LAPD Chief Charlie Beck Explains the Officer-Involved Shooting

Jon Stewart on Eric Garner: "I Honestly Don't Know What to Say"

Gawker

Barry O'Connell, Police Officer and Dad of the Year

When we spoke about this one before, I said, "of course, no charges." I was right. The Seattle Times reports

Prosecutors say a Spokane police officer will not be charged for the accidental shooting in which his 10-year-old daughter wounded herself in the leg with his gun.

Barry O'Connell could have been charged with reckless endangerment, but Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Brian O'Brien says there's no evidence his actions were intentional.

KXLY reports ( http://is.gd/fVJ8hK) the 18-year veteran could still face department discipline for failing to secure his duty weapon.

The girl went into a bedroom on Easter Sunday to look out the window for Easter eggs when she found the gun and started playing with it.

It was the fourth child shooting this year in Washington state and the second involving a law enforcement officer's child.

It's absolutely unconscionable how they cover up for each other. The prosecutors aren't charging him because "there's no evidence his actions were intentional." But, what in the hell does that have to do with negligence? Isn't negligence always unintentional?

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Brooklyn New York Police Killing

(Duane Browne with his now orphaned son, Dasani)

The New York Times reports

It was the same woman whose rapid-fire calls to 911 had reported a home invasion. Her boyfriend, Dale Ogarro, had been grabbed by two armed men wearing hoods, masks and latex gloves and led — gun to his head — into his residence in the basement of the home, on Schenck Avenue.

“Where’s the money?” they shouted at Mr. Ogarro, according to officials’ account of the woman’s 911 calls.

Moments later, the officers saw a man who they later learned was Mr. Ogarro, 41, emerging from the back entrance with his hands up. He said there was not a problem.

It was not. In the next moments, a second man came out that door, carrying a loaded .38-caliber revolver and refusing an officer’s orders to freeze, the authorities said.

The man made some kind of move, the police said, and an officer, 30, fired a single bullet that tore through the man’s chest, killing him.

What was learned thereafter was that uniformed officers had not shot a robber, but another resident of the home, Duane Browne, 26, about 14 minutes after the first 911 call.

Did you notice that part about refusing the officer's order to freeze and about "making some kind of move?" Well, that's exactly what determines a good clean and justified shoot from a bad one. The interesting thing is, we never ever hear a cop or a civilian gun owner say he fired too quickly and may not have been justified. To me that means some of these so-called clean police shoots and so-called Defensive Gun Uses are bogus.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Las Vegas Cops Under Siege

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports on the increased focus that's been placed on the police for their trigger-happy ways. The latest incident alone is enough to warrant something a bit more than the usual investigation.

After a 30-minute standoff, police fired a nonlethal beanbag shotgun round through a window of Gibson's car with the plan to pepper spray and arrest him. But their plan might not have been understood by officer Jesus Arevalo, a nine-year department veteran, who reacted to the beanbag shot by firing seven shots from his AR-15 semiautomatic rifle into the passenger side of Gibson's car.

Gibson, who was unarmed, was the 12th person shot and killed by Las Vegas police this year -- a record number for the agency.

What's your opinion? Is something wrong with the Las Vegas cops? Do they think they can do whatever they want?

Please leave a comment.

Cop Who Shot Fleeing Suspect Exonerated

The Hartford Courant reports on how they do it.

A former Hartford police officer who was arrested in 2003 after shooting a fleeing suspect, and subsequently fired before being exonerated by a jury, has settled two lawsuits with the city and expects to be back on the job by next spring.

Robert Murtha, 41, accepted the city's offer Tuesday to settle his lawsuits in return for reinstatement with the department and more than $500,000 to cover legal bills, lost pay and benefits. The city stood to lose more than $1 million had it lost its pending appeals in the civil suit and arbitration rulings. The arbitration ruling included an order to reinstate him as a police officer.

Sometimes they claim the guy who was running away turned and pointed a gun over his shoulder. Often that explanation is all it takes for a quick turnaround for the trigger-happy officer. This case took a while.

What do you think? Please leave a comment.

Shot in the Back Running Away

The Daily Times reports on the events which took place in Chester PA

Police said Simms, of the 500 block of Rose Street, was carrying a gun when he attempted to flee from officers during a pedestrian stop Friday night on East 23rd Street near Crosby Street. He was shot in the back by an officer at 7:53 p.m. and died in the CCMC emergency room at 8:10 p.m.

Police said “a weapon was recovered at the scene and submitted into evidence.”

Simms’ death is being investigated by the Delaware County Special Prosecutor’s Office. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Robert T Lythgoe Jr. at 610-891-4243 or Detective Thomas H. Worrilow at 610-891-4244.

I suppose everyone who reads this will be calling in to report the information that cops aren't supposed to be shooting fleeing suspects in the back. It doesn't matter if the runner is armed or not.

In order to get away with murder, what we're often told is the guy was going for his gun, while running away. Sometimes, he even turns a little and points the gun over his shoulder. But, really , it doesn't matter what bullshit story the cops come up with, they usually support each other in these cases and indeed get away with murder.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Crooked Cops in Northern California Town

This kind of thing is probably a bigger problem than we realize. SFGate reports.

