police shoot a suspect no reason

[f44life]

YouTube - Bart Police shooting in Oakland KTVU report

anyone else see this? wtf

[oldjarhead]

I saw the youtube video. It makes no sense for a LEO to pull his gun and shoot a suspect, with plenty of officers to help gain control of him.

As a recently retired LEO, who carried a gun and a Taser, I have heard of the same type of incident happening a couple of years ago, when some officers were trying to subdue a suspect, and an officer shot the suspect with his handgun, when he apparently thought he was pulling out his Taser, which in that type of an arrest situation, right or wrong, would be the next application of force. Possibly the officer in this situation did the same thing. I don't know of course.

Tasers were first issued an all black, like most handguns cops carry. Then after the first incident, Taser International began selling yellow Tasers, so officers could easily determine the difference. Tasers are shaped like handguns, and have triggers like handguns too. I first had the black Taser and switched to the yellow one. I don't know if the PD the officer in this recent video, even had Tasers. I am just offering one possible explanation.

[kahrseye]

That has to be an accidental shooting. There was no way the suspect warranted such an action and I think oldjarhead is right. The LEO may have been reaching for something else besides his weapon and didn't realize what he had grabbed.

[Bawanna]

I agree with OldJarhead. I think he was going for a taser. Our guys try to carry the taser on the weakside to avoid confusion. We still carry the black ones, no yellow ones.
Course I give no credence to anything I see on utube. Things aren't always as they appear.

[jlottmc]

I agree with OldJarhead. I think he was going for a taser. Our guys try to carry the taser on the weakside to avoid confusion. We still carry the black ones, no yellow ones.
Course I give no credence to anything I see on utube. Things aren't always as they appear.

Well said. There is more to this story than we know.

[Longitude Zero]

Old news. The officer involved was convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter around July 2010. This videao was all the rage in the media and gun boards when it happened.

[f44life]

must of bin that glock trigger pull

[Longitude Zero]

Unfortunately mistaking the real firearm for the TASER is a serious concern even now with the two tone units. My dept got rid of all the original M26 units and now issues only the X26 that is much smaller. Officers who carry it are required to carry it in a cross draw holster too minimize any confusion with their duty weapon.

[f44life]

why dont they just carry the taser on the oppisite hip of there dominant hand?

[wyntrout]

Yeah, it was probably a mistake... but the "victim" might have pushed the right buttons to set off the officer... like something nasty about his mother or manhood. Like you said, though, we don't know.
I remember this or another like incident with the same consequences. In the "heat of battle" responses can be less than optimal because when the adrenaline is flowing and your body is not functioning normally... some functions suffer great degradation and others increase greatly. The combination can help you or hurt you. That's why intensive training is needed for situations like that and awareness of personal symptoms and capabilities established and recognized.
In the Air Force aviators have periodic training in altitude chambers to see the effects on others and ourselves so we could recognize the symptoms of gradual depressurization at altitude and take appropriate action. We also got to experience rapid depressurization under controlled circumstances. With a gradual decompression... loss of cabin pressurization... lack of oxygen can be insidious and unnoticed, so an awareness of the symptoms, especially the early ones... before loss of consciousness is VERY important.
It's hard to train and produce the adrenaline effects, but knowledgeable instructors can really help in training. Training and discipline can help overcome bad situations, but Murphy's alive and well and there'll always be a "Doh!" here and there, as Homer would say.
... from the armchair,
Wynn

[RagnarD]

Here's some details on the outcome, "involuntary manslaughter", and how they got there. Basically saying it was a negligent mistake.

Justice for Johannes Mehserle - Reason Magazine

[Bawanna]

why dont they just carry the taser on the oppisite hip of there dominant hand?

Thats what we do, either cross draw or weak hand strong. We have gone to all X26's also. They are considerably smaller. Some who wear jump suits carry them in special pockets in front or weak side leg etc.
Anything to avoid the confusion.

[wyntrout]

In the "heat of battle"... lessee, grab black plastic thingy to subdue suspect... Boom! Oops! My bad... grabbed the wrong plastic thingy... the Glock!
Not funny, but it happened.
Wynn

[earle8888]

Wyntrout- U talking about High Altitude Physiological Training/ Hypoxia recognition. Old BUFF guy. Do not have experience with tasers--BUT-- the ones I have handled were considerably different in weight and grip feel.

[wyntrout]

Normally, that might register, but in the heat of battle with adrenaline surging, like I said, you're not normal and your senses aren't, either. You just can't imagine what that guy was feeling... or wasn't feeling. Evidently, he felt it necessary to do something, but he wasn't totally in control of his whole body, and he made a few mistakes... but he was trying....
Wynn