A Police Shooting in Rural China

From the Washington Post  via Opinione

Luokan is an isolated village. With few jobs, most here get by on low-paying work in surrounding counties.

The closest airport is in the equally impoverished city of Zhaotong. From there, it takes a six-hour drive through treacherous mountains followed by an hour-and-a-half hike up a single-lane dirt road to get here.

The road has been heavily monitored of late by local police, ever since they killed Fang Jiushu on May 15.

The shooting occurred in the town square in front of hundreds of witnesses on the busiest market day of the week, according to villagers. Yet few today are willing to even say Fang’s name in public.

Several Luokan residents — approached by a foreign journalist who had snuck into their village under the cover of night a few weeks after the shooting — refused to talk. Fang’s friends and relatives were similarly reluctant, believing their phones to be tapped and their houses watched by informants.

Since Fang’s death, they said, government officials have visited many homes, warning all not to talk to outsiders.

But over the course of a night in secret interviews inside their homes, more than a dozen villagers gave their account of the shooting.

And their testimonies, coupled with cellphone pictures they provided of the shooting, contradict many aspects of the government account.

First Fatal Shooting Ever by Police in Iceland

Los Angeles Times

For the first time in Iceland's modern history, police carried out a fatal shooting early Monday during an exchange of gunfire with a man reported to be firing at cars from his apartment window.

Two police officers were wounded in the shootout that followed a 5 a.m. emergency call from neighbors, Euronews quoted an Icelandic news agency as reporting. The 59-year-old victim from eastern Reykjavik, who wasn't immediately identified, was taken to an area hospital where he died of his wounds.

The British broadcaster referred to its May report on Iceland's crime rate, one of the lowest in the world despite widespread gun ownership. There are about 90,000 guns registered among Iceland's 315,000 people, making it 15th in the world in per capita gun ownership, GunPolicy.org reports.

The author-researcher of the BBC crime study, Andrew Clark of Boston's Suffolk University Law School, attributed the low incidence of violent crime in Iceland to the absence of class distinctions in a country where 97% identify themselves as middle class.

Clark also noted that, unlike in the United States, acquiring a gun involves a more rigorous system of checks, including a medical examination of the applicant and a written test.

Written test?  That's how we could eliminate many of our gun owners right there.

Cop Caught On Tape Shooting Unarmed Man Won’t Be Charged With A Crime

Think Progress via Daisy Deahead

Chicago Police Officer Gildardo Sierra will not face any criminal charges for the killing of an unarmed man, Cook County prosecutors announced Tuesday, despite video footage that showed Sierra standing over the victim, Flint Farmer, and shooting him multiple times. Prosecutors concluded that Sierra may have reasonably mistaken Farmer’s cell phone for a gun, and therefore was justified in firing off all 16 rounds in his gun at the unarmed man.

Farmer was Sierra’s third shooting in six months, yet the officer remained on the job. The video showed Farmer lying on the ground bleeding as Sierra shot three bullets into his back. An autopsy later determined those three shots in his back were the fatal wounds.

Sierra eventually admitted that he drank “multiple” beers before he went to work that night. However, the city waited more than five hours after the shooting to give him a breath test, so there was no way to tell if he was impaired during the shooting.

Texas Cop Fired after Shooting at Suspect 41 Times, Killing Him

From the Trenches

A police officer in Texas has been terminated from the force after an investigation determined that he violated official policy when he rammed his car into a suspect’s vehicle, cornered him and then fired 41 shots, killing him. 

Officer Patrick Tuter shot and killed Michael Vincent Allen on August 12, 2012, but he has only now been fired more than six months later. He has spent the last half year on administrative leave while the Garland Police Department conducted an investigation that has finally concluded this week. 

“Tuter has been fired because he was found in violation of two general orders of our department,”Garland PD spokesperson Joe Harn tells the Dallas Morning News. “He violated our pursuit policy as well as our use of force policy.”

I'll bet he still has gun. It is Texas, after all.

Police Officer Danielle Petrangelo, Who Accidentally Shot a Pregnant Woman in the Face, Has Been Fired

Local news update on a story we posted when it happened.  At that time there were no charges.  It still seems unclear exactly what happened. 

An Agawam police officer who accidentally shot a pregnant mom of two in the face has been relieved of her duties. 

Police Chief Robert Campbell confirmed with CBS 3 that officer Danielle Petrangelo has been let go. 

This is all stemming from a call last May when a young mother was shot in the face.
Brittany Miles, 21, has since recovered from her injuries.

Hampden County District Attorney Mark Mastroianni says he found no criminal conduct in Pentrangelo's actions. 

