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I learned of this event yesterday via a Town email:
Quote:
Today at approximately 2:35 p.m., a Chapel Hill Police Officer attempted to stop a vehicle for speeding. The driver, Joanne Kay Hall (50), fled from the officer and a pursuit ensued. A short time later, the vehicle stopped in traffic near the intersection of US 15-501 and Manning Drive. The officer got out of his vehicle and, while approaching the suspect vehicle, Hall struck the officer with her vehicle by backing into him. The officer fired one shot at the vehicle which deflated the left rear tire. Hall fled the scene again and stopped a short time later. She was taken into custody without further incident. No one was injured during the incident.
It troubles me that speeding stop escalated into a shooting. I admit I only know the facts as stated in this news blurb, and there are some aggravating factors - but I struggle with the question of why the use of weapons is the right response.
[I have to admit I still carry a little grudge against the CH police department for their military-style raid on protesters a few years ago.]
I don't see the issue. He shot at the car? I *guess* there's some risk involved, but I would hope the officer has enough aim to hit the car and not the person. Am I naive?
I don't see the issue. He shot at the car? I *guess* there's some risk involved, but I would hope the officer has enough aim to hit the car and not the person. Am I naive?
You may be entirely right - this certainly isn't the most egregious set of circumstances involving a police shooting.
For me it's about the style of policing I want in my community. If this isn't a life or death situation (and again, I admit I don't know all the facts) I'm not certain that it warrants a use of weapons to bring an immediate resolution to the situation, as opposed to pursuing the suspect through other police methods and resources.
It sounds like the police acted appropriately in this situation. The woman was reckless to flee in the first place and could be charged for attempting to kill or seriously injure a police officer when she HIT HIM WITH HER CAR. To me, that is the crazy part. Lady must have more than a few screws loose to think she can get away from a speeding ticket by running over a cop and not get in trouble. Once she crossed the line into attempted vehicular manslaughter the officer had every right to shoot and kill her. The fact that he didn't shows great restraint or bad aim. I hope they throw the book at her!
I question whether it was a good idea to chase her in the first place. If it was just a traffic violation and she wasn't wanted it seems like they could just have arrested her later. A lot of innocent people have been hurt or killed during police chases.
Since she escalated the situation by fleeing and then hit him with her car I believe the officer would have been within his rights to shoot her. I agree that he showed restraint by shooting out her tire. It's a good thing no one was hit by a ricocheting bullet.
I mean every time something happens, people ask, why didn't the cop shoot them in the leg instead of the chest, why didn't the cop shoot the tires out instead of into the driver compartment?
Here the cop did just that, shot the tire out rather than into the driver area and there are still questioning if they did the right thing when in the end, the person was taken into custody without any innocent people being hurt even through the driver tried to run the cop over and fled twice. That's a good day for everyone.
And it is troubling that it developed into a shooting. Troubling that the driver brought this not themselves. Troubling that there are people with the mindset to do what the driver did driving on the same roads as all of us.
For me it's about the style of policing I want in my community. If this isn't a life or death situation (and again, I admit I don't know all the facts) I'm not certain that it warrants a use of weapons to bring an immediate resolution to the situation, as opposed to pursuing the suspect through other police methods and resources.
Someone attempting to run him down with her car isn't a life or death situation?
If people would simply obey the commands of law enforcement maybe the police wouldn't be on edge all the time? When the police attempts to make a traffic stop taking off or running from them is the wrong thing to do.
I think that's right?!?!?! Not really sure what to do anymore. Seems like nobody respects police anymore. I mean, Heaven forbid if a police officer has the desire to go home to their family at the end of shift.
A lot of innocent people have been hurt or killed during police chases.
Really...A lot of innocent people are running from the police ????
....and in this situation she tried to run over him & hit him ..she is lucky he showed
mercy and didn't shoot her dead !!!!!
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