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OPINION

Shooting of teenager shows flaw in the system

Monday, February 8, 2010
(Updated 7:53 pm)

I was shocked to hear of the 17-year-old kid who was gunned down, by the people paid to protect us, in his own yard. I cannot believe the officer had no way to stop a kid other than to shoot him in the chest.

How tragic for the brother who called the police to live with the fact that tempers flying between two brothers resulted in one being dead. How dramatic that the officer had to be rushed to the hospital as the kid was taken to the morgue.

To say there is a glitch in the system is a mild assessment of this tragedy.

Donna Spann
High Point

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firerescuechick

February 8, 2010 - 5:02 am EST

For the 8 millionth time, when an officer is threatened with deadly intent, they are trained to shoot for center mass. Center mass is the largest area on a person's body which is the torso. I agree that it is a tragedy, but the officer did what he was trained to do. My thoughts are with the officer at this time, as he has suffered a huge emotional trauma.

"How dramatic that the officer had to be rushed to the hospital as the kid was taken to the morgue."

Donna, I surely hope you jest. There was nothing dramatic about it. The officer suffered a huge emotional trauma with acute physical pain. We don't mess around with chest pain.

A similar thing happened in Harnett County a couple of weeks ago:

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6835434/

The people of Harnett County aren't chastising their officers for shooting and killing a 13-year-old. Those officers have the support of the community around them. It is sad that our deputies and other law enforcement officers here do not receive that same support.

danagain

February 8, 2010 - 8:04 am EST

What on earth is a 13 year old doing out of his home at 2:25 am with a bunch of guns?

The article states his parents were unaware that he was out of the house. Were they also unaware that he had access to several weapons? Pathetic parents.

firerescuechick

February 8, 2010 - 6:07 pm EST

Dan, I honestly don't know. 3 guns and 250 rounds of ammo is a lot for someone of that age. If I had even thought about being out of the house at that time of the morning at 13, without a damn good reason, I wouldn't have been able to sit for a week.

xeno10

February 8, 2010 - 8:12 am EST

The teenager held a butcher knife in his hand -- did he actually attack the officer? -- or anyone? Did he verbally threaten the officer -- or anyone? Did the officer ask him to drop the knife? So, 'twas butcher knife versus loaded handgun? Hmmmmm? Could this tragedy have been safely prevented? "A glitch in the system?" Yes, Ms. Spann, there appears to be a "glitch!"

Seriously.

snapandwhistle

February 8, 2010 - 10:10 am EST

Xeno, obviously you haven't been paying attention. The guy did threaten his family. He did say, "I'm going to cut somebody." He had threatened to fight officers. He had a butcher's knife and was rushing the officer and came within 12 feet of the officer before the officer had to shoot him. He can be heard on the radio telling the man to drop the knife. Why should the officer try to disarm the person who is aggressive and in possession of a deadly weapon? You SERIOUSLY have no idea what you are talking about.

xeno10

February 8, 2010 - 11:57 am EST

snapandwhistle, you must have been at the scene when the incident occurred -- since you seem to know so much about the situation! Were you there -- or are you just telling me what someone told you? Apparently you don't believe there was a "glitch!" Whatever. OK, that's your opinion -- for what it's worth!

Seriously.

Interested

February 8, 2010 - 12:03 pm EST

Or perhaps snapandwhistle just followed the stories that have been in the news for the last few days that mentioned all these details.

snapandwhistle

February 8, 2010 - 1:18 pm EST

I believe the "glitch" is in the cutting of funding for mental health in this State. This young man should have been in a controlled setting that not longer exists due to those cuts. While I prefer to keep my anonymity in this forum, I can say that I have nearly 30 years in law enforcement and am considered an expert in the field. I also have some inside information to what occurred but my statements were based ONLY on the what I have read in the media. The same information that you have. I've seen from the comments of others in this series of posts that you seem to have a reputation for ignoring facts that contradict your poorly formed opinions. I won't try to change your mind but I will gladly point out your ignorance to others that are reading.

ghost from white oak

February 8, 2010 - 3:25 pm EST

s&w, no need to point! It is a fact known to all.

xeno10

February 8, 2010 - 4:10 pm EST

"whistle," thank you for admitting there was a "glitch!" Seriously.

terrier2003

February 8, 2010 - 11:25 am EST

Isn't it easy to post judgement when we are certain not to know all the facts? It's probably more fun and dramatic to assume though

Dogwood

February 8, 2010 - 2:09 pm EST

NC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner may provide a clue. Knife stabbings are common especially in domestic cases. A knife can lead to total blindness crossed againt the eyeballs. Carotid arteries are not protected by chest vests. Back stabbings are so common in ER that the collapsed lung is restored in less than a week. A knife is a deadly weapon and is taught in martial arts.

hugh

February 8, 2010 - 8:11 am EST

The ignorant don't rate knives as being as deadly as a gun therefore feel the officer should have risked his life to spare the kid's. It's just ignorance,pure and simple.

xeno10

February 8, 2010 - 10:02 am EST

And hugh, you really seem to be -- "ignorance, pure and simple!" Seriously.

hugh

February 8, 2010 - 11:57 am EST

Pot meet kettle.

mamaboilermaker

February 8, 2010 - 6:15 am EST

"Tempers flying" is not how I would describe the situation with the kid threatening his family and a cop with a butcher knife. Would you prefer the unarmed younger brother or the cop be dead? A choice was made that, in the mind of a trained professional, would minimize the loss of life. How would you have disarmed the kid? Use "the Force"? Maybe the kid had problems, but he couldn't be allowed to kill somebody.

