General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: MEDIA A Drone Was Used to Blow up a US Citizen Without Trial On Thursday. Let That Sink In [View all]SuperDutyTX
(79 posts)Micah Johnson had just shot 11 police officers, and was refusing to surrender (so he could be afforded due process).
In these situations you don't have the luxury of having all the information as you would days after; you're forced into taking the perpetrator at their word. If for 3 hours he's refusing to give up, and telling you he's planted IEDs (which can be remotely triggered), I would say it's prudent to kill him. It's unfortunate he forced police into that situation, but he chose death over surrender.
Regarding the methods used to kill him, I think it's disingenuous to even imply this kind of tactic is common or even sets a precedence. When you've got an armored individual in an elevated/bunker like position, it would be reckless for any SWAT commander to not consider explosives as an option.
The day police start flying armed UAVs over the country and rocketing people in non-life threatening situations, I'll have a problem with it; until then, good C4ing.