interesting article re recent Austin shooting

[preyn2]

The officer has the absolute authority to disarm a legally armed CHL holder while invetigating incidents (GC 411.207).

"Sir, hold still while I take your gun out of your belt" seems a lot smarter than "I'm going to watch you start drawing your gun before I decide if you're dangerous or not." From a distance, maybe that looks like the officer tried to "suddenly grab" the gun, since none of us heard the conversation.

No, I wasn't there. Nobody else in this discussion was either. But common sense tells me that if the officer was worried about this guy shooting things (which the caller admitted to, and which the officer has been sent there to investigate), it's probably in everybody's best interest to disarm the person, and disarming him starts with the idea that the cop doesn't want you to grab the gun; he will do it himself.

We've beaten this idea pretty hard: "Officer, I'm legally armed, it's in such-and-such location, how do you want to proceed?" If I call 911, tell them I've shot something, please send a cop (like I need to ask for a cop), and then grab my gun when the cop shows up, I expect bad things to happen.

 

[General Zod]

"Sir, hold still while I take your gun out of your belt" seems a lot smarter than "I'm going to watch you start drawing your gun before I decide if you're dangerous or not."

It also seems a lot smarter than "Yoink! Got'cher gun!!!" which according to witnesses seems to be what happened. That's the root of my concern - is it SOP for a police officer to make a grab for a holstered weapon with no word to the guy wearing the holster, no opportunity taken to avoid panicking the dude that just shot a dog in his yard and may still be dealing with fear and adrenaline?

 

[itchin]

Why will they not release the video? Was this man executed?

 

[Charlie]

Where's the damn popcorn when ya' need it!

 

[digitaltrip]

Where's the damn popcorn when ya' need it!

Charlie, you stole my line.

I say the popcorn line.

 

[Old Timer]

The cop made a stupid move.

The CHL holder made a stupid move.

2 stupid moves = one dead CHL holder and one cop who has to live with it the rest of his life.

 

[majormadmax]

The cop has every right to disarm him. The individual did not have the right to resist. His stupid move cost him his life. Sad, but there it is...

 

[majormadmax]

Double tap.

 

[Blind Sniper]

MM, here's a question for you.

If a cop tries to disarm you simply by reaching for your holstered/slung gun, with no sort of verbal warning, would you react? I know I would, and IMHO expecting anything else is simply retarded. Reaching for a gun that is still physically attached to the other person is GOING to elicit some sort of reaction.


I have no problem with a cop disarming a civilian if they feel it's necessary. I do have a problem with the cop not telling the civilian what they're going to do and why, and/or not giving them a chance to simply hand over their gun. Failure to do either of those things almost got my grandfather's brother killed last year.

 

[Texanjoker]

Why will they not release the video? Was this man executed?

they really need to hold off until the grand jury hearing for an impartial panel. No different then all other investigations where they hold it back. From what I have read and been told the officer asked for the gun first. The guy refused. Option A: order him prone at gun point Option B: try and take gun Option C: try and handcuff guy.... don't know how it went down but the guy should have complied. Very tragic.

 

[F350-6]

I wasn't there, so I really don't know what happened. An affidavit is a nice sounding name for "one side of the story" What I do know is sometimes 70 year old guys can have a bit of an attitude when dealing with kids they perceive to have an attitude (kids being someone in there 30's or 40's). I'd guess mistakes were made by both parties involved in this shooting, but I think it all comes back to the basics. Do not point your weapon at something you are not willing to shoot. Why did he feel threatened enough or justified to draw his weapon on the officer?

Let's say you are the CHL holder in the story and let's say the cop was a complete a$$hole (I've met one like that) and came at the guy yelling and cussing, doing everything wrong, and was 200% in the wrong here. Is getting cuffed worth drawing on him even if he is wrong? From the witness statement, they both had guns drawn for a moment or two. Is it worth not laying your weapon down if you're given the chance? What possible positive outcome can stem from pointing your weapon at a badge wearing LEO?

Apparently the guy didn't intend on actually shooting the cop, otherwise we'd be talking about a different news story, but the fact remains, we all have to be accountable for our actions, regardless of what the other guy may be doing. Pointing a loaded weapon at a cop is just one of those things that just isn't going to end well.

 

[AKM]

If people didnt take it upon themselves to try and kill every pitbull they see this wouldnt have happened......