Cops mistake water nozzle for gun...

[Ns1]

quite honestly, if you are drunk, bored and pointing an object resembling a gun at people and pretending to shoot them, why would you NOT think someone is going to think you have a gun?

See: drunk


Do I think he's stupid. Yes. Do I think he deserved to die? No.

 

[ussfletcher]

They shot him 8 times?

LOL....

That is just utterly ridiculous. I understand the circumstances, but 8 times? Really?

That's pretty disgusting, overall.

I've always figured that the Police know their cops are terrible shots, so they tell them to shoot until they run out of ammo.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Zerby was gunned down at an apartment building Sunday after two people reported a man with a gun sitting on a backyard porch landing, according to authorities.

Two different 911 callers were fooled into thinking it was a gun, not just the cops.

The cops were responding to calls of a person brandishing a weapon, they didn't just show up randomly and start shooting.

Darwin award. Sad, but the drunken idiot made this happen.

 

[CanOWorms]

Two different 911 callers were fooled into thinking it was a gun, not just the cops.

The cops were responding to calls of a person brandishing a weapon, they didn't just show up randomly and start shooting.

Darwin award. Sad, but the drunken idiot made this happen.

That doesn't say two different 911 callers thought it was a gun. It says that two people reported that the man had a gun. Perhaps they were in the same party. One of them could easily influence the other's opinion.

 

[SKORPI0]

I was under the assumption that the Police are issued "binoculars" to verify that a gun/weapon is present in situations like this. :\ Aren't they standard issue?

 

[spidey07]

There are so many problems with this.

1) Reports of a gun - now see, folks think anything black and held in the hand is a gun This is the biggest problem right there.
2) Cops think they are responding to a gun
3) Dude motions what cops think is a gun
4) You don't point shit at a cop

Fail all around.

 

[1sikbITCH]

Stupid drunk brought a garden nozzle to a gunfight.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Total lack of professionalism. It was not a combat situation. Cops get paid the big bucks, as opposed to grunts, because they are 'Police' who are trained in observation, weapon recognition and, civil rights. Is being a cop just as dangerous as being a soldier? Yes, of course it is at times. The difference is police have greater training and greater responsibility for public safety.

 

[jayzds]

Dude was an idiot...Im sorry I wouldn't even do that if I was drunk.
Stupid is stupid and thats why he's dead.

 

[mcmilljb]

Why engage a person "wildly waving a gun?" If I was in a position where I had to encounter a person like that, then I would like to communicate with that person without being a vulnerable position. Being some distance away would be ideal. This would be protecting myself and hopefully assessing the situation better.

I am fine with having their guns drawn, I fully expect that. However, why get close to them without trying to communicate before? Clearly a person waving a "gun" around is not operating in a full mental capacity, so why would you want to get even remotely close to this person?

Would you get close to a person holding a hostage with a gun? Would you get close to a person robbing a bank with a gun? They could easily just shoot you, that's why you stay a distance away. So why get close to someone that can easily point a gun at you? Why put yourself at risk for no reason? Something just doesn't seem right about this situation as presented. Probably because the news does not have all the facts.

 

[BoomerD]

Sounds like a perfectly acceptable way to deal with a hoser...

We have a shit-storm over a couple of cops who shot and killed a guy who brandished a spatula...they thought it was a knife...the reports were "Man brandishing a knife," and apparently the guy lunged at them with it...
Never bring a spatula to a gun fight.

http://www.modbee.com/2010/09/08/1328056/police-victim-in-fatal-officer.html

 

[spidey07]

Why engage a person "wildly waving a gun?" If I was in a position where I had to encounter a person like that, then I would like to communicate with that person without being a vulnerable position. Being some distance away would be ideal. This would be protecting myself and hopefully assessing the situation better.

I am fine with having their guns drawn, I fully expect that. However, why get close to them without trying to communicate before? Clearly a person waving a "gun" around is not operating in a full mental capacity, so why would you want to get even remotely close to this person?

Would you get close to a person holding a hostage with a gun? Would you get close to a person robbing a bank with a gun? They could easily just shoot you, that's why you stay a distance away. So why get close to someone that can easily point a gun at you? Why put yourself at risk for no reason? Something just doesn't seem right about this situation as presented. Probably because the news does not have all the facts.

Umm, because that's their job? You wave a gun around you are a deadly threat, citizens can respond in kind.

Why did they put themselves at risk when you won't? Because that's their job.

 

[SandEagle]

Sounds like a perfectly acceptable way to deal with a hoser...

