Cdowwe Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051227/ap_on_re_us/police_shooting By BRETT MARTEL, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 51 minutes ago NEW ORLEANS - Police officers shot and killed a man brandishing a knife in a confrontation that was partially videotaped by a bystander, setting off another internal investigation of the embattled department. Monday's daylight shooting was the first involving police since New Orleans reopened after Hurricane Katrina. It follows the videotaped police beating of a man that led to two firings in the department. A police spokesman, David Adams, said the officers who fired on the man will be reassigned pending the outcome of the probe, but he defended their response, saying at least one officer's life was in danger just before the barrage of gunfire. "You have a subject who's lunging at them with a knife... swinging wildly at them and they're fearing for their life," Adams said. "They had no other choice but to resort to lethal force." Adams said he did not know how many officers fired shots or how many shots were fired. Witnesses said a half dozen or more shots were fired. Officers repeatedly asked the man to drop the knife and used pepper spray to try to subdue him, but he covered his face with a cloth and continued walking toward an officer and threatening him, authorities said. "Evidently, the pepper spray had no effect," Adams said. The 38-year-old man's name was not immediately released. A businessman had called police after a confrontation with the victim in the Lower Garden District west of downtown. The shooting happened on St. Charles Avenue, the thoroughfare famous for its historic green streetcars and Mardi Gras parades. Phin Percy videotaped a portion of the confrontation before the shooting from his father's second-story apartment. "The cops kept telling him 'Lay down! Lay down!' This went on for about three minutes," he said. While he was running downstairs, Percy said, he heard numerous shots. By the time he ran out the door, many more officers had arrived and the body was lying against a car. When he reviewed his videotape, Percy said, he saw a small knife in the man's hand. The tape, broadcast nationally, appears to show about a dozen officers taking part in the confrontation. Trey Brokaw, a patron at a nearby bar, said he saw the victim with a knife in his hand shortly before the shooting. "I didn't see anyone near him," Brokaw said. "It didn't seem like anyone was going to get hurt to me." But Brokaw said he did not see what happened in the final moments before the shots rang out. It was the first shooting of any kind involving a New Orleans officer since the city was officially reopened following Hurricane Katrina's devastation four months ago, Adams said. Since the storm, the police department has struggled to rebuild its ranks and address questions about officers' conduct. Hundreds of officers left the city without permission in the days after the storm. There were also allegations of theft and looting by officers, still under investigation, and the videotaped beating of a retired teacher by police in the French Quarter that led to the firing of two officers. The police chief resigned a month after the storm :whoknows: no problem here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
China Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 How do you shoot with a knife? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endzone_dave Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 I'd have to see the video before I could make any judgements on this one. If the guys attacks with a knife, you take him out. If he's standing 20 feet away waving a knife around, there's no reason to kill him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cdowwe Posted December 27, 2005 Author Share Posted December 27, 2005 Atleast they tried pepper spray first Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsBry Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 I was watching this story on TV. There werereports from Locals that have seen him before and they said the guy was mentally ill. The video clips that are on TV show alot of cops with their weapons drawn. I'd like to know if N.O. uses stun guns. I also want to know how many shots were fired and from how many different cops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegionOfDoom Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 :doh: I wonder if they have ever heard of non-lethal force.....that is sad all of those officers and one man with a knife....come on I can take him down without a gun.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky21 Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 A crazy guy is swinging a knife at the police, refuses to drop his weapon after being told to by police, and is not subdued by pepper spray. Then the police pop the guy. Isn't this how it works? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Not just one, but 2 videos of the guy in seperate incidents attacking police. They knew who he was, tried to get him to stop, when he wouldnt they shot him. Good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boobiemiles Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Why not just shoot the guy in the arm? They could always immobilize him without killing him. I'm sick of the people that are suppose to serve and protect keep killing the people that they are suppose to serve. Just shoot him in the leg or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Police are taught and trained that a gun is the LAST option, but when it comes to that, they shoot to kill. That's a good policy. What if they hit the guy in the arm and he stumbles towards the crowd and guts a bystander? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boobiemiles Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Police are taught and trained that a gun is the LAST option, but when it comes to that, they shoot to kill. That's a good policy. What if they hit the guy in the arm and he stumbles towards the crowd and guts a bystander? If he was threatening somebody so be it, or if he was a world class knife chucker then off with his head. But that was not the case here. The police I deal with make it seem like the gun is the first resort. They come up to you with their hands on their pistol, then ask me for my license and registration; or the harmless inquiry of "what are you doing around here?" It's clear that the police in N.O. have done some reprehensible things. I'm sad that all the police have to get a bad wrap. But the police In N.O. have acted badly in the past and present. It would be nice if they would show more restraint in the future. By the way, police officers do not treat everybody the fairly. I wish some of you