Man photographing schools shot dead by police near Chicago

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

ZION, Ill. (AP) — Police in the Chicago suburb of Zion fatally shot a man authorities say was wearing a tactical-style vest, carrying a BB gun and taking photographs of schools.

Lake County Sheriff's Detective Christopher Covelli said the 38-year-old man was killed Wednesday morning after he led officers on a foot chase and a struggle ensued.

Officers responded early Wednesday to a report that a suspicious person was taking photographs of two local schools. Investigators found the suspect, who appeared to be wearing body armor, and the pursuit and shooting followed.

Covelli said the body armor was found to be a homemade tactical-style vest with metal inserts.

FULL story at link

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/7b03479186ce49e2bb2b42fb313928bc/man-photographing-schools-shot-dead-police-near-chicago

[LiberalElite]

1. I can't criticize them for this eom

[BlueStreak]

2. Did you have a point?

If the article is to be believed, this guy dressed lile a terrorist, acted like a terrorist, held a weapon like a terrorist and tried to escape. Maybe we will find that the guy was just plain crazy, but I don't see anything here that immediately alarms me. There are bad people doing bad things out there. The police need to be given a certain benefit of the doubt here.

Let's see it investigated, but let's not jump to conclusions.

[JonLeibowitz]

6. Omaha Steve is not jumping to any conclusions, just a summary from Associated Press.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

9. It's a news story posted in "Latest Breaking News"

What is the problem indeed?

[lostnfound]

14. Assuming no malicious intent for Chicago Police...

Would certainly be jumping to conclusions.

[ProfessorGAC]

17. Chicago Police in Zion

Wouldn't they be about 60 miles out of their jurisdiction?

[BlueStreak]

28. Everybody is entitled to a presumption of innocense

Unless we have specific facts indicating otherwise about these cops.

Of course there should be an investigation. But if the news story is essentially accurate, I would come down on the side of the cops in this case.

[Babel_17]

3. So sad (nt)

[Archae]

4. Suicide by cop.

[BlueStreak]

15. That could be the case. And in defense of cops ...

I am well aware of the problems with policing nationwide today, and especially in the Chicago-land area. So I am eager to see a transparent investigation.

But on the surface, it very well may be exactly as you say -- suicide by cop. This is a horrible thing to do to another human. I have had two friends who took their lives (separately) by driving in front of a train. Everybody talks about the tragedy of the person who died, and that is indeed a tragedy for the family and friends. But few people talk about that train engineer who sees what is happening, lays on the whistle and locks up the brakes, knowing that he is going to kill another human -- in slow motion.

If this was suicide by cop, let's give some good thoughts for the cops that will have to live with that the rest of their lives.

[pnwmom]

5. Here is more info from the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/crime/ct-lns-zion-schools-lockdown-shooting-st-0107-20160106-story.html

Zion police officers responded to a report that a suspicious person was taking photographs of two schools just after 8:30 a.m. at 22nd Street and Bethesda Boulevard, according to Zion police and the Lake County Major Crime Task Force.

"The suspicious person was located by officers and a foot pursuit ensued. It appeared the offender was wearing body armor. After the foot pursuit, a struggle with the offender and officers ensued, which resulted in the offender being shot," a statement from the task force read.

Authorities declined to identify the man, who was white, or his hometown at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. They also declined to say how many times the man was shot or where.

Sheriff's Detective Christopher Covelli said what police initially believed to be body armor was a homemade tactical-style vest with metal inserts. Officers recovered an Airsoft BB gun from the scene of the shooting, an alley behind the 1800 block of Ezekiel Avenue.

[grntuscarora]

7. The schools were locked down so the kids were safe.

Did the cops bother to ask the guy what he was doing?

It's polite to try and get a dialogue going before you blast 'em to kingdom come.

[Feeling the Bern]

8. I would say this is a random asshole nutjob, but with the mood and inferiority complex of the

mouth breathing right wing fringe, shit like this will become more common place.

I know it's a BB gun, but honestly. . .open carry and homemade kevlar. . .these dumbasses are preparing for war.

