Posted on 01/28/2008 8:14:55 PM PST by SmithL
New Orleans (AP) -- A vagrant wanted for questioning in a rape overpowered a police officer who was trying to handcuff him, then shot her to death with her own weapon Monday, police said.
The officer's death was a blow to this city, where hopes were high that a new year could hold back a wave of crime that has been a dark backdrop to the rebuilding effort since Hurricane Katrina.
"When it hits home like this, it hits you tremendously," said Police Superintendent Warren Riley, who was charged with energizing a demoralized police force in the 2005 storm's wake.
Officer Nicola Cotton, 24, approached the suspect in her police cruiser and began questioning him. When she tried to handcuff him he attacked her, and a seven-minute fight ensued, Riley said.
The officer managed to use her radio during the struggle to call for backup, but the man grabbed her weapon and shot her repeatedly, Riley said.
"I can tell you this officer fought with a man twice her size, and she fought very courageously," Riley said. "She followed procedure as far as we're concerned."
Riley said police have several witnesses to the shooting in a parking lot near a busy intersection in the crime-plagued Central City neighborhood and a few streets away from the district police station.
But passers-by may not have seen the drawn-out struggle because the pair were on the ground and shielded by the officer's vehicle, Riley said. Police said security videotape captured the lethal assault.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
If you come to Louisiana and kill someone we will kill you back.That’s our policy!
1. Stop hiring vulnerable in size females as officers.
2. Why was this cretin out on the streets?
3. Execute this scumbag ASAP.
Very sad. New Orleans must be hurting for cops if they have to patrol alone.
Tragic.
And, unfortunately, a predictable outcome.
2) most important thing: DISTANCE! when questioning.
he was twice her size and she was alone. not good.
RIP.
Too damn sad.
I know this falls under: coulda woulda shoulda but
Why didn’t she call for back up?
Why was she on patrol in a dangerous city like that alone?
Why did she not taser the bro?
Size has nothing to do with it. Things can go from verbal to lethal in seconds.
Training in weapon retention is essential, and it may be that NOPD is lacking in that vital area.
Just not enough information yet to make any real judgements.
Women can do everything a man can do, even better. Whatever!!!! Sure, maybe some big bull dyke can equal every man but strength is strength and wishing you are as strong as a man is just wishing.
Women can do everything a man can do, even better. Whatever!!!! Sure, maybe some big bull dyke can equal every man but strength is strength and wishing you are as strong as a man is just wishing.
RIP Officer Nicola Cotton.
Fidelis Ad Mortem
Nonsense...remember a few years ago the small black female guard in Atlanta courthouse escorting a large prisoner. He overwhelmed her and then shot her. Far less likely this happens with a rugged male officer.
I recall reading somewhere that when it comes to strength, the top 10% of women are equivalent to the bottom 10% of men. Not good odds when you are in a struggle for your life.
Prayers for Nicola Cotton & her family
“where hopes were high that a new year could hold back a wave of crime” I dont think criminals get sentimental about the new year.
7 min fight? She did very well. But she was a fool to try to apprehend this guy without back up.
RIP
And here is a question.
Why after Katrina did they need multiple officers to disarm law abiding little old ladies?
New Orleans is SNAFU
It was proper procedure to attempt (if the article is accurate) to handcuff a suspect by herself?
Cordially,
N.O. was one of the most crime ridden/corrupt cities in America long before Katrina
Actually going down the wrong street, of which there are many, could be the last mistake you get the opportunity to make.
How long will it be before everything bad that happens in New Orleans stops being blamed on a storm that came through in 2005? Rita came through East Texas not long after Katrina and nobody accuses it of comitting any crimes.
“When it hits home like this, it hits you tremendously,”
What, that females shouldn’t be cops? I agree...
Whoo Boy, their dancin with delight in the 9th—a Five O Ho, No Mo Yo!
That's a lot of time. Some runners can do a mile in four.
in the crime-plagued Central City neighborhood and a few streets away from the district police station.
