quote:

Sorry, we have real jobs... and my dispatcher gave the wrong forum address.

That was funny. Guess you are back from coffee and donuts. I would think LEO would probably be out in full force this Holiday weekend and not have time to post. Thanks for taking the time to make me laugh. I appreciate the LEO imput on this forum because it helps increase my knowledge base.

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Guess you are back from coffee and donuts

Didn't get any. Chongo probably ate them all.

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Originally posted by tanksoldier:

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Guess you are back from coffee and donuts

Didn't get any. Chongo probably ate them all.

I resemble that remark

Day 5 of 6. 14 hour shift today. Averaging 25 calls each day. Happy Independence Day.

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Originally posted by kimber1911:
Do officers typically draw their weapon on reports or erradic driving?
Seems the officer may have predetermined the outcome based on lack of training, or just not being suited for his chosen profession.

This case and the recent shooting of Philando Castile are troublesome because it seems like the officers were wired too tight for their chosen profession and not properly trained. In both cases the staunchest LEO supporters can throw out a million "what-ifs" to justify the actions of the officers, I get that. And perhaps those "what-ifs" are enough to prevent criminal convictions (well I suppose they did in each case), but I don't know how you could say in each situation the officers did what they were supposed to do or what most other officers would do if faced with similar circumstances.

I get it - the job isn't easy. I am the son of a BPD officer and have many friends in the BPD from regular, every day patrol officers to Majors and everyone in between. They work in, or have worked in, neighborhoods a helluva lot worse than some podunk stretch of highway no one has ever heard of. My Dad worked mcculloh homes for many years which I guarantee you most of these Alabama highway ticket writers would never even drive through. Even in these areas it is rare for officers to come in guns blazing, especially not on traffic stops (which they rarely do anyway because there are far more problems to worry about.) My Dad used to draw his weapon on occasion but only discharged once - once - in 8 years of patrol in the projects. Several of my friends in decades of police work with the BPD have never discharged their weapons. I assure you they face more crime and more dangerous criminals than the officers in this situation and the Castille case.

I don't know how someone can watch this video or the Castille video and not think that, at minimum, the officers made procedural errors that contributed to the respective outcomes.

I don't know anyone can say that the Officer in the Casille case was "wired too tight. I thought he walked up to the car and began a conversation in such a manner that made him look as cool as a cucumber. Something happened in that car to give him a mega dose of adrenaline. I suspect that the deceased was reaching for his gun. Reaching to shoot the Officer or simply hand it too him. We will never know. But IMHO, that case is not the case to prove excessive force by the Police.

After a caller reported an erratic driver on Interstate 85 near Opelika, Hancock, who was on patrol that night, was dispatched to the scene.

The driver was Davidson, who was travelling in his sport utility vehicle.

Just before Hancock caught up with Davidson, Davidson's vehicle had collided with an 18 wheel truck. When Hancock arrived, both the truck driver and Davidson had pulled off the road and were stopping their vehicles. The video reflects that after Davidson's vehicle came to a stop, its rear lights flashed, indicating that the he had placed it in park.

Hancock parked his police cruiser close to the left-rear bumper of Davidson's vehicle, about a car length behind it, and trained his spotlight on the driver-side front door. Hancock then exited his cruiser with his gun drawn.

Here is where the "FACTUAL BACKGROUND" is wrong: "Just as Davidson managed to exit the vehicle, Hancock yelled, “Let me see your hands!”"
Note that he did not manage to exit the vehicle before the command was made.

The officer was yelling "Let me see your hands." as Davidson was struggling with the door. his wallet was in his hand. Davidson was struggling with the door while trying to comply and trying to figure out what to do with his wallet.

The officer was issuing commands that Davidson could not comply with. Reference video time 0:23.

Reference video time 0:25, both hands where fully extended when first shot was fired.



I wonder why the officer drew his gun upon exiting his vehicle.
He also was very anxious, issuing commands which could not be followed at the time.

That being said yes I believe the officer thought the wallet was a gun being drawn on him and should not be held criminally responsible. However it seems that this should be reviewed to establish if training is appropriate, and Davison should receive financial payment.

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Reference video time 0:25, both hands where fully extended when first shot was fired.

That isn't when the first shot was fired, it was after.

The action just before this section shows both hands holding the black object and pointing it toward the officer...that is what prompted the first shot.

He might very well have been starting to extend his arms out, the the shot had already been broken

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Davidson was struggling with the door while trying to comply and trying to figure out what to do with his wallet.

He chose poorly

First shot hits the ground, near his right foot.
In this frame you can see the mist from the bullet striking the wet pavement.
His hands came down as a reaction to that shot.
It also appears this frame may have caught the instant the second shot hit him.

It appears that as soon as he saw the gun pointed at him, he threw up his hands quickly.
Ironic that it seems his effort to quickly obey likely got him shot.

Police want you to obey quickly, but maybe it is not wise, as quick movements can be misinterpreted by the officer.