Beezer

I'm glad you didn'ttake my post as a personalattack, it may have read a little like one but it wasn't meant to be one. The druggie you were referring to is the one who had the handcuff key on a chain around his neck if I remember right, and that was a bad situation. I myself have known two officers who were killed in the line of duty and both cases were because of the tiniest break in training and judgement. One was chasing a suspect on foot and entered a doorway straightrather than pushing the door open from the side.Unfortunately, the man was holding a handgun right behind it, shot in the head and died at the hospital. The other was questioning a suspect, known to be a violent offender, in a parking lot and a one second lapse to apparently glance at the people with the man cost him his life, shot in the head. I've known two types of officers when it comes to a gun pointed at them, those who'll take that extra second and try to flee and those who see that "triangle" light up instantly. You aren't arguing a mute point here. I know there are those who want to commit suicide by cop and there are those who really don't want to shoot a cop, they just want the cop to let them go about their business. The outcome could go either way with either person depending on the kind of cop that responds......Officer "extra second" OR Officer "triangle" could mean the difference between getting help and meeting your maker. Either way, that's the risk involved with pointing a gun at law enforcement.

On a side note to this, I know of this Wildlife Officer because he was first stationed in the county where I lived in NC, I even know a few who know him. I don't know him personally, but I've heard nothing but praise of the guy and the job he does. Not to take anything away from the landowner who died, but at the same time I know those who knowthe officerand what kind of people they are. The flipside of this is those who know the deceased, and I'm sure they'll attest to what an upstanding citizen of society he was. Either way, he's gone now and the entire thing just doesn't add up to an officer popping off a few rounds because a man wanted to kill a cornfed turkey. Then again, it could all be that the body language,attitude and previous encounters led the officer to fear a man thatjust wanted to be left alone.It's tragic that a life had to end, but at the same time it's tragic that another man's life and career can possibly be in jeopardy because of it. Those are the chances we take for the decisions we make I guess.