Cop shoots first ask questions later

mikeled86

SHOT TIME RIP D.A.M
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I am posting this to see what people think about this young man that was shot and killed when he was mistaken for somebody else. I don't really know what to think of this I can see where the cop is coming from but two shots is to me uncalled for.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — A newlywed killed by police after he stepped outside his home to confront suspected burglars was shot in a case of mistaken identity, police said.

Julian Alexander died after being shot twice in the chest by a police officer who was chasing four burglary suspects early Tuesday morning.

Police Chief John Welter said the officer ran into Alexander, mistook him for one of the four juvenile suspects and shot him.

"The last thing we ever want to do, No. 1, (is) take somebody's life," he said. "And we certainly don't want to take the life of someone who is mistakenly believed to be involved in some criminal activity."

"He was a good kid, trying to protect his house," said Alexander's mother-in-law Michelle Mooney. "And the police, instead of asking questions, they just shot first. Somebody has to be held responsible for this."

Welter would not release the officer's name, but said he was a 10-year veteran of the department. The officer was placed on paid leave pending an investigation.

"It's mistaken identity, but that doesn't bring my son back," said Alexander's father Jerry.

He said Alexander got married last weekend and his 19-year-old wife is expecting a baby in December.

Alexander's wife said she heard the gunshots and tried to go into the yard, but the officer told her to stay inside. From the window they saw Alexander handcuffed and bleeding in the front yard.

Paramedics treated him at the scene and took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The four burglary suspects were detained and interviewed, but no arrests were made.

Welter said investigators would interview the officer to determine what commands he gave to Alexander before he fired. Investigations will be conducted by the FBI, the Orange County Office of Independent Review and the district attorney's office, Welter said.
 
No doubt he fugged up. But what other circumstances do we not know? Had the suspects been seen with guns or fired at the LEOs? What was the verbal exchange, if any, between the kid and the officer? Did Alexander have a gun or weapon on him? Why would the kid step outside to confront four burglars? You let them break in then take their heads off.
 
Two shots is standard training. No wrong there. It's a controlled pair. It's the way the military trains, and a lot of police forces train.

I don't know all the circumstances but I am guessing that it was a suprise meeting for both of them. If the officer was the first one on scene and expecting 4 suspects he would have been on edge for sure. Probably had no idea if they were armed.

Sad situation. Crappy all around. But don't condemn the officer until the investigation is complete. He more than likely is having a terrible time with this. There is no good in what happened and it does no good to hang him before the trial.
 
Two shots is standard training. No wrong there. It's a controlled pair. It's the way the military trains, and a lot of police forces train.

I don't know all the circumstances but I am guessing that it was a suprise meeting for both of them. If the officer was the first one on scene and expecting 4 suspects he would have been on edge for sure. Probably had no idea if they were armed.

Sad situation. Crappy all around. But don't condemn the officer until the investigation is complete. He more than likely is having a terrible time with this. There is no good in what happened and it does no good to hang him before the trial.


+1 good to know about the training.....but don't most cops use the taser first now a days though. I agree there are a lot of unanswer questions in this case I feel real bad for his widow though.
 
No doubt he fugged up. But what other circumstances do we not know? Had the suspects been seen with guns or fired at the LEOs? What was the verbal exchange, if any, between the kid and the officer? Did Alexander have a gun or weapon on him? Why would the kid step outside to confront four burglars? You let them break in then take their heads off.

+1 this is traggic, but too much info is missing.
 
+1 good to know about the training.....but don't most cops use the taser first now a days though. I agree there are a lot of unanswer questions in this case I feel real bad for his widow though.
Personally if I was in that situation the gun would have been out. He was responding to a call of four possible burglers. That's a 4 on 1 situation. The tazer can only take down one at a time. No way am I going to hope that the other three let me reload the cartrige so I can go again.

I am not calling him innocent, but I won't put the noose up yet either. That's a scary place for a cop to be going into.
 
+1 good to know about the training.....but don't most cops use the taser first now a days though. I agree there are a lot of unanswer questions in this case I feel real bad for his widow though.

First off, and it has already been stated, too many missing details here. Sounds as if the kid was armed
"He was a good kid, trying to protect his house," said Alexander's mother-in-law Michelle Mooney. "And the police, instead of asking questions, they just shot first. Somebody has to be held responsible for this."

If he ran outside with a gun that changes many things.

As for the statement that most cops use the Taser first. A Taser is considered a less than lethal weapon which has limited range and allows for one shot. There is nothing that states an officer must use a Taser before a firearm. The situation at hand will always dictate tactics. Would you expect an officer to attempt an arrest on an armed gunman with pepper spray before ever drawing his sidearm? When it comes to most department policies, most put pepper spray and use of Taser on the same level on the use of force scale. In many situations where a Taser is deployed in a high risk situation the officer using the Taser has lethal force cover in the event the Taser does not work.
 
