Philadelphia Police Shoot, Kill Suspect
By Wyatt Earp | January 19, 2009
And already, the local media is crucifying the Philadelphia Police Department for the “excessive force.” (This is the third criminal killed by police this year.) Personally, I would rather the toads take a dirt nap before a co-worker, but that’s just me.
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia police say one of the officers responding to a domestic disturbance shot and killed a man after he allegedly tried to grab a police baton.
Police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore says police were called to the second floor of a residence in northeast Philadelphia at 1:15 p.m. Sunday, where they encountered a male who became combative. Vanore says he was told the man appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
During the struggle, Vanore says, the man tried to take one of the officer’s nightsticks, and he also reportedly tried to grab a knife at one point.
One of the officers fired a single shot, striking the man in the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene. (H/T - FOX29)
Domestic disturbances are probably the most dangerous calls that we handle, if for no other reason than because they are so unpredictable. Officers also go to these calls with their guards down, and that’s when people get hurt.
In this case, we have one toad killed, and no officers hurt. Sounds like a good job to me.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
But, OH! We must stop to think about the thugs (that are probably up to no good constantly) and their rights rather than the well being of those that choose to protect us!
The cruelty of it all. How DARE an officer protect him/herself?
People honestly wonder what is wrong with society–why can’t children ride their bikes anymore? Well, because groups like the ACLU want to let these dangerous people roam the streets (it’s their right, you know) and crucify our civil servants that have taken an oath to protect us. Go figure.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
One less scum bag. Where is the problem?
January 19th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Looks like a sound application of the plus one rule to me.
January 19th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
to the media - c’mon he obviously had intentions with the night stick and knife grab, what else is going to do with them? carve out a piece of cheesecake and have coffee with the officers?
I say “tagged n bagged”, good job!
PPD 1, Asshat 0.
January 19th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
No one was hurt. What’s the beef.
I don’t even like cops very much. I don’t trust them much. But in a tactical dustup, I’m on their side 1000% unless they are demonstrated to have acted improperly. A cop has about 1/10 second to decide whether to use deadly force. Then there is an eternity of time for everyone, especially the cop, to second guess the action.
Meanwhile, the Drive By Media applies their template and sprays accusations around the neighborhood.
January 19th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Sounds like ’suicide-by-cop.’
January 19th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Suicide by Glock, the world’s best point and click interface.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Jesus Christ, if WE’D had FOUR officers killed in one year, I think even OUR media’d give us a BIT of a break!
BZ
January 19th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Third criminal killed by police this year in Philadelphia? Sounds like the making of a good year for you guys in blue over in the City of Brotherly Love.
By the way, you’re not alone in your opinion that the criminals should take the dirt nap before the cops. Anybody who possesses common sense (or the sense that good people should live and evil people should die) shares your opinion.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
More taxpayer’s dollars saved.
January 20th, 2009 at 6:21 am
I was on Jury Service a while back with an aggrevated domestic. One of the winesses was the poiliceman who went to investigate. He was short, tough, broad shouldered, alert and wearing body armour even in Court. Ideal guy for the job! No need to shout - just spoke with matchless authority.
You really would have to be high on something to think you could take him on!
But in the US, to take on a cop who you KNOW is armed …
January 20th, 2009 at 6:22 am
Incidentally, when I have been in the States, I always addressed the cops as, “Sir”. And they did the same to me. Nollo problemo!
January 20th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Southern Girl - And in Philadelphia, make no mistake: We are the bad guys.
Rick - I don’t see one.
JumpOut - My thoughts exactly.
Smite - The local media and “community activists” want us to wait until we are stabbed, and then we can fire. It’s idiocy.
Dennis - If I had a dollar for every person that hated my guts because of my chosen profession, I’d be a very rich man.
Higgs - No other explanation for going for the knife, in my opinion.
Piperfromtn - Heh, nice one.
BZ - We don’t get breaks in Philadelphia. When one of our own dies, the media pretends they care. The very next day, they hate us again.
Morgan - And most people like that live outside my city’s limits.
E.L. - Good thing, too, because we have a $2 billion deficit.
Alan B - Polite mannerism go a long way with most officers. Don’t be a jackass, and you’ll have no problem.
January 20th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Please don’t feel you have to respond to my comment. Mine are really rhetorical questions. How can you not call that excessive force? How can you write off people like that? Has the job made you that hard? I could understand it if the report contained the information that he was a career criminal, but based on very little you name him “toad.”
I just wanted you to know that on an open blog like this some people who don’t agree with all your rah-rah- back-slapping might be reading. You should be ashamed of yourself. Protect and Serve, isn’t that the motto?
January 20th, 2009 at 11:22 am
MikeB302000 - I have no problem responding to your comments. None at all.
1. Shooting and killing a suspect is obviously force, but it is in line with the Use of Force Continuum. Deadly force met the threat of deadly force. Excessive force? Not so much. Or would you rather the officer get stabbed first? Don’t answer: I already know what you’d say.
2. When you lose five fellow officers in 13 months - two of them friends - yeah, you get hardened. And I do know the offender’s record. It happened in the division next to mine. I can’t print it here, but he was no angel. You can either take my word for it or not. I don’t much care either way.
3. Rah-rah, back-slapping? How do you make that jump? I am glad that no officers were hurt, and the man who tried to grab their baton and another knife paid the price for trying to kill a police officer. In my world, a police officer’s life is worth more than a man who would kill a police officer. Why? Because a man who would kill a police officer is a greater threat to the public at large. You know, people like you.
What exactly is in the water in Italy?
4. As far as being ashamed of myself, thanks for the advice, but the last time I checked, you were neither my priest nor my parent. And I don’t take advice from liberal moonbats.
Thanks for reading! My site meter thanks you, too.
January 20th, 2009 at 11:23 am
I wish I could make it so. The main part of my point, however, is that The Man On The Line has to make split second decisions that effect his life and the lives of others. It is risky to over-second-guess those decisions.
The only thing worse than shooting a
perpoops, suspect, may be not shooting him.January 20th, 2009 at 11:27 am
In my world, MY life is worth more than a man who would kill me. Take off the tin badge, and the equation is still the same, except the cop doesn’t have the luxury of running away.
January 20th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Dennis - Don’t get me wrong; that was not a swipe at you. In Philadelphia, we are hated more than the criminals we try and protect the people from.
I got your point, and wholeheartedly agree with it. I have been lucky, because I have never had to make that decision, but I feel for the officers who have. If they make a mistake, they get crucified for it.
As for your second comment, I agree with that as well, but I would also assume that you would not grab a knife and try to stab a police officer with it. And if so, then you would be aware of the circumstances that could result if you did.
(And, for the record, I have been a police officer for 14 years. I have never fired my weapon at another person, and have never beaten another person. The worst I have ever done was doused a suspect with steaming bowls of sarcasm. They don’t like that much.)
January 20th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
“The worst I have ever done was doused a suspect with steaming bowls of sarcasm. They don’t like that much.”
Oo. Mental torture. Call my lawyer. Call the ACLU. Call a cop - no, hold that one …”
Seriously, I feel sorry for the cop on the line in the inner city. Too often you are not dealing with logical, sensible people. You are dealing with alcohol and/or dope-fueled individuals who react violently - or may not. How can you tell on the spur of the moment?
January 20th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Touch anything on, or near my belt, and I am going to assume you are either trying to kill me, or molest me. I will do whatever I must to prevent either.
Unless of course, I am a hundred percent sure it is the molesting part, and you happen to look a lot like a female Swedish super model. Then I may just stick to open hand tactics.