I Was Wrong, Lack of Taser Wasn't The Reason Scott Died

[Fastcars]

I added this to the end of the thread I started earlier about a friend that was killed by Bossier City Police after he assaulted a 77 yr old lady during some kind of psychotic episode. The comment was made by someone claiming that his wife was a witness and if true makes me want to puke, I couldn't not start a new thread. If it needs deletion, so be it.

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freddymac77 wrote:
NOW ITS REALLY SAD TO SEE THESE PEOPLE WIT THESE RACIAL COMMENTS BUT SCARED TO BRING THE NOISE BUT OFCOURSE WHEN ONE STAYS IN THE WOODS ALL THERE LIFE I CAN EXPECT THAT...AND AS SCOTT BEING KILLD BY THE POLICE A RIGHTOEUS KILL U BE THE JUDGE...20 TO 25 YDS MY WIFE WATCHED IN HORROR AS MR SCOTT WAS SHOOT NOT ONCE TWICE NOR THREE TIMES HE TOOK FIVE SHOOT AGAIN AN UNARMED MAN MENTALLY ILL COPS KNEW HIM ,ACOUPLE OF YRS AGO DRAGGED THIS SAME MAN OUT OF HIS RESIDENTS AND BEAT HIM.DID HE HAVE A FLASHBACK WHEN HE SEEN THE POLICE AGAIN DID HE FEAR FOR HIS LIFE?MR SCOTT WAS GETTING PULLED OVER AND AS THE OFFICER WALKD UP TO THE TRUCK HE JUMPS OUT AND BEGINS SWINGING AT THE OFFICER YES ONE OFFICER THE OFFICER TRYS TO AVOID BEING HIT BY BACK PEDALLING AND DUCKN AND DODGEING AS THEY MOVE TO THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET THE OFFICER LOOSES BALANCE AND FALLS BACKWARDS SCOTT ALSO FALLS WHILE TRYING TO GRAB THE OFFICER AS SCOTT TRYS TO REGAIN HIS BALANCE THIS SO CALLED OFF DUTY OFFICER IN FULL UNIFORM

THE OFF DUTY OFFICER JUMPS OUT HIS CAR WITHOUT TELLING SCOTT TO STOP OR FREEZE AND SHOOT HIM TWICE IN THE BACK OF HIS LEG AS SCOTT FALLS AND BEGINS TO TURN OVER FINALLY WIT HIS HANDS UP HE WAS SHOT THREE MORE TIMES IN THE STOMACH AND CHEST AREA.WHY WIFE TOOK A PICTURE OF THE EVENT AND SENT IT TO ME AND I CALLED ETERNAL AFFAIRS AS THEY TURND AROUND AND CALLED THE BOSSIER DET UNIT AND TOLD THEM I HAVE A PIC OF THE COP THAT SHOT MR SCOTT AND THE BODY THAT LAYED DEAD ON THE STREET.BUT THE DETECTIVE CAME TO ME AND HAD ME HAND OVER MY PHONE FOR 5 TO 10 MIN TO HAVE THE PIC REMOVE FROM MY PHONE AS WELL AS MY WIFE BUT ONCE WE GOT TO THE STATION TO MAKE THE REPORT AND HANDED OVER THE PHONES WIT OUT AN ISSUE AND IN RETURN WAS TOLD WE WOULD GET THE PHONES BACK IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES WAS LATER SOUNDED BY DETECTIVES AND OFFICERS AND WAS FORCED TO LEAVE WIT OUT OUR PHONES MY WIFE MY 18MTH OLD DAUGHTER WAS IN THE CENTER AS THEY LOOK LIKE THEY WAS ABOUT TO RUSH US CAUSE THEY WAS YELLING AT US TO LEAVE

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091002/NEWS03/91002020

[ezgoingrl]

1. I'm very sorry about your friend.

I hope this gentleman's account is wrong, but I have to admit that I have little faith in the honesty of police officers. Hang in there Fastcars.

RIP Scott

[Fastcars]

2. Thanks For The Kind Words....

I had almost wrapped my head around it and accepted the fact the officers didn't have any real alternative, then I saw a link for an updated story and found this comment. Not trying to bludgeon anyone with a personal crusade, but posting here where I may get comments other than "he hit a lady, he deserved what he got" helps me work through some of my frustration over the whole mess.

I honestly do understand that you can't attack cops and get away with it, and that ultimately Scott (or his illness) is responsible for his death. But I just have a real hard time imagining that any semi intelligent person wouldn't know they were dealing with someone that was mentally unstable after getting a call about an attack on a 77 year old woman in a Walgreens photo dept.

