Posted on 08/04/2010 6:03:32 AM PDT by marktwain
LAS VEGAS--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--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.
“We know there were four cameras outside of Costco that would've captured the shooting. We know that there was a camera within Costco, on the aisle, which would've covered allegations that Mr. Scott was acting erratically” 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. Testimony to be presented is expected to last two days, then a jury will determine whether the officers' actions were excusable, justifiable or criminal.
The district attorney won't release the recordings of 911 calls or surveillance videos until the inquest, and has not set a new date for the hearing. Until then, the family must rely on the statements of eyewitnesses, while continuing to request the release of the video data. Dozens of citizens have inundated the Costco Facebook page, and billboards in Las Vegas demand the video be released. An unauthorized transcript raises questions about what police were told by 911 callers.
Police claim Erik Scott pointed his gun at them outside the store's entrance after 911 callers reported him acting erratically and damaging merchandise. There are reports from witnesses that dispute each of those statements. Several witnesses said Scott appeared to be surprised and possibly confused by conflicting instructions from officers.
"We know there were four cameras outside of Costco that would've captured the shooting. We know that there was a camera within Costco, on the aisle, which would've covered allegations that Mr. Scott was acting erratically," said Goodman. "All they have to do is provide video and the tapes."
Erik Scott’s father, Bill Scott, 63, of Colorado Springs, is a journalist, author and former Air Force captain. He is calling for greater police accountability and for reform of Clark County's coroner inquest process. He said officer-involved shootings should be reviewed by third parties. “It’s been three weeks. They should release the video and 911 calls.”
There are several news reports regarding the incident available online by searching “Erik Scott Costco Shooting.”
You know the guy is likely innocent by the fact that Journo 101 excuses “getting his life back together,” “had recently returned to school” and “new father” haven’t been mentioned in the news articles.
“allegedly” slain by police?
What is that? The police shot and killed that man, there is no “allegedly” to be found anywhere in that set of facts.
FreeRepublic is HQ for the War on Drugs. The only objection to Bill Clintons 100k cops on the street was that he would never really put 100k new cops on the street.
This is the place where when the cops beat down some young girl in a prison cell for flicking her sandal in the general direction of a cop, and the cop responds by tackling her on a concrete floor and banging her head against a stainless steel sink, the cop is defended.
FreeRepublic members argue for seat belt laws. Cell phone laws. A cop in every bush.
So now law and order Republicans have built the Police State to beat down the hippies and “Ferrel Humans” they are gonna be disappointed to find:
1. The Statist left runs the cities and will use the Police State against enemies.
2. The Police exist to defend the State.
3. Socially Conservative limited government enumerated power supporting types are the enemy of the State.
So, a shout out to all you Law and Order types. You know who you are. You love aggressive, well funded Police, and you love lots and lots of laws. Don’t cry to me when the State shoots down a CCW, West Point grad, MBA type at COSTCO. Law and Order Republicans built the Police State. Don’t be mad. We warned you.
ifn this were an o dark thirty raid gone bad, these same guys wouldve already tried, convicted, and re-executed the 'perp' on much less circumstantial evidence...IE they shouldnt have been there to get dead...
Haven’t read all the Costco/Scott threads, have you. That’s ok. You can keep stereotyping just like the left does.
What I have done is spent YEARS arguing with freedom loving freepers about the need for more liberty less laws. I have spent YEARS arguing that a well funded and aggressive police are a mistake. I have been called ted kazinsky for arguing against property seizures in the war on drugs. So I don't even get your response. This issue. This debate. This definition of what liberty is, what “good government” means is far larger than one issue and one thread. The issue is self reliance versus building a government big enough and power full enough to solve all the ills of society. Versus taking on some personal risk and living with a weak and underfunded government.
After the shooting the cops took Scott’s girlfriend into the Costco security office. You can hear an officer state that on the recordings of the broadcast police chatter. When he is saying he has the female in the security office, you can hear someone yelling in the background.
I’m GUESSING here:
I hypothesize that they hustled her into the security office and started grilling her: was she involved, was he on drugs. Meanwhile she is screaming at them: he didn’t do anything, he didn’t pull a gun... they ask: “Why was he throwing merchandise around?” she says he WASN’T throwing merchandise around.
A COSTCO employee is there and hears this and figures out what happened. He thinks “Oh, s#!+”
The cops asks to see the tapes, and the guys stalls, then erases them at the first opportunity. When the cops finally get their hands on them they’re blank.
The cops suspect what happened, and send the drives to a computer lab to try to pull the images off the erased drives.
That’s just my guess.
My point was that you are stereotyping Freepers. I take each article as it comes, judging by the facts that are given. Sometimes I'm on the side of Leo's and sometimes not. You painted Freepers with a pretty broad brush simply because they don't always agree with you.
I would believe that would be likely with a police force that was honest but the LV cops are notoriously corrupt. No cop has been found at fault since 1976. And they kill a LOT of unarmed citizens.
If so, someone is getting hit with obstruction of justice and destroying evidence. Ma and Pop’s gas station I would believe, but not a major operation like Costco. Most of the newer system use hard drives now and data can be recovered even if deleted.
All of society is. What do you think the Founders would say of today's society? Too permissive? Too immoral? I absolutely believe that they would. John Adams said: "Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
A small corrupt PD was closed down 30 miles from me. The Guardian Angels had to come in because things got so bad without a police presence.
When people cannot and will not control themselves, someone or something has to. Society is devolving not evolving. Human nature is such that we are on a downward slide. And it isn't going to get better. I don't know what your perspective is but I believe we are in the end times. And all of us are human and all of us are affected.
“Donut know “
Now that’s funny... Dam Blackberry’s fault.
Yup. Right up until the time that everything that was foretold is in place.
I thought it was a cop joke. ;-)
The cops asks to see the tapes, and the guys stalls, then erases them at the first opportunity. When the cops finally get their hands on them they’re blank.”
I do not think that is likely. From earlier threads, I understood that the cameras were recorded off-site, so I do not think an employee at the store would be able to erase the tapes. Still, the same motive applies to upper store management, because the store (as the one with deep pockets) would likely be held just as responsible. That does not make sense, but in the topsy turvy world of total liability for all even minimally involved, the theory made law in the last 50 years, it is what we suffer under.
“This is the place where when the cops beat down some young girl in a prison cell for flicking her sandal in the general direction of a cop, and the cop responds by tackling her on a concrete floor and banging her head against a stainless steel sink, the cop is defended.”
...and the perp is restrained.
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.