What's your opinion? Could she be fired even though there were no criminal charges? What about her gun rights as a civilian?

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

Maryland Cop Shoots and Kills Man with Hammer

Local news reports

Tuesday night, the parents of 26-year-old Edward L. Becker, Jr. reported that he had been drinking and was acting disorderly, smashing windows out of a truck with a hammer.

Three officers arrived at a home on Commerce Street in Taneytown and saw Becker walking down the street toward them, say police. He had the hammer in his hand and officers shouted for him to drop it and surrender.  Police say, however, that Becker continued to walk towards the officers, who were now out of their patrol cars. The officers went down the street and behind their cars, continuing to shout for Becker to drop the hammer and surrender, according to police.

Police say Becker continued to ignore the officers and keep walking. About an arm's length away from an officer, Becker reportedly raised a hammer and the officer fired his pistol. Becker was hit in the upper torso.

I understand all the nonsense about "center of mass." But when the preservation of life is a priority shooting the guy in the chest is not necessary to stop him.

Non-lethal means could also have been employed.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Five Police Officers Killed this Week

SUPGV

In the past week, five police officers have been shot and killed in the line of duty. In Clayton County, Georgia, 24-year-old Sean Callahan, who had only been on the job for four months, was gunned down by a suspect during a domestic dispute. In Topeka,Kansas, two police officers, 50-year-old David Gogian and 29-year-old Jeff Atherly were killed while responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle. In Washington County, Missouri, 31-year-old Christopher Parsons was killed while responding to a domestic call. In Memphis, Tennessee, 32-year-old Martoiya Lang was shot and killed during a narcotics raid.

It's a pretty good bet that three or four out of five were lawful gun owners. More disgraceful results from the proliferation of handguns among civilians who are unfit to responsibly handle them.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Trigger-Happy Houston Cop Kills Shoplifter

Houston Chronicle  via democommie

An off-duty Harris County sheriff's deputy said Friday that he was afraid for his life when he fatally shot a suspected shoplifter in a Walmart parking lot.

Deputy Louis Campbell was working an extra security job at the store in the 10400 block of the North Freeway about 9:45 p.m. Thursday when he fired the shot that killed 27-year-old Shelly Frey.

Prior to the shooting, a Walmart employee told Campbell that a group of women, including Frey, were stuffing store merchandise into their bags.  They paid for a few small items but then tried to leave without paying for the rest, Harris County sheriff's deputies said.

Campbell confronted the women in the doorway and ordered them to stop. They tried to force their way past him. One of the women, later identified as Frey, hit the deputy and ran.

Campbell followed them into the parking lot, where the shoplifting suspects climbed into a waiting car. Campbell opened the car door and ordered Frey to get out. But she refused, officials said.
Andrews began to drive away while the deputy was standing between the open door and the driver's seat.

"She threw it in reverse and tried to run over the deputy," said Thomas Gilliland, a Harris County sheriff's spokesman. Campbell later told investigators he feared for his safety and opened fire.  The car sped away.

You know what this is, really? This is summary execution for disobedience. Cops don't like it when you disobey like that.  Of course in order to justify it they always claim fear for their life, but I don't buy it.  He was unhurt. If his life had really been in jeopardy, he'd have suffered some injuries, no?

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Bad Scene at a Michigan Police Station

Freep reports

Harold J. Collins, 64, had been battling health problems for years, including a tumor on his face, when he walked into the Southfield Police Department on Sunday and without a word, tried to fire his gun at an officer.

Neither neighbors nor police could say whether the veteran purposely chose Veterans Day to walk into the station and brandish a gun nor can they say what motivated him to shoot at an officer after repeated requests to drop his weapon.

Collins was shot and killed by police officers, but not before a sergeant was shot in the left shoulder. Police are awaiting ballistics reports to officially attribute the shot to Collins.

Did you get that? They want to attribute the shot which wounded a cop to Collins.

According to police, he parked his white Dodge Caliber in the south-facing parking lot of the Police Department and walked into the lobby.

There, an officer behind protective glass spoke to Collins, who did not attempt to answer or make any gestures to communicate. Collins simply stared blankly before pointing a .38-caliber handgun at the officer and pulling the trigger.

But the gun didn't fire.

Five officers responded to the desk officer's call for help, emerging into the lobby and demanding that Collins drop the gun. He didn't comply, and the gunfire began, although it isn't clear from police statements who shot first.

So, he either had no bullets in the gun or it was malfunctioning. Too bad there wasn't one cop on the scene heroic enough to handle the situation without blowing the guy away.  Not only that, they shot one of their own in the process and now want ballistics to prove it was Collins.

