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« Thoughts on crime | Main | Now, those were the days! »

LE shooting in Florida

Posted by David Hardy · 2 May 2009 09:14 AM

Article here. If this had been a private citizen shooting, I suspect there'd be homicide charges, and if it'd been a CCW permit holder, the paper would probably be citing as an example of dangerous recklessness.

Retired firefighter is reported armed and suicidal. Officers knock on door and he opens it, apparently with one hand holding a cell phone, the other turning the knob, and a long arm tucked under his arm so as to free up both hands. Whereupon they shoot him in the head. And charge him with attempted murder, since a second officer took a shot on his shield. Then it turns out the second officer was shot by another officer. Oops.

Hat tip to reader David Hustvedt...

5 Comments | Leave a comment

Jim | May 2, 2009 9:24 AM | Reply

Assuming there was cause to shoot the guy in the first place (which I see it appears there was not) then the other officer being shot by friendly fire could still result in felony murder charges, no?

Flighterdoc | May 2, 2009 11:44 AM | Reply

Jim, sure it could...but it won't happen: LEO's are very rarely prosecuted for their professional misdeeds, and when they are are very rarely prosecuted at the most serious possible level.

OTOH, civilians don't get such consideration

Letalis Maximus, Esq. | May 2, 2009 12:07 PM | Reply

About the only time police get prosecuted for this kind of stuff is when there is some kind of race issue involved and the local elected made guy mayor or police chief is up for re-election soon.

Joshua | May 2, 2009 2:07 PM | Reply

My thoughts on this shooting here:

http://jackbootedliberal.com/2009/05/double-standard-for-murderous-police-officers/

In summary: public, police, and media response will given the officers the benefit of the doubt, and only aggressive action from private attorney(s) will have any chance of justice. This is an example of a bias against private citizens and in favor of police in shootings.

Brad | May 2, 2009 3:31 PM | Reply

"LEO's are very rarely prosecuted for their professional misdeeds, and when they are are very rarely prosecuted at the most serious possible level."

You are so right. See this story...

http://www.sandiegodwi.com/blog/woman-shot-by-off-duty-oceanside-police-officer-pleads-guilty-to-dui-and-child-endangerment.html

The link doesn't even scratch the surface of how bad this case was. For weeks after the incident the authorities refused to divulge infomation about the case. And when charges finally were filed, they went after the victim of the shooting almost as much as the shooter.

Notably absent from the charges filed against the cop, who shot up the car with it's unarmed occupants of woman driver and her child passenger both of whom were wounded, the 10-20-life gun penalty enhancement. The cop should have got life in prison because of that.

10-20-life, is one of those gun crimes which never seems to get prosecuted while ever more gun ban laws keep piling up instead. You see in California a crime which involved use of a gun is supposed to get an extra 10 years tacked on, or if the gun was fired an extra 20 years, or if someone was wounded then the extra penalty is life!

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