news/11309284.htm
 
Sounds like this guy was stupid and/or crazy. Now the officer has to live with the emotional baggage this idiot brought on him. :cuss:

Wonder what the toxicology report will reveal.
 
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