What's your opinion?  Shouldn't trained police officers show more restraint than that?

The story gives us a good illustration of  several things.  The fact that gun violence can happen anywhere, it's not limited to gun free zones, the fact that too many unfit people have easy access to guns, and the idea that no one is checking if people like this have concealed carry permits. 

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts Police Sergeant Arrested in Domestic Incident

 Local news reports

Police responded to 15 Devon Ave. around midnight Friday after a report of a domestic disturbance involving a shot fired from a gun, according to a statement released by police on Saturday night.

According to the release, officers arrived on the scene to find the altercation over and John “Jay” Swallow, a sergeant with the Manchester Police Department, outside on the sidewalk.

Police said the victim had been arguing with Swallow, who left the room and returned with a silver Ruger handgun, which he pointed at the victim. According to the victim, he then pointed the gun at a dog in the room, stating he was going to kill the animal.

“The victim asked Swallow to leave, but when he refused, the victim pushed past him and went to the neighbor’s house. As the victim was walking outside, a single gunshot was heard inside the house.

Swallow told officers that the gun had accidentally discharged while he was en route to put it away.”

Officers seized weapons from the home, including 16 handguns, 11 rifles, eight shotguns, a large amount of ammunition and four samurai swords.

According to Beverly police, Swallow is charged with assault and battery, assault with a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, witness intimidation, and three firearms security violations.

How much you wanna bet he pleas it down enough to keep his job and guns?

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

The Noel Palanco Shooting

 The New York Times reports

The driver, Noel Polanco, 22, did not comply with Detective Hamdy’s orders to put his hands up, instead reaching “down in a quick motion, down on the floor of the car,” said the lawyer representing the detective, Philip Karasyk.

A front-seat passenger in Mr. Polanco’s car, however, has disputed Mr. Karasyk’s account, told to him by the detective. The passenger, Diane Deferrari, told investigators that Mr. Polanco had no time to comply with orders to put his hands up. He still had his hands on the steering wheel when he was shot in the abdomen area, said Ms. Deferrari, who characterized the shooting as police road rage.

Somebody's lying. How about if we just don't accept any more shootings of unarmed people by the police? Wouldn't that simplify matters?

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

Alabama Policeman Shoots and Kills a Naked Unarmed Student

The Boston Herald reports

A police officer at the University of South Alabama has fatally shot a naked student whom authorities said repeatedly charged the officer.

University officials said the confrontation happened early Saturday morning when the officer went outside a police station to investigate a banging noise at a window.

Once outside, the officer was confronted by a naked man acting erratically.

Authorities said the man repeatedly charged the officer, who pulled his gun and retreated several times in an attempt to defuse the situation. When the man made a final charge, the officer shot him once in the chest.

The student has been identified as 18-year-old Gilbert Thomas Collar of Wetumpka.

This can never be justified. A naked, unarmed man should never be gunned down by anyone, it doesn't matter what he's doing.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Legitimate Police Shooting of Dog Seven Times

The Morning Journal reports

While officers spoke to Oliver, Lesner said he heard a dog at the side garage door “barking, growling and smashing in to it.” The door burst open and a white 100 pound pitbull came running out at full speed. Lesner wrote that the dog appeared “extremely aggressive, agitated and wanting to do harm to the officers.” As the dog ran past Lesner — focused on the officers nearest to Oliver — Lesner shot it three times in the back and lower back area with an M4 rifle. When the dog attempted to get back to its feet, “snarling and attempting to bite,” Lesner wrote that he fired four more rounds in to the animal. The report doesn’t say if the dog was killed.

At first I thought I'd have another story about overly trigger-happy cops doing their thing, but after reading the description of that scene, I'm with them 100%.

What do you think?

Incredible Decision about the Saginaw Cops who Killed Milton Hall

Huffington Post reports on the follow up to this story.

Michigan authorities said Wednesday that they have cleared six Saginaw police officers in the fatal shooting of a homeless, mentally ill man in a parking lot.

Saginaw County Prosecutor Michael D. Thomas joined state officials at a Saginaw news conference to announce the findings.

Milton Hall, 49, was shot multiple times July 1. Saginaw police said he was wielding a knife and made aggressive movements toward officers.

Thomas said in a statement that an extensive investigation "did not yield enough evidence supporting the filing of criminal charges against the officers involved."

"It is the decision of the prosecutor's office that we do not believe that the arresting officers are chargeable for their actions," Thomas said.

Usually they wait six months or a year to make an outrageous decision like this one. They should be careful, this is how the Rodney King problem started, exonerating obviously guilty cops.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Arkansas Cop Charged with Manslaughter

Police One reports

A police officer who fatally shot a 15-year-old Arkansas boy was charged with felony manslaughter Friday after investigators determined his account of the incident didn't match up with evidence at the scene, Little Rock police said.

