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Cop arrives at traffic accident, shoots Air Force airman’
Daily Caller ^ | 03/14/2014 | Robby Soave

Posted on 03/16/2014 8:07:52 AM PDT by Rusty0604

An Alabama police chief has determined that one of his officers used “appropriate force,” when the cop arrived at the scene of a traffic accident and immediately shot an apparently unarmed Air Force airman.

The airman, 20-year-old Michael Davidson, was shot in the chest and nearly bled out before receiving medical aid, according to the Raw Story.

Davidson was driving to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He may have been driving erratically, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.

After clipping another vehicle, he pulled over to exchange insurance information with the other driver.

Eventually, Officer Phillip Hancock arrived on scene. Accounts differ as to what happened next.

Davidson’s father claimed that Hancock shot his son almost immediately.

“They couldn’t have been there three or four seconds when I was shot,” said Davidson, according to his father’s account.

Police Chief John McEachern, on the other hand, said that Hancock did not not fire until coming to the erroneous conclusion that Davidson was a threat.

Hancock ordered Davidson to put his hands on his head, and then fired, according to McEachern.

“It was at this point that the officer perceived what he believed to be a threat,” McEachern said. “Officer Hancock then pulled his service weapon and fired two shots at the suspect.”

One shot hit Davidson, severely injuring his stomach and colon. He may have permanent damage, and it is likely that he will be physically unable to serve in the Air Force.

The accounts agree that Davidson was unarmed when shot. He may have been holding his wallet, however. It’s not clear whether Hancock mistook the wallet for a weapon.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: alabama; cops; donutwatch; lawenforcement; leecounty; michaeldavidson; opelika; philliphancock; police; policeshooting; standingarmy
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1 posted on 03/16/2014 8:07:52 AM PDT by Rusty0604
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To: Rusty0604

... now “pointing” your wallet at a police officer is grounds for the police officer to shoot you???


2 posted on 03/16/2014 8:12:08 AM PDT by Ken522
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To: Rusty0604

The only thing that matters is that the Police Officer went home unharmed.
/sarc


3 posted on 03/16/2014 8:13:22 AM PDT by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: Rusty0604

I couldn’t care less about what the Police chief thinks about the shooting.Let a grand jury take a look.


4 posted on 03/16/2014 8:14:39 AM PDT by Farmer Dean (stop worrying about what they want to do to you,start thinking about what you want to do to them)
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To: Ken522

“... now “pointing” your wallet at a police officer is grounds for the police officer to shoot you???”

Or answering your front door with a game controller in your hand. Or just being a dog.


5 posted on 03/16/2014 8:15:00 AM PDT by FreedomGuru (Time for torches and pitchforks.)
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To: Rusty0604

6 posted on 03/16/2014 8:17:17 AM PDT by JoeProBono (SOME IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED;-{)
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To: Rusty0604

Whenever these incidents happen there should be a mandatory drug test on both the officer and the victim. I especially want to see if the cop is on any illegal steroids. Unfortunately there is no drug test for arrogance and stupidity so I’ll settle for this much for now.


7 posted on 03/16/2014 8:17:54 AM PDT by Jed Eckert (Wolverines!!)
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To: Rusty0604

It’s starting to look like North Korea around here.


8 posted on 03/16/2014 8:18:45 AM PDT by RC one (Militarized law enforcement is just a nice way of saying martial law enforcement.)
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To: FreedomGuru

Bang, bang, bang. Stop or I’ll shoot.


9 posted on 03/16/2014 8:18:55 AM PDT by shelterguy
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To: FreedomGuru

Or retrieving your cane from the truck so you can walk....

All look like hostile aggression to trained LEO.


10 posted on 03/16/2014 8:19:31 AM PDT by americas.best.days... ( I think we can now say that they are behind us.)
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To: Rusty0604

The officer ordered him to put his hands up, then shot him because he put his hands up. Yep, makes sense to me.


11 posted on 03/16/2014 8:24:00 AM PDT by Husker24
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To: Rusty0604

With all of these reports on the Police, LEO’s etc. I’ve come to the conclusion that these guys must be frightened out of their skulls on a deep emotional basis. I just can’t equate the trigger-happiness I read in these reports on anything else.


12 posted on 03/16/2014 8:26:15 AM PDT by The Working Man
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To: Rusty0604

“Davidson had synthetic marijuana in his car, according to investigators. No evidence has emerged yet to suggest that Davidson was under the influence at the time, however.”

So that’s why the fuzz tried to blow him away.
They also stood around and tried to let him bleed out before
help arrived.

Lets look at the clues. Two shots fired at close
range one hit in the abdomen one miss. Erroneously perceived
Davidson as a threat.
Most likely the fuzz cop went into macho mode and pulled
his gun to show the army man who was the badass and screwed
up and accidentally shot Davidson. Then they stood around,
hoping he would bleed out and die at the scene.
The problem is, Davidson lived and I would say that the
macho fuzz cops are crapping themselves right now.


13 posted on 03/16/2014 8:27:04 AM PDT by Slambat
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To: Husker24

One of the things I have noticed on cops is when there are several officers on the scene, each of them are yelling commands to the suspect. Often these commands are contradictory.

The suspect then is slow to respond and the next thing you know five men tackle and force the suspect to the ground while yelling “stop resisting”.

Why isn’t there any training on having only one person take charge and give commands. It is a wonder there are not more shootings.


14 posted on 03/16/2014 8:30:09 AM PDT by CIB-173RDABN (I do not doubt that our climate changes. I only doubt that anything man does has any effect.)
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To: Slambat

He may have lived because the synthetic spice often has chemicals that will raise blood pressure by stimulating the natural endorphins of Dopamine and Norepinephrine in the body in addition to the adrenaline released in shock mode. Dopamine and norepinephrine raise the blood pressure and increase heart rate. If the airman had been smoking spice, then, ironically, it may have saved his life.


15 posted on 03/16/2014 8:33:16 AM PDT by mdmathis6 (American Christians can help America best by remembering that we are Heaven's citizens first!)
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To: shelterguy
Bang, bang, bang. Stop or I’ll shoot.

Bang, bang, bang. Stop or and I’ll shoot.

16 posted on 03/16/2014 8:34:30 AM PDT by Leaning Right (Why am I holding this lantern? I am looking for the next Reagan.)
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To: Jed Eckert

“Davidson had synthetic marijuana in his car, according to investigators. No evidence has emerged yet to suggest that Davidson was under the influence at the time, however.”

Even if an unarmed person is under the influence that fact alone shouldn’t merit being shot.


17 posted on 03/16/2014 8:34:59 AM PDT by Rusty0604
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To: Rusty0604

A good shoot since the wallet looked like a walking stick.


18 posted on 03/16/2014 8:36:02 AM PDT by jwalsh07
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To: Slambat

From what I read, the car would have been searched after the shooting.


19 posted on 03/16/2014 8:38:10 AM PDT by Rusty0604
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To: CIB-173RDABN
One of the things I have noticed on cops is when there are several officers on the scene, each of them are yelling commands to the suspect. Often these commands are contradictory.

You are entirely correct. One cop will yell "hands up" while another is yelling "turn away from my voice". And a third is screaming "down on the ground." Obeying any one of them could get you shot by the other two.

20 posted on 03/16/2014 8:39:57 AM PDT by Leaning Right (Why am I holding this lantern? I am looking for the next Reagan.)
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