Georgia Tech student shot dead by police on campus (vehicle, land)

[aslowdodge]

Originally Posted by oldschoolChevy

I agree. Cops shouldn't even be in the same ballpark physically as civilians. If it's your job to be in the streets all day everyday, then a skinny college kid should not be able to stand any chance of squaring up with you, tiny knife or not. Not to mention that you should be able to think quick on your feet in situations like these, If I can look at the way a guys shirt is hanging at his waist and tell if he has weapon, then "professionally trained" officers whose job it is to be in the streets should be able to discern the same as well. Police are a problem, and it's not a race thing in my eyes, it's a problem of poorly trained morons with too much power and no street smarts. And in a job where you have the power of life and death, thats probably the worst combination you can have.

How do know if they are poorly trained? Or are you assuming that because they didn't handle it like you think they should. Have you had professional training? If so what how should it have gone down if done professionally?
I saw his picture, he didn't look so skinny. I don't agree that you should ever make assumptions based on how someone looks versus how dangerous they could be.

[magnetar]

Originally Posted by whodean

The kid had a knife AND TOLD THE POLICE HE HAD A GUN TOO. They couldn't ignore the threat.

Then why do cops carry pepper spray, if the appropriate response to any perceived threat is "shoot to kill"?

[ronricks]

Originally Posted by magnetar

Then why do cops carry pepper spray, if the appropriate response to any perceived threat is "shoot to kill"?

LOL pepper spray is not going to be the answer when you received a call that there is a person with a gun. Talk about bringing a butter knife to a gun fight.....

This person knew exactly what they were doing by calling the police and saying there was someone with a gun and knife on campus. They wanted to die.

[brownhornet]

Question for those that always make the excuse that cops had no choice but to shoot. How is it that so many other modern countries are able to have law enforcement officers that are SO much better at handling situations like these? I mean like, you're just not going to sit there and convince that a dude standing there holding a pocket knife posed too much of a threat to taze or pepper spray. Its pretty pathetic really.

[Vanderbiltgrad]

Cops are almost never convicted, he might be charged but close to zero chance of a conviction. Family has a good chance at a lawsuit that is about it. Cops are taught to shoot to stop the threat and that is what the cop did.

[ronricks]

Originally Posted by brownhornet

Question for those that always make the excuse that cops had no choice but to shoot. How is it that so many other modern countries are able to have law enforcement officers that are SO much better at handling situations like these? I mean like, you're just not going to sit there and convince that a dude standing there holding a pocket knife posed too much of a threat to taze or pepper spray. Its pretty pathetic really.

What countries are you talking about for comparison?

I would argue it is pretty pathetic to call the police and tell them there is someone out there with a gun and a knife where the police could mistakenly kill or injure someone else all because you want to commit suicide by cop.

[ronricks]

Originally Posted by Vanderbiltgrad

Cops are almost never convicted, he might be charged but close to zero chance of a conviction. Family has a good chance at a lawsuit that is about it. Cops are taught to shoot to stop the threat and that is what the cop did.

They have no chance after it came out that he is the one that planned this out and called the cops.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by convextech

The assclown that pulled a knife, wouldn't back down, and told the police, "Kill me."

I'm glad police in building jumper suicide scenarios don't shrug their shoulders and tell the sad sack to go ahead and jump.

Somehow they manage to put thought into what they're doing and figure out a way to reach an outcome in which everyone lives. They get that from training.

On a college campus, it should be assumed that there will be a lot of students experimenting with drugs and alcohol, dealing with psychological issues, breakup issues, sex issues, the stress of school work and taking care of themselves away from home for the first time in their lives. As a result of this, erratic student behavior should be expected from time to time, and it's totally reasonable to expect law enforcement and campus security to have training in dealing with these situations. Frankly, it's totally UNreasonable that they don't. Shoot to kill should be only for the most extreme scenarios. This scenario doesn't come close to approaching that level of danger. This situation could have been ended with one smartly placed whack of a nightstick.

Cop 1 shines his flashlight in the perps face, cop 2 takes a swing while he's blinded. Everyone lives.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by UKyank

This guy could have easily gotten a truly innocent person killed with his false 911 call about a gunman. Death should never be celebrated but better it happened to this individual then an innocent person because of the deceased's reckless behavior.

That happened, I think in Lawrenceville in the last year or so. There was a 911 call about hearing shots. Police came about 2 am, but to the wrong house. A 60 year old ex-vet heard people around his house in the middle of the night, stepped out with his gun and was shot and killed. They think the 911 call was just a prank. (and to answer the obvious question-he was white)

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by ronricks

It is amazing to me that people can't see this. When someone calls the police and says there is someone with a gun it has to be taken seriously. This was a mentally deranged person who wanted this result to happen as evidenced by Them calling the cops and leaving the suicide notes. They got the end result that They wanted. This isn't the fault of the GT Police.

I don't think anybody is claiming that the GTPD is definitely in the wrong and Scout was definitely in the right. What I'd like to see is how we can raise awareness for suicidal tendencies, particularly for those who are not gender binary, like Scout.