Sad, and kind of old story

[Tommygunn]

cops in the uk have seen real guns disguised to look like toy guns
toys and replica guns made to look real

Yeah ...here too. In fact, in one major municipality, laws were passed that squirt guns and other toy or replica guns had to be painted or colored a bright color. So criminals gangs promply responded by painting their real guns similar colors.
Now, gun makers which make guns or stocks in "tacticool" colors are being haranged by lawmakers because it is now somehow "evil" to make real guns that "look" like toy guns.


Go figure.:banghead:

 

[mekender]

hmmm so someone actually let a person with the mentalitity of a 9 year old walk around at NIGHT with a deadly weapon??? doesnt sound like the cops fault...

yes a pellet gun can be a deadly weapon...

no a person with that mental state should not have a weapon unsupervised... there are laws against it if the persons physical age were actually 9... so why would the fact that people knew his mental condition make it ok?

and apparently someone didnt teach this "child" proper safety or he wouldnt have pointed it at an officer and gotten shot...

sorry, but there are a lot of failings in this story and NONE of them are by the police...

 

[akodo]

It is a very unfortunate situation.

However, anyone without the mental capacity to drop any object when the police demand it should never be given any gun shaped object.

If someone is given a gun shaped object, what to do if the police come needs to be spelled out, ESPECIALLY for the mentally challenged, even if is a squirt gun.

I don't know what the right word is, so I will use one with some negative connotations, sorry. Many mentally deficeint people can be "trained" with repeated exposure. I assume anyone capable of being employed can be told again and again until they can do it every time that if a cop comes "Drop the whatever you have in your hands (it is okay if it breaks) and put your hand straight up and do not move, be a statue reaching for the sky"

Of course, hind sight is 20-20. Small precaution such as gramps notifiying the police ahead of time that the dim grandson who is 19 may sometimes have a toy gun outside, and be in X vicinity would have helped to.

 

[Technosavant]

I have a friend whose best friend was killed by the cops when he was about 15 years old.

His friend was mentally ill, and off his meds (I'm pretty sure there are tons of wrongful death by cop stories that start this way...), and was acting so erratically that the parents felt obliged to call the police to help gain control of the situation again.

When the cops arrived, he was brandishing a butter knife and babbling incoherently. Obviously, the four 300+lb police officers that arrived on the scene that night felt that the scrawny 130 lb teenager was a deadly threat to their lives with that butter knife of his, so one of them opened fire, and discharged the entire magazine of his service weapon into that kid's chest. All of his fellow officers went on to testify on his behalf and that he behaved appropriately.

One would think that LEOs would be required to take training to teach them how to handle mentally ill individuals, but apparently they don't. That is the major thing that I just don't understand.

I'm sorry to hear that, and my condolences to the family. Today, I would expect that kind of situation to involve the Taser over the firearm. However, just because somebody's problems begin with mental illness does not place the onus on everybody else to embrace whatever harm that person might dish out when having a psychotic episode. If we are going to expect police to undergo training to deal with mentally ill folks, we certainly have a right to expect those who are mentally ill to STAY ON THEIR MEDS. I am sure it is difficult to control a 15 year old in the best of conditions, but those with mental issues must understand that if they will not take responsibility for their condition (it isn't fair that they have it, but life is that way) and be responsible to take their medication as prescribed, then they may go off the deep end, and when they do, it is quite possible they will do so in a dangerous manner and those around them may use lethal force. You can still hurt somebody with a butter knife.

If a person has a mental issue, that person also has the responsibility to care for themselves. If they cannot do so, then those around them must care for them, and it is not realistic nor is it reasonable to expect everybody who comes within 50 yards of them to understand everything about their condition and how to handle them at their worst. If they cannot understand that, then tragedy is indeed a possible outcome.

 

[Officers'Wife]

OK,

My opinion of police abuses is well known. but in this case - with the information given- I can't say that I fault them. He had a weapon, type unknown. He was ordered to drop it, he did not. The officers in question had no way of knowing his mental state or his intentions. They were in a position where the reasonable man would perceive a threat. They ended the threat. Now they are going to have to live with it the rest of their lives. A pity all the way around.

Selena

 

[aaronrkelly]

My 5 year old will take directions from people of authority.....exactly what was this kids excuse?

He doesnt have one.

Bad deal all around but its not up to the police to take a few incoming rounds before deciding if thats a real gun. Its not up to the police to take a few rounds from a mentally challenged subject merely because hes not right.

Theres very little difference between a real gun and a pellet gun, especially at distance. Theres very little difference between a 19 year old with a mental deficit that acts 10 years old and a regular, can kill you dead as hell 19 year old, especially at a distance.

 

[woodybrighton]

that air gun looks closer enough to a real thing to get you shot