Calif. Newlywed Killed by Police in Case of Mistaken Identity

[High Plains]

Source: Fox News

ANAHEIM, Calif. — A newlywed killed by police after he stepped outside his home to confront suspected burglars was shot in a case of mistaken identity, police said. Julian Alexander died after being shot twice in the chest by a police officer who was chasing four burglary suspects early Tuesday morning.

Police Chief John Welter said the officer ran into Alexander, mistook him for one of the four juvenile suspects and shot him.

"The last thing we ever want to do, No. 1, (is) take somebody's life," he said. "And we certainly don't want to take the life of someone who is mistakenly believed to be involved in some criminal activity."

"He was a good kid, trying to protect his house," said Alexander's mother-in-law Michelle Mooney. "And the police, instead of asking questions, they just shot first. Somebody has to be held responsible for this."



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,444667,00.html

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Sorry for using Fox. CNN has a video story here: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/10/29/lopez.man.shot.in.yard.kcal

Any bets on whether the police investigation will find the shooting was justified?

[drmeow]

1. I don't take cider bets. n/t

[BanTheGOP]

36. ANAHEIM=BIG CITY BEHIND THE ORANGE (REPUBLICAN) CURTAIN

Anaheim is in the heart of probably the most conservative, republicanized, corrupt piece of toxic real estate in the country, and the Anaheim Police are well-indoctrinated in the republican party-sponsored oppressive tactics wrought over the poor and the minorities in the county. Their own sheriff, republican Mike Carona, was indicted for federal corruption charges. That alone tells you the direction of the county.

This is not an indictment of the police personnel themselves (other than the alleged shooter). This is, though, an indictment on the republican party's influence in creating the conditions that made inevitable this type of tragedy.

We should do EVERYTHING WE CAN to eliminate the republican party, so we can effect change in our communities and our way of life. We can make our choice by electing Barack Obama, a democratic congress, and democratic governors and state legislatures across the country, at which point we can seriously establish a battle plan that can effectively indict the republican party under RICO statutes.

Yes, EVERY bad thing in society can be traced to the existence of the republican party. Ban it, and problems will drop like swatted flies.

[drmeow]

37. Hmmm - when I lived in Fullerton

it was AnaSLIME.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

56. I lived in Fulleton also

though I've now been gone for 20 years............

[drmeow]

60. I've been gone for over 20 years

except for occasionally visit (and a 6 month stint living with my parents before grad school), I haven't lived there since '82. Where in Fullerton did you live?

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

61. I lived on Jacaranda

near downtown. I left there in 88. Worked for Hughes.....

[w4rma]

55. Banning it isn't the way. The Republicans will just form a new group with a new name. (nt)

[BanTheGOP]

57. The point of a new party would be moot...

...as the Democratic Party would not only allow other parties into the mix, they would RELISH the thought. In fact, without the republican party, we can go back to the original intent of democracy: individual ideas expressed without the prevailing capitalist suppression and demonstrated criminal renunciation of progressive ideals. Indeed, once we right the ship that has been terribly astray since Goldwater pissed in the waters in 1964, we can relegate the fascist, capitalist ideals of the republican party to the sewage heap of historical plunders.

As long as we have a progressive and substantial chokehold on allowing the principles of republican oppression from occuring again, it doesn't matter what extremist, utterly clueless individuals without circle jerk republican party to think. Indeed, as their judges die off like flea-bitten dinosaurs, we can then ensure our courts have individuals who will promote the progressive agenda, allowing us to fully integrate with the other world citizens, and become a true democracy.

BUT...until the republican party is BANNED, such reintegration and world reconciliation is impossible. We need at least 8 years of an Obama presidency, which will be heralded as the GREATEST LEADERSHIP in the HISTORY of the planet once all is said and done. And THAT can EASILY happen...IF we ban the republican party once we take over the congress and the presidency.

[w4rma]

59. Not really. (nt)

[BlooInBloo]

2. White folks shooting black folks has always been justified in America.

[WriteDown]

12. Are we sure the officer was white?

:shrug:

[valerief]

3. This line in the story makes the shooting very suspect.

Welter would not release the officer's name, but said he was a 10-year veteran of the department. The officer was placed on paid leave pending an investigation.

[Journeyman]

4. Why do you see that line as making the story "suspect"? . . .

All of It is standard procedure in any police shooting I've ever read about.

[amdezurik]

6. and just like 99.999999999999% of them next

we will hear all about how "justified" it was for the pig to shoot first (not even bothering to ID who he was murdering) and not care about questions later. yup, all very very typical...

[valerief]

51. I misread it. I thought the guy shot was an officer under investigation. Duh. Read it too fast. nt

[Forrest Greene]

5. Well, At Least

...the shooter gets to feel like a man for a little while. Or a cowboy. Or Batman. Or whatever lame-ass movie was playing in what passes for his mind.

