DeKalb DA looks at 2003 fatal police shooting

That's real smart Dekalb - go after the very peole who put their lives on the line everyday trying to hold back the ever-growing surge of thuggs/carjackers/robbers/mugg ers/home invaders who are coming after you.

If I remember this news story correctly, this woman called 911 because her mentally deranged son was trying to get into her house with a knife. When the cop showed up, the son started towards the officer with the knife. If someone is within 23 ft of you with a knife, they can run at you and stab you faster than you can draw your weapon and shoot them. Some might say you should just run, but the cop's job was to protect whoever was in that house and the neighbors. He can't just run for his life. He has to be there to protect life. Also, who is to say running away would prove effective? What if this perp runs faster than the cop? Then he'll get stabbed in the back. This perp's own mother said her son had mental problems. He charged an officer with a knife and got shot. I'm not seeing the problem.

Well, first, there are other options besides running for your life or shooting the gun.

My take is that (former) Officer Brown is being punished for failing to show at his civil suit. Makes the DA look bad.

What are the other options when someone is running at you with a knife?

Have you ever been trained in defending yourself in a knife attack? I already know the answer is no, otherwise you wouldn't be saying such stupid stuff.

I've had people attack me with training knives. They are made of rubber. If someone was up to 23 feet away, they could get to me and stick me with the knife before I could get my gun out and shoot them. No, I'm not a slow draw. It's just that it takes someone a second or two to realize they are being charged, grab the holster of their gun, pull unlock the holster, pull the gun up, point it at the person, and pull the trigger. Even if you tried to run, the person with the knife has a very good chance at cornering you can stabbing you. It's easy to catch someone running from you. So please, tell me what you think this officer could have done to prevent this confirmed lunatic from stabbing him?? What were his other options??

First of all, by having the gun drawn before he gets out of the car when responding to a mental patient with a knife call. Then the whole drawing part doesn't matter and the mythical "23 feet" number doesn't matter. Also, the bullets need to go in the front.

I mean, I don't know if this shooting was justified or not. For all I know the mental patient closed to 10 feet and was running at top speed when shot. Or not. Articles don't say. At any rate, the former Officer is not being investigated now because of whatever the true facts are. He is being punished because he negotiated a resignation deal and then failed to show up at his civil trial. For better or worse, that is why the hammer is coming down here.

You seem to think you know a lot about this case. Do you know that the cop KNEW the lunatic had a knife before the officer got out of his car?? You're assuming he did. How do you know he didn't see it when he got there?

The 23 feet thing is not mythical. It's a fact. Ask anyone trained in Krav Maga.

Do you know that this lunatic was shot in the back? I don't recall seeing that anywhere. But then again, you do have a habit of making things up to prove your point.

So, let's review:

You don't know if the officer knew the perp was armed.

You don't know how far away this armed lunatic was.

You don't know where the bullets hit the lunatic.

Basically, you don't know JACK about this case, which seems to be your M.O..

You said the cop had other options. Please tell us all what the cop's other options were as he was being charged it by a lunatic with a knife??

**charged at

The news report said that the LEO was responding to a call from a mother who said that her lunatic son was trying to break into her house with a knife.
as far as whether I think I know a lot about the other facts of the case, plz c my prev post.

Ok, for the THIRD time, WHAT OTHER OPTIONS DID THE OFFICER HAVE?

Was he supposed to wait for back-up? What if the knife wielding lunatic killed the mother while the officer was waiting?

Was the officer supposed to run away? What if the lunatic stabbed him in the back?? Or what if once the cop was gone, the lunatic went back to trying to get at his mother with the knife?

Was the cop supposed to wave his hand like Obi Wan Kenobi and tell the lunatic to drop the knife??

Please, tell us, Mr. Know It All, what other options the officer had?!?!

Need info.

How fast was the suspect moving when moving?

How close was the gunman to the suspect?

What side of the suspect did the bullets go in?

Had the suspect gotten the door open?

