8th grader with pellet gun shot and killed by SWAT team in School.

[Donegeal]

Originally posted by Berzerker
He didn't pull the gun, another student grabbed it from him. At that point he's busted, so an already irrational kid panics.

Yeah, the kid grabed it from him after he pulled it.

The student who tried to grab his gun

Irrelavant.

And didnt fire a shot the whole time, amazing!

Again, irrelavant. Just because he didn't doesn't mean he couldn't have. He is still a threat.

You chase him into a bathroom and go in before help arrives? I might open the door and talk to the kid, but why press the situation at that point?

The SWAT team IS the help.

And in this case, it was just a pellet gun so "bang, a 15-year old kid is dead"

This time, but the deputy didn't know at the time. Hesitation kills.

[Grandpa Troll]

As for waiting on parents

Im just rereading what has been reported:

Supposedly this youngun had been a runaway and was having thoughts of taking his life.

Dont you think just maybe he may have a communication problem with his parents? I dont know but it is certainly a possibility and the Police do not need any more emotion brought to a situation

"Robocop"..umm that was a Movie not real life

as for "cornering him" that is there job to contain

[Donegeal]

Originally posted by Berzerker
Did you see the video? The cops had ample opportunity to put a slug in his thigh. Instead, they cornered him against a wall, apparently closed in and started firing when he made a "move".

No, I did not see the video. Hell, I don't even know of the situation except for what was stated in this thread already. I was just letting you know what the standard "safe" distance is where knives are involved. I was only going from what was told so far.

[Lefty Scaevola]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
The cop very reasonably feared for his life and shot the kid.

Which would be true even if he recognized the weapon as a pellet gun. Those can easily penetrate skulls and chests and kill at close range, as has happened hundres of times. The simple old spring powered Daisy BB gun has killed humans dozens of times. The more powerful ones can kill at effective long pistol range, over fifty meters. In some states, that are treated under the law the same as a similar length fire arm.

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Donegeal


No, I did not see the video. Hell, I don't even know of the situation except for what was stated in this thread already. I was just letting you know what the standard "safe" distance is where knives are involved. I was only going from what was told so far.

I had some freind telling me that knives were more effective then guns (assuming the gun wasn't aimed, and both persons knew how to use their respective weapons) as far as 10 feet (or something like that).

JM

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Thorn


On a technicality, unless he grows new organs (cause they are harvesting his old ones) and his brain reanimates, I doubt he'll stay that way for very long.

Anyone remember Monty Python's organ donations sketch?

JM

[Donegeal]

I had some freind telling me that knives were more effective then guns (assuming the gun wasn't aimed, and both persons knew how to use their respective weapons) as far as 10 feet (or something like that).

JM

The 21 feet range comes from thousands of studies of knife situations. It makes two assumptions. The assailant has the knife drawn (thats how you know he has a knife) and you do not have your weapon pulled (it is in your holster). The studies have determined that an assailant with a knife can cover 21 feet in the time it would take you to pull aim and fire your weapon. Now naturally, you don't really need to aim when the guy has covered the first 10-15 feet, but I (and the study) would rather play it safe than sorry.

[KrazyHorse]

Plus he can easily keep coming after the first shot.

[Whoha]

This is a sad deal, but the kid was in the drivers seat the whole time.

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by Whoha
This is a sad deal, but the kid was in the drivers seat the whole time.

exactly

[Sava]

sad situation

I agree with Gramps, KH, Provost and company...

sorry Thorn, you are totally wrong on this...

and to this kid... if he was suicidal, he should have just slit his wrists in a bathtub or overdosed or something... if you are going to kill yourself, DONT BRING OTHER PEOPLE INTO THE SITUATION

this kid was in control the whole time... he could have just dropped the pellet gun and surrendered... he didn't have to create this whole situation...

[korn469]

Well I live about ten miles away from the school, and on the radio I've heard conflicting reports that the kid wasn't suicidal. Though more than one he had a really bad home life.

[Dr Strangelove]

Pellet guns aren't necessarily innocuous. Somewhere in my office there is a forensic pathology textbook with a picture of a brain slice in it. There's a path of clotted blood leading from the left frontal cortex straight to the right occipital cortex. The slice was taken from the brain of a child shot with a gas powered pellet gun. Obviously he died.

[KrazyHorse]

I would guess that a pellet would probably have to strike a full-grown man in a vulnerable spot (temple, eye, throat or heart) in order to kill him.

If they knew for certain it was a pellet gun the cops could likely just have stormed him dressed in riot gear. Even if he got a couple of shots off it wouldn't be that dangerous (assuming they had body armour, face masks and shields). Unfortunately, they couldn't be certain.

[Straybow]

Yeah, but you have to hit the eye, or maybe the jugular. They're only rated at 14 ft-lbs. It might not even go through the orbital of an adult, but you'd definitely lose an eye.

My friend got shot in the ass at close range with a gas powered pellet pistol. Hit the back pocket, didn't go through the first layer of denim. Couldn't sit down for a week.

Apparently he dared somebody to do it. Not me, no. It would be an even better story if I'd done it.