Chuck7

Don't take this the wrong way Chuck, but please remember this statement when someone may happen to be beating your brains out with a stick. Do you think an effective stance from the responding officer would be to back out of stick range and "discuss" the situation? Or, should he promptly attempt to stop the beating using his training, tactics and available weapons?

Well... Iused to work with the adjudicated youth..{High school Gangs} I went through quite abit of training. My students were ALL psychologically screwed up in the head and loved seeing others get raped or the crap beat out of the./ALL of them were stronger than I . One student was hit so hard his eye was knocked completely out..This didn't happen in my class but on a Sat. And I had many hairy instances..and somehow defused them all..Now if you read carefully I didn't say for sure I wouldn't have shot the man..I just would make sure all possilbe defusing tactics were first looked at..I also carry a concealed firearm and I hope to God I never have to use it.

Once again, not everyone knows the entire situation here, that's agreed by all discussing it. I agree..But, there's going to pretty much be an overwhelming agreement that if this man pointed a gun at an officer and told him he'd kill him, then it's justifiable. If he'll threaten an officer, he'll threaten anyone. What happens if the officer had retreated and the man pointed the gun at someone else who happened to walk or drive through the area? I agree..if this man is that stupid to point a gun at a GW he's going to get shot.

Then there's another sceneria ...which I've seen alot..Did the Game Warden provoke the man..When I worked with these high school gangs sometimes I 'd have a helper who loved tackling the kids and rubbing their faces in the carpet..They would provoke the kids to say something threatening and then tackle them...

We had a bad situation here in Florida a few years ago..A meth dad left a loaded gun in the house..A kid finds it and shoots himself..They arrested the Meth man..Meth man is in the back seat..hand coffed..Cops are saying crap like " Wait till bubba gets you in jail you loser ..over and over again.." and laughing and laughing right after this guy loses his son..Well, Mr. Meth man somehow gets Mr. Cops pistol and shoot both cops and kills them..and he's later killed in a shoot out.

We have many game wardens in our area ..some nice some are not so nice..One lady stopped me last year and said..I wil find something I'm sure..She did..she got me for not having a whisle in my boat..45.00..and yet some have been very respectful and helping me ..We will probably really never know such things as body language..what was really said..God only knows..
C7

cahaba

That's darn good wisdom.

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.

mconwa951

I dont know who is right or wrong it is a tragedy to say the least.

Chuck7

I'm glad you didn'ttake my post as a personalattack
Beezer,

no sir..I try to be mellow on here.I was kicked off once for 30 days..been working on my anger issues.
C7

USFWC

One of the most important things we were taught in the 'Wildlife Law Enforcement' course is that you ask the person with which you are dealing to unload their weapon, set it aside and hand you the ammunition. It's unfortunate that this didn't happen in this case.

Peck1524

Your statement did not offend me, but struck me as you defending the man who was shot.None of us know, and may never know, the truth to the entire situation. But with the facts presented I thought it was silly for youto suggest that "when the GW realized what he was dealing with..he could have backed up out of the kill zone and radioed for help". That doesn't seem plausible and I wouldimagine against everything a law officer is trained to do. I wasn't trying to disrespect anyway, just trying to show how/why I disagreed with your statement.

Lanse couche couche

Of course, the big issue with some of us is why an allegedly (if we are giving benefits of the doubt to everyone) baited site on private property ended up as a "kill zone." Like i said before, folks would likely get upset if an armed standoff occurred because the authorities senta SWAT team aftertheir neighborover an unpaid parking ticket, even if the authorities are in their legal right to do so.So, it makes you wonder about situations where you get people killed over an 'alleged" pile of corn. Not trying to be anti-law, but if you check around you will find that in plenty of cases where someone is shot by authoritiesit turns out the situation could have beenhandled better or avoided entirely.All I can say is itis gonna be interesting to see the results of thecompleted investigation.

Chuck7

Peck 1525,
NO problem my friend..I just know I'm a professonal and ONE goof up would cost me my retirement , and job security..I deal with messed up kids every day..and have to always cover my butt..We live in a very troubled society with hardly any morals..Most people act out of fear and it's my job not to overact but use the minimum force possible..

Concerning the Game Warden..I wasn't there..hopefully the truth will come out..Possible someone had too much coffee that morning..[:-]I'm being serious..it can make already hyper people REALLY hyper.

Beezer

The problem with society today is that those you are dealing with have "hardly any morals" but everything you do to deal with them is questioned under the guise of "Political Correctness." Very few are willing to deal with the ones without morals, but there are always a thousand people who'll question the way they are dealt with. I don't blame you for you CYOA attitude, it's a requirement these days.