Why did the police dep't initially fire the LEO?

Why did the LEO not show up at his civil trial?

Why did the LEO get such a sweet deal the first time around from the DA?

Produce for me the complete record of the investigations and I will give you answers you seek on tactics. And, really, they should release all that stuff -- and not just in this case either. Because the info is not coming out I have to assume that they have something to hide here.

Wait, YOU already said the cop had other options. YOU made a claim, not me. Now you're asking me for more information?? Give me a break! You are such a pathetic loser. Don't say stuff you can't back up!! Oh, I forgot who I was dealing with here.

There is no cover up. There is nothing being hidden. When the incident first happened, they showed on the news where the shell casings were found, where the steps were located, and where the dead lunatic was found. Produce the complete record? You act like it's unavailable. Have you tried to get it and been denied?? You're such a b*llsh*t artist. You really do talk out your ass quite well!

So, back to my original point: YOU said the cops had other options. Now, you're asking for additional information to back up that claim. To me, that shows, yet again, you're an idiot who doesn't know what he's talking about! You said there were other options, but you can't list any because you don't have enough information. So, logically, it could be assumed that since you don't have this information, once you got it, it could be shown that the cop HAD NO other options, which would once again, make you look like an idiot. But wait, since you're making claims that you can't back up, yet again, you already look like an idiot, yet again.

If you can't tell us what the other options were that the cop had because you need answers to that list of questions, it was PREMATURE of you to suggest he DID have other options. Face it, you're just not good at this...

There almost certainly were other options. However, I couldn't tell you what the best option was until I know all the facts that they have not chosen to release as of yet.

Once again, you're full of crap! I didn't ask you what the best option was. You said he had OPTIONS. So, why don't you list them out for us?? You said he had them, not that he almost certainly had them. So tell, Mr. Know It All, what were those options??

One option would have been to draw his gun while keeping space between himself and the knife holder without turning his back on him.

Another option is to remain in or near the car until the suspect either drops the knife or tries to flee.

There are many more. And you knew that. You are just playing dumb, The Sage. Oh, wait, you are a red neck popo. I forgot. Cancel that thing about the "playing."

FYI, I went to a Junior Ivy League School, since you're so fond of calling me a dumb redneck. Yet again, you don't know what you're talking about.

Let me explain why your options are ridiculous:

1) Keep space without turning his back? So you're saying the cop should walk backwards in the night through a stranger's yard while a lunatic is charging at him with a knife?? Right... why don't you try that sometime! Walk backwards at night while someone is charging at your with a knife...give me a break!! Hahahaha, you're dumb.

2) Remain in the car or near the car until he drops the knife? So the cop is just supposed to hide out until the lunatic drops the knife?! Better hope he drops it BEFORE he breaks in and gets to his mother! The cop is there to prevent a burglary and stabbing. You want him to just stand there and watch until the lunatic HOPEFULLY changes his mind. Once again, you're dumb!!

You really don't think before you speak, do you? You throw out some crap that you think sounds reasonable, but as I have shown, if one with at least half a brain thinks it all the way through, you can see your options suck!

Man, the more I think about your options, the more ignorant I realize you are!

The cop was called there because a CRAZY knife wielding perp was trying to break into his mother's house. Your brilliant idea: Wait him out!! The cops is supposed to wait in his car until the perp just drops his knife!! Are you freakin kidding me??? If that's what you expected of the cop, then the mother shouldn't have called the cops in the first place. But what if the cop did what you recommend? He stayed in his car, then the perp made entry into the house and stabbed his mother? Then you'd be on here complaining about how this dumb cop just stayed in his car and watched a woman get stabbed! You're a moron!!!

Keeping space??? Without turning your back??? I don't know anyone who runs very fast backwards!! Add to that the cop was there in the middle of the night!! Waht if the cop tripped on a pothole?? How is he supposed to not turn his back on the knife wielding lunatic AND watch where is walking BACKWARDS at the same time??