A second member of an anti-drug law enforcement squad in Contra Costa County was charged Friday with selling drugs seized in raids and other crimes.

San Ramon police Officer Louis Lombardi, 38, of Discovery Bay was charged with stealing guns, selling drugs, embezzlement, illegally possessing an assault rifle and conspiracy.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Police Shoot Unarmed Man on Video

via The Truth About Guns where Brad opened up with this incredible sentence. "Never mind whether or not the officer in question was justified in shooting the perp." He goes on to talk about whether the shooting was offensive or defensive, which I couldn't quite distinguish from justified or not.

To me it's manslaughter, pure and simple.

Video Shows Pittsfield Township Officer Shooting Man: MyFoxDETROIT.com

Why Carry a Fake Gun?

In Chicago:

The officers pursued the man on foot, during which time the man drew a weapon from his waistband and jumped a fence, the statement said.

The officers announced their office and ordered him to drop the weapon. He then turned and pointed the weapon in the direction of the officers. In fear of their lives, officers fired at him, striking him. Police shot the suspect outside in the 7000 block of S. St. Lawrence Ave., according to a Grand Crossing District police sergeant.

The man suffered a gunshot wound, possibly to the leg, and was in “stable” condition John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, according to Fire Media Affairs Chief Kevin MacGregor. He is in police custody at the hospital.

Police recovered drugs and a replica firearm from the man, according to police News Affairs. No officers were injured.

In Los Angeles:

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says deputies shot and killed a man who led them on a chase with his motorcycle, challenged them to a fight then pointed what they believed was a gun at them.

The department says in a news release that reports Saturday said a motorcyclist was brandishing a firearm at drivers, and deputies briefly chased a suspect who matched the description.

The man soon abandoned the motorcycle in a street in the Willowbrook area, took off his helmet and challenged deputies to a fight.

The statement says when deputies approached him, he removed what appeared to be a handgun from his waist area, pointed it at them, and was shot.

The 24-year-old suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, and deputies recovered a replica gun.

Seriously, what is it with these fake guns? Do wannabe criminals carry them instead of real guns for some reason? What could it be?

Could the cops be planting fake guns on people? Is that less risky for them than planting real ones? Or have I been watching too many movies to even think cops do that kind of thing?

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Los Angeles Police Commissioner Overrules Chief

The Los Angeles times reports on the rare event. Like any so-called defensive shooting, by cop or civilian, the possibility of making a trigger-happy mistake and then lying about it is great. Sometimes they don't get away with it.

The civilian commission that oversees the Los Angeles Police Department has taken the rare step of rejecting a recommendation from the department's chief, ruling that two police officers were wrong when they fatally shot an unarmed autistic man last year.

Police Chief Charlie Beck concluded after a lengthy internal investigation that the officers made serious tactical mistakes during the brief, late-night encounter, but ultimately were justified in using deadly force against Steven Eugene Washington, 27.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Another "Justified" Police Shooting

They sure do like giving the benefit of the doubt to trigger-happy cops.

"Given the totality of the circumstances, Officer Dalessi was justified in believing that Poccia presented an immediate and serious threat of death or great bodily harm," the district attorney concluded. "Accordingly, we have determined that Officer Dalessi's use of deadly force here was legally justified and, thereby, no criminal act was committed in the use of such force while carrying out his duties as a sworn police officer."

I believe shootings like this, however understandable, must be seen as tragic mistakes rather than as justified responses. Men who are entrusted with the responsibility of carrying a gun, both cops and concealed carry permit holders, must not be permitted to make mistakes like this without paying for them.  The price: forfeiture of gun rights, for a start.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Vallejo Police Do It Again - Jay G. Keeps Count

Police all over the country have been busy lately, and Vallejo, California's finest are no exception. The scene was the usual one, attempted traffic stop, chase, and the terrible result.

The driver eventually pulled over near the intersection of Corcoran and Cobb avenues, where he initially disobeyed orders to exit the vehicle, according to police. When he finally did, he pulled out a gun. Police said more than one officer fired at the man, who died at the scene.

It's usually the same old story, the guy "lunges" or "pulls a gun" or something that can be written up as "lethal threat."

This is the second officer-involved fatal shooting since December. Guy Jarreau, 34, was killed exactly two months ago by Vallejo police in an alley in the 2100 block of Sonoma Boulevard.

An officer fatally shot Jarreau after police say he aimed a loaded gun at the officer.

Family members and friends, who held a vigil Friday afternoon in his memory, say Jarreau was shooting an anti-violence music video and question whether he actually had a gun.

This one sounds a little different though doesn't it, although not uncommon.  Often the friends and relatives say "no way, that's just not like him."

So here's my theory, which I freely admit I got from the movies.  The cops are buying up guns on the black market to plant on their victims after they shoot them. Now, before you object, think about it.  It's not really as bad or as far-fetched as you might first think.

Everyone knows that cops have a tough job, right? We also know that, in a sticky situation, if they waited to actually see the gun or to determine lethal threat for certain, it would be too late.  They must pre-empt the action, if they want to survive, and this leads to mistakes which need to be covered up. It's that simple.