We have a shit-storm over a couple of cops who shot and killed a guy who brandished a spatula...they thought it was a knife...the reports were "Man brandishing a knife," and apparently the guy lunged at them with it...
Never bring a spatula to a gun fight.

http://www.modbee.com/2010/09/08/1328056/police-victim-in-fatal-officer.html

you should really start your own threads instead of threadcrapping in mine. just sayin

 

[mcmilljb]

Umm, because that's their job? You wave a gun around you are a deadly threat, citizens can respond in kind.

Why did they put themselves at risk when you won't? Because that's their job.

There was no gun.

But by your thinking, they should not be worrying about coming home at night since they are putting their life on the line. However I would like for them to come home safe.

I want them to protect themselves, but you have to assess the risk before. Why put your life in danger when you want to eliminate the threat safely? Walking up to someone without identifying yourself is a good way to get shot whether your a cop or regular citizen. Plus why not engage a someone not operating at full mental capacity in a manner that is safer for you? If he had a real gun, those cops could have been shot first by the account presented to us.

 

[pcgeek11]

Because sometimes it's just a drunk guy chilling on the porch with a hose nozzle waiting for a friend

AND

Sometimes it is just a guy that is a little looney with a gun.

 

[Exterous]

wow - I am almost too late. Popcorn's running a bit low

 

[Exterous]

Oh - and it you wave something that looks like a gun in a gun like manner at cops you can pretty much be assured bad things will happen

 

[Freshgeardude]

i think its the cops fault.

everything has been said already.


cops never identified themselves.

man was drunk.


cops need to act like professionals to all citizens.

its innocent until proven guilty.

people nowadays feel its guilty until proven innocent and i think this is the problem.



hope the family sues for a lot.


its unfortunate someone has to die for people to realize cops need to be shaped up.

 

[RPD]

If you do stupid shit, expect stupid shit to happen.

 

[Cogman]

A cop is responsible to protect himself as well as the law. If you point something that can be mistaken as a gun at an armed cop, you are going to get shot.

Sucks for this guy, but such is life.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

If you do stupid shit, expect stupid shit to happen.

So, the two officers can expect to be randomly gunned down?

 

[waggy]

guess he won't point something that looks like gun at anyone...

and its a good lesson he just taught people!

 

[PieIsAwesome]

Damn.

I can't see at a distance without my glasses, guess I better careful when I water the lawn.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Why engage a person "wildly waving a gun?" If I was in a position where I had to encounter a person like that, then I would like to communicate with that person without being a vulnerable position. Being some distance away would be ideal. This would be protecting myself and hopefully assessing the situation better.

I am fine with having their guns drawn, I fully expect that. However, why get close to them without trying to communicate before? Clearly a person waving a "gun" around is not operating in a full mental capacity, so why would you want to get even remotely close to this person?

Would you get close to a person holding a hostage with a gun? Would you get close to a person robbing a bank with a gun? They could easily just shoot you, that's why you stay a distance away. So why get close to someone that can easily point a gun at you? Why put yourself at risk for no reason? Something just doesn't seem right about this situation as presented. Probably because the news does not have all the facts.

Umm, because that's their job? You wave a gun around you are a deadly threat, citizens can respond in kind.

Why did they put themselves at risk when you won't? Because that's their job.

No, but he has a point. If someone's waving a gun around or got a hostage situation going on, cops don't just dart in. They make visual contact at a safe distance, and talk to them somehow.

Have guns drawn sure, but I would've expected them to get close, guns drawn behind their squad cars for cover, and use a bullhorn to talk to him.

I mean essentially what they did was run in. What if it WAS a gun? He could've shot at them as they were getting close to begin with. So why as an officer would you just get so close that you had to open fire without even being sure of the entire situation? I mean this is just fail here.

You can blame the guy all he wants for having a garden hose that looks like a gun and pointing it at the police, but if the cops were 150 feet away, would they start shooting? Probably not? 20? Yeah.

 

[Cogman]

So, the two officers can expect to be randomly gunned down?

It is a distinct possibility. Cops are easy targets for gunmen. They get threatened all the time and are hated by a large number of people. This is why when someone displays what might be lethal force, they shoot first and ask questions later.

People in this thread need to realize, if someone points something that looks like a gun towards you, what do you do first? Try to talk the person down? Or do you shoot him before he has the chance to shoot either you or those around you?

I don't think the guy was evil, just that he was under the influence of a drug. You do stupid stuff when drunk and run the distinct risk of getting yourself killed. Life isn't kind to the stupid.