Owner shot by deputies

[joab]

just to clear some missing details

The police officers were in full uniform and supposedly IDed them selves several times.

They were pursuing a burglary suspect when they arrived on Swoffard's property

In my opinion Swoffard should have dropped his weapon
He, IMHO, was not in reasonable danger or what a reasonable person would consider to be reasonable danger at that point

The sexual end of the conversation comes up because it was the topic of just about every radio talk show and newspaper fodder for about a month after he finally claimed his winning after waiting until it was almost too late in an effort to screw his wife that was divorcing him out of her piece of the winnings.
He tried to pass himself off as the misunderstood victim then also
If I remember correctly, which I'm not sure I do, there was some mental problems with one of the sisters
He is not a shining example of the good born again Christian that he ties to pass himself off as

 

[Baba Louie]

...kill a person who was commiting no crime on his own property...

Swofford is in stable condition at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

didn't totally kill him... just mostly killed him...
Article has Money, Sex AND Violence... put it on the top fold with a big catchy headline...
Certainly would be nice to know exactly what happened that day... just to , you know, flesh out the facts... but that probably doesn't catch readers attention and might reflect poorly on more than one party.

Lotto
Born Again
Sport Car collection
Guns
Cops
Sex
Special Forces

Perfect event for main stream media USA :banghead:

 

[cidirkona]

It's only a matter of time before you see this on a episode of Law and Order.

-Colin

 

[CentralTexas]

Maybe they had transferred in from New Awlins and was a helpin themselves to a new patrol car....
CT

 

[Standing Wolf]

Well, yeah, but we're not a police state: that department has a public information officer, so that makes it all right.

 

[mrmeval]

Ok, I sent a nasty gram. Who is this 'sheriff's' competition, they need a donation.

 

[halfacop]

Just my 2 cents......

When the cops say drop the gun - you drop the gun. I can tell you right now, they are responding to a criminal complaint. When they arrive on scene and find a guy holding a weapon - they need to assume its a bad guy. A responding officer has very little information regarding the call they are responding to.

 

[Quaamik]

Assuming they did identify themselves, he should have dropped the gun.

The police have to be able to expect anyone they encounter to obey thier instructions as to dropping a weapon, stopping, exct. If they can't, they have no way to tell the good guys from the bad. They cannot be expected to explain why they are there and why they are supsicious of you to someone holding a gun before ensureing thier own safety.

This isn't a situation where the cops busted down the door to the wrong house. They were tracking down a suspect in a "field" ful of cars. They had every right to pursue a suspect through private property. And they met someon who was armed, did not obey commands to drop the gun, and supposedly moved it in a threatening manner. What would you expect them to do?

 

[Otherguy Overby]

halfacop:

When the cops say drop the gun - you drop the gun. I can tell you right now, they are responding to a criminal complaint. When they arrive on scene and find a guy holding a weapon - they need to assume its a bad guy. A responding officer has very little information regarding the call they are responding to.

No, they DON'T need to assume someone with a gun is a bad guy. I'd kinda thought part of their job was investigation. Seems they shot a citizen prior to investitgating, (or doing their job.)

BTW, somewhere between 15 and 20% of the time police shoot the wrong guy. Citizens with guns rarely shoot the wrong guy. Citizens with guns are a very small risk to police, no matter what the Brady Bunch or some polictical cop/Information Officer cop says. Police with guns are a significantly higher risk to citizens than the reverse.

Cops need to keep their fingers off their triggers. If it just saves one citizen... :banghead:

 

[DHFirearms]

"No citizen should arm themselves with a firearm and confront anybody in the middle of a field," Lemma said.

Didn't the Castle doctrine originate in Florida???
It was his field, no? His property, his right to defend it with out retreat!

 

[Shield529]

I am never disappointed by some of the ignorance I see on this board, but this time it takes the cake. DOC has tried, convicted, and executed these officers based of an article a six year old child could have written. There are no case facts one way or the other yet because they are filthy police state JBT they are murders attacking armed citizens.
If the police are chasing a felony suspect and he jumps the fence into your yard would you all prefer we turn and leave him there with your family or would you like us to do the job you pay us to do and remove him? When we enter the yard chasing him and see you with a gun, I will be asking you firmly to put it down. If you do so while stating you are the homeowner I will briefly assess this and then explain why we are there. If you point the gun at me sorry but I will have to work under the assumption that you are intending to shoot me and respond accordingly.
I of course hear many people on the net tell the police how we do it all wrong. Please reply with exactly how you feel police should have handled this situation. Don't criticize what was done just tell how it should have been.

On a side note I hear many people that say cops should not fear CCW holder,(I agree), but those people fear cops. Well how many lawful CCW holders have ever been shot by cops. I will bet both numbers are very low and neither side has anything to fear.

 

[Geno]

I'm Ignorant?! Not Quite Shield--

What I have done is exactly what a police or prosecutor would do--assume that they are guilty, say that they "SHOULD" be locked away. The only difference is that they, next, would fill out papers, pick them up, try them, pray for a conviction and haul them off.

