NOTE ON OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGS:
To all the families of people who are shot by police, and to future armed assailants;

If you haven't figured it out by now, let me say this: What did you expect? Did you not know that if you call the police to your family dispute, usually with your husband/boyfriend or other male member of your household, the police will arrive expecting that there will be a confrontation?
Did you not know that the police are trained to protect YOU from the assailant? That assailant being your husband/boyfriend or other male member of your household?
Did you not know that the police are going to protect themselves as well?
Did you not know that the police use deadly force as a last resort?

In Belmont, CA, a man holding a large block of concrete advanced on officers who had been ordering him to stop, drop the block, and empty his hands. The officers can't always back away from the threat and at some point, they will have to shoot to protect their own lives or the lives of others. When their assailant committed 'suicide by cop' the family claims that the officers should have 'talked him down.' Oh please, the officers were defending themselves from a deadly attack. What did you expect? Let the man bludgeon the officer with the concrete block? Suffer a blow first with a concrete block before defending oneself? You gotta be kidding.

In Los Angeles, the police are fired upon while rescuing a teenager form her own step-father, who is high on drugs and using his toddler as a shield. There was no talking to him, he cut off negotiation. Hell, he was high on drugs and acting irrationally. Did you expect the officers to wait him out? What about the danger to the little girl? The officers in this incident were specially trained to use distraction (flash bang grenades) and non lethal means (tear gas) to incapacitate the target. He started a gun fight and wounded an officer and then fired upon the officers who were trying to rescue him. What did you expect the officers to do? Let the wounded officer lie in harms way? What if that had been the daughter, lying there with a shoulder wound, bleeding, and the officers just talked to the step-dad? Huh? What then? She might have bled to death and then the officers would be criticized for letting that happen because they didn't 'do something.'

In Dublin, California, the officers in were called to a home and saw a fight. They entered the home and saw a man with a knife heading up the stairs and try to force himself into the room where they had seen the fight. A guy with a knife can attack you, if you even have your gun ready, from 15 to 21 feet way and still get in a stab. Listen, GUY WITH A KNIFE, and family, if men and women in uniforms tell you to drop your weapon, drop the weapon! If the officers see you trying to get into a room where they know there is a person, they will prevent you from doing that by shooting you. They believe someone's life is in danger. If they shoot you, drop the knife and give up, because if you don't, and you advance on the officers, they will shoot you again to protect themselves.

You got that families and potential assailants? How easy can it be: Obey the order to drop your weapon. If you don't, you can expect to be shot. Maybe you will be lucky and the officers will have time to deploy a taser, or maybe not, because those things can kill as well - especially if you are on drugs.

Drop your weapon.

And family? If you want the police to come to your rescue, because remember, these armed people were endangering your lives before the police got there, and don't think for a minute none of these 'loved ones' would have spared you, then call them. If you want to die at the hand of a family member, don't call the police.

Lastly, you were a victim. The police were victims here at well. They grieve for your loss and they truly are sorry, but they do not deserve to be assaulted by your loved one, nor by you later in the court of the press.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/08/19/BAdublin19.DTL