Man shot by police in Seattle for brandishing a rifle

Status
Not open for further replies.
''Officers were told by a witness beforehand that the rifle did not have live ammunition in it. He was a kid with no criminal record, drinking and shooting blanks to celebrate New Years...''
I wish to God the kid had left the rifle in his closet.Then he could have explained to the cops he was just shooting blanks,and got a ticket for disturbing the peace.I had shots fired all over my neighborhood on New Years,and I didn't call the cops.I hope his neighbor can look at himself in the mirror to shave...I couldn't.
 
Funny, if this kid had been some random kid living somewhere in the inner city who had dropped out of high school but otherwise the same exact circumstances, I suspect everyone would be spouting off "yea, kill the dirtbag, great job" type comments.

But just because he was educated and obviously intelligent it changes the basic situation of a man refusing to comply with shouted police commands and then pointing a rifle at them.

I also don't understand the logic of those stating that he supposedly had a rifle loaded with blanks, so it was apparently okay... but then its okay to shoot a kid who tried to rob an off-duty cop with a BB gun.

You can't have double standards. It's either self-defense, or its not. The threat was real to those police officers, and they did what ANY OF US would have done.

Now I'm just waiting for the "why didn't they just use pepper spray on him" or "shoot him in the leg" comment.
 
I really liked the part about them being military style weapons, while true it would make you think more of an AK than a mauser. Gotta love the media.
 
If you haven't been in a deadly force encounter or even done simulations in a force on force, try it, it's very eye opening on what you face when you're under the gun.

Don't even talk about shooting the perp in the leg or take the gun away or talk him out of it. It's not like in the movies. People die in real life when you mess around.

Also, I am glad we have a lot of trusting people on the board who will take a stranger's word that the perp you are going up against is using blanks in a real gun. Next time, why don't you let me call you first and tell you that the home invaders that are breaking into your house to kill your wife and rape you are only using blanks in their guns so don't respond with deadly force. Take my word for it, really.

How would the cops know if the witness is being truthful? Oh yeah, because nobody lies to the police. Even if the guy was telling the truth at the time of the report that the kid had blanks initially, does that mean he can't load in real bullets afterwards? Oh wait... if a wit reports there's blanks, then it will hold true for the whole encounter. Yeah... and Jeffrey Dahmer never meant to hurt anyone.

Take the objective facts, the cops did what anyone would have done in the same situation.
 
''Officers were told by a witness beforehand that the rifle did not have live ammunition in it. He was a kid with no criminal record, drinking and shooting blanks to celebrate New Years...''
I wish to God the kid had left the rifle in his closet
Click to expand...
Doesn't matter. It could have even been an airsoft rifle. You don't point that at a cop. Period. He can't risk not going home to his family over someone he doesn't know telling him that the gun pointed at him isn't loaded. The fact of the matter is that the cops made the right choice. That doesn't mean that it wasn't tragic. It was. But the cops did what they where trained to do and it was the right choice. I feel very sorry for the officers that had to make that choice, because I'm sure that they will have a hard time dealing with this. And of course I feel very sorry for the kid that was shot. Alcohol and firearms never mix.
 
I will go on record to make a blanket statement that cops do not relish making that choice. I have many friends who had to make that choice and they do not high-five each other after a kill as some here might think.

Rather, it is a very emotional experience and some cops never recover fully from taking a life, even if it was the cleanest shooting in the history of clean shootings.

Cops, or for that matter, anyone, who relishes taking a life or is nonchalant about it, has issues beyond what we can cover in this thread.
 
ericyp said:
They were told it was loaded with blanks...
Click to expand...

Some random person tells me that the gun pointed at me is loaded with blanks. Well forgive if I'm a little hesitant at just taking their word for it.:rolleyes:

Talk about a leap of faith.
 
For the record,I'm not blameing the cops.I blame the guy that called the cops in the first place,there was plenty of gunfire around here,and tho' I thought it was reckless and stupid,I didn't call the cops-and ultimately the kid himself.No matter how drunk you are,you don't bring a gun with you to answer the door when it's the cops.Which is why I wish he'd put the gun in the closet before answering the door.I just can't put it any plainer than that.
 
Oh, a quick reminder, Brandon Lee was killed with a blank round in a supposedly safe stage gun... contrary to popular belief, blanks still eject projectiles and can really hurt someone at close ranges.
 
For the record,I'm not blameing the cops.I blame the guy that called the cops in the first place,there was plenty of gunfire around here,and tho' I thought it was reckless and stupid,I didn't call the cops-and ultimately the kid himself.No matter how drunk you are,you don't bring a gun with you to answer the door when it's the cops.Which is why I wish he'd put the gun in the closet before answering the door.I just can't put it any plainer than that.
Click to expand...
We're talking about Seattle. Firing a gun, blanks or not, is not only illegal, but extremely dangerous. This isn't out in the woods, this is in the University District of Seattle. Calling the cops because of gunshots was not inappropriate.
 
I blame the guy that called the cops in the first place,there was plenty of gunfire around here,and tho' I thought it was reckless and stupid
Click to expand...

Are you serious? Generally when I see or notice dangerous and reckless behavior that endangers me and others I call the police. Firing weapons in a residential neighborhood is one of them. Even if I knew they were just blanks I would still call the PD for disturbing the peace.

It's not my fault if one of them decides to do something idiotic in front of the police and gets himself shot.
 
Seems like the cops kill more people with firearms than the criminals or accidents or crimes of passion do.

I think the Brady campaign should rally congress into taking the cops guns away FIRST!
 
I believe a lot of alcohol was involved.

He was shooting blanks only in the rifle.

