DA won't charge Utah officer who said 'you're about to die' right before shooting man

[Lennie]

DA won't charge Utah officer who said 'you're about to die' before shooting man

"If we want different outcomes, which is not unreasonable for us to ask, then we need to change the law," Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said.

www.nbcnews.com

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[308]

He dindoonuthunrong

 

[SrMachoSolo]

While I am not a fan of those words used, the perp attacked and stole an officer's gun while he was in custody... probably got exactly what he wanted.

-Robert

 

[Jonnyuma]

There's a couple of ways to take this... it reads bad, but how does it sound?
Two scenarios, different context.

1) Cop says it, coolly and calmly, then caps the guy.

2)Cop says it in a struggle as a warning to the decedent, almost in a "Good Cop" (vs Bad Cop) word of caution. Similar to a Boxer or UFC fighter who urges his opponent to stay down after delivering a beating.

As bad as it sounds, l think that if the shoot was righteous, then the DA made the right call regardless of what the cop said. According to the story, the shooter was only in the room for 7.5 seconds before shooting so my best guess is that he immediately joined the struggle and said it as a warning, as in scenario #2.

It actually took me a minute to come up with a contextual use of the phrase, "You're about to die, my friend." that doesn't sound like a movie hero (or villain) quip.

 

[RVTECH]

the perp attacked and stole an officer's gun while he was in custody... probably got exactly what he wanted

I was about to say near nearly the same and I agree the guy brought this on himself.

As usual however the story does not make sense. The first mention of him grabbing the officer's gun was:

Gill said the officers were unable to remove Breinholt's hand from Atkin's weapon.

So - was it literally in his hand or was he just grabbing at it and it was still in the holster?

The next description was:

he would not stop grabbing officer Atkin's gun from his holster," the district attorney said.

Which suggests the gun NEVER left the holster.

If this was the case and the gun NEVER left the holster, then two LEOs should have been able to separate they guys hand from the gun - like say with a serious belt to the nose?

 

[SrMachoSolo]

I was about to say near nearly the same and I agree the guy brought this on himself.

As usual however the story does not make sense. The first mention of him grabbing the officer's gun was:

Gill said the officers were unable to remove Breinholt's hand from Atkin's weapon.

So - was it literally in his hand or was he just grabbing at it and it was still in the holster?

The next description was:

he would not stop grabbing officer Atkin's gun from his holster," the district attorney said.

Which suggests the gun NEVER left the holster.

If this was the case and the gun NEVER left the holster, then two LEOs should have been able to separate they guys hand from the gun - like say with a serious belt to the nose?

It does say they hit him in the face, but only 7.5 seconds before a shot to the head...

This part reads as though the perp had the gun, using the wording "he's got" as opposed to "he's trying to get":

The officer yelled, "Holy f---. He's got my gun. He's got my gun."

But... yes, still unclear.

-Robert

 

[RVTECH]

"You're about to die, my friend." that doesn't sound like a movie hero (or villain) quip.

Yea this could wind being detrimental to this situation.

I mean by saying this is could suggest 'premeditation' - as though he was secure with it and had time to aim carefully and kill the guy.

It does not appear to be a case of the officer reacting impulsively and drawing and firing in self defense.

 

[Alexx1401]

When this happened the video was floating around and it showed play stupid games win stupid prizes. He got hold of the officers gun and they could not get his hand free of it so they shot him. Of course one of them yelled at him he was about to die because he was refusing to let go of the Officers gun.

 

[Jonnyuma]

I mean by saying this is could suggest 'premeditation' - as though he was secure with it and had time to aim carefully and kill the guy.

It does not appear to be a case of the officer impulsively drawing his weapon in self defense.

Is that what happened?
In that case it sounds like an execution.

If he had time to deliver his line, draw his weapon,, maybe roll his neck a time or two like Murtagh in Lethal Weapon, aim and take the shot, then the DA made a pretty blatant move in not charging him.

I haven't seen the video.

 

[RVTECH]

When this happened the video was floating around

I am glad you mentioned this as I vaguely remember THINKING I had seen a vid of it at the time.

 

[Alexx1401]

I was about to say near nearly the same and I agree the guy brought this on himself.

As usual however the story does not make sense. The first mention of him grabbing the officer's gun was:

Gill said the officers were unable to remove Breinholt's hand from Atkin's weapon.

So - was it literally in his hand or was he just grabbing at it and it was still in the holster?

The next description was:

he would not stop grabbing officer Atkin's gun from his holster," the district attorney said.

Which suggests the gun NEVER left the holster.

If this was the case and the gun NEVER left the holster, then two LEOs should have been able to separate they guys hand from the gun - like say with a serious belt to the nose?

Sure the video must still be out there. When it was floating around I watched it many times and IIRC it looked like the LEO's gun never came out of the holster but, guy had hold of it and they decided to not wait till it cleared leather. The shoot looked like some poor tactics at the time but, again, don't want to get shot? Don't grab some Cops gun.

 

[Jonnyuma]

When this happened the video was floating around and it showed play stupid games win stupid prizes. He got hold of the officers gun and they could not get his hand free of it so they shot him. Of course one of them yelled at him he was about to die because he was refusing to let go of the Officers gun.

That makes more sense than the Dirty Harry or Death Wish scenarios that come to mind when reading the article.

 

[TTSX]

Get off my plane

 

[Jonnyuma]

Dyin' ain't much of a livin', boy.

 

[American123]

If the perp died, you can say a lot about the cop, but you can't say he didn't tell the truth! Lol

 

[po18guy]

DA won't charge Utah officer who said 'you're about to die' before shooting man

"If we want different outcomes, which is not unreasonable for us to ask, then we need to change the law," Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said.

www.nbcnews.com

Poor verbiage, but the shooting was clean. What else to do? Call counselors?

 

[Certaindeaf]

Cuomo: "You pick who's going to die".
Yea, no, ya schlub, you've got that handled.

 

[billdeserthills]

You're about to die, friend video

 

[American123]

You're about to die, friend video

Sucks, but I don't expect a guy who grabs a cops gun to survive the incident. As a general rule, not doing things that lead to interactions with police is a good way to avoid being shot.

 

[po18guy]

Oh, where are the plain speaking sheriffs in the NW?