Posted on 12/07/2013 3:05:56 PM PST by CedarDave
If an officer has any question as to "what he is dealing with" then of course he must shoot whoever he is dealing with. Then he has to say to the next person on the scene, "I felt threatened." Surely the officer in this incident forgot to say that else he would have got two weeks vacation with pay and high fives.
Many times a situation escalates far beyond the norm in traffic stops because the person turns out to be a murderer, kidnapper or guilty of other very serious crimes. Normal people just don’t act like she did, her actions and those of her son led to the situation being perceived the way it was by LEO on scene. New Mexico State Police deal every day with people with small and large amounts of drugs and they do not act like she did. I have been present at many arrests of people with large amounts of drugs- actual Cartel smugglers and they rarely get out of line with LEO; in fact I have never seen one act as over the top as she did, even those that have a bad attitude. If I had been at that scene I would have been convinced she was a very dangerous criminal and her son as well, based on their actions.
Many seem to think LEOs are only justified in certain actions if they are in imminent danger “fear of their life” but there is another issue many forget. LEOs are also allowed and expected to act to protect the lives of others. Her actions were endangering everyone in her vehicle and everyone on the road for that matter.
I was not at that scene so I do not know if the officer’s actions were actually justified or not. I will not judge the officer that fired at that vehicle, but much of what was reported/on video seems to support the reaction of LEO at the scene. I think most are judging based on sensational headlines of “officer fires at children” and not looking at other information that is out there about the whole situation.
“Other posters on Facebook point out how Farrell was given chances to sign a simple speeding ticket but sped away, not once but twice. She has been charged with aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer and intentional child abuse both felonies, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. She is free on $10,000 bail. Her 14-year-old son has been charged with battery against and assault on a police officer.
On the other hand, Montoya was featured in a 2010 Taos News article as a father who mentored boys in an organization called Taos Men Engaged in Non-violence and appears to be known and well liked in the community. “
None of which changes that he used a deadly weapon in a reckless manner and without sufficient cause. Lots of people do good things and then make a mistake. They pay for their mistakes, and so should he.
In the current context betting against the trigger happy cop is far the safer bet. The incidents are so common now that it is simply not safe to give the policeman the benefit of the doubt and I will not.
Is fleeing a traffic stop usually grounds for police to use lethal force?
Acting like a raging asshole isn’t a death penalty offense. Rules of engagement, escalation of force measures exist for a reason. He didn’t use his head and now he has some free time to think about it.
Yep, especially when the cop in question pretends that he never considered that a minivan could be carrying children.
***
“If I knew that there was even one child in that vehicle,” he said, “I wouldn’t have done it.”
http://news.yahoo.com/cop-39-39-heart-sank-39-realizing-shots-124353954—abc-news-topstories.html
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