Bellevue police shooting: What would YOU have done?

[Dave Workman]

".. Yesterday morning’s fatal shooting of a knife-wielding man by Bellevue police at a Chevron gas station has this morning’s Seattle Times and on-line Seattle PI.com reader feedback pages jammed with comments reacting to the incident, which may have been captured on the store’s security video...

".. Based on available information, it appears that the police acted properly; that is, in the vernacular, this probably was a “righteous shoot,” which this column prefers to call a “clean shoot.”

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Or try this:

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[keystir]

I would really like to think I would have been brave enough to confront the guy before he could do any harm. I find this question tougher to answer now that I have young children whom I would prefer to not leave without a Dad. I'm just thankful that the fine officers who responded that day were there to make sure an unarmed citizen didn't have to make that choice.

As for the backstop issue you mentioned, I would be all for additional training for our police in these situations but that would mean additional funding in the form of higher taxes and I don't think I would be in the majority there.

 

[master ace]

We all know how taser happy police officers are nowadays. Why didn't the officer try to using his taser before shooting him?

 

[MA Duce]

No way to know what I would have done. Wasn't there. Sooner or later it should be apparent to these dirtbags that when you are looking down a muzzle and told to drop the knife.....you might want to do just that.

 

[master ace]

Hahahaha, very true.

 

[oasis618]

I would have dropped the knife.

 

[MA Duce]

We all know how taser happy police officers are nowadays. Why didn't the officer try to using his taser before shooting him?

He might have been all bundled up in heavy clothes..taser won't go through a heavy coat.

 

[Riot]

Otherwise, had I been in the store, I'd have triple-tapped the guy and called it a day. Some @$$hat witha knife has the low IQ to announce he's trying to take me hostage, he's toast... Kudos to the Bellevue PD officers involved for actually not hitting any of the innocent in the process. They must practice more than the average cop.

That sums it up to how I feel...

 

[Bellehood]

We all know how taser happy police officers are nowadays. Why didn't the officer try to using his taser before shooting him?

As someone already mentioned, tasers are not very effective when used on a target with thick clothing. It is winter, one can assume he was wearing a jacket. Also, there are too many cases where taser's had little to no affect on the target. Only one dart hits the subject, or the subject is extremely violent/high on drugs/angry/ect, and as soon as the electricity stops flowing (which is only as very small length of time) he gets right back up and continues to attack.

Those risks, considered, if a guy is charging with a knife, and the police officer only has second(s) to respond, what do you think he should do?