The continuing militarization of the police starting to gain press attention

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Conn. Trooper, I am not so sure a 95 or 96 yo refusing treatment is going to be what you would call, "of sound mind;" that is, of course, unless they were of sound mind and refusing treatment because they were tired of life in current condition.

So I would not be quick to assume such a person, in either case, would react as you or I would.

Meanwhile, I will normally defend officers who use deadly force against melee weapons, or against infirm or crazed persons armed with ranged weapons, unless reported facts really change the story (such as the Philadelphia drug raid, based on bogus documents, that resulted in the death of a grandmother).

I have a very hard time conceiving of circumstances that would justify the scenario we are discussing. I certainly don't think undermanning of or inconvenience to the department are valid justifications.
 
I'm not disagreeing. I can't picture the scene in my head either. I've been in LE for 17 years and I've never had to go hands on with a 95 year old. There has to be more to the story.
 
Conn. Trooper, re bean bag rounds and knife, did you ever see the video of the apparently crazy man with the katana in Seattle?

Guy is half naked, threatening passing motorists with a katana. SPD arrives, sets up containment, and is ready to use bean bags followed by lethal force if necessary. Containment holds, SFD arrives with a pumper truck, and when the guy won't drop the weapon the firemen hit him with a jet of water.

Now, I am not saying we should hit old people with water cannon. I am saying that if containment can be set, it should be, but I suspect people were not thinking ahead to "what if this 95 or 96 year old resists?" My guess is they focused more on the knife, and less on the extreme lack of mobility.

Of course, that is only a guess, and further reports may provide facts that identify other key concerns.
 
I give them credit for at least trying "non-lethal" alternatives.
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"non-lethal"? Then how come the guy is dead? Tasers are lethal weapons. Bean bag rounds are lethal weapons. This story proves that but so have dozens or hundreds of stories before these.

Some call these "less lethal" but they are not "non-lethal" or "less than lethal" as many refer to them as. But then, the American hero killed in this case and his family don't care about the "less lethal" distinction. Neither should America. This guy was America's hero. They killed something in all of us when they killed him.
 
Me thinks this thread has turned from militarization of police to cop bashing. Tasers are a very thourouly tested devises. Thousands if not tens of thousands of people are subjected to the deployment of tasers with no ill effects every year. I also wouldn't blame an officer using one even against an elderly person, even one who served our great country. Just think that man is old for a reason and probably knew his way around a knife very well given his service. I don't know about any of you but my ability to defend myself and fight certainly won't go with the use of my legs. When faced with a potentially lethat threat the officer's did respond with a non-lethal option. JMHO.
 
Conn. Trooper said:
What did he require medical treatment for? A stroke? Heart attack? Something that required immediate treatment and they couldn't wait until he fell asleep?

Holy heck!!! We don't know, but lets just jump on the bad cops bandwagon!! I love how every time one of these threads come up, people are immediately able to state facts about how the bad cops did everything wrong just from reading a three paragraph news article. Love it.
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Now this made me bust out laughing. Yep. That'll teach people who need surgery to save their life - if you refuse to cooperate in extending your life for hours we'll just end it in seconds. You go, trooper.

Reminds me of a case years ago where a lady in LA was threatening to shoot herself in the head. Had the revolver pressed against her temple and the hammer pulled back. The LAPD showed up. When she refused to put the gun down, even though she never moved it or even flinched, an LAPD officer put a bullet in her head.

You are not allowed to hurt yourself in America; that's the job and privilege of the police and any attempt to do it yourself will be dealt with harshly.
 
teeroux said:
Me thinks this thread has turned from militarization of police to cop bashing. Tasers are a very thourouly tested devises. Thousands if not tens of thousands of people are subjected to the deployment of tasers with no ill effects every year. I also wouldn't blame an officer using one even against an elderly person, even one who served our great country. Just think that man is old for a reason and probably knew his way around a knife very well given his service. I don't know about any of you but my ability to defend myself and fight certainly won't go with the use of my legs. When faced with a potentially lethat threat the officer's did respond with a non-lethal option. JMHO.
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There's that non-lethal option again - yet the guy is quite dead. Anyone who is afraid of a 92-year-old man in a walker that doesn't have a gun is a coward.

Me thinks this thread has turned from militarization of police to cop bashing.
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Ummm. No. No one is saying all cops would do kill 92-year-old men in wheelchairs. We're just opining that these cops should not have killed this man.

Just think that man is old for a reason and probably knew his way around a knife very well given his service.
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Sure. Every 20-something in the police should tremble in their boots every time a 90-something vet hobbles by with their walkers. Maybe they should all be shot on sight just to ensure the safety of those defenseless cops.

Tasers are a very thourouly tested devises. Thousands if not tens of thousands of people are subjected to the deployment of tasers with no ill effects every year.
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Now we're testing devices on the public? They're tested on the elderly and infirm? Have they been tested on one-year-olds? Diabetics in shock? The deaf? School children? How were the tests performed? In what lab? Because they have been used against each of these on the streets of America. And what the streets of America testing has shown is that over 500 times, tasers are lethal weapons.
 
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