Excessive Force Case from My hometown

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If it would have happened in NYC, then at least 5 cops would have pulled there guns and emptied their clips into the guy...then they would have said ooops!

[stark]

I think even a taser is excessive if he's not posing an immediate threat to the officer himself or anyone else (It's just a drunk man in a tree, not a guy holding up a liquer store).. And five years on the force you'd think he'd know the difference now between what is what and where it is... Not to mention, don't you see the weapon you're firing before you take a shot (Because I doubt he just busted it out and shot point-blank).. And, isn't there a safety on the gun?

[Galleleo]

So, the guy in the tree had no weapon pulled on the cop? He was not attacking him? Just simply not coming out of the tree? Didn't the cop have more then enough time to check what weapon he was holding in his hand? It doesn't sound like every second mattered. And doesn't a gun feel different from a taser? Why just not mace him?

[Suh]

I hope he loses his badge,

its the least that should happen to him, shouldnt be making mistakes like that in situations like that. its not even like it was a mistake in the heat of the moment.

its worrying you think people should be shot for being up trees

[Suh]

or tasered for that matter, are the police allowed to taser without cause over there? (being up a tree on private property isnt a enough of a cause for me)

[Vykromond]

See, [guy in tree] don't give a fuck, that's the problem
[guy in tree] see a motherfuckin cop [guy in tree] don't dodge him

[Liquid Blue]

So, the guy in the tree had no weapon pulled on the cop? He was not attacking him? Just simply not coming out of the tree? Didn't the cop have more then enough time to check what weapon he was holding in his hand? It doesn't sound like every second mattered. And doesn't a gun feel different from a taser? Why just not mace him?

Depending on the tree, mace wouldn't reach.

While it is important to get the guy down if the tree in question is on someone's private property, I'm going to have to agree that this wasn't a "heat of the moment" situation. The cop should have checked (know rather) what weapon he was holding before he fired- leave without pay is the least that should happen in a case like this. When it comes to guns and people's lives, you can't say "woops I thought it was my taser, sry I'll try to remember next time".

[gran guerrero]

did it say anywhere that the man in the tree was black?

[Squeezer]

did it say anywhere that the man in the tree was black?

no.....just drunk.

[winipcfg]

lol in texas they just beat your ass first, then ask questions

Sig'd.

[geekbot]

STUN GUN AND A GLOCK .40 LOOK NOTHING ALIKE WTF..honestly i doubt it was accident

looks like we have a blind officer.

I can't see any way that it was an accident.

You wouldn't fire a leg shot with a taser.

[ÆNIMA]

or tasered for that matter, are the police allowed to taser without cause over there? (being up a tree on private property isnt a enough of a cause for me)

In some places in America, mere trespassing is grounds to get shot. And not shot by a cop, but by the owner.

[Money]

in texas if osmeone is on your property i believe you're allowed one shot at them wether u kill them or not its your property, same with living in apartments if u see someone trying to steal your car or or stereo you're allowed 1 shot to protect your property, you CAN kill them and walk away but a cop? they need to show some restraint or intelligence

[Hark]

STUN GUN AND A GLOCK .40 LOOK NOTHING ALIKE WTF..honestly i doubt it was accident



looks like we have a blind officer.

They do have similiar handles. Which if drawn quickly could possibly be mistaken for a pistol. When you draw your gun, you turn the safety off, and expect for it to work. If you watch any actual footage of any body pulling their gun out of their holster into a firing position they never take their eye off their target.

Also, the article said "the man grew increasingly hostile." It doesn't explain, but that could of meant that he was grabbing sticks, and trying to beat officers with it. That is a just cause for pulling your tazer on someone.

Recently in Austin, a police officer made a similiar mistake. She had forgotten to strap in her tazer(which fell out in her patrol car), and during a strugle between a hispanic man and her partner she thought the hispanic man had her tazer(She felt for the tazer first, and realized it wasn't in place. This was after she had a brief struggle with the assailant). She feared for the life of her partner, as the hispanic man was on top of her partner supposedly holding a tazer. People have been going crazy about this. It definitly could have been corrupt cops not following procedure, but there is no hard evidence that they weren't following procedure. The cop was at fault for not securing her tazer, but in a situation where you fear for the life of your partner you should end the situation in the best way possible. Everyone is crying racism since it was two white cops against one hispanic male...but eh, the people supporting him are uneducated.

[Liquid Blue]

I'd like to believe officers have better training to tell the difference of a gun and a taser when they are holding it, they don't weigh the same.

And cops are trained to think calmly during the "heat of the moment", that's not an excuse.