Koterba toon: COPS crew member killed on the job

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/news/crime/omaha-police-chief-says-officers-justified-in-firing-their-weapons/article_f64dc75c-2e06-11e4-9add-0017a43b2370.html : Omaha police chief says officers justified in firing their weapons in Wendy's shooting

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. Killed by careless police, not by the guy committing the less lethal crime. nt

[Kelvin Mace]

2. My condolences to the family

but this the inevitable result of this type of "entertainment". I am surprised it took this long for someone to get hurt. This is "bread and circuses" and Americans should be ashamed to be watching it.

[Dems to Win]

6. +1

[Rex]

3. I guess it is too much to expect any CoP to say his department fucked up.

30 shots? Once again police use excessive force and get the CYA treatment by their boss.

Pathetic but becoming completely predictable.

[Omaha Steve]

4. A running target that kept running until he dropped

Held the counter girl at gun point. Is told to freeze by police. Fires two rounds with muzzle flash and gun sound at police. What would you do as a cop? The COPS video has it all. Maybe AFTER you see the video you might think differently.


Wendy's employee he held the gun on describes scene : http://www.wowt.com/video?videoid=2917217


How it happened-Wendy's shooting (PDF): http://www.omaha.com/how-it-happened-wendy-s-shooting-pdf/pdf_72ead278-2e89-11e4-9244-0017a43b2370.html


Suspect pointing the gun at the counter girl. Gun comparison photo below.


http://www.omaha.com/news/crime/omaha-police-chief-says-officers-justified-in-firing-their-weapons/article_f64dc75c-2e06-11e4-9add-0017a43b2370.html

Washington had been firing an Airsoft pistol that doesn’t fire real bullets. The gun produced a muzzle flash and recoil and sounded real to officers, Schmaderer said.

[Rex]

5. I wouldn't fire blindly and hit a camera person.

30 rounds, 10 round a cop. No, that looks like excessive force to me and I am SORRY he had a fake gun...not my fault. You can defend them, but 30 rounds is insane.

[Omaha Steve]

7. Pretty safe call since you weren't under fire

What would YOU have done as the cop after YOU were fired at?

[Rex]

8. Not shot blindly like I said in my other post.

I think I made that clear.

[Omaha Steve]

11. Would you fire until the threat was ended like the officers did?

In this case it was when the suspect finally dropped. An armed and dangerous suspect!

Remember he held a gun on a civilian at point blank range and fired two rounds at police AFTER being told to freeze by the police. If a suspect is willing to fire two rounds towards a busy 5 lane (busiest route in Omaha) at 3 cops, it is safe for OPD officers assume he would fire at anyone?

How would YOU defend the public like the mom that just wanted to see her kids again after he pointed the gun at her any differently?

And you have NOT watched the video taken by the COPS crew at the scene. The Omaha PD has. So has COPS. Duh.

[Rex]

14. It would not have taken me 30 bullets and in the end a dead camera man.

Duh.

[Iggo]

10. Kill the camreman, obviously.

I mean, jeez.

[Omaha Steve]

12. Did you read any of the press?

It was the sound man. And he knew there was a risk when HE decided to follow OPD into the situation.

[Iggo]

15. I got his occupation wrong.

Moded!

[Whiskeytide]

9. I'm as appalled as any of us by...

...the events that have occurred in the last few weeks - and have in fact been building for years now...

BUT ...... from what we - or at least I - know presently about this, it was an understandable response from the police. Its incredibly tragic, and a waste. But the guy had a very real looking weapon and he had hostages. And he fired at the responding cops. You might be able to say that 30 rounds is over-kill, I'll give you that, but the "kill" part is justifiable with regard to the suspect. That an innocent man got caught in the crossfire is horrific, but I put the blame for this one solely on the asshole robbing the Wendy's.

Of course, if more comes out that warrants revision of this very preliminary opinion, I'll do so. But I think we damage our credibility when we try to make every law enforcement shooting unjustified. Sometimes cops do have to kill bad guys, and that means sometimes bullets have to fly, and that means sometimes the bullets hit people they weren't trying to hit. But until we no longer have guys who did what this guy did, I'm afraid that's a shitty reality. JMO.

My heart goes out to the families as well.

[Iggo]

13. No buts about it.

"And from what we know..."
"And the guy had a very real looking weapon..."
"...and I put the blame for this one..."
"...and I think we damage our credibility..."
"And until we no longer have guys..."

Just a little experiment I try out every now and then.

[Whiskeytide]

16. Sorry. I don't get it.

... and its probably not worth your while to try and explain it to me.

[Iggo]

17. As you wish.

[Omaha Steve]

20. Very well said indeed

[Brickbat]

18. Too bad it takes a death to show viewers that the show is exploitive and sad.

[Rex]

19. I will say that is an amazing safety record, since COPS has been on forever!

[Gothmog]

21. Great cartoon