Posted on 08/03/2010 7:11:05 AM PDT by Upstate NY Guy
LAS VEGAS -- Goodman Law Group reports that Erik Scott was shot by police outside a busy Summerlin, Nevada Costco store July 10. Many questions surround the shooting of Scott, who was carrying a licensed concealed weapon in a holster when he was surprised by officers as he exited the building with his girlfriend and other customers. Five of the seven shots that felled him were fired into his back.
Ross Goodman, attorney for the family of Erik Scott is questioning the official sequence of events. Erik was a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point and had an MBA from Duke University. The case claims that if an educated, responsible, militarily-trained individual with a concealed weapons permit did not understand the instructions of the police, then any average citizen is at great risk of getting killed by police in a similar situation.
Much information regarding the incident has been withheld pending a coroner's inquest that was originally scheduled for September 3. The Clark County Coroner said the inquest was indefinitely postponed at the request of the District Attorney's office, which said additional witness statements are being gathered and surveillance videos are being reviewed by an out-of-state forensic laboratory.
(Excerpt) Read more at sunherald.com ...
This case stinks to hell.
The recordings of the 911 calls and the Costco surveillance video have not been released yet. That may come at the coroners inquest, which right now has been postponed indefinitely.
From your link.
Another reason for intentional destruction of store video is that the Costco employee that instigated the 911 call may have fabricated significant portions of the story.
Costco may have to pay millions in addition to the LV police.
I was just illustrating the extreme of a potential problem, of obeying conflicting police orders, when acting, or *not* acting, could get you shot. This is not a good place to be, as officers are supposed to take the arrest initiative in such situations, but assembling quickly, none of them, and so, all of them, were in charge.
There is also a little confusion in the article, but I think that these were indeed LVPD, because Summerlin is not a municipality, but a planned community.
“Summerlin lies within both an incorporated municipality and unincorporated area. The area north of Charleston Boulevard is within the city of Las Vegas, while property south of Charleston Boulevard is located within unincorporated Clark County.”
The Cosco is located north of Charleston Boulevard.
From the various witness accounts it sounds like different conflicting commands were given all at once. The various agencies need to release all tapes and video so this thing can be studied. They can't bring back the Vet. The least they can do is use this case for classroom study and learn how not screw up so bad.
One of the things that is so frustrating about this case is the unwillingness of the police and investigators to use this tragedy as tool for training new officers. Instead it seems they are trying to sweep it all under the rug. They teach these cops how to get all fired up when there is a report of a "man with a gun" but they do not train the cops how to observe, think, communicate clearly etc.
Training would be very far down the road at this point. Right now, the LVPD is anticipating a huge wrongful death lawsuit that could cost them millions, and likely when the city is already in financial trouble because of the collapse of the housing market.
Immediately after the shooting, the victim jumped several feet into the air, then began his plunge to the asphalt......at least that is what the CIA sponsored simulated video will show.
Best second best piece of advice that could come out of this piece and it is scarcely mentioned here. This should be SOP in any jurisdiction in the US. Take it away from any DA or ADA that relies so heavily on cooperation with the local police in trying any case in a court and trying to get a conviction.
The DA must have their cooperation at all times. How long would that last if the PD thought the DA wasn't there for them when they needed them and vice-versa. Take any whiff of collusion out of the equation for ALL concerned. There should be an ample number non-police connected civilian trained professionals to comprise such a third party review setup.
Sure some police types will need to be involved but held to a minimum so as to not have any overt influence applied or insinuated on the review group. Unless and until some such method is instituted and utilized the public will not feel completely protected and represented if that is indeed possible but one thing is for certain; whenever a police agency/DA office is allowed to solely police itself the citizens will not feel secure nor will they be fairly protected against the inmature and/or corrupt element inside of any LEO organization.
I'm sure nobody is alleging that the man is dead. Nor is anybody alleging that a policeman did it.
-PJ
They need an outside agency, state or Fed.
Erik Scott Ping!
5 of 7 bullets in the back eh?
Hey...a lot of people look threatening from the back!
Seems to me that there is a magical sequence of words necessary to get through it without getting bruised, tazed, and/or ventillated. "I have a gun legally concealed..." is theoretically liable to get you killed.
"Dear Police person, I understand that your union-protected right to be able to clock out at the end of your shift and go home clearly trumps my right to not bleed out here on the sidewalk.
In that spirit, I am obliged and honored to inform you that my shirt currently conceals a manually-operated gizmo that you may or may not personally approve of despite its legal and constitutional status. I shall not touch it, think of touching it, or think of you thinking that I'm thinking of touching it lest I become an impediment to your above mentioned right to clock out and go home.
Please feel free to restrain me in the most embarrassing and demeaning way possible so you can feel safe, warm, and loved while removing the offending object from my waistband. I simply ask that you kindly be aware of the disposition of your index finger while performing this action as my body currently has a sufficient quantity of orifices. Did I mention that this pavement tastes wonderful and your knee between my shoulder blades feels great? Thank you and please accept my pledge of $50 to the PBA."
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.