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11-18-2011, 09:19 AM | #1 |
Iron Grenadier
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NC
Posts: 520
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I responded to a domestic call where the husband had choked his wife and left the home. I sent the other officer out to see if he could find the husband while I spoke to the wife and kids. While taking the report the husband drove in the driveway, jumping out of the car pointing a pistol at me. I took cover as best I could and stay between him and the family, drawing down on him and ordering him to drop the gun. He responding by screaming for me to shoot him, and at that point I had every right to do so, but something told me to wait and keep talking. I continued to tell him to drop the weapon, which he eventually did. Once I had him secure I recovered his gun, a black airsoft pistol with the orange tip removed.
I am very pleased with the way this incident turned out, but have been very confused by a lot of people since then, Everyone agrees that I handled it well, but a vast majority of the people who ask me about it start out with the question "Why didn't you shoot the bastard?" It really bothers me. This is not the first standoff I've ever been in, although I hope it was the last. Why is it that so many people seem to think that just because you can legally kill someone that its ok to do it? I could have shot him as soon as he arrived with no worse results than being given a few days off, but I'd have to live with knowing it was a toy. I have no idea what stopped me from shooting. Hindsight shows all the clues, he was begging me to shoot him, he could have easily shot me but didn't. When I first saw the gun I was convinced I was about to die. Was it training, experience, or some heavenly force that stopped me long enough to resolve this relatively peacefully? I simply don't know, but I'm glad I don't have to live with the screams of this mans children after killing their daddy in front of them over a toy gun.
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11-18-2011, 09:26 AM | #2 |
Plastic lover
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Over The Rainbow!
Posts: 8,395
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Did you stop to think about your family? if you have one.
You could have easily become a fatality. I respect what you did but you can always shoot the individual to wound him and disable him. You don't have to shoot to kill, if you feel that strongly about it. But if that is your mentality, it may catch up to you.
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11-18-2011, 09:32 AM | #3 |
Arashikage Clan Dropout
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: England
Posts: 738
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Quote:
Saying that, if a gunman was aiming at me and i was a cop, fully justified to shoot i wouldn't hesitate, i agree that you have to think about yourself and your own family.
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11-18-2011, 09:38 AM | #4 |
FIST
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Fort Drum, NY
Posts: 32
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You did the right thing, don't let those people that ask you why you did not kill the guy get to you either. I don't know anything about your department's resources but if I were you, I'd go talk to a counselor if one is available. Thank you for what you do.
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11-18-2011, 09:48 AM | #5 |
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: THE GARDEN STATE OF EDEN!
Posts: 25,591
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well, he is probably better off dead now, evidently, he has a mental issue, so now he will have to seek help to resolve that, and threatened a law enforcers life, so i'm sure he will be hit with some hefty fines and jail time. his life might end up in shambles and never recover from this. if he asked to die, he was better off dying, because his life ain't gonna be the same here on after.
i'm not quite sure how i would of handled the situation, as a civilian, i don't think and i react, as a officer, i would be more negotiating and level headed, and give a warning before i pursue any damage to the suspect. but if i feel threatened, i will have to handle the situation to the best of my ability. i think you handled it quite well, personally.. be proud that you are so level headed, because obviously you have a conscience that would eat you up if you did the other. Last edited by Unclassified; 11-18-2011 at 09:53 AM.. |
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11-18-2011, 12:28 PM | #6 |
Banned
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Maine
Posts: 1,547
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Yeah, Im in the crowd of the "why didnt you"? And its not because I think that this is some video game where you can score more points, etc., but I HAVE a family, and at NO point would I be willing to talk down someone pointing a gun at me. The guy has issues obviously. He choked his wife, pointed a gun at a police officer, etc. Maybe it would have been better for his family HAD you shot him. I mean, what kind of life are they going to have now? What might this guy try down the road? Maybe you just got 20 people killed by not shooting him if he pulls some stunt where he walks into a mall and shoots the place up. Too many variables come into play on this one. If you have ANY family at all, I cant, for the life of me, understand why you DIDNT shoot someone pointing a firearm at you. How about you help us understand the rationale behind that?
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11-18-2011, 01:16 PM | #7 |
Iron Grenadier
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Chicago
Posts: 790
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I'm happy for you with the way everything turned out. Hopefully this guy will get some help, although it sounds like he may be beyond that. While this guy probably deserved it, I'm more pleased with the way it turned out because of you and his kids. It sounds like it would have been difficult for you, along with most people, to deal with taking a life of someone, especially one that was not actually capable of deadly force in front of his kids. Most of all I am happy with this result because of his children. This result may help them to get out of the terrible cycle that their father is in. If their dad had been killed in front of them they would have been scarred for life and have a hatred towards law enforcement.
Thank you for keeping our streets safe and also caring for society in the process.
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11-18-2011, 02:15 PM | #8 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 11,379
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What's done is done. In hindsight you made the right move, but what if it was a real gun? What if he did fire a shot at you? Even if he did not kill you, he could have wounded you or made you take cover to the point where he was able to get at his wife and kids. That was a close call. Maybe a higher power caused you to hesitate. Maybe on a subconscious level your mind connected the dots and told you the gun wasn't real. Who knows?
I do agree on this. Talking the talk and walking the walk are two different things. I've never been in a situation like yours and hopefully never will. Who am I to say what you should have done or could have done? You are the one that has to live with yourself. In the end, the path with the least or no lives lost is the best one, so take comfort in that at least. Jeez, I thought you were going to relate some silly office story. |
11-18-2011, 02:17 PM | #9 |
Banned
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: united kingdom
Posts: 3,693
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cool,calm and collective...three words that would do well to describe your conduct in this situation...you did the right thing by making your judgement and you,re initial reading of the situation that arose...you,re taking nothing but positives from this.
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11-18-2011, 02:50 PM | #10 |
Iron Grenadier
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NC
Posts: 520
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Thanks for the support guys. Shooting to wound was never an option. The only target I had was his head, and as far as thinking about my family, the first thought through my head was that I'd never see them again. He could have easily killed me before I got to cover, but didn't. Obviously he couldn't have, but I didn't know that at the time. My gun was pointing at his head and I had already taken careful aim. A few more seconds and it could have been much worse. I have spoken to professionals about the incident, but it helps the more I talk about it, and I consider a lot of the guys here my friends, even if we have never met. This guy obviously needs help. He wanted me to help him do something I don't think he could have done for himself. He has since sent an apology through an officer in the jail. I don't hold any ill will toward him. I hope he and his family get the help they so desperately need.
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