Officer Josh Hastings, who has a history of disciplinary issues with his department, shot Bobby Moore Jr. while responding to a suspicious persons call at an apartment complex on Aug. 12. 

Hastings claimed the car Moore was driving was heading toward him, prompting him to fire through its windshield, but the police chief said evidence shows the car was either moving in reverse or stopped several feet away from Hastings when he fired.

"I have reviewed this matter and have concluded that the incident did not occur in the manner represented by the officer and that the use of deadly force did not conform to departmental orders," Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas said, adding that prosecutors agreed "the use of deadly force was not justified."

The 26-year-old officer, who had been suspended six times in five years prior to the August shooting, was booked into jail Friday but later released on $15,000 bond. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The old "car was coming at me" trick. We've heard that one before, in fact we've seen it work as justification for police shootings. I've always had my doubts.

One interesting thing about this cop is his previous problems were not of the trigger-happy variety.  Remember Officer Peters from Scottsdale, well Hastings sounds like a different type, general fuck-up who should have been disarmed long before, but I guess there wasn't really cause enough for that.

Too bad for Bobby Moore.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Accidental Shooting Death in the Bronx - A Cop Did It

NBC News reports

A Bronx bodega worker was accidentally shot and killed by a police officer responding to an armed robbery inside the store early Friday morning, according to law enforcement officials.

Police say a gunman wearing a ski mask and two other men entered the bodega at 631 East 169th Street at 2 a.m. Friday and ordered the store's night manager and another employee to lie on the floor. The gunman also struck the night manager in the back of the head. The gun was not loaded, police said.

A passerby who witnessed the robbery in progress called 911. As police arrived, two of the suspects fled to the back of the store and basement. At that point, Felix Mora, the night manager, and Reynaldo Cuevas, the other employee, ran out of the store

19-year-old Cuevas followed Mora and was accidentally shot dead by an officer as he exited the store. In surveillance footage shared by police at a press conference Friday afternoon, Cuevas is seen colliding with the officer as he runs out of the store.

The New York Police are having a bad couple of weeks. I can't help but thinking inadequate training is at fault. The possibility of accidentally shooting someone, whether it's collateral damage like at the Empire State Bldg. or shooting someone who suddenly runs into you, could be greatly diminished with more frequent training. This should be expected of gun owners.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Another Toy Gun Shooting by the Police

SF Gate reports

I'm sorry, but I can believe that a small time drug dealer carries an air-soft gun to make it look like he's armed to his customers, but I can't believe that he drew the toy gun on the police.

To me this sounds like another case of the cops being trigger-happy and then trying to cover it up.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Saginaw Cops Appear to Have Committed Murder

CNN reports

 

We've seen this before, summary execution for disobedience.

What's your opinion?  Did you see anything like lethal threat in that video?  This is the same thing that happens in many of the supposed DGUs we hear about. The only lethal threat is in the mind of the trigger-happy gun owner.

The problem comes when some video records it.

Please leave a comment.

Accidental Shooting by Mississippi Cop - No Harm No Foul

Local news reports

The injured officer was among a group taking James Willie to a hearing in Charleston, Miss., on Wednesday. Willie is charged with fatally shooting a man from Nebraska and a woman from Mississippi in separate incidents in May on dark, isolated stretches of Mississippi highways.

Stewart says the deputy's gun discharged while he was getting out of a car. He says Willie wasn't involved in the shooting of the deputy.

The incident may not have been life-threatening but it certainly should have been job-threatening. What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Miami Police Shoot and Kill a Real Live (Zombie) Cannibal

 The Miami Herald reports

It was a scene as creepy as a Hannibal Lecter movie.

One man was shot to death by Miami police, and another man is fighting for his life after he was attacked, and his face allegedly half eaten, by a naked man on the MacArthur Causeway off ramp Saturday, police said.

I'm the first one to criticize the police decision to shoot someone, but when it comes to a face-eater, I have no problem with the shooting. The only part of the article I wondered about was the possible explanation for the incident.

Police theorize the attacker might have been suffering from "cocaine psychosis," a drug-induced craze that bakes the body internally and often leads the affected to strip naked to try and cool off.

That theory explaining why a crazy guy gets naked is pretty far fetched, and certainly doesn't explain his appetite, unless wait a minute, unless he was also on medical marijuana.

That could explain it.  What do you think?

Please leave a comment.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/26/2818832/naked-man-shot-killed-on-macarthur.html#storylink=cpy