When a brawl erupted on Elkhart Street in front of Tepper's house during a family party, he went outside to break it up, police said. Tepper told police he was attacked and fired his gun in self-defense.
The shot killed William Panas Jr., who lived nearby and who eyewitnesses said also had been trying to stop the fighting.
Witnesses said Tepper appeared intoxicated during the fight, which included members of his family and others from the neighborhood. No one but Tepper was armed, and police have reported no arrests in the fight.
The sad part is this could have been prevented because Tepper had had a history of this kind of thing.
Seven years ago, an Internal Affairs investigator warned Philadelphia Police Officer Frank Tepper, now accused by neighbors of fatally shooting an unarmed 21-year-old man Saturday night in a fit of temper, against taking the law into his own hands while off duty.
Tepper had gone in search of a teenager who bullied the officer's 8-year-old son at a playground near the family's Port Richmond home, according to the report. Tepper ended up in a scuffle with local youths, spraying Mace at them, taking a punch to the face, and drawing his gun before on-duty police arrived.
Imagine all the other incidents during these seven years that didn't result in a report. People, whether they're police officers or not, who have serious anger management problems should not be allowed to have guns. This was one of the categories I mentioned in The Famous 10%.
Rage (including road rage). 1%Recently Sebastian said, "I think a lot of times you won’t let go of things you don’t really have any evidence for, like your Famous 10%."
One of the most frightening types of rage is called Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED). It is estimated that 4% of the population has yearly episodes. I say not a single one of them should own a gun. I realize some of these guys also suffer from depression and may have even been counted under "Alcoholics and drug addicts," so we can cut the 4% in half twice and settle on 1%. I'll throw in the regular rageaholics and road rage maniacs for free. 1%.
That may be perfectly true, that I "don’t really have any evidence for" this theory. But is that reason to say you don't agree with it? Isn't there a place for common sense and honesty to step in and admit that 1% of gun owners probably have this problem?
About Officer Tepper, do you think he should have been removed from duty after the first incident seven years ago? Do you think his work colleagues knew about his problem and helped cover it up? That's how it usually goes with cops, doesn't it? That's how it usually goes with gun owners as well, don't you think?
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
your "famous 10%" is bullshit.
ReplyDeletePlain and simple bullshit MikeB.
It has no basis whatsoever in fact.
Well, actually Mike W., it does have some basis in fact. The fact is that certain percentages of the population at large suffer from these various problems. The fact is that gun owners are regular people. Therefore, gun owners suffer from these various problems too. The exact percentages may be debatable, but the premise is based in cold hard facts.
ReplyDeleteYou just don't like it. And I don't blame you very much when even serious people like Sebastian don't like it. He says I "don't really have any evidence."
I guess you can say it like that, but what's the point? No one suffers from alcoholism and drug addiction and rage? Or is it that somehow only gun owners are immune to these things?
The exact percentages may be debatable
ReplyDeleteIn other words you "don't really have any evidence."
Your 10% number is bullshit. A number you pulled out of thin air. It's not factual.
And what do you mean by "even serious people like Sebastian?" Sounds like a personal attack to me, the kind of thing you supposedly don't allow here...