could accept that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 If he was threatening somebody so be it, or if he was a world class knife chucker then off with his head. But that was not the case here. The police I deal with make it seem like the gun is the first resort. They come up to you with their hands on their pistol, then ask me for my license and registration; or the harmless inquiry of "what are you doing around here?" It's clear that the police in N.O. have done some reprehensible things. I'm sad that all the police have to get a bad wrap. But the police In N.O. have acted badly in the past and present. It would be nice if they would show more restraint in the future. By the way, police officers do not treat everybody the fairly. I wish some of you could accept that. I have no problem accepting that. I wish others would also accept that not every cop is a racist or a bad person, or even wrong in actions like this. The cops knew this guy. They knew him because they arrested him once before for assaulting a person with a knife and then resisted arrest and tried to stab a cop. This was not a random occurance where the cops fired and asked questions later. They knew who this guy was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sith lord Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Let me ask everyone this: Why couldn't they bring in a sharpshooter to shoot the knife out of his hand? Also, they could of shot this man in the leg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Timing for one, how long do you let him act this way? As for the second, I explained it above, Cops are taught that when it's time to shoot, you shoot center mass. You dont try and wound the person. That elevates the problem and still allows them the ability to do others harm. The real question is this. After this incident, will people finally accept the use of stun guns as an alternative? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cannonshogs44 Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Let me ask everyone this: Why couldn't they bring in a sharpshooter to shoot the knife out of his hand? Also, they could of shot this man in the leg.You have been watching too much tv. Its called use of force. You pull a knife, they pull a gun. A person holding a knife at more than 10 feet can close in on a person with a gun, hit the person with said gun at the same time as the gun goes off. You had better hope the person with the knife had not been on pcp or meth or your never get the 2nd shot off and someone will be telling your wife/husband that you died in the line of duty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sith lord Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 You have been watching too much tv. Its called use of force. You pull a knife, they pull a gun. A person holding a knife at more than 10 feet can close in on a person with a gun, hit the person with said gun at the same time as the gun goes off. You had better hope the person with the knife had not been on pcp or meth or your never get the 2nd shot off and someone will be telling your wife/husband that you died in the line of duty. I've seen a sharpshooter shoot a gun right out of a man's hand in Ohio. It was pretty much the same kind of situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 I've seen a sharpshooter shoot a gun right out of a man's hand in Ohio. It was pretty much the same kind of situation. it takes quite a bit of time for a sharpshooter to get into position and get set up. I'm guessing the incident you witnessed probably lasted for a long time and escalated. This appears to be a spur of the moment thing. ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cannonshogs44 Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 I've seen a sharpshooter shoot a gun right out of a man's hand in Ohio. It was pretty much the same kind of situation.That was with a gun. Much bigger object. How do you hit a knife when the suspect is moving same. Oh, Im sure your going to tell me the sharpshooter hit a gun that was moving. Unless you have been there dont be so fast to judge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sith lord Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 That was with a gun. Much bigger object. How do you hit a knife when the suspect is moving same. Oh, Im sure your going to tell me the sharpshooter hit a gun that was moving. Unless you have been there dont be so fast to judge. I've heard a sharpshooter can shoot a coin out of someones hand. Also, did it take "NINE" bullets to put him down? It just seems that with all those cops, someone could of shot him in the leg or hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegionOfDoom Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 I can understand a gun.....but a knife....was it a machete...he didn't deserve 9 shots..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky21 Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Police Superintendent Warren Riley said the New Orleans police department does not use Tasers. The department has considered it but has concerns about the devices, which are meant to immobilize their targets with electric shocks. Patrol officers don't carry stun guns or beanbag guns, and there was no time to bring in a SWAT team, which might have had such equipment, Police Riley said. "It happened within three minutes. SWAT couldn't have made it there in that time," Riley said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDirtbags Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 How do you shoot with a knife? Stupid :doh: . They shot a guy who was holding a knife and threating them I hope u were sarcastic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cannonshogs44 Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 I can understand a gun.....but a knife....was it a machete...he didn't deserve 9 shots.....Makes one think what I said about the first shot. If one is in crazed state of mind and on or on drugs, two shots even more will not bring down someone. All I know for sure is, that officer took a life. He has to live with that the rest of his own life. Believe me, you dont want to have to live with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumodat Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Haven't you ever heard the saying "don't bring a knife to a gun fight?" Case in point. Actually, I thought they should have used some "less than lethal force." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chomerics Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Look like things are finally getting back to normal in NO :doh: Some things will never change huh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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