I have news for you: the perp was running at the cop. This has been shown already. The perp wasn't shot on the front steps. He had been on the front steps and was coming TOWARDS the cop.

The cop was there to protect an ungrateful little old lady who raised a crazy kid. It's not his job to sit in the car and hope the perp changes his mind and goes away. It's his job to stop and apprehend this violent lunatic.

You don't have any real answers. You just have criticism for people much braver than you.

The Sage wrote:

... while a lunatic is charging at him with a knife??...

It has not been established that the man was "charging." Maybe he was. Maybe he wasn't. I know you want to believe the dead man was charging because you are a redneck cop and that no one will ever persuade you that the man was moving slowly, or had stopped moving or had reversed direction and was fleeing or whatever.

I could pick apart the rest of what you say the same way, but really no points. Others reading this exchange will "get it" by now and your brain is so washed by redneck cop culture that you never will.

For what its worth, I don't think this new investigation will really ever get down to the true facts either. The police misbehaved themselves in this one area so much that they seemed to have backed themselves into a corner that they need a scapegoat or two to get some street cred back, and this ex-popo has been selected for the role for whatever reason that probably has little to do with whether his homicide was the really the most egregious from a tactical and legal standpoint.

Not that I am crying a lot of tears for him even if he happens to be relatively innocent. I think there may be a deterrent effect on the police department which is a good that outweighs the bad to this one guy.

Cops are out of control. Poorly trained and therefore scared for thier life.

Ichibanjohn wrote:

Cops are out of control. Poorly trained and therefore scared for thier life.

Not true. The problem began 20 -25 years ago when the municipalities decided it was too expensive to ride 2 officers per car. They deemed it more cost effective to put one officer and a camera per car. That has resulted in officers going into very dangerous situations with zero backup. Sometimes backup is 10 minutes away, and there is only a second or two to make a life or death decision. Dealing with todays armed, non life respecting criminals, is similar to urban guerilla warfare. NO army fights these types of battles as individuals, they fight them with teams. Lone officers do not work in this environment. You want the shooting to stop? Put 2 officers per car again and apprehend these perps instead of killing them. Till then, the bullets will continue to fly.

Atticus Finch wrote:

<quoted text>
It has not been established that the man was "charging." Maybe he was. Maybe he wasn't. I know you want to believe the dead man was charging because you are a redneck cop and that no one will ever persuade you that the man was moving slowly, or had stopped moving or had reversed direction and was fleeing or whatever.
I could pick apart the rest of what you say the same way, but really no points. Others reading this exchange will "get it" by now and your brain is so washed by redneck cop culture that you never will.
For what its worth, I don't think this new investigation will really ever get down to the true facts either. The police misbehaved themselves in this one area so much that they seemed to have backed themselves into a corner that they need a scapegoat or two to get some street cred back, and this ex-popo has been selected for the role for whatever reason that probably has little to do with whether his homicide was the really the most egregious from a tactical and legal standpoint.
Not that I am crying a lot of tears for him even if he happens to be relatively innocent. I think there may be a deterrent effect on the police department which is a good that outweighs the bad to this one guy.

Wasn't charging at him? The perp was at the front door when the cop got there. He was shot several feet from the front door, closer to the cop...not further away from the cop. He was MOVING TOWARDS THE COP WITH A KNIFE YOU STUPID WANNABE LAWYER!

You don't have a clue what you're talking about. This perp was mentally deranged. His mother had called the cops on him numerous times because he was crazy! You think this it's ok this cop's life is ruined because he sets an example?? You're an ignorant disgusting piece of crap! This was a hard working, brave person who put his life on the line every day he went to work. Now his life is ruined because of some nut job with a knife. You wonder why there are bad cops?? It's hard to attract good people when you have sh*t bags like you giving them crap for just doing their job.

Once again, you've shown you don't know what you're talking about. Why don't you post in a forum on a topic you actually know something about, because the LAW is NOT one of them.