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Hard to judge with the incident off camera. The following in the linked Police One article would seem to indicate this did not pass muster with the police firearms board.
Quote:
Williams lost hearing in one ear after an ear infection eight years ago, which they Sgt. says is pertinent and will be reviewed in the investigation.
The knife that Williams was carrying, according to a police photo, had a 3-inch-long blade and was legal to carry in Seattle. Williams is known in the area as a transient and has nearly 30 convictions in the last 20 years, including five convictions for public indecency.
The firearms review board held that the shooting was not justified and Officer Birk has since turned in his badge and his gun.
When the officer first appears in the linked video it appears as though he is also armed with a Taser on the left side of his belt.
So, why would an officer get within 25 feet of a man he is ordering to put down a knife? Street and sidewalk was moderately busy with people. Not exactly the safest place to be firing rounds when the man was not charging him or anyone else. First words on the video after the shooting was "mame he had a knife and would not drop it". Not "he had a knife and was in the process of attacking me".
Armchair quarterbacking LE shootings is speculation at best, especially when a repeat offender with over 30 convictions is involved. Eventually a lifestyle (20 yrs per article) of being on the wrong side of the law catches up with offenders whether it was deserved at that particular moment of that particular day or not.
Video simulator training in recognizing the threat and responding appropriately (scored testing) should probably be madatory as part of yearly firearms qualifications for all badge/gun carrying LE. Are taxpayers willing to pay for it and agencies willing to implement such a requirement? Unlikely.
I'm not the kind of guy to give the Fuzz a free pass on anything. I tend to view the police as a necessary evil, frankly.
But I also don't jump to conclusions when they shoot someone that is holding a weapon - ANY kind of weapon - without a thorough investigation of the facts.
I'm not willing to pass judgment based on the limited information we have.
The same here. Even though the guy was 50 that does not mean he cannot be a threat to that cop.
People think that because he has a gun and the guy a knife there is no way the guy cannot hurt the cop.
I had traininig on the 45 pistol when I was in the Army. Shooting a still target is not as easy as it seems much less a moving target. The case is here of a cop killing a individual that posses a threat but we also need to know why cops have to take what may seem excessive measures due to all the incidents that cops get killed for trusting someone too much or believing someone is not as harmful as he or she seems.
Again, I would have to know more about the incident. People think that shooting someone one time it is enough to stop the threat, not necessarily. Take care.
I didn't see that in the article, did I miss something? I wouldn't expect many professional wood carvers to use a folding knife. I'd expect a fixed knife and/or chisels.
If the knife was open and the guy was menacing the officer...well the old saying "never bring a knife to a gunfight" comes to mind.
Last edited by Toyman at Jewel Lake; 03-25-2011 at 02:32 PM..
yeah, a folding knife for woodcarving doesn't sound right, and i don't see anything about a closed folding knife, period.
OTOH, it doesn't sound like the officer's life was in danger when he cut loose.
You're likely correct, but what did it reasonably appear to be from the cops point of view?
There used to be a show on - many years ago in the seventies - that was a series of videos simulating cop encounters. The idea was that you watched the video and played a sort of game where you would decide when and if to shoot someone.
After I virtually shot several innocent people that were just ACTING strangely it really drove home to me how hard it must be for a cop whose life is actually on the line to make these split-second decisions.
You're likely correct, but what did it reasonably appear to be from the cops point of view?
There used to be a show on - many years ago in the seventies - that was a series of videos simulating cop encounters. The idea was that you watched the video and played a sort of game where you would decide when and if to shoot someone.
After I virtually shot several innocent people that were just ACTING strangely it really drove home to me how hard it must be for a cop whose life is actually on the line to make these split-second decisions.
no doubt. having to make such split second decisions when making the wrong choice could end up killing you or an innocent person must be stressful as hell. no wonder the guy resigned.
You're likely correct, but what did it reasonably appear to be from the cops point of view?
There used to be a show on - many years ago in the seventies - that was a series of videos simulating cop encounters. The idea was that you watched the video and played a sort of game where you would decide when and if to shoot someone.
After I virtually shot several innocent people that were just ACTING strangely it really drove home to me how hard it must be for a cop whose life is actually on the line to make these split-second decisions.
Shoot/don't shoot scenarios. They're still used in training.
The knife not being open gives me pause,
but if I was holding any sort of weapon
and a cop was aiming his pistol at me,
I would drop it pretty quick or expect
to get shot.
i think he'd actually have to open the knife and attack the cop for his carotid artery to be harmed. i don't think a man holding a closed knife nearby can cause you harm.
if he does decide to open the knife then i could see shooting him, in the leg...
if you can't protect yourself from a 50 yr old deaf guy with 3 inch knife with the blade closed without killing said man than you're way too pathetic and weak to be a cop.
the man should be charged with murder, screw manslaughter, that man was murdered
Oh well.
The officer probably saved someone else a lot of problems from this dirtbag.
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i think he'd actually have to open the knife and attack the cop for his carotid artery to be harmed. i don't think a man holding a closed knife nearby can cause you harm.