For those that don't care, or feel Scott got what he deserved, simply move along. I am not really looking to argue the merits of the case one way or the other, just looking to vent.

There may be a better forum for this, if so point me that way and I will move along.

[paulsby]

6. the mentally unstable

whether or not the cops thought he was mentally unstable, or should have known, is not really the determinative factor in determining what level of force is appropriate for police to use.

it's the nature of the offense, and the level of resistance that matters.

as the DOJ points out in their law enforcement bulletin, EDP's contribute to a significant portion of officer injuries and deaths.

for example, they actually found that calls where cops responded to EDP's who were naked, were amongst the most dangerous calls they go to. now OBVIOUSLY a guy who is naked is not concealing a weapon, but they are still very dangerous whether openly armed or not, statistically speaking.

if i was trying to arrest somebody who had assaulted a 77 yr old woman.... actually, wait . i DID arrest somebody recently who took a mid 70's yr old woman, lifted her in the air and threw her to the ground, where her head slammed into (presumably a rock, we weren't sure exactly what she hit) the ground and she ended up nearly dying, but some good work by the ER staff kept her alive.

anyway, HE wasn't mentally disturbed. he was just an asshole. but the arrest went w/o incident, because he complied. that's the determining factor. he complied, and he suffered no injuries whatsoever, but you can be damn sure if he resisted we would have used reasonable force up to and including deadly force, if warranted.

i once had an EDP throw a meat cleaver at me. it missed. mental instability may be a defense at court, but it has little bearing in what level of force is justified in making an arrest. and, almost always, the level of force used is determined by the severity of the crime, and the actions of the suspect when confronted.

[asdjrocky]

3. Hey, I'm sorry about your friend too.

And I'm sorry if I was at all harsh in the original post. We're just a little leary of taser talk around here. Some of us anyway.

Peace, and my best to you. I hope you stick around, dialog is always best.

[Fastcars]

4. Being Leery Of Tasers...

Is justified. Actually, being leery of the MISUSE of tasers is justified. When used appropriately, one step below deadly force, they seem to me to be a great tool. When used, as they so often are, as punishment for failure to comply I agree totally with those of you that are so anti-taser. It is simply my contention the blame is falling on the tool and not the person using it improperly.

Cops know that they can use a taser and get away with it. This leads to the abuses we read and hear about where people are repeatedly shocked and/or shocked for no real reason and end up injured or dead.

Our local PD here in Bossier City has a well deserved reputation as being over the top on the use of force. Heck I have heard the mouth of a cop, "How many Bossier Cops does it take to push a N****** down the stairs? None. He fell."

Just so damn mad about this and knowing that nothing is going to come from the investigation just makes it worse. I could probably write the official findings report now. Shooting will be justified. Scott was trying to take the officers weapon when the off-duty officer arrived in the nick of time. Absolutely nothing could have been done differently without the policeman's life being endangered....

I would strongly recommend that the person that posted that comment on The Times site leave the state of Louisiana and make himself very scarce. At least get legal representation and get on the record with some agency outside of Bossier Parish.

[asdjrocky]

5. That joke really travels because I've heard it in California.

I do hope you stick around DU. I gotta believe things are gonna change. They have to.

[Fastcars]

9. I Heard It Many Years Ago...

I knew it was an old joke. The idea it is was told to me by a cop on the force in question was more the point I was trying to make.

The BCPD has the reputation of a "take no crap" force and they relish in it. Of course it is effective, so many people are willing to give up the rights of others for their own peace of mind.

[paulsby]

7. being leery of tasers is not justified

they are phenomenally safe. i've been tased twice. i certainly wouldn't volunteer to be struck with a baton or shot.

i agree about misuse. i'd be leery about misuse of any level of force, but tasers save lives. and they are USUALLY used properly. agency after agency that adopts tasers sees 1) officer injuries go down 2) suspect injuries go down 3) officer involved shootings go down 4) deaths resulting from arrest or post arrest go down.

[Fastcars]

8. I agree

That Tasers should stay in use. Even if the "witness" account of what happened is 100% true, if the shooter had any inclination at all to not use a firearm a taser in all probability would have ended up with Scott in jail/mental institution. No other tool use by law enforcement today I can think of would have ended this situation so easily without a loss of life.

It is the misuse we keep hearing about and seeing that should be vilified. The Utah (think it was UT) trooper that tased the guy for pointing at the speed limit sign is a classic example. That was 100% a non-compliance tase. He knew the guy wasn't threatening him, he was walking away. He wasn't running. He was simply pointing at a sign that he felt (rightly or wrongly) proved he wasn't speeding.

[paulsby]

10. correct

there are (of course) incidents of tasers being misused. nobody can deny that. any use of force can and will be misused.