Deputy kills man pointing stapler during standoff

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Deputy kills man pointing stapler during standoff
Updated 2:39 pm, Tuesday, September 22, 2015

AUBURNDALE, Fla. (AP) — A central Florida deputy shot a man to death during a standoff after authorities say the man pointed a stapler at the deputy.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office says deputies responded Monday to a call about suspected drug activity at an Auburndale home. Officials say 34-year-old Dominic Fuller, who was suspected in a shooting earlier this month, fled the scene on foot as deputies approached.

Deputies eventually found Fuller outside a nearby home, and authorities say he ran inside. After repeated commands to surrender, officials say Fuller came outside and pointed a black and chrome object. Police say the deputy feared for his life and fired five times. The object turned out to be a stapler.

Local media reports that Fuller has more than a dozen arrests in four states.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Deputy-kills-man-pointing-stapler-during-standoff-6522218.php

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(Short article, no more at link.)

[KamaAina]

1. Remember, folks, guns don't kill people. Staplers kill people.

[DustyJoe]

2. Must have been one of them scary black assault staplers. n/t

[Crabby Appleton]

3. Detailed account of incident at following link

http://www.theledger.com/article/20150922/NEWSCHIEF/150929894?tc=cr

[uppityperson]

5. Thanks for the link. From that writeup, he was doing Suicide by Cop. nt

[OldRedneck]

4. What's next?

Shooting someone over a paper cut?

[branford]

6. What a deceptive headline.

According to other reliable sources, the officers allegedly believed the object in the decedent's hands was a black and chrome handgun. Given that decisions to fire need to be made in seconds under high stress, and the suspect was already suspected of an earlier shooting in addition to the other circumstance of the pursuit, the officers beliefs of an imminent and lethal threat may well have been quite reasonable.

Any police (or other) shooting must only be evaluated based on the facts and circumstances known at the time on the incident, not with the comfort and convenience of patient reflection.

[dembotoz]

7. upon further review.....cop options limited

[Hoyt]

8. Basically agree, although a rigorous investigation is in order to assess facts.

[branford]

9. An investigation is certainly warranted, as they are with most shootings, officer related or not.

My objection was with the implications of the headline.

Based on the very limited facts of the OP and other articles reporting the incident, the police shooting may have been justified under the circumstances present and known to the officers at the time. Additional evidence or witness could similarly prove the officers' stories fallacious or their perceptions unreasonable.