[cvoogt]

7. not mistaken identity

CNN reported on this and said the victim was holding a stick used in draperies. The police had been chasing four teenagers and he wanted to see what was going on, and got shot twice in the chest. Now why did the officer feel the need to shoot in the chest? Probably because he has not been trained in use of non-lethal force. At least if you shoot someone, go for the leg or something. It's inexcusable and I bet he will be sidelined for maybe a few weeks at best.
I can just imagine if I happen to be outside at 1:30 AM with a cell phone, and cops are chasing someone - will they shoot me thinking it might be a weapon? Probably not, because I'm white.
Ahh, to serve and protect ... a wonderful notion, but what happened to it? I know I know, don't judge a group by the actions of a few, but how often have such incidents gone virtually unpublished? It sends the wrong message. Whoever they were chasing, was it worth a human life?

[kestrel91316]

9. I don't know about Anaheim PD, but LAPD seems to have only one level

of force when it comes to guns. They are trained to shoot to kill anytime they shoot. IIRC it's not policy or proper procedure to shoot to wound.

Makes a person REAL proud, I know.

[brendan120678]

14. Police are usually trained to shoot at

center body mass. If they aim for a leg or arm, they risk missing and possibly hitting innocent bystanders.

Of course, when the center body mass that you are aiming at is an innocent bystander himself - well then it's just f*cked up.

[WriteDown]

11. If only he had used a taser nt.

[tblue]

19. Good points you made If I was that cop, I'd have to shoot myself.

I could not live with that on my conscience.

[truthisfreedom]

8. There is something to be learned from this. If the cops are chasing someone through your 'hood

stay inside.

[Usrename]

44. That's very good advice for Karnack the Magnificent.

;)

[MadMaddie]

49. That's great advice if you know that the cops are chasing suspects.

But if you hear something outside your home and you want to go investigate you should not fear that you are going to get shot.

If the officer was chasing the teens for pot or something ridiculous then shooting at what he thought was the suspect is ridiculous.

[skooooo]

10. I bet they're black.

Not too many white people getting shot because of "mistaken identity."

[cvoogt]

16. yes he was black

Saw it on CNN. Only 20 and newlywed.

[krispos42]

13. Hopefully they had a police or news helicopter up watching things

Whether the officer was justified in shooting will depend on circumstances such as the suddeness of the confrontation, the nearness of the victim to the officer, and whether the police were chasing robbers known to be armed. Other conditions as well, such as lighting, may come into play.

[bermudat]

15. We've seen this before.

Black man killed in cold blood, no weapon. Officer says dead man made

a suspicious movement (like breathing), and is put on paid leave. Charges

may be brought against officer but jury acquits. Makes you want to holler.

[tblue]

20. Sean Bell. Another travesty of 'justice.' I'm so mad I could spit.

[Miss Chybil]

17. So, the cop was planning on shooting a juvenile and shot a newlywed instead.

I'm sick of the violence in this country.

[tblue]

18. And why the fuck did they need to SHOOT TO KILL? Can't they just wound a fleeing suspect?

Damn it all to hell! Some days I really, really hate cops.

[WriteDown]

21. Not to defend...

but extremely tough to do. You risk missing your intended target and hitting someone else. Its not like the movies.

[tblue]

22. Then I'd rather have a 'suspected burglar' flee than kill him or anyone else.

But that's just me, maybe.

[WriteDown]

23. And if that burglar just killed the family he robbed?

Many burglars are quite violent

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/yahoolatestnews/stories/103008dnmetwatauga.15d488fa9.html?npc

[tblue]

24. Oh puhlease. What if he had rabies and was biting all the doggies?

What if he had raped his mother last week?

What if he had impersonated Ronald McDonald?

Hyperbole much?

Yeah, kill the mofo. Who cares? He's a suspect -- What right has he to keep on living?

[WriteDown]

25. Did you even read the link?

Once you enter someones home with the intent to steal their property, then all bets are off. I speak from personal experience. I just wish this was the actual burglar and not some poor, innocent guy.

[bitchkitty]

27. No way -

once your home is entered and the suspect is fleeing, you don't shoot him period. You certainly don't go heehawing through the neighborhood shooting at any young black man you see.

Nothing I own is worth a human life, and if it were that valuable I'd insure it before I'd take a life for it.

[WriteDown]

32. After my dog had 2 floating ribs from being kicked by the

last burglar, I would have loved for someone to shoot him repeatedly. Preferably somewhere where he would bleed to death slowly and painfully.

[bitchkitty]

42. If you're protecting a loved one, that is

of course different. If someone was about to kill or seriously hurt my dog I wouldn't hesitate to protect him.

