Okay, no question, cars can be used as deadly weapons. Everyone knows that thousands of pedestrians are killed by cars every year. There is about a 80% chance that a pedestrian will be killed if the car is traveling 40 mph or more.
Hence, it appears to be accepted that a cop is justified in firing upon an oncoming car as a means of eliminating the threat.
Questions:
1) Do PDs advocate that cops move into the line of fire of a man holding a gun in order to tell him to put the gun down? In a standoff with a man holding a knife, would it be okay for a cop to approach the guy and then shoot him because he was close enough to be a threat?
If the answers above are no, then why is it acceptable practice for a cop to put himself in mortal danger by moving in front of a car in order to command the driver to stop? Or, to step in front of a moving car and then use the moving car as justification for shooting?
2) Is is acceptable for a cop to shoot a fleeing purse snatcher? Is the answer no because deadly force is not warranted to stop a petty thief who is not a threat?
View this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_EJHfFCt3M
Is the cop in this video guilty of improper use of deadly force? If not, why not?
K
Hence, it appears to be accepted that a cop is justified in firing upon an oncoming car as a means of eliminating the threat.
Questions:
1) Do PDs advocate that cops move into the line of fire of a man holding a gun in order to tell him to put the gun down? In a standoff with a man holding a knife, would it be okay for a cop to approach the guy and then shoot him because he was close enough to be a threat?
If the answers above are no, then why is it acceptable practice for a cop to put himself in mortal danger by moving in front of a car in order to command the driver to stop? Or, to step in front of a moving car and then use the moving car as justification for shooting?
2) Is is acceptable for a cop to shoot a fleeing purse snatcher? Is the answer no because deadly force is not warranted to stop a petty thief who is not a threat?
View this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_EJHfFCt3M
Is the cop in this video guilty of improper use of deadly force? If not, why not?
K