The police say they told him several times to drop his weapon but I have not heard any civilian witnesses confirm that. Maybe they did and I just missed that part.
 
''Are you serious? Generally when I see or notice dangerous and reckless behavior that endangers me and others I call the police. Firing weapons in a residential neighborhood is one of them. Even if I knew they were just blanks I would still call the PD for disturbing the peace.It's not my fault if one of them decides to do something idiotic in front of the police and gets himself shot.''

Of course it's a bit more rural here,so I'm looking at it from my end of the telescope.And no,I'm not big on calling the cops.They have plenty to do without me calling everytime I'm peeved at one of my neighbors.
 
Seems like the cops kill more people with firearms than the criminals or accidents or crimes of passion do.

I think the Brady campaign should rally congress into taking the cops guns away FIRST!
Click to expand...
Oh come on! Really?!

Of course it's a bit more rural here,so I'm looking at it from my end of the telescope.And no,I'm not big on calling the cops.They have plenty to do without me calling everytime I'm peeved at one of my neighbors.
Click to expand...
In your situation, I agree. But this is about as far from "rural" as it gets. We're talking about the university district of Seattle.
 
Seems like the cops kill more people with firearms than the criminals or accidents or crimes of passion do.

I think the Brady campaign should rally congress into taking the cops guns away FIRST!
Click to expand...

Sure... maybe I lobby to take your right to speak your mind away because you obviously are hurting yourself with all the higher mental functions beyond chewing and talking at the same time.

Chill out a bit... let the brain cool down, you're overheating.

In all seriousness, you hear a lot about cops using deadly force because it sells papers. Liberal media love the sensationalism. Just because you don't hear about it, it doesn't mean it didn't happen, right?

People die everyday of every reason. The news doesn't cover all of it. So does that mean cops also kill more than people hitting deer with their cars? How about drowning in pools? DUI accidents? Old age? Drug overdose? Falling down stairs? Cancer? Oh wait, none of it was reported in the news, so it didn't happen.
 
''In your situation, I agree. But this is about as far from "rural" as it gets. We're talking about the university district of Seattle.''

Yeah,I wasn't really thinking about it being the university district of Seattle.like I said,looking at it from my end of the telescope...
 
My message was against the Brady's campaign of "saving lives" slogan.

Cops "need" guns, what else are they gonna use to "threaten" people with, tazers?

Or better yet, give them guns that only shoot rubber bullets.

Now, thats an idea.
 
That's what I figured you were doing... but sarcasm doesn't really carry well here. Sorry, just sensitive with all the people who have no idea what is involved in a lethal confrontation MMQB'ing the cops.

In the Seattle papers, there were a lot of blog comments saying the cops should shoot in the leg, cops should retreat, cops should taser, etc. Just getting tired of it.

When did cops have to go on the defensive all the time for doing their job when no one else will do it? Why not go after the neighbor who called the cops? After all, if he took care of it and disarmed the guy, none of this would have happened either.
 
I don't think the kid meant any harm. He was just celebrating.

He was young, dum, and should have been with a gurl on New Years Eve, shooting "non-lethal" - "life introducing" rounds. (if you know what it mean? - lol)


I think they should teach "life ending" or better yet, "dumb-ass" classes/programs in school.... Along with the state mandate "sex education".



This could be in the curriculum:

"Shooting guns in alley, pointing guns at police while dressed as antique people, driving while intoxicated, and not wearing a condom, while drinking alcohol, could result in death, or incarceration and child support collections"

:)
 
Last edited:
''Why not go after the neighbor who called the cops? After all, if he took care of it and disarmed the guy, none of this would have happened either...''

I know some cops,and none of them are fond of these self appointed ''citizens on patrol'' because this kind of thing happens all to often.We had a case a year or two back,crazy lady throwing stuffed animals at passersby,shouting unintelligibly at folks as she was known to do when off her meds [or in this case,on her dead daughter's birthday] some well meaning dufus calls the cops...they show up [they kinda have to when dufi call] she points a plastic marine flare gun at them,with predictable results.They had OC,pepper ball guns and bean bag guns with them,but when she pointed the ''gun'' at them,she escalated the situation,and caused her own demise.Who got the blame?The cops.People all too often call the cops for situations where they really aren't the appropriate first responders ,and then the cops get all the blame and the cop caller gets a woody because he was somehow ''involved''.
 
Open and shut case IMHO, you always have to assume a gun is loaded, don't you? UK police have shot dead many disturbed people for brandishing replicas, air pistols, etc. In one famous case they killed a man who had a chair leg in a plastic bag, a helpful member of the public had phoned in that it was a sawn-off shotgun.

If (like me) you have not done a police officer's job, you can never know the stresses involved when called to a 'shots fired' or 'armed maniac' incident. I believe I would assume the worst, and take no chances about giving someone a chance to plug me.
 
Rule number one:

If you feel threatened, protect yourself.


Rule number two and three:

Don't call the Cops for domestic disturbances....

If you feel threatened, protect yourself.


Rule number three and four:

Always protect your yourself, your family, your friends, and if you choose .... your neighbors.


Rule number five:

There is no rule number five.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

T
  • Locked
Cop shot from inside home
Replies
1
Views
687
BluesBear
B
D
  • Locked
(TX) Teen tries to rob man, gets shot...
Replies
12
Views
914
MechAg94
M
T
  • Locked
2 police officers shot serving warrant
Replies
8
Views
1K
TheeBadOne
T
Hokkmike
  • Locked
Man Accidentally Shoots Self in Buttocks
2 3
Replies
51
Views
2K
benEzra
benEzra
W
  • Locked
"kind and intellectual" youth shot by police officer!
2
Replies
48
Views
3K
Sportcat
S
Back
Top