And of course, for the more overly cautious:
Posted on 01/30/2006 1:47:10 PM PST by jjm2111
Chilling video from a Bronx burger joint shows five thugs beating an off-duty cop senseless - possibly explaining why he didn't budge when another officer told him to drop his gun moments before shooting him, police sources said yesterday.
[snip]
Detectives released the surveillance tape last night, hoping to identify the five goons who jumped off-duty Officer Eric Hernandez inside a Tremont White Castle early Saturday - punching and stomping the intoxicated cop without mercy.
[snip]
It was then that veteran uniformed Officer Alfredo Toro and his partner rolled up. Toro shouted, "Drop the gun!" four times, a witness and police sources told the Daily News.
[snip]
Instead of obeying or saying he was a cop, Hernandez spun, his gun up, witnesses said. Toro shot Hernandez three times. Hernandez, who has been with the NYPD 11/2 years, was shot once in the abdomen and once in each leg, severing the main arteries in both.
Ain't no way you're going to find me in a Tremont City, Bronx White Castle at 4:40AM - with or without a gun, drunk or sober, unless I work there.
I'm going a tad further upstream and saying that even carrying the weapon whilst drinking shows his judgement is suspect.
Alcohol is evil for many reasons, but one of the main reasons is that drinking alcohol is incompatible with carrying a firearm -- and IMO all law abiding citizens should be carrying a firearm at just about all times (I guess it's okay to go swimming unarmed).
And of course, for the more overly cautious:
He was off duty and he is required to have his weapon on him at all times. What did he do wrong? Get with the program, these thugs started the whole thing. I'm not clear on why you blame the off duty officer.
I don't know anything about this... What was he doing that was inappropriate?
How about being intoxicated while packin heat?
That would be being drunk - with a firearm - in a public place.
After he was beaten, Hernandez pulled the gun on another customer (allegedly not involved in the fight).
No need for that.
Diving knives come in stainless steel and titanium.
The officer certainly should not have been packing while intoxicated. However, I can understand why an officer would want to pack off-duty all the time, esp. in the Bronx.
He clearly showed poor judgment, but to blame him for this is simply absurd. Also can't blame the officer who shot him. As between the cops, this is a true tragedy.
Now, w/r/t to the punks, the only tragedy is that they didn't get shot...
After reading the story, I realize this was an out of control drunk with a gun. The cop that shot him may have saved an innocent's life.
According to NYPD regs, cops need to lock up their guns if they are planning to drink.
I lived near a couple different White Castles when I lived in Brooklyn, and I walked a couple blocks out of my way to avoid them when it was late and on the weekend. Bad craziness.
While this is sad, the minute I read the title I immediately changed it in my mind to: He was beaten liberal!
He is an officer of the law that become so intoxicated that he pointed his weapon at an innocent. Again, what program am I supposed to get with?
Alcohol is not evil, it's the misuse of it that's evil.
Are you sure about the reg? If so cite the article number.
IMO, use of = misuse of it. Both because it renders one incapable safely exercising one's 2nd Amendment rights, and because it sets a dangerously misleading example to the 10% of the population who will develop a serious drinking problem (in many cases, killing or maiming other people, as well as themselves). If you count up the toll from alcohol, which is a major contributing factor in a huge percentage of fatal vehicle crashes and fatal domestic violence incidents and fatal hunting accidents, etc. etc. etc., it just doesn't pass the cost-benefit analysis. There are too many other ways to have a good time. Might as well advocate Russian roulette as a normal healthy pastime.
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