Quote:
Originally posted by Liquor Dealer
What some of you don't realize is that in many rural areas there is no one to call for backup. As many of you have stated - barring the scenario of a rogue cop shooting the guy because he didn't like his haircut and planting the knife after the fact - the guy was bought and paid for when the knife came out - only mistake the officer made was in not shooting him before he got close enough to do bodily harm - he should have blown him away the instant the knife appeared.
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The more important point about backup, I think, is that at first glance this is a situation involving asking a homeless person to move:
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Piot Dol, a friend of Kuol's, added that if the officer couldn't get Kuol to leave the building, he should have called for backup.
Const. Ira Macumber responded to a call to remove Kuol, 34, from a building at 1709 37th St. S.E. shortly after 12:30 a.m. Saturday.
Kuol, who was unemployed and homeless after being laid off from Lakeside Packers in Brooks earlier this year, was sitting outside the residence when Macumber arrived.
Investigators said after initially agreeing to leave, Kuol drew a knife and slashed the officer in the left bicep.
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Ay least in my area, homeless people are pretty peaceful, non-violent, relatively harmless people. Most (mentally sane) homeless aren't about to slash police officers. I would imagine the officer felt the same way, getting a single homeless person to move would be peacefully routine. Besides, it would be a terrible image to send to homeless people if the police called in a SWAT team every time they needed to ask someone to move.
While I agree that the police officer was correct in defending himself from a suddenly angry, potentially life-threatening, knife-wielding man, I disagree that the officer should've shot him the instant the knife appeared. I would like to think that a police officer would try to convince the offender to go peacefully before opening fire. Simply producing a weapon isn't enough for me to justify shooting someone. It might be a temporary bout of stupid macho bravado, for example. But if he lunges at or points a gun at or in any way threatens the policeman, I stand by the cop's right to defend himself.
-- Alvin