Gunman blown up by police identified as Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, per MSNBC.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

Breaking...

[deathrind]

1. "Blown up by police"...

That is a fairly significant escalation in conflict resolution by LE.

It sounds like LE did not have many options here. I am not saying it was the right or wrong way to resolve this but it is certainly a different tact from traditional methods.

[snooper2]

7. I say give the guy or gal who thought it up a bonus...He was shooting at them during negotiations

obvious the fucker didn't want to stop killing cops

[MH1]

8. In this case he'd already killed at least 5, and was trying to raise the body count.

I'd say the shooter had already escalated the situation to the max at this point.

I'm opposed to the DP and I believe police should use all reasonable means to bring a suspect in alive, even in a case like this - but don't blame the cops one bit here.

This is a far far cry from pulling someone over for a busted taillight and shooting them when they reach for their wallet after TELLING you they are reaching for their wallet.

THAT is inexcusable.

This? No problem with it one bit.

[deathrind]

17. I am not passing

Last edited Fri Jul 8, 2016, 12:11 PM - Edit history (1)

Any judgment on right or wrong in the method. Just surprised at it. LE generally likes to have total control and detonating a bomb does not provide that. The last time (a long time ago and the last time this method was employed as far as I can tell) that LE used a bomb to diffuse a situation things went very wrong.

I hope this really was a last resort / safest method LE employed here but the disconcerting aspect of how LE resolved this is that it sets a dangerous precedent. As a society are we ok with the idea that LE can start using grenades or other explosive devices to deal with a standoff? I would say "no" the militarization of LE is already an issue. IMO the idea that LE now has the option to level the house or at least blow up the space where the suspect is is not an option we want put on the table.

[grossproffit]

2. Blown up? What kind of headline is this?

[Statistical]

6. Well what would you call using a bomb disposal robot to carry a bomb to the suspect and detonate it?

[ChisolmTrailDem]

9. OMG, really??? Here's a clue as to what kind of headline that is...

An ACCURATE one.

Geezus. SMH.

[PearliePoo2]

3. Police sent in a robot that had a bomb attached to its robotic arm

They detonated the bomb, which blew up the gunman.

[alcibiades_mystery]

5. "The suspect told police he was a U.S. Army Veteran..."

Whether true remains to be seen.

[ansible]

11. Looks like he is from his Facebook profile

[ChisolmTrailDem]

15. Please provide a link to his facebook page, I've been looking for it but can't seem...

...to locate it.

[ansible]

16. Facebook already took it down

[geek tragedy]

12. he seemed to have had some training nt

[Logical]

10. Has any police department ever blown someone up before? Wow, that was the only solution? nt

[ChisolmTrailDem]

13. Wow, maybe it was.

[geek tragedy]

14. it was done on a much more tragic scale in Philadelphia

against MOVE.

Personally I don't see much of a difference between killing him with a sniper bullet and explosive, only question is where did they get that explosive.