oldNslow wrote on 08/21/14 at 09:50:00: Quote:As for "LEOs are not trained to shoot in the leg but to the threat"... I beg to differ.
Given that any police TV serial drama clearly reflects the customs and habits of the times, i.e. "Dragnet", "Adam 12", "Hill Street Blues", or even the original "Hawaii 5-0"...
...LEOs in those days would often try to negotiate their way out of a haphazard situation, or incapacitate the felon, long before going Gung Ho on him/her.
Google up the ACTUAL training protocols for any US police agency - local, state or federal - with regard to the use of deadly force, and you will see that the statement above is utter nonsense.
Or are you just being sarcastic again?Here's a good place to start:
http://www.forcescience.org/morrison.pdf No, Sir, I'm not being sarcastic, not at all. It was a legitimate comment based on personal observation.
And the Forum member below proves my point.
tcreeley wrote on 08/21/14 at 19:38:13:It used to be that cops did negotiate in armed situations and frequently succeeded.
In Maine they haven't for the last 20 years. They shoot first, confront close up, yell, demand, etc. -Almost like escalating a situation purposefully so they will have an excuse to shoot.
When I lived in Mass, the local and state cops closed a couple of streets down in my neighborhood. A guy was holed up in his house with a gun. His girlfriend had run from the house and called the cops.
For seven hours the cops were there, talking and waiting, No confrontation.
The guy -who knows maybe sobered up, gave up his gun and came out.
No one was shot, no one hurt. No tragedy. The cops knew this guy- petty theft, drugs etc.. - Not a community favorite. They didn't shoot him.
Cops are different today, trigger happy and militarized. They are becoming brutal and we are turning into a police state/country. Look at the news - this is happening all over. Fergurson is just an example of the police state at work messing with its citizens.
Given what one sees on TV, these days they would have thrown a full scale SWAT operation at him.
My point is that when Mr. Average is approached by a LEO, he should be confident the LEO will protect Mr. Average, not scream into his face and point a gun at him "because I don't like your accent/haircut/whatever".
Again, no sarcasm. But from what I see on TV things are downright nasty.