A few streets? Hmmm. At my age with a handgun, I could cover that in under two minutes. Something stinks.
Female officers can be an advantage in some cases, but when a real bad guy is confronted, the female is seen as weaker and the bad guy might take that chance and try an attack,but might not do so with a male cop. I love it when that turns out to be a bad decision by the dirt bag.
Size has nothing to do with it?
Let’s face it, a little more meat on the bones would have helped tremendously. They need to stop hiring vulnerable in size females as officers and if they do, they never should send them out alone. Amen
Your #3
Amen.
Same thing happened in NJ last year. Female was overpowered by a male (not all that large) who shot her and her partner.
I have not been able to find any statistical evidence however. Only anecdote.
I hate cop killers. Could be because there have been quite a few in my family including a younger brother. They need to take this person, this scum and strip his skin off inch by (expletive deleted)inch and leave him to the fire ants and the next day do it all over again and since he is a rapist, they need to cut his weinie off and stick it in his mouth so he can’t make a sound.
This is New Orleans, they might.
I doubt the police will allow themselves to take him alive.
Wow; how many cop-killers are in your family?
Ooooops, I meant Cops.
I’d reserve that kind of death and torture for serial killers, people who murder innocent storeowners and citizens in their homes, rapist-killers, child killers, etc.
Cops take on that risk and are not imbued with more value. A woman walking home with her groceries deserves greater consideration and an act of violence against her met with more severe punishment.
IMO.
No police in my family and I despise the bastards who do this too. It’s an attack on all of us.
Your opinion really sucks. IMO.
Good to know that you view police as your superiors in both authority AND human value.
I didn’t say they weren’t of value only that police, like military or even armored car guards take on a certain risk as PART OF THEIR CAREER choice. It’s not that the human involved could not be a great loss but I don’t think we should reserve our worst punishments, real or imagined for those who end up killing police but for those who prey on the weak and innocent.
Now, sometimes that’s the same thing but a lot of the most reprehensible killers and scumbags of our time have cooperated when arrested by police. That doesn’t mean that they still don’t merit the WORST punishments for raping and killing women and children or robbing and beating to death young fathers on their way home to work.
Again, those people do not assume a risk like police, security or others, just by walking out of the door and some couldn’t handle the risk adequately (children, the disabled, etc) even if they wanted to and had foreknowledge of such.
Nothing about my opinion sucks, you’re just an reactionary douche.
Reactionary douche, huh? Please STFU and whine about the injustice of our laws to someone who cares about what you think (if you can find such a person)
Since I have cops in the family one of whom is a younger brother that I care for a lot, anyone that does harm to a cop falls into the same category and those you mentioned. When the phone rings in the middle of the night the first thing that goes through your mind “is this the call”, is this the one where he tried to arrest a burglar, rapist, thief, drunk driver, and he was murdered for doing his job? Protecting you and me. You would understand if you were the family of a police officer.
IMO
I understand from a PERSONAL standpoint but I’m speaking of the larger perspective here.
In a world where we don’t torture murderers, if we WERE to torture them before execution, I’d say we’d be reserving that sentence for the worst of the worst and while that may HAPPEN to include some who’ve killed police it would not BE BECAUSE of that but due to serial killing, mass murder, child abduction and murder, etc.
That’s NOT saying losing a police officer doesn’t matter but generally, as a society, we view the lives lost in the line of duty as different than a person who never assumed such risk and often suffered more terribly (being kidnapped, beaten, raped, tortured and then killed, for example.)
Same reason we are aghast at child killers.
Ultimately, no one’s life truly has any more value than another’s but as a society we have to make certain choices in how the consequences are meted out, otherwise, we give the wrong impression.
An example of that is how quickly police are perceived to go after cop-killers but don’t show as much interest to the case of a young kid who may not even be linked to drugs or gangs.
There are some jobs that women just aren't built for. "Police Officer" is one of those.
Yes, you have the right to be a cop, but something which is a right is still not necessarily a smart choice.
All else being equal, a man is less likely to be killed with his own weapon in a fight.
Boys and girls are different.
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