But even if someone kicked my dog, once they were moving away from me, I would attend to my dog, and let the police do their job.

[Psephos]

50. "I would let the police do their job" - looks like they did a job all right

Which is as good an argument as I've ever seen for me doing my own job and not waiting in fantasyland for cops to keep me "safe."

[bitchkitty]

53. How did the burglars gain entry?

Could it have been prevented? Most can, simply by having better locks.

The best security can be foiled, but even if your security is only a noisy dog, you'd have time to open the safe.

I guess you have to weigh the odds of an ultra-smart, ultra-quiet burglar coming along against the odds of your children gaining access to your gun.

[peacebird]

26. then he would be a suspected murderer - not suspected burglar - no?

:eyes:

[WriteDown]

34. Depends....

Knowledge tends to trickle out. Many times a suspected drunk driver is pulled over and they are found to have interesting outstanding warrants. Most people who are willing to commit burglary have a nice, long rap sheet.

[peacebird]

45. ummm - fine, so bring that out at their trial..? Remember the quaint tradition -trial, judge, jury..

[Chulanowa]

31. And what if he was a terrorist!

Maybe he had aids and was poking strangers with his needle! I'm sure that he was a bad, bad, bad man and DESERVED to die! No matter that the cops were chasing a suspect in a burglary we know nothing about, we have to assume the worst!

Sieg heil, citizen!

[progressivebydesign]

39. oh okay. so if you believe someone is armed and it's dark outside.. you'd let him shoot you first?

Because the first rule is that you don't let yourself get incapacitated -- because your gun will be taken from you and then there will be more killings.

NO ONE can sit here and figure out what happened and what went wrong that night. We weren't there.

[Occulus]

47. You can stop apologizing any time now.

Seriously.

[slackmaster]

46. A properly trained shooter does not shoot to kill or shoot to wound

You shoot only to stop a threat, and you do that only when you have determined that the threat really needs to be stopped and you have no reasonable alternative. Once you have acertained the need to shoot, you aim for the center of mass and shoot until the threat stops.

If the threat dies as a result, that is unfortunate but it should not have been the intent of the shooter.

[Chulanowa]

28. So cops shoot to kill for burglary suspects now?

What the fuck is wrong with this country?

[LostinVA]

29. I thought that, too -- and, they didn't even charge the juveniles

WTF?

[peacebird]

30. shot twice in the chest and then handcuffed.... and police wouldn't let his bride outside to see him

in his last moments alive.

sweet.

:grr:

[KeepItReal]

43. What the f*ck were the handcuffs about??? if he's shot in the chest first, why cuffs?

is that S.O.P.??

[bemildred]

33. "followed department policy" is what they will say,

As though killing an innocent bystander protecting his home is somehow OK if "department policy" says it is OK. So much for the rule of law.

[mrbarber]

35. They shot him twice....

and than HANDCUFFED him while he was lying there bleeding to death on his own front lawn?

Trigger happy idiot. I'm sure he'll be cleared of all charges.

[progressivebydesign]

38. I'm always amazed by people that think the police enjoy shooting people.

they don't, actually. But DU bursts out with sensationalist comments and instant attacks on the police. Which is odd.. because I don't see that kind of outrage regarding neighborhood shootings, grocery clerks being shot by robbers, and other deaths.

Police do not relish shooting people.. if you think they do. You're wrong. Most cops go through their entire careers without firing their gun. And after watching a documentary show about journalists who participated in a shooting simulation exercise, a live exercise where you had to go through a house filled with chances to kill or be killed, all of the journalists were "shot" because they gave a benefit of a doubt, and others shot the wrong person. Until I am willing put my life on the line protecting everyone in a city, I'm not going to judge.

I would think that the cop is heartsick over this, as most people would be. And already people are making this a racist issue. Which is bullshit. It's just something gone terribly wrong in the middle of the night.

[Occulus]

40. You can stop apologizing any time now.

Seriously.

[bemildred]

41. You're amazed because you are wrong.

We think the guy that did this is incompetent and ought not have a badge and a gun, and he ought to be held accountable for this killing. What's wrong with that?

[Ferret Annica]

48. As someone who has extensive police contact from doing non-violent civil disobedience,

I do not concur. I have had cops tell me they wished they could cut down the tree I was in and kill me. I've had them blow in my ear trying to get me to struggle when I was handcuffed lying limp on the ground to get me to fight to accrue charges on me.

I generally expect the worst to happen when running into cops. I do not agree with your take on them at all.

[classysassy]

54. Blacks and Latinos

seem to be the people at risk,dammit it not mistakes,its pure american racism.

[EFerrari]

58. Right. There's no racism in Anaheim. Black people just get dead more often

when things "go terribly wrong in the middle of the night".

[Wabbajack_]

52. Fucking pigs

Oink oink oink. Murdering scum.