The attitude which makes all this possible is perfectly illustrated on the popular gun blog MArooned.  Jay G. keeps a running "goblin" count.  Never mind that those so-called "goblins" have rights and are supposed to be presumed innocent like everybody else.  And never mind the fact that some of them may actually have been innocent, these are cases in which the shooter was really the criminal in spite of appearances. But none of that matters to Jay G., just like none of that matters to your average cop who views the folks he's decided are criminals as sub-human and worthy of being destroyed.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Courtroom Shooting in Alabama

Here's the gist of it.  A guy on crutches with a broken hip is sentenced to jail and freaks out. The judge pulls a gun on him but that doesn't work. Next, thing ya know, a police officer shoots him twice.  Here's the story.

Now I realize a good bash in the head with a crutch can hurt, but was lethal force really necessary. (Can you call it lethal force if the guy accidentally lives?)

What's your opinion?  But before you start, ask yourself this. Why do I (the commenter) keep defending the police in shootings when I really have serious concerns about police brutality and government oppression of all kinds?  Could it be that, as a gun owner, I want to reserve the right to misuse my own gun if the opportunity ever arises, you know, killing goblins and all that good shit? Why else wouldn't I denounce this continual, daily police violence to the high heavens?

It's a mystery to me.  Please leave a comment.

Officer Involved Shootings

It's like an epidemic.

Miramar, FL - 2 dead, one cop wounded.

Wethersfield, CT - 1 dead, one cop shaken-up.

Gresham, OR - 1 dead.

Boynton Beach, FL - 1 dead.

Zumbrota, MN - 1 dead.

San Antonio, TX - 1 car thief escaped.

Fife, WA - 1 possibly wounded, tazed and arrested.

Glastonbury, CT - 1 wounded, one cop injured by car.

Amarillo, TX - 1 man critical after cops fired 40 shots.

All right, you get the idea.  I could continue, but that's certainly enough examples. 

What' s your opinion?  Do you think the cops sometimes shoot unnecessarliy? Do you think some of these incidents are really acts of aggression on the part of the police?

I do.  And I think the same, or more, applies to gun owners in general.  That's why the greatly exaggerated claims of the numbers of DGUs there are every year are even more ridiculous than meets the eye.  Some of them are not defensive at all.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Los Angeles Police Murder Naked Unarmed Man

This is why the police need more and better training.  That goes for civilian gun owners too.

Whats your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Florida Shooter Killed by Police

The action took place in Jacksonville, Florida.

Investigators say the man accused of fatally shooting two people and wounding two others was shot 28 times by Jacksonville police.

New details were released Saturday about the police-involved shooting that left 33-year-old Christopher Scott Kilgore dead. Police say the shooting most likely lasted only a few seconds.

Law enforcement had been looking for Kilgore since Monday. Clay County authorities said he fatally shot his brother and a friend. Kilgore also shot his parents, but they survived. 

Officers were following up on a call about a suspicious person Friday when they confronted Kilgore, ordering him to give up. He refused. The officers then shot him. Kilgore had been armed with a handgun and a shotgun, but never returned fire.

I know, if you don't want to end up shot by the police 28 times, you shouldn't go around shooting people yourself. Wait a minute, isn't that like blaming the victim? Don't I always get called on that one about gun theft and other matters?

In this case, let's see, he made victims of his brother, a friend and his parents.  Then the police made a victim of him. The police should answer for that.  Our friend Kevin H. told us that in order for the cops to hit him 29 times they'd have to have fired 50 to 100 times.

I call that an excessive response to a non-life threatening confrontation. And they know it too, don't you love this justification.

Police say the shooting most likely lasted only a few seconds

What do you think?

Please leave a comment.

More on the Most Hated Cops - Philadelphia's

There are frequent incidents that could go under this heading. One we covered a while ago was this. Today there's another.

3 cops cleared in shooting death of man who fired at them

Now that could be a fine decision, the report was after all that the dead guy fired at the cops first. But 3 or 4 cops shot him several times each. The guy had 20 to 30 bullet holes in him.

That cannot be right. What better illustration could there be of excessive force?

In reference to the decision exonerating the cops, the DA had this to say.

"I'm very saddened at D.A. Williams's office for rendering that decision.

"The medical examiner's report doesn't lie. The holes in this man's body do not tell a lie. If they followed the lines of the medical examiner's report relative to the number of bullets in his body and the position of those bullets, it would tell the story that this man was murdered by the Philadelphia police."

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Detroit Imam Shooting Justified

It's more sad than surprising.

Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad said Friday that he regrets that Muslim leader Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah died after a shootout with FBI agents, as the city released its report about the incident. The city's report backs up the conclusion of a state attorney general report released Thursday that said the FBI acted appropriately in the shooting and arrests of Abdullah's followers.

When we first talked about this case it seemed they'd have a hard time justifying it.  Sadly, that was wrong.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Modesto Off-duty Cop Shooting

Far be it from me to read too much into a story, but it sure sounds like one of those excessive-force-by-unfit-cop stories to me.  What do you think?

Please leave a comment.