Unarmed 73-year-old man with dementia was shot 9 times by Bakersfield police, son says

[mitty14u2]

Source: LA Times



A 73-year-old man with early stages of dementia was shot and killed Monday by a Bakersfield police officer nine times during a late-night walk despite being unarmed, his son said.

In a video on Facebook, Rogelio Serna, who also goes by Roy, insisted his father, Francisco Serna, was not armed when he was fatally shot by Bakersfield police in the 7900 block of Silver Birch Avenue.

“Right across the street is where police shot my father with nine bullets to his body and my dad was not armed,” he said in the video. “There is false reports about my father having weapons. He was never armed.”

His family will hold a candlelight vigil at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the neighborhood where he was killed.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-unarmed-man-dementia-bakersfield-killed-nine-20161213-story.html

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At some point it just becomes target practice? WTF

[MADem]

1. 21st Century Melanin Wars.

It seems to me that your odds of getting shot by the police increase the more you get your brown on....

[Aristus]

2. The cops didn't have dementia; they were just demented.

It happens when you think you have to use gunzzzzzz to solve all your problems...

[MADem]

3. Indeed. nt

[Javaman]

4. Know your rights....by the Clash...

This is a public service announcement
With guitar
Know your rights
All three of them

Number one
You have the right not to be killed
Murder is a crime
Unless it was done
By a policeman
Or an aristocrat
Oh, know your rights

And number two
You have the right to food money
Providing of course
You don't mind a little
Investigation, humiliation
And if you cross your fingers
Rehabilitation

Know your rights
These are your rights
Hey, say, Wang

Oh, know these rights

Number three
You have the right to free speech
As long as
You're not dumb enough to actually try it

Know your rights
These are your rights
Oh, know your rights
These are your rights
All three of 'em
Ha!
It has been suggested in some quarters
That this is not enough
Well

Get off the streets
Run
Get off the streets

[Archae]

5. He was no doubt unarmed, but he could still have been violent.

I have seen people with dementia get violent, screaming, lashing out.

Doesn't excuse the guy being shot 9 times though.

[still_one]

6. That is what MACE or Stun Guns are for

[Archae]

8. Agreed.

[still_one]

9. I know, you said as much

[cstanleytech]

15. True but I have even seen people claiming those shouldnt be allowed by the police either since there

have been a few rare cases where they caused the death of someone.

[still_one]

22. That may be, but they are not intended to be lethal. Shooting someone is

[cstanleytech]

24. Oh, I agree with you. nt

[sfwriter]

28. Police do abuse them.

Macing handcuffed suspects for example for example.

[cstanleytech]

33. Yes but I would think in this case mace might have been a better option than 9 bullets. nt

[Omaha Steve]

13. This story scares this dementia patient

http://www.theaftd.org/

I can yell "I'm retired Omaha Police Dept" as they shoot I guess.

Yes dementia often increases ones temper.

[HassleCat]

7. Police are scared by people who act weird.

Of course, in that category we must also include "being black."

[SamKnause]

10. Why did they search the family's home and cars after the shooting ???

[cstanleytech]

16. Probably to try and confirm if he had a handgun since the call allegedly claimed the guy was

brandishing one.
The lack of any recovery of one makes me wonder if the person who called police should be charged with manslaughter as well as the officer for not confirming the existence of one and just shooting, assuming of course that is what the officer did.

[Feeling the Bern]

27. Amazing how people believe everything a cop says

I can call 911 and claim someone I don't like was brandishing a gun in the street.

Shoot first, investigate (maybe) after, and then discover I did nothing wrong after I investigate myself.

No wonder people hate and mistrust the cowards in blue!

[left-of-center2012]

11. "I feared for my life"

Isn't that the standard excuse cops use for shooting and killing unarmed civilians?

[Iggo]

14. To which I answer: "Then don't be a cop, you fucking coward."

[cstanleytech]

17. Just to point out though that officers like everyone else do have a right to protect themselves

and their job doesnt require them to stand there and let someone shoot at them and or try to stab them and not defend themselves.

[Iggo]

19. And I'll point out he was unarmed.

Too afraid to try to subdue an apparently (and actually) unarmed 73-yr-old?

Then you're too much of a coward to be a cop.

End of fucking story.

[cstanleytech]

20. I'm simply pointing out that police do have a right for self defense as for this case

I already said that my belief is that manslaughter charges might be warranted for the person who made the call claiming the guy was armed with a gun and for the officer if the claim is true that he just raised his gun and shot the guy.