N&R has given the self-righteous who think cops can shoot a knife out of somebody's hand ENOUGH print space. Even the FBI hostage rescue team, some of the world's best shooters, are NOT trained to shoot a weapon out of somebody's hand or to disarm somebody with their telekinetic powers. If you think you can, you need to offer your services to the city/county.

bcparsons

February 8, 2010 - 6:21 am EST

for the 8 millionth time, some of us are allowed to have our own opinions. just because yoiu say this is how officers are trained does not make it the correct thing to have been done. why didn't the officer wait in his car until backup arrived? there certainly seemed to be no lack of other officers available since at least 20 cars were on the scene within a few minutes. i feel, as i am allowed to do, that there was "huge emotional trauma" suffered by the Rook family as well.

Mick

February 8, 2010 - 6:29 am EST

bc,

Not all opinions are correct. Nor are "feelings"

terrier2003

February 8, 2010 - 11:27 am EST

Who died and honored you with the ability to decide which opinions are correct or not?

firerescuechick

February 8, 2010 - 6:45 am EST

You obviously know nothing of how law enforcement works. The officer was never given an opportunity to "wait in his car until back-up arrived." He had a deadly threat to deal with and he handled it according to protocol. Whenever a officer is involved in a shooting, at that point, ALL AVAILABLE UNITS are required to respond. If you feel that you are better able to handle the situation, then please, by all means be willing to step in front of our officers and handle the situation. But you won't, because you have no idea how the system works, and you aren't willing to serve your community in that capacity.

I'm not saying that the Rook family didn't suffer emotional trauma as well but if you are going to threaten an officer, be prepared for the consequences.

dcolin

February 8, 2010 - 11:11 am EST

"by all means be willing to step in front of our officers and handle the situation. But you won't, because you have no idea how the system works, and you aren't willing to serve your community in that capacity."

You actually took AP courses?

Actually the system is working poorly.
No I am not accusing the officer.

Really big guys with really big nightsticks.

The Brits manage it.
No?

Tasers?

terrier2003

February 8, 2010 - 11:28 am EST

you got one shot with most tasers- hope you get it right or you get knifed.

unbiased

February 8, 2010 - 1:01 pm EST

dcolin, you suggested the same silly thing yesterday, and you were answered yesterday. The Brits do not attempt to disarm people with knives with a nightstick on a regular basis. If an unarmed officer encounters someone like that, they call for armed back-up and try to keep a safe distance until it arrives.

You can find plenty of examples in any country of officers going beyond what the law dictates and beyond their training by dangerously (recklessly?) disarming suspects with knives with anything from a taser to pepper spray to their bare hands. Just because it's been done doesn't mean that all officers should try to be a manly hero type and try it themselves. It's a certain recipe for dead officers.

The law justifies deadly force, and police are trained in accordance with the law in order to prevent them (and regular citizens) from getting killed. If the law expected officers to try anything and everything first before shooting a person threatening them with a knife, bad people everywhere would learn real fast to go after cops with knives - not guns. The odds would catch up to officers regardless as they have to deal with these situations throughout their careers, and most certainly more officers would die from not being as "really big" or tough as you think they are. So stop with the nightstick and taser junk. Spend a half hour looking this stuff up online and you'll find the answers for yourself if you're willing to be open and honest to a change of opinion.

dcolin

February 8, 2010 - 1:54 pm EST

Read it again.

I am asking.
"Actually the system is working poorly.
No I am not accusing the officer."

Read it again.
Try and comprehend what I have said.

unbiased

February 8, 2010 - 2:04 pm EST

I didn't respond to what you quoted, I responded to your assertion that officers here could handle the Rook situation with tasers or nightsticks just because there are unarmed British officers (that generally only only handle minor incidents).

I didn't respond to, "Actually the system is working poorly..." because I don't actually know what "system" you're referring to. The criminal justice system, the mental health system? You leave a lot to try and comprehend.

dcolin

February 8, 2010 - 2:21 pm EST

You don't know a great many things.

I am simply asking could we improve.

You decided to instruct me on how stupid I am.

I don't have to read about the Brits
I lived there.

I am simply asking could we get better.

unbiased

February 8, 2010 - 2:27 pm EST

Well I know the topic of discussion pretty damn well. The things you have questioned can be answered with your own research. I answered them yesterday. The fact that you still asked the same things again today says a lot. Not being motivated enough to research the topic on your own is somewhat understandable. Not being motivated enough to read the very topic that you're posting in is not.

dcolin

February 8, 2010 - 2:43 pm EST

Name and badge number.

I bet you get asked a lot

unbiased

February 8, 2010 - 2:50 pm EST

Very wrong. FWIW I've had one citizen complaint in eleven years, and that was for NOT charging somebody for something I thought was frivolous.

Interested

February 8, 2010 - 2:53 pm EST

Time to let it go boys.

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