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octothorpe

(962 posts)

52. Well imagine if they did try to shoot for the arm, legs or whatever and they missed

Wed Jan 4, 2012, 10:44 PM

Jan 2012

and the bullet strayed and hit a student or teacher... Would you say "oh, well at least they tried to wound the gunman"? At the time, they had no idea it was a pellet gun, what if they shot and missed (since they are aiming for a smaller target) and he started firing at the police and his stray bullets found a civilian? The police officers would have totally been at fault for the deaths and injuries that might have resulted. That would have been negligence on all the officers fault if they took that route and something happened to a bystander. Bullets can go through walls and windows.

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Police kill armed teen student at Texas school [View all] sinkingfeeling Jan 2012 OP

It better not be safety scissors. WingDinger Jan 2012 #1

Pellet gun. eom boppers Jan 2012 #60

Did the boy attempt to shoot at them? If not this is cold blooded murder....if so..then its justifi BenYehuda Jan 2012 #2

my thought exactly. barbtries Jan 2012 #3

Define "engaged" atreides1 Jan 2012 #22

i can't. barbtries Jan 2012 #26

I invented something once slackmaster Jan 2012 #6

LOL! Perfect. Please repost on a regular basis. Islandlife Jan 2012 #9

Seemed as though a predicative question was asked LanternWaste Jan 2012 #13

There is a real difference between attempting to shoot someone and brandishing a weapon slackmaster Jan 2012 #23

Don't know. Local reports say he "engaged" the police. Lone_Star_Dem Jan 2012 #7

In conversation, no doubt. The Doctor. Jan 2012 #19

The other station says he pointed the gun at them and they fired Lone_Star_Dem Jan 2012 #21

Here's an article that says he brandished a weapon... slackmaster Jan 2012 #24

Can you please minavasht Jan 2012 #51

It was a PELLET GUN...according to AP.... BenYehuda Jan 2012 #69

Wouldn't this have been a good opportunity to break out the taser? Quantess Jan 2012 #4

uh no. given the history of school shooting in this country cali Jan 2012 #5

Given the history of gang activity there it's highly possible he wasn't planning a "Columbine" event Lone_Star_Dem Jan 2012 #8

Given that he was a 15 year old eighth grader, he probably has a history of thuggery vminfla Jan 2012 #11

Meh. I wouldn't read too much into his age and grade just yet. Lone_Star_Dem Jan 2012 #16

Facts into evidence vminfla Jan 2012 #35

Fact. It was a pellet gun. Lone_Star_Dem Jan 2012 #43

Pretty stupid to brandish a pellet gun in front of cops vminfla Jan 2012 #44

Also given that he pointed a firearm at a cop. (nt) Posteritatis Jan 2012 #34

Jesus fucking Christ!! pocoloco Jan 2012 #41

What precisely makes this scenario a bad opportunity to use a taser? LanternWaste Jan 2012 #14

Because tasers have a very short range compared to a gun? hack89 Jan 2012 #20

dude, it was a pellet gun. provis99 Jan 2012 #46

Do you realize how much like a real gun a pellet gun looks like? hack89 Jan 2012 #48

only a willing moron couldn't tell the difference. provis99 Jan 2012 #49

At a distance? nt hack89 Jan 2012 #50

When staring down someone with a gun bluevoter4life Jan 2012 #56

Let's try a thought experiment - Imagine someone is pointing this at you... slackmaster Jan 2012 #63

Taser against a firearm is a bad plan. Atypical Liberal Jan 2012 #36

Uh, minavasht Jan 2012 #54

I propose that we draw ironclad conclusions about this before any facts are known. Orrex Jan 2012 #10

Speculation is more fun vminfla Jan 2012 #12

Isn't that what the internet is for? n/t Ian David Jan 2012 #15

that's what I use it for Doctor_J Jan 2012 #31

I propose rather that we discuss, wonder, consider and speculate LanternWaste Jan 2012 #17

You're talking nonsense! Orrex Jan 2012 #18

Yes, we can just base them on the "fact" that all cops are treestar Jan 2012 #33

If the student aimed a gun mainstreetonce Jan 2012 #25

Firing, perhaps. crim son Jan 2012 #27

Only a murderer fires a weapon with intent to kill the target, even in self-defense. slackmaster Jan 2012 #28

Find a Shooting Class that does *Not* teach you to fire at center mass vminfla Jan 2012 #29

They teach that because firing at center of mass is the most effective way to STOP an attacker slackmaster Jan 2012 #32

If you are firing, you are firing to kill. Atypical Liberal Jan 2012 #37

I shoot to admonish Orrex Jan 2012 #38

I am the most anti-gun member of DU, IMO Doctor_J Jan 2012 #30

Yeah they just were doing their jobs DaveJ Jan 2012 #39

Monday-morning quarterbacking is such bullshit slackmaster Jan 2012 #40

Uh what did I say? DaveJ Jan 2012 #42

Do you believe those cops went in there wanting to kill a teenage kid? slackmaster Jan 2012 #45

Well imagine if they did try to shoot for the arm, legs or whatever and they missed octothorpe Jan 2012 #52

I dunno. Shooting him in the back of the head seems kind of risky to me, too. Lone_Star_Dem Jan 2012 #61

I didn't see that they shot him in the back of the head.... octothorpe Jan 2012 #62

Brownsville Herald is where I read it first Lone_Star_Dem Jan 2012 #64

Three shots fired, two hit near center of mass and one hit the head slackmaster Jan 2012 #65

DO ME A FAVOR backwoodsbob Jan 2012 #47

Can you minavasht Jan 2012 #55

Thank god no innocent people were harmed in the incident. LetTimmySmoke Jan 2012 #53

Yeah, turns out it was a pellet gun. crim son Jan 2012 #59

Never bring a fork to a knife fight, slackmaster Jan 2012 #68

Whatever happened, Turbineguy Jan 2012 #57

Since Columbine the police now respond to "active shooter" scenario Historic NY Jan 2012 #58

Only in America. CanSocDem Jan 2012 #66

Indeed, because being a dead victim is so much morally superior. Fourier Jan 2012 #67

this is sad.... unkachuck Jan 2012 #70