[Feeling the Bern]

25. Time to lick a badge. It's awfully tasty.

[cstanleytech]

29. I'll have to take you for your word on that one. nt

[cstanleytech]

31. No, Im' just pointing out that he police in some cases do have the right to defend themselves

you however are resorting to personal attacks.

Edit: BTW *plonk*

[left-of-center2012]

21. Yep

This cop must have been shaking in his boots upon seeing an unarmed old man with dementia.
Maybe he thought the old man was going to drool on him?

[Feeling the Bern]

26. Maybe he was going to ask him to get off his lawn

"Who are you people and where is my horse?" Then he'd turn to one of the cops, smile and say "Agnes, I haven't seen you since the confirmation!"

[cstanleytech]

34. I wouldnt know what the officer was thinking but he had better have a damn good

reason for shooting someone that apparently didnt have a weapon or atleast I havent read anything to indicate that they recovered one from the scene.

[lostnfound]

46. No duh. Nt

[ManiacJoe]

37. Most likely that claim is not going to hold up.

"I feared for my life"
Isn't that the standard excuse cops use for shooting and killing unarmed civilians?

As currently reported, that claim does not pass the reasonable test of "ability, opportunity, jeopardy".

[cstanleytech]

38. Or in other words unless a weapon is recovered or unless

the guy was literally on top of the officer and trying to beat him to death with his fists the officer probably didnt have a legitimate reason to shoot and could be facing charges?
I say could because of how damn rare it seems such charges are coming forth in such cases.

[ManiacJoe]

45. There needs to be a weapon or something mistaken for a weapon.

Without that, there should be punishment. The catch is that most of the time this punishment does not come from the legal system but from department discipline guidelines.

[skypilot]

12. What?!

Police received a report at 12:35 a.m. that a man was brandishing a handgun, Bakersfield police Sgt. Gary Carruesco said.

snip

Bakersfield police had visited Francisco Serna’s home at least two times before because his father would become confused and activate a medical alarm, Rogelio Serna said. It’s unclear if the alarm was the call that prompted police to respond early Monday.

[cstanleytech]

18. Well the recording to 911 should be able to clear that up. nt

[Angry Dragon]

23. It will only get worse with Trump in office

[montana_hazeleyes]

35. I agree with you so damn much!

The cops endorsed him! They are now telling him he better make good on his promise to let them have military weapons and all the other horrors they can use to control the populace. And guess who they are talking about.

[cstanleytech]

36. They already have unarmed drones and plenty of weapons so what exactly do they want?

M1 Abrams? Patriot missile system? Minuteman-III's?

[montana_hazeleyes]

39. I'm sorry cstanleytech, I don't know how to move posts etc. to

other threads. I looked in my bookmarks and it's in a story poster NeoConsSuck started a thread on Dec. 11,2016.
It's from Business Insider. The link is htt:// www.businessinsider.com/ap-police-expect-trump-to-lift-limits-on-surplus-military-gear-2016-12

I'm sorry if I did this wrong. It's about an executive order from President Obama limiting surplus military gear like grenade launchers, bayonets and other military stuff the police want to control citizen with. etc.

[cstanleytech]

40. So largely just more of what they already have for crowd control but nothing to far out there?

I guess that makes a little sense in some of the larger cities that have had major rioting in the past 30 years or so but other than that I dont think its warranted for majority of police departments and besides shouldnt most of that stuff be really going to the National Guard since they are supposed to be the ones called up for major emergencies?

[montana_hazeleyes]

42. Yes.

I just looked and it's still in 'Latest Breaking News" on page 3. OP is NeoConSuck.

State and local police do want it. What I'm afraid of is there will be way less control with trump in power. The major police union endorsed him. I understand police protection, but under trump they will feel free to do things they can't now.

This trump stuff is scary as hell for our freedoms. I'm 68 years old and have seen so damn much, but this is the scariest of it all.

[cstanleytech]

43. Most of them need things like better police training and selection of recruits than they need more

weapons and riot gear.
Improve those two things first and see how things go for say the next 10 to 20 years and then we can talk about the other stuff if its warranted.

[montana_hazeleyes]

44. Thanks cstanleytech.

It's been nice conversing with you.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

32. Those old people are scarey

[demon in basement]

41. fuck

Just.....FUCK!

[ManiacJoe]

47. Slowly getting more details.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/police-man-killed-officer-driveway-didnt-gun-201005063.html