And anything government run or anything they consider left wing will be targeted for attack.

Years of right wing "Government is the enemy," "I'm from the government and I'm here to help" have poisoned the air. These asshats are the end result of over forty years of this type of propaganda.

[anigbrowl]

16. Er...better wait for some evidence

You might well be right but I'd rather see a bunch of facebook postings or somesuch. As other people said it might be a 'suicide by cop' - hanging around a school campus in tactical gear pretty much guarantees the cops will be called in a hurry.

[Nye Bevan]

10. Does anyone know what race he was?

The story doesn't seem to mention it.

[mrdmk]

11. A #5 post above with a link provided by pnwmom indicates the man was white

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141305588#post5

[PSPS]

12. "Authorities declined to identify the man, who was white,..."

[electricray]

13. Pardon me while I go all conspiracy, nut-job here.

Suicide rates among white males in that age range are very high relative to other groups. In fact, in 2014 white men accounted for 70% of all suicides according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Here is where the conspiracy thinking comes in:

What if this guy was an anti-BLM, pro-gun nut who wanted to show that cops would shoot a white guy with a BB gun just the same as a black kid with a BB gun as his last act as "heroism"? What if this was a suicide-by-cop that had the added "bonus" in his mind of removing the race argument from the discussion of violent police culture. Of course, it is a ridiculous notion that does nothing to that end, but in the demented mind of a racist gun nut that line of "logic" might appear sound.

OK, tin foil hat off. This guy was obviously disturbed and it is hard to know whether the violence was justified based on the info we have. For the record, though, in my opinion, there are precious few situations where there is no other choice but execution.

[Sunlei]

18. seems like the man was 'asking' for authorities to be called. He even dressed the part.

Of course todays police are happy to have this type of, 'by the book', safe-easy kill.

[christx30]

20. And it's not like the dude

was doing much to stop from being killed. Running from the police and scuffling with them doesn't exactly improve your life expectancy. Anyone knows that. He either wanted to die, or he was an idiot. He was outnumbered and outfunned.

[Sunlei]

21. The police still should not have shot the 'scuffling' idiot. Police are to fast to kill in America.

[christx30]

24. The man ran from the cops,

which is a crime. The scuffling can easily be 'resisting arrest' and 'assault on a police officer'. The cops probably told him to from his weapon and either kneel or lay down so they can arrest him. He refused, which is 'failure to obey a lawful order from a police officer'.

[catnhatnh]

19. That was quick

"Lake County State's Attorney Mike Nerheim said his office was not yet involved in the investigation, though he said prosecutors would eventually review the circumstances of the shooting to determine if any law was broken."

"Nerheim ruled Howell's shooting justified"

Seems legit to me...

[Judi Lynn]

22. So strange. This is hard to understand. n/t

[Paladin]

23. Google "Man with assault rifle near school" and look at everything you find.

This kind of shit is happening with some regularity---except the fuckwits: 1. are carrying real guns and ammo in the vicinity of schools; and 2. they're not getting killed for it. The most prominent example occurred in the Atlanta area, last June.

Those dwindling few of you who still think Open Carry is a sound idea, take note.

[mwrguy]

26. Cops must have thought he looked black

[Taitertots]

27. I'm sure the police have video evidence to support their story....

Oh wait, this happened in America. Where the police fight against video cameras because... Reasons?

Anyone else notice that they searched the dead man's house?

[Calista241]

29. As a photographer myself, I have questions..

I often wear a "tactical" style vest when I'm out taking photos, if by "tactical style vest" you mean "vest with a shitload of pockets."

Lenses, lens caps, light filters, SD cards, flash batteries, etc. all that shit has to go somewhere, and a vest with pockets makes a lot of sense.

Running was dumb, and you should always be leery of taking pictures of kids, but being a dude with a camera and lots of camera shit shouldn't be a death penalty.

[FSogol]

30. From the article, it was a homemade bullet proof vest, not a photog vest.

"Covelli said the body armor was found to be a homemade tactical-style vest with metal inserts."