Posted on 01/01/2012 10:26:40 AM PST by Navy Patriot
An off-duty federal law enforcement agent who happened to be in a pharmacy during a holdup confronted the robber as he tried to leave with money and painkillers, and both were shot to death.
The off-duty Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent died after being taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound Saturday, Nassau County police Lt. Kevin Smith said.
Police said the gunman entered the pharmacy in Seaford about 2 p.m., looking for painkillers and money, and announced a holdup. As he tried to leave with what he came for, three people confronted him: the ATF agent, an off-duty city police officer and a retired police officer.
It wasn't clear what happened next or who shot either man. The off-duty police officer and the retired officer were taken to a hospital to be treated for trauma.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
The second subject is the increase of LEOs shooting and killing their own in plainclothes.
The New York gun ban is creating trigger happy cops. They just shoot anyone with a gun not in uniform.
No, the "New York gun ban" is not creating trigger happy cops. They've been around as long as there have been cops.
Oops.
Were any of these men wearing a uniform?
Where was the dog in all of the commotion?
Who was the ATF agent?
Sources said it was unclear whose weapon fired at the Long Island dad, but investigators are probing to see if it was the retired lieutenant’s gun.
Sources said the perpetrator then stood and pointed his gun, and was then shot dead. It was not clear who shot him, but the NYPD officer did discharge his gun, sources said.
"Someone's gun went off"? All by itself?
Yep, you're correct, I should have said MORE trigger happy cops.
FBI stats for more than 30 years hover around LEOs being six times more likely to shoot the good guy, than civilians using a firearm in defense of life or property.
I somewhat agree with your point on the NY gun ban.
The truth is if you are in an altercation with a criminal perp either as plain clothes LEO or as a CCW licensed civilian, your risk of getting shot by other uniformed or plain clothes LEOs is quite high.
It can become mass target confusion where shoot first and ask later reigns. It isn’t like in the movies where cops all know each other on sight. If you are a civilian trying to stop a criminal event your chances of being shot (by a cop or another armed civilian) or charged are even worse.
Will LE disclose who shot whom?
I found out from the cleanupatf blog.
It is with great sadness that we pay tribute to a true hero and ATF Agent. Yesterday Special Agent Capano while off duty and out with his family, observed an armed robbery of a pharmacy occur. Special Agent Capano knew what to do and did what hundreds of ATF Agent across the country do everyday. He said “NOT ON MY WATCH”. Special Agent Capano confronted the armed perpetrator and was killed during the ensuing attempt to arrest the violator. We offer our shared sadness and condolences to the family, offer our prayers and gratitude for his heroic actions. By his actions, there is one less violent predator in this world who can no longer hurt anybody else. Our prayers are with Agent Capanos family, and hope they will find comfort in the fact that their father and husband is a true American hero. Semper Fidelis Special Agent John Capano
I believe the only person in uniform was the robber. :^)
Where did you see that? I saw:
It wasn't clear what happened next or who shot either man.
Not surprising. The cop will usually be coming late to the party and have to make an instant decision as to who's who. The armed civilian operating in self defense just needs to know that a guy pulling a weapon on him is probably not a god guy.
True, and I learned (by observation, fortunately) in the 70's to not do that.
Life ain't like the movies.
You need to read a little farther, this was excerpted, ya know.
Not really. Cops in mufti have long been told that they will probably not be recognized as an officer and stand a good chance of getting shot by uniformed officers.
I can only imagine what a cluster that Pharmacy was with four guys with guns, none of them in uniform, all yelling and pointing weapons.
Yeah, I hate it when my revolver goes full auto, too.
Nope, the operative factors are responsibility and consequences, that's why the stats don't change.
Well, let's see. We know that the NYPD officer shot his weapon. Was the thief's gun fired? If so, the thief's gun "went off". Was the retired officer's gun fired? If so, the retired officer's gun "went off". If neither was fired, it was the NYPD officer's gun.
Not really that complicated.
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