04-21-2021, 11:03 AM
(04-21-2021, 10:47 AM)BmorePat87 Wrote: That's why I'm asking if shooting to kill is the only option. Is it?
Well, let's examine other possible options.
Grappling or using your nightstick is out due to the distance from the suspect. Neither would be advisable against a person armed with a knife. Neither would prevent the suspect from stabbing and potentially killing the victim.
OC spray, again distance is likely a factor. Also highly unlikely to stop the person from stabbing the victim several times.
Taser, possibly, again distance is a factor. Also the tasers success rate is not exactly stellar. Again, highly likely it would not prevent the victim from being stabbed.
Shoot to wound. Aside from this being against policy it's also extremely difficult. Hitting a limb is difficult if the target is standing still, much less moving aggressively. Also, any round that does not strike the intended target is going to hit something else and you have an environment in which a lot of people are milling about.
So, if you're actually concerned about the victim's life then you do exactly what this officer did.
I'll end with this, the truth ended up being a far cry from the story that the officer just showed up and shot a girl who was simply holding a knife without issuing any commands. This isn't directed at you, but another poster, who I won't out, posted exactly that last night.
(04-21-2021, 10:52 AM)michaelsean Wrote: If you mean shoot to wound, they don't do that. Much harder to hit, and wounded people are still dangerous.
Extremely difficult to hit, especially with an aggressively moving target.
(04-21-2021, 10:54 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: In that situation? Absolutely. The officers arrive on scene and the information they have to go on is there is a fight. They see one person with a knife about to stab another person. That is a lethal action and it is absolutely responsible to meet that with lethal force. Tasers and OC spray are far from a guarantee to prevent a homicide in that situation.
100% correct.
