What should a cop like this have done?

[Archae]

Cops are not exactly popular here at DU, and in many cases, for good reason.

But yesterday afternoon, a cop in Milwaukee had one of those no-win situations.

A guy was laying on the ground in a downtown park, a cop went over to see if the guy needed help.

The guy on the ground freaked out, grabbed the cop's nightstick and hit him in the head with it.

The guy was crazy on some kind of dope.
Most likely meth.

The guy charged at a couple little kids.

The cop had only one way to stop the guy, he shot and killed the doper.

(He didn't have a tazer)

Tragic, to say the least, but what could the cop do?

[TreasonousBastard]

1. No taser, nobody to help, a madman with a club? It's easy to talk now but...

in the heat of the moment he made the least bad choice.

[FreakinDJ]

2. you really beieve that story

[Feral Child]

3. Link? n/t

[sendero]

4. He "charged" kids...

... but it was safe to discharge a firearm? I'd have to know a LOT more about this deal before I could have an opinion.

[demwing]

5. Minimum Force Required

Without being there it's hard to say what "required" means, but couldn't the cop have shot the hypothetical sleeping, crazy, drug using, child menacing, baton thief in the leg or shoulder?

What's wrong with that?

[pintobean]

7. Better yet

he should have shot the baton out of the guy's hand.

[demwing]

9. hmm

The shoulder or leg of an adult male is a larger target than the hand.

[Make7]

6. Lucky the guy on the ground didn't grab the cop's gun! ( n/t )

[99Forever]

8. Sounds like a steaming pile to me.

What was the dead guy's version of what happened?


Not that a cop would lie or anything.

[demwing]

10. The more I re-read the op

The more I think "cool story, bro"

[CBGLuthier]

11. The Doper? Yeah, you are just dripping with compassion for your fellow man

Good thing it was deadeye dick doing the firing and he didn't hit any of those poor liddle kids while taking down the obviously no longer human "doper."

Now can you justify some beatings for us too?

[Vinca]

12. The cop might have had to shoot, but he didn't have to shoot to kill.

The death penalty seems to be given out impulsively in this country. Shoot the guy in the leg and he'll most likely fall down.

[Alenne]

13. I would think a person shooting off a gun

In a park, near children, is more dangerous than a man with a nightstick.

[pintobean]

14. The Journal Sentinel tells it differently

Police Chief Edward Flynn said the 38-year-old officer, a 13-year veteran of the department, had been dispatched to the park about 3:30 p.m. after a call involving the suspect.

When he arrived, the suspect was lying on the ground near the park, Flynn said at a news conference outside City Hall.

Flynn said the officer helped the suspect to his feet and began to speak with him. As the officer began patting the man down, a struggle ensued. The officer withdrew his wooden baton and began to defend himself, Flynn said. During the struggle, the man took the baton from the officer and began to beat the officer in the head.

"The officer withdrew his sidearm and fired several shots at the individual, striking him numerous times and ultimately causing his death," Flynn said.

Link

[Archae]

15. We are talking reality, not Hollywood.

Shooting a guy in the leg or arm, or the guy's weapon out of his hand, is Hollywood.

When someone is crazed beyond all reason, a cop will aim for the midsection of the person's body.
This is reality.

But apparently among some here at DU, "All cops are evil!"

[pintobean]

16. I agree.

My 'shoot the baton out of his hand' was a joke.