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.
JBT
I’ve watched the video twice. It’s on the other thread.
I *think* I heard a Tazer pop early in the video.
So deadly force is the only option? The guy was not threatening anyone until the cop put himself within danger. Even then its not clear from the video the guy was actually threatening the cop.
Do we really want to live in a society where we are a hair trigger away from being put down by cops?
A friend of mine was a cop for many years. He never fired his weapon at a civilian. He was very proud of his ability to de-escalate a situation and get the suspect in cuffs without using his weapon. He was a good cop. He now resides in cop heaven.
Yes, the story says they used a tazer. Doesn’t really change anything.
About 15 years ago I worked with a guy who used to be a Tampa cop. He was proud of the fact he had shot and killed 3 people. He would tell you all about the shootings. How they failed to follow orders and he put a .45 acp into their chest and they dropped.
Apparently 3 shootings was the limit for Tampa PD and they forced him out. But he’s a murderer running around living his life with zero legal concerns from the shootings.
We really need more like him today.
...and fewer like him.
5.56mm
The problem is we seem to be getting more like him.
They train that officer safety is paramount. They recruit young aggressive SWAT team wannabe’s. They ignore use of steroids.
When the highly predicable use of force abuses occur they investigate themselves and then call it a good shoot.
Cops seem to be wusses now. If it's a man they beat up there are always four or five of them. Women at least two. Look at the tough guy down in Florida, slapping the little boy to the ground. Idiot in Ohio trying to pull an ibuprofen out of a woman's mouth. That woman was not in custody, BTW.
There are some discussions behind the scenes right now to require any LEO involved in a fatal incident to submit to prompt independent drug/alcohol/steroid testing. This standard is little different than what happens when a bus driver or locomotive engineer is involved in a fatal accident. No reason a cop should be held to a lower standard!
I think we can make it work politically. What officer would admit to not wanting to prove he's clean, to have that as part of his defense?
They are. *sigh*
Bears repeating.
Cops have a ridiculously low threshold to overcome to be absolved after killing someone.
Looks like a new one signed up.
“Not to worry. The ‘police’ will investigate themselves and find no wrong-doing.”
In a Fullerton CA case of a police killing, a jury found cops not guilty.
They beat a homeless mentally ill man to death.
Not guilty.
IMO cops are at two extremes of the spectrum; not get involved at all, or kill the perp dead.
Nothing in between that would involve nuanced judgment and risk-taking.
That is their training.
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