Regarding a 6-year old could have written the article, I personally try no to be judgmental of others' writing. The Lord had bless me with an exceptional education, most of it completely free. To me, the writing level is a non-issue. Eye woodn't kare tha' avury whurd waz misss-phelled sew lohng as thee facks whure close. The facts are darned close, aren't they? Cops shot the wrong man.

Sounds to me like the ones who shot him came to the scene all doped up on adrenaline and weren't educated enough to have learned how to counter it. So, all doped up on adrenaline they popped him--on his own property--and he's dead--on his property.

I simply do not buy into the bull feces that police have the right to come onto someone's property and shoot them, nor do they have the right to abuse, assault, etc.

And my final (admitted rant)--It's high-time that police departments across America "take-out-the-trash". We did it in education--maybe they should do the same in police departments. Then, they need to institute "Highly Qualified" as the standard.

Edited to add:

I may be a bit slow on the up-take this morning, having only one cup of coffee in me.

Shield, what takes the cake, is the assertion that someone is ignorant because they speak their mind regarding a man having been slaughtered on his own property in these great UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. If that is ignorant, I stand guilty, but guilty with conviction, not by conviction--if you are objective enough to be able to catch that double-meaning.

Check Webster, Shield. Show me where my comments were, "ignorant".

Doc2005

 

[joab]

Eye woodn't kare tha' avury whurd waz misss-phelled sew lohng as thee facks whure close.

and he's dead--on his property.

He's recovering--in the hospital

 

[NineseveN]

Yep, he's alive, so we get to hear his side of the story and draw our conclusions on this one.

 

[xring44]

We need "Highly Qualified Police"--just like--"Highly Qualified Teachers". Police, like teachers should be required to have at the LEAST, a B.A. or B.S.--No more cops with a H.S. or G.E.D. Maybe with a little more education they will develop some common sense.

I'm sorry Doc2005, Education, even a PHD well not help with common sense.
Thats why its so uncommon.

 

[NineseveN]

I dunno xring, our State Cops are a near 100% class act up here, they have higher requirements (edcuation and character-wise), seems like it would help if all agencies could raise the bar bit. I am sure that the hundreds of thousands of good cops would love it as well, I am sure they're tired of the idiots and corrupt within ther ranks getting all this negative attention.

 

[xring44]

I agree, education is a good thing, but it does nothing for common sense, common sense is found in the uneducated as well as the educated. I think all State Police agencys have higher qualifications than most city departments. I don't know what the requirements are now for the ASP, but when I was a member, a minimum of 2 years of higher learning was required.

 

[NineseveN]

Education, as well as being more selective about who they hire (weed out those without common sense or the character profile fit to serve) would help...but I think we're straying off-topic.

 

[Janitor]

Did they say "Drop the Gun" or "Police, Drop the Gun"...big difference I think.

Yea. Huge difference!

We all know a bad guy would never fib and shout "Police" before shouting "Drop the Gun". I'm pretty sure that would be illegal, wouldn't it?

/j

 

[Geno]

He IS Alive--That Is Good News

Don't know why I thought he had died. Good, we get hear his side of the story.

Regarding the education, that in and of itself is not enough. There has to be continuing education, on-going training, etc. There should also be a significant increase in wages, benefits, and time off. It's a whole package deal, and it is the ONLY way we will ever recruit and maintain "Highly Qualified" police.

As one example of "highly Qualified", all patrol officers should be required to be in weekly, aggressive martial arts training. The benefit is that they might decrease their feeling threatened prematurely. It will also teach them to think under pressure.

They should be required to engage in monthly social excursions into their community. Park the car and WALK the beat. Get to know your community's culture. If they're too scared of the people to do this, resign.

Thanks for the clarification Joab!

Doc2005

 

[Baba Louie]

I love to speculate...
Your property, your sports car collection...
Some fool comes running over the fence, starts trying to get into one of your cars or messing with them in general...
You grab your gun and run out to chase him off, he goes...
Other fools come climbing onto your property, you're agitated w/ gun in hand amongst your sport car collection...

Hmmmmm. Anything is possible ain't it?

Hope all ends up well for ALL involved (cept mabe the real BG... who's probably laughing his head off) and Swofford buys the local LEO's a cup of coffee and a donut... once he gets out of the hospital

 

[halfacop]

No, they DON'T need to assume someone with a gun is a bad guy. I'd kinda thought part of their job was investigation. Seems they shot a citizen prior to investitgating, (or doing their job.)

See how long you take to "investigate" when you arrive on scene and a guy holding a gun refuses to put it down and then uses it in a threatening manner towards you! Yeah - I'd pay to see that!

First let me tell you - I have had guys at the end of my barrel. I did "investigate" to get their correct ID. However - if during that quick, tense "investigation" as I am ordering them to lower the gun, they choose to point it at me - then I am making sure I go home to see my daughter!

Everyone here is so quick to hang the cops off of some article. No one ever said the cops are perfect, but they are out there doing a job most won't do and few respect!

 

[halfacop]

Other fools come climbing onto your property,

I say again........

Everyone here is so quick to hang the cops off of some article. No one ever said the cops are perfect, but they are out there doing a job most won't do and few respect!

 

[Justin]

Guy decides to defend his sports car collection with his life?

I'm guessing that God really didn't pick him to steward His money.

Other than that, this has become the same old tired back-and-forth.