Streetcar shooting: Toronto police officer suspended

[zamler]

Can someone explain why they used a taser after firing 9 shots? Never mind the fact that 9 shots were fired in the first place...

[Regulator75]

Originally Posted by zamler

Can someone explain why they used a taser after firing 9 shots? Never mind the fact that 9 shots were fired in the first place...

Trying to taze him back to life?

[Regorium]

Wow.

I don't even know what to say. Why did he have to resort to lethal force there?

Like seriously. There was zero danger. There wasn't even a threat of danger - what? was he going to throw the knife?

I mean, I defended police when they shot the rottweiler and I defend Zimmerman, because there was serious imminent danger in both cases that warranted shooting.

But I just don't get what this officer was going for.

[mikey_the_redneck]

....how ..pathetic.

Like a pack of hyenas on a wounded gazelle...with a knife in its hoof.

[Senator Clay Davis]

I'm guessing the cop just wants to see how much he can get away with. This is pretty much murder, way way worse than George Zimmerman. Unforgivable, we'll see if anything comes of it.

[zamler]

One of the Youtube comments made the suggestion that the taser was deployed to cover the cops ass, without a video no way to prove the taser was used before or after shots were fired. Make the claim that non-lethal force was tried first. When you think about it, it's really the only thing that makes sense, you don't fire 9 shots, then use a taser because you're afraid the shots were not adequate.

Doubt the Officer will get much disciplinary action from this, slap on the wrist is likely, worst case loses his job.

[Zulu29]

Originally Posted by Reaper

Police officers are not trained to fire single shots. It is always a double tap.

Not in Canada they aren't. They are trained to fire as many rounds as is needed to stop then threat, be it 1,3 or 12.

[bluejays]

Here in Toronto it's front page news. I'm not a popo, so I'm not sure what protocol is in these circumstances, but there is a ton wrong with the whole situation. The kid asks everyone to get off the bus without harm to anyone, so really was not a threat to the riders or driver despite having the knife. The officers are far enough from the suspect to not be threatened by the knife, and with the lights on in the bus can presumably see quite clearly what he has in his hands, in addition to being told what he has from the passengers. Why the threatening demeanor in their voices demanding he drop the weapon. They could have easily seen he was no threat to anybody at that point, laid off with their weapons drawn, then waited for a negotiator to come on site to deal with the guy, who was potentially mentally unstable and possibly a suicide threat. If force needed to be administered, why not use a taser before instead of after the shots were fired? The guy would drop and you would still be able to arrest him without using lethal force. The one or two cops involved with the shots and taser acted like a bunch of meatheads. 9 shots? Icing on the cake to show they were dumb as bricks. IF this was determined that the kid had bipolar and never lunged at them, I hope the cop gets prison time. Mental issues are so misunderstood sometimes, and from the looks of it, this was poorly handled.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by fleury

Here in Toronto it's front page news. I'm not a popo, so I'm not sure what protocol is in these circumstances, but there is a ton wrong with the whole situation. The kid asks everyone to get off the bus without harm to anyone, so really was not a threat to the riders or driver despite having the knife. The officers are far enough from the suspect to not be threatened by the knife, and with the lights on in the bus can presumably see quite clearly what he has in his hands, in addition to being told what he has from the passengers. Why the threatening demeanor in their voices demanding he drop the weapon. They could have easily seen he was no threat to anybody at that point, laid off with their weapons drawn, then waited for a negotiator to come on site to deal with the guy, who was potentially mentally unstable and possibly a suicide threat. If force needed to be administered, why not use a taser before instead of after the shots were fired? The guy would drop and you would still be able to arrest him without using lethal force. The one or two cops involved with the shots and taser acted like a bunch of meatheads. 9 shots? Icing on the cake to show they were dumb as bricks. IF this was determined that the kid had bipolar and never lunged at them, I hope the cop gets prison time. Mental issues are so misunderstood sometimes, and from the looks of it, this was poorly handled.

When has that ever happened? You hear about former police getting busted for random things, or even an off-duty cop once in awhile. But I've never heard about a cop actually receiving jailtime for actions committed while on duty. There is such a fraternity in that profession that protects these guys that I doubt he gets anything worse than a suspension (paid of course)

This is why I can't stand the argument "Well it's only a few bad cops giving the rest a bad name". It's the entire corrupt profession that allows these bad cops to do what they want without fear of reprisal

[FlamesAddiction]

A witness on the news tonight said that the officer told the kid that if he didn't comply, he would "finish him".

It's one thing to threaten to shoot, but another to threaten to kill him.

Disgusting.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Nage Waza

If the kid walked towards the officers with the knife then I am not sure what the protocol is.

The officers direction should be to tell the person with the knife that if he advances he will shoot. If the kid walks toward the officer after that direction or gets within a range (by training it is up to 21 feet) that the officer believes his safety or anyone else's safety could be at risk he fires. I don't know of any officer that would fire at a knife wielder unless he probably within 10 feet. I saw no threat to that officer in that video, the knife wielder by the sounds of things was not being compliant in dropping the weapon but at know time did I se from that video any officer in danger.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

A witness on the news tonight said that the officer told the kid that if he didn't comply, he would "finish him".

It's one thing to threaten to shoot, but another to threaten to kill him.

Disgusting.

From what I have heard Toronto's PD motto is "Comply Or Die"

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Zulu29

Not in Canada they aren't. They are trained to fire as many rounds as is needed to stop then threat, be it 1,3 or 12.

3 initial shots and a quick reassess is the training however in a scenario where you feel your life is threatened you can easily unload the whole mag. Take into the factors of stressors and the truth that most police officers can't shoot worth crap anyhow and I can see how 9 shots are fired.

[Robo]

Sounds kind of like a suicide by police why else would he pull a knife out than order everyone off the bus?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

A witness on the news tonight said that the officer told the kid that if he didn't comply, he would "finish him".

It's one thing to threaten to shoot, but another to threaten to kill him.

Disgusting.

If those comments were proven to actually have been said, then it should be a homicide, no?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Robo

Sounds kind of like a suicide by police why else would he pull a knife out than order everyone off the bus?

Mental illness.

[Minnie]

I watched that video on the news last night. I tried to be open minded about it, but I'm really struggling with the multitude of shots fired. It really seemed like, pardon the horrible pun considering the context, overkill. Is it completely necessary to kill him? He wasn't charging at them from what I saw last night. What a craptastic situation.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Minnie

I watched that video on the news last night. I tried to be open minded about it, but I'm really struggling with the multitude of shots fired. It really seemed like, pardon the horrible pun considering the context, overkill. Is it completely necessary to kill him? He wasn't charging at them from what I saw last night. What a craptastic situation.

I know we're not supposed to judge cops actions without all the facts, but this one is just a little too suspicious even with the little bit we do know. I wouldn't be surprised if this had played out differently if they had known they were being filmed, and that's scary.

[Minnie]

Yeah, something just seems really smelly about this one.

[puckluck2]

We all know how this will play out. The kid was obviously reaching for something and the cop thought it was a gun and had to shoot him 9 times because the kid was still reaching after 8 bullets in him.