This will NOT do.

[gmerkt]

They got pushed into retirement because they didn't want to be forced into taking an experimental medical treatment to keep their jobs.

Oh. I thought it might be due to other reasons. Like, adverse public perceptions. Greater risk to career and liberty resulting from enforcing the law. That sort of thing. It's become a more stressful work environment.

 

[CrackPipe]

It was the cop who had to kill a man he knew to be mentally deranged, not an evil bad guy criminal, whom I was feeling sorry for.

I was in a similar situation once during my young broad days. Huge guy had attacked a cluster of 8 metal trash cans late at night. I jumped out of bed, grabbed flash, and headed outdoors. Left gun behind because I was totally sure it was a car crash. I expected to render first aid of the type to keep someone from bleeding out if necessary until EMTs could get there. Figured neighbors would call 911. LE building was about 12 blocks away. But the street where I was expecting to see a two-car pileup was empty. Another sound like a car crash happened. I raised flashlight to aim across street and the beam hit a huge man kicking the he'll out of the trash cans across the street. When my flashlight lit him up he roared in rage and instantly charged and was nearly in my yard before I could react. Well above 6'. Built like a pro football or rugby player and moved with the sort of power, agility, and speed of someone who spends all day every day training at those kinds of sports. He might have been an OSU athlete, since my house was very near the OSU campus.

I ran for the house, this guy right behind me, ran through open door leaving light off for strategic reasons. It was darker indoors than out, and he would be at a disadvantage in an unfamiliar place with eyes less dark adapted than mine. No time to close door. He stopped at door, still raging. I think he was on PCP or something similar. An instant later I was standing opposite him, my 6" Ruger Security Six aimed at him. This was not someone who had planned to do a home invasion. This was someone who was temporarily insane from drugs and/or alcohol. And desire to dominate. A pile of trash cans, me, anything. But not inherently evil in the way that a man who does a planned home invasion on a young woman is. If he took one step into house I would start firing and empty the gun. He was only ten feet away. I'd have no choice... I spoke softly, politely, regretfully, "If you come in here, fella, you're gonna get yourself shot." He fell silent. Then he started crying. "Go ahead and shoot me. I dont care if I die." And he began blubbering about his girl friend having just dumped him. And repeating "Go ahead and shoot me. I don't care." But he didn't advance any farther. I felt his pain. For real. There was an actual painful sensation in my heart. I grieved for him. His pain was real, however misguided.

He withdrew to my porch and started trashing and kicking everything on the porch, still raving about girl friend. Apparently wanting to express dominance over me without getting himself killed. After a while, from inside through open door I said, conversationally, "You know, I've already called the cops. They'll be here any minute. If I were you, I'd want to get out of here before they get here." He stood still. He was suddenly apparently completely sober. He leaped the porch sidewall and was gone. I then called the cops, business number. A duty to my neighbors. There had been no time to call cops before, of course.

Its one thing to kill someone who is genuinely evil. Maybe this guy was trouble . Maybe he was in the habit of taking drugs that turned him into a raging animal and then taking it out on others. Maybe sooner or later he would kill or maim somebody. But plenty of young men go through a period of out of control behavior but grow through it and become good men and good citizens. If I had had to kill that young man, I would have grieved a long time. Maybe for the rest of my life.

You handled that situation quite well.