Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Policeman Dead in Friendly Fire "Accident"

The New York Times reports.

The police said the deadly events were touched off about 8:15 p.m. by 21-year-old Anthony DiGeronimo, a self-described anarchist. Clad in what was called black leather “Satanic garb,” he had threatened neighbors with knives in the street, had retreated into his home and was killed by two Nassau County officers who fired seven times as he came out of a barricaded bedroom and charged at them with his knives. 

About 10 minutes later, the police said, Officer Geoffrey J. Breitkopf, 40, a 12-year veteran of the Nassau force who worked in special operations, arrived in street clothes with a partner in an unmarked car, took a rifle from the trunk and was striding toward the house when he was shot once in the side.
I'd say this was a lot more than a "tragic accident." But it is a good illustration of how guns in the hands of the good guys can make matters worse.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

2 comments:

  1. It's the tragic outcome of what I call the "Wyatt Earp" fantasy: that having a gun (usually conceal carry) during a crime will make a legal gun owner into the hero that saves the day.

    Sadly, very few are trained to deal with crisis situations, make good judgment calls in the stress of the moment, or even always have even a minute of training (such as in Arizona).

    Such accidents and mis-identification of supposed criminals will only increase as states pass more lax conceal carry laws.

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  2. "Baldr Odinson said...

    Such accidents and mis-identification of supposed criminals will only increase as states pass more lax conceal carry laws."


    This incident had exactly nothing to do with CC.....

    ReplyDelete