Capitol locked down after reports of shots fired- Page 2

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 3:44pm

I used to be 100% behind the cops all the time, but I'm sorry, there are just too many cases when they THOUGHT a person was armed, when they weren't. Also, they seem to overdo it. Instead of incapacitating a suspect in order to determine the truth, they just shoot to kill-not with a couple bullets, but lots of them.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 3:45pm

And the irony there is that two months after taking office, Reagan was shot by someone with untreated schizophrenia.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 3:46pm

.. She had already hit an officer with her car and rammed into another with officers in it. What do you expect them to do when they see that same woman get out of her car? Either she's unarmed and is fleeing, or she's armed and about to take out a few officers. They clearly didn't wait to find out and I'm sorry to say that I cannot blame them.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 3:49pm

"Either she's unarmed and is fleeing, or she's armed and about to take out a few officers."

Those aren't the only two options.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 3:51pm

" What do you expect them to do when they see that same woman get out of her car? "

Since they outnumbered her by multiples, I expect them to subdue her without killing her. With her baby in the car.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 4:25pm

Jane, from what I understand a "source" has stated that police did not know there was a small child in the car. There is bound to be video footage of the actual shooting that comes out; currently there is only footage of the initial chase and confrontation. Perhaps only then will we know the full story.

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 4:50pm

If she stopped her car, put both hands out of the window, and yelled "DON'T SHOOT!!", who knows what would've happened.

But she got out of the car after hitting a cop. I don't know Capitol Police protocol. They could be within their rights to shoot and ask questions later.

We are talking about the White House.

It could also have been a car bomb or some other explosive device.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 4:58pm

yeah, because she was out to blow someone or something up, or maybe she was a terrorist,or maybe she was out to see how many people she could run over - and she took her baby along for the experience, yeah.

Whatever her situation was, and it turned out to be illness - the truth didn't have a chance because she was killed on the spot. No need to learn anything.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 5:07pm

And than to have that asshole stand up and thank the police for shooting the woman, and than to make matters worse they clapped him

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 5:09pm

Who did that? I haven't heard about it.

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 5:33pm

This isn't the first time a "domestic terrorist" brought their child with them.

Except she wasn't killed. Sara Jane Moore was released in 2007.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 5:42pm

The details of her being unarmed were after reports she was shot and killed. In fact, the baby detail happened after reports she was shot and killed. It is entirely possible nobody saw the kid in the car.

And in other news, a man reportedly set himself on fire at the DC National Mall.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 6:06pm

Hmm . . . ABC News is saying she never got out of the car.

Strummer, I agree it's not hard to imagine that the kid wasn't seen until officers approached the car after the mother was shot.

However events unfolded, it's a sad story.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 6:14pm

The police were damned if they do...damned if they don't. She's already tried to force her way into a secured area and rammed people with her vehicle. If they didn't use deadly force to stop her...and she went down to the mall and rammed into a crowd of kids...Or smashed her car into the extremely crowded subway entrance at the mall...or....or....or.

After a driver has committed half-dozen felonies and repeatedly put human life at risk, I don't want them to let him or her drive off saying "It might be a mental health issue or she might have a baby in that car...let's see if she calms down."

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 6:19pm

Insane

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 6:25pm

"After a driver has committed half-dozen felonies and repeatedly put human life at risk, I don't want them to let him or her drive off saying "It might be a mental health issue or she might have a baby in that car...let's see if she calms down."

So don't bother to subdue her in any way, just have a firing squad go at it. I'm not saying she should be ignored and let go to continue on, the way you are inferring. I'm saying there are ways of subduing a person when they are so largely outnumbered.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 6:27pm

I still don't understand why they didn't shoot the tires out. Or did I miss that?

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 7:02pm

I'm assuming because she was driving erratically at speeds from 40 to 80 with dozens of bystanders nearby. Have you even seen the videos of the encounter?

[javero]

Posted: 10/5/13 at 12:57am

"Use of deadly force is immediately authorized and "necessary" once a suspect has attempted to harm an officer of the law."

To me that was sufficient to put her down.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 10/5/13 at 8:04am

" Have you even seen the videos of the encounter?"
Umm yeah and there is at least one instance where the car is stopped with police surrounding it guns drawn. Did you watch it?

[suestorm]

Posted: 10/5/13 at 8:26am

Lets not forget this happened in DC by the white house. During a controversial government shutdown. They didn't know if she was a terrorist or someone unhappy about the shutdown. Plus she was driving like a maniac

. I swear some people here will excuse any and all criminal behavior.

Updated On: 10/5/13 at 08:26 AM

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/5/13 at 8:53am

" They didn't know if she was a terrorist or someone unhappy about the shutdown"

BINGO! They DID NOT know. Just kill without knowing.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/5/13 at 9:24am

Is it sad. YES.
Are their actions warranted? Yes.

She didn't heed the police officers, she used the car as a weapon. How many people should she have run over with her car before they used force.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/5/13 at 10:06am

NO

I hope this is the last time I have to say this, as I've said it at least three times already - they should have subdued her, incapacitated her, injured her instead of killing her.

I have nothing more to add to this discussion because those who feel the killing was warranted will always feel that way, and I'm certainly not going to change my mind.

Have a great day, folks!

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 10/5/13 at 11:17am

And that's why I love you, Jane. Even if we disagree.

Though I must ask to everyone so adamantly opposed to this use of deadly force.... Do you all realize that a car can be just as dangerous as a gun? She had already hit an officer with her car. That would be the equivalent of shooting at an officer. If this situation involved a gun, I'm sure most of you would suddenly be in support of this force.