First off, and it has already been stated, too many missing details here. Sounds as if the kid was armed

If he ran outside with a gun that changes many things.

As for the statement that most cops use the Taser first. A Taser is considered a less than lethal weapon which has limited range and allows for one shot. There is nothing that states an officer must use a Taser before a firearm. The situation at hand will always dictate tactics. Would you expect an officer to attempt an arrest on an armed gunman with pepper spray before ever drawing his sidearm? When it comes to most department policies, most put pepper spray and use of Taser on the same level on the use of force scale. In many situations where a Taser is deployed in a high risk situation the officer using the Taser has lethal force cover in the event the Taser does not work.
Thanks for chiming in CTA. I was just about to ask if one of our brethren on the force could give us thier insight.
 
All good points I just wasn't sure about what to think of this but now it makes a little more sense I would have used a pistol too I guess also I think that I would have tried to wait for back up because 4 to 1 odds aren't very good. I am thinking what happened was the four kids were trying to break into his house and he called the cops and when they showed up the guy ran out of the house and the cop thought it was one of the burglar's. But like everybody is sayin to many missing details. I am not saying hang the cop at all I was just looking for some insight on this I am sure that he did not have much time to act on this situtation.
 
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seems stepping outside to confront burglars was not a good idea in the first place...
 
First off, and it has already been stated, too many missing details here. Sounds as if the kid was armed

If he ran outside with a gun that changes many things.

Absolutely, positively.

And it would explain the events to some degree.... here's a possible scenario not painted by that media article:

LEOs comes upon a scene with adrenaline pumping and weapons drawn, anticipating four young male Actors who may or may not be armed. Out steps the deceased with a gun in hand to protect his home, but all the LEO sees is someone fitting the description of the Actors with a weapon drawn. Pop-pop. Excellent grouping by the LEO results in the tragic loss of the homeowner.

Shyeah.... I'm thinking Mr LEO is having a hard time with this one.... Very, VERY sad!
 
Very sad...two families lives torn apart, and since the burglars were not arrested I'm thinking the whole thing may just be a tragic mistake :)
 
Absolutely, positively.

And it would explain the events to some degree.... here's a possible scenario not painted by that media article:

LEOs comes upon a scene with adrenaline pumping and weapons drawn, anticipating four young male Actors who may or may not be armed. Out steps the deceased with a gun in hand to protect his home, but all the LEO sees is someone fitting the description of the Actors with a weapon drawn. Pop-pop. Excellent grouping by the LEO results in the tragic loss of the homeowner.

Shyeah.... I'm thinking Mr LEO is having a hard time with this one.... Very, VERY sad!
That is the same scenario that came to my mind after reading this story. Sad to think this happened, but there is no point in stepping outside to confront a burglar. If they are outside you can get in trouble for shooting them. If they are inside you are now protecting your family and yourself.

Stepping outside also puts you in the situation tha he found himself in.

R.I.P.
 
Yeah it was a sad deal.

As far as two shots, that is universal. I am not military or law enforcement, but in my Concealed handgun class I was taught always to deliver two shots, center mass. You don't shoot to wound or warn or any other BS. Fire at least two shots in the center, and from there keep firing till you eliminate any aggression toward you.

How bout it CTA, is that PC or what?
 
Yeah it was a sad deal.

As far as two shots, that is universal. I am not military or law enforcement, but in my Concealed handgun class I was taught always to deliver two shots, center mass. You don't shoot to wound or warn or any other BS. Fire at least two shots in the center, and from there keep firing till you eliminate any aggression toward you.

How bout it CTA, is that PC or what?
It sounds like what I was taugh in the military. I did some time as base security. It was always controlled pairs at center mass until the aggression or threat is gone. It's they way they train, and the reason you almost never see a single shot incident with military or police. That and most of the time when they are shooting it's not a good situation anyways.
 
Yeah it was a sad deal.

As far as two shots, that is universal. I am not military or law enforcement, but in my Concealed handgun class I was taught always to deliver two shots, center mass. You don't shoot to wound or warn or any other BS. Fire at least two shots in the center, and from there keep firing till you eliminate any aggression toward you.

How bout it CTA, is that PC or what?

sounds like you were taught well. Never shoot to wound, never shoot to kill, never shoot to warn, only shoot to stop the threat and continue shooting until the threat is no longer there. And of course the threat better be one that can cause, or has been perceived as able to cause, great bodily harm or death to yourself or another and better be happening at the time. Of course different states have different views of when use of deadly force is justified. I'm just hitting a few high points of it.

I don't know of anyone who ever wishes to have to make this decision. Regardless of the situation you can bet you will be highly scrutinized by monday morning quarterbacks as well as sued. Nowhere that anyone ever wishes to be, but it's still a better option than being planted six feet only to assume ground temperature!
 
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