Posted on 05/21/2014 7:47:22 AM PDT by eccentric
Salinas police killed a man earlier today, claiming to the local media that they were in fear for their lives after he had waved a pair of garden shearers in their direction, indicating he was going to shred them to pieces.
But then a witness posted a video online, contradicting those claims, showing the man trying to walk away from the cops as they move in on him barking orders with their guns drawn.
Read the statement below and view the video above and tell me what you think.
According to the Californian:
Attempts at hailing the man in English and Spanish were unsuccessful, Maiorana said. Officers then unsuccessfully deployed a Taser as the man began waving the gardening shears in the air, he said.
“This individual pulled the gardening shears and actually attempted to attack the officers with the gardening shears,” Maiorana said. “In response, the officers, fearing for their personal safety, shot this individual, and this individual is now deceased.”
Both officers involved fired and will be placed on paid administrative leave, per policy, Maiorana said. He wouldn’t identify the officers except to say both are veterans of the force with “many, many years” under their belts.
Investigators are currently poring over video evidence and witness statements, Maiorana said. The video evidence will most likely not be publicized, he added.
According to KION:
Officers told Central Coast News they told the man to drop the shears in both English and Spanish, and that he refused to comply and began waving them around. They say officers attempted to use a stun gun but it was not effective.
Officers claim the man lunged at them with the sheers and they fired their guns, fatally wounding him.
According to Fox 35:
The Salinas Police Department is dealing with another officer involved fatal shooting. This time, the shooting involved two officers who shot and killed a man who reportedly lunged at them with gardening shears.
And the Monterey Herald News:
Police said a resident told them a man carrying a pair of “scissors” appeared to be trying to break into her house and was attacking her dog. Police found the man carrying hedge clippers and acting erratically. Officers said the man came at them and, fearing for their safety and the safety of others, they shot him.
This is the second questionable shooting by Salinas police in just over a week.
There is something wrong with a system that trains cops to both forthrightly insert themselves into dodgy situations, and also shoot if they fear for their personal safety. It’s a recipe for murder. “I got into his face, and then I subsequently feared for my personal safety, therefore, I shot and killed him.” “Good shoot.” Meanwhile, the standard for the peasants is they have to all but prove six ways from Sunday that they were in imminent fear of death, couldn’t escape, and had no other options. I wish we didn’t have a caste system and that the same standard applied to cops that applies to us peasants.
SZ
:)
except by your screen name you are an Arizonian
You are right though. Cop corruption is everywhere and not exclusive to calif
Clearly there is an occupied van downrange of one officer. Dangerous and irresponsible if he discharged.
Not Arizonan
Panama Canal Zone = Zonian
We don’t cotton to Arizonans trying to take our nick...;^)
According to the article both officers fired.
Two cops could’ve taken this guy down in a brief scuffle, but they might’ve gotten their uniforms dirty. Aren’t cops taught hand-to-hand combat? That definitely should’ve been the course of action here.
My apologies
but you can see why I thought that.
and as long as you are here WHY did you let them give the canal to others?
he has legs. shoot his legs. You know they’ll shoot one of us just as easily for not obeying them.
Salinas California is 75% Mexican so its no wonder that their cops perform like Mexican cops.
or the perp could just have obeyed an order from law enforcement to drop his deadly weapon...
Sure, obey or die.
i’ll take obedience, drop my weapon, and live
No apology needed...but thanks anyway.
I wish I had a say in the decision making that went on, but seeing as how I was only 14-15 yrs old at the time...not much to do except live with it.
There were only a few thousand of us in the CZ, a very small group to ignore when it came to the politics of giving it away.
ANYTHING can be considered a weapon.
Do you like living in a police state?
what are the cops supposed to do when an apparently deranged individual is walking on the street brandishing a deadly weapon? say, have a good day sir, and let him attack passersby?
not much one can do when president carter is stabbing you in the back
Or they could just shoot you in the balls and try and icapacitate you that way.
Evidently.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.