I am a police officer in a different state and came across this article completely on accident. I can tell you from what I read in this article that officers acted appropriately given the situation in which they were in. A police officer may use deadly force when he/she has an articulateble belief that he/she, other officers, and/or the public is in immediate threat of great deadly harm or death. To break that down, if someone has a deadly weapon, is in close enough proximity officers or the public to do harm with said weapon, and has uttered statements and/or made actions that would cause “a reasonable police officer” in the same situation to believe the suspect might cause harm, then deadly action can back taken.
As for the number of rounds fires; I do not know the physical stature, body composition, or condition of the suspect. I do not know the toxicology or psychological status of the suspect, and unless you have obtained information from outside this article, neither do you. All the above are factors that can effect the survivability of a person who has suffered a gunshot wound. One factor to consider is that the only way to cause instantaneous cessation of life is to interrupt the central nervous system (head shot that severs brainstem). This is a difficult shot to make especially when one is under stress. Officers are not trained to make head shots. Officers are trained to shoot at the center mass (torso) of the suspect and continue to do so until the treat is gone. Officers are trained to this manner, because the suspect are not killed from the gunshot, he/she dies from blood loss. The brain losses consciousness long before death and thus many suspects do not die because once a suspect losses consciousness he/she is no longer a threat, his/her weapon can be removed, and he/she can receive medical treatment.
The idea of taser deployment is an amazing less lethal option that many police officer now have. However, a taser works by electrically over stimulating the skeletal muscular system. This is achieve by causing a quick and violent contraction of the skeletal muscle, not a good thing to cause a person to involuntarily make a fist when his/her finger is on a trigger.
As with any issue, it is much easier to condemn than it is to research. Try to find out the why before passing judgement on someone in whose shoes you’ve never walked and in whose job you have never experienced.
Police shooting victim had 43 wounds
To: enufisenuf,
I am a police officer in a different state and came across this article completely on accident. I can tell you from what I read in this article that officers acted appropriately given the situation in which they were in. A police officer may use deadly force when he/she has an articulateble belief that he/she, other officers, and/or the public is in immediate threat of great deadly harm or death. To break that down, if someone has a deadly weapon, is in close enough proximity officers or the public to do harm with said weapon, and has uttered statements and/or made actions that would cause “a reasonable police officer” in the same situation to believe the suspect might cause harm, then deadly action can back taken.
As for the number of rounds fires; I do not know the physical stature, body composition, or condition of the suspect. I do not know the toxicology or psychological status of the suspect, and unless you have obtained information from outside this article, neither do you. All the above are factors that can effect the survivability of a person who has suffered a gunshot wound. One factor to consider is that the only way to cause instantaneous cessation of life is to interrupt the central nervous system (head shot that severs brainstem). This is a difficult shot to make especially when one is under stress. Officers are not trained to make head shots. Officers are trained to shoot at the center mass (torso) of the suspect and continue to do so until the treat is gone. Officers are trained to this manner, because the suspect are not killed from the gunshot, he/she dies from blood loss. The brain losses consciousness long before death and thus many suspects do not die because once a suspect losses consciousness he/she is no longer a threat, his/her weapon can be removed, and he/she can receive medical treatment.
The idea of taser deployment is an amazing less lethal option that many police officer now have. However, a taser works by electrically over stimulating the skeletal muscular system. This is achieve by causing a quick and violent contraction of the skeletal muscle, not a good thing to cause a person to involuntarily make a fist when his/her finger is on a trigger.
As with any issue, it is much easier to condemn than it is to research. Try to find out the why before passing judgement on someone in whose shoes you’ve never walked and in whose job you have never experienced.