From: Pete Ansbro, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> This is all BS and a gross waste of Public money to boot.
> David (Sussex)
> --
> The police didn't know that until well into the investigation. If someone
> pointed a brush at you that could be mistaken for a gun and threatened
> to shoot you, what would you want to happen to that person?
>
Whilst I understand the thinking behind the approach taken by the
police, which is basically "shoot now, ask questions later", this is a
huge shift from the traditional approach of the British bobby IMHO. It
isn't that long ago that a tv programme about firearms training showed
police being expected to identify the type of weapon being waved about
in order to assess the level of threat and appropriate response.
Maybe, just maybe, we're dealing with the truism "society gets the
police force it deserves", but if we continue like this, it surely can't
be too long before someone is apprehended/summarily shot for pointing a
black gloved finger "I believed the accused/deceased was pointing a hand
gun at me", or having thrown a custard tart, for throwing a home-made
incendiary device.
Do you know, I think I could cope with this approach if only the police
spent more time being effective catchers of real criminals than they do
at present scoring easy points by focussing on soft targets such as
slightly speeding urban motorists and those brave (or foolish) enough to
stand up to delinquent school kids.
Pete
--
I think perhaps we are getting a bit carried away, at least with this
particular incident.
This wasn't an incident like some of the recent shootings of innocent
people that some dolt has reported to the police as carrying a gun.
This was a guy who intentionally threatened some kids with lethal
force. I find it hard to believe people are trying to explain
that away. If you see someone tampering with a car you yell at them
to clear off or call the police, you don't threaten to shoot them.
They had no idea he was brandishing a brush rather than a gun.
The police quite rightly responded, searched the man's home and he
went to court and got a small fine. That's what the police are
supposed to do. That the kids were committing a criminal act doesn't
justify a different criminal act.
I'm actually aware of a case in California where a guy did shoot
a kid who was stealing the hubcaps off his car, he was charged with
murder but was found not guilty as the jury felt he should have been
charged with manslaughter.
Steve.
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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