Good call or bad call? Cop shoots man with gun.

2015-01-25T08:05:24-05:00

Notice two points: 1:15 the man stops running and pulls the gun, and 6:33 the cop collapses after killing the man. What are your thoughts? Good call or bad call?

(Background info from the original YouTube poster: Muskogee, Oklahoma - January 17, 2015: Police are called to a wedding because a man, Terrence Walker, originally from the Houston area, had allegedly threatened to kill a woman. The arriving officer is tense not knowing what he would encounter or what to expect)

http://youtu.be/34VEjO-Wi0s

RAW VIDEO: Muskogee officer-involved shooting

++This is graphic video++ Muskogee, Oklahoma - January 17, 2015 Police are called to a wedding because a man, Terrence Walker, originally from the Houston ar...

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 25 at 2015 9:43 AM

2015-01-25T09:43:32-05:00

Sadly, I'd say it was a good call, SGT Justin Singleton. Nobody wins in situations like these. It looked to me like a kill-or-be-killed situation, and the police officer did what he had to do. It's good that he was wearing a body camera. That allows everybody to see what happened and judge for themselves.

When I watched the video all the way through without stopping, it looked to me like the guy drew on the cop. When I went back and stopped the video at the critical juncture, it looked (indeed, as the police officer said) like the guy running away dropped something. He did turn briefly toward the cop, but I didn't see him draw or point a weapon at the police officer. I didn't see a weapon, but that's probably due to the video quality.

Bottom line: God bless the police. I would not want to be the guy walking up to a group of people like that. From my perspective, if that fellow had obeyed the police officer, had stayed put instead of run away, he'd still be alive.

Response by LTC Yinon Weiss made Jan 25 at 2015 11:31 AM

2015-01-25T11:31:14-05:00

I just think it's great that the police officer had a body camera. Without the body camera, there could be a big case about the fact that somebody was shot in the back 3-4 times. With the video, now the evidence is out there for a fair review and without as much bias by those with political motivations. I am a big supporter for video cameras on all cops to bring more transparency.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 25 at 2015 11:50 AM

2015-01-25T11:50:24-05:00

Watched this earlier - if you listen to the post shooting video, the guy not only had a gun, but the hammer was cocked. Justified.

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 25 at 2015 12:48 PM

2015-01-25T12:48:50-05:00

I saw the video today. It looked like the thug was carrying in his waste band without an IWB holster. The firearm fell through as he was running. Stopping to pick it up was the second mistake.

Response by COL Ted Mc made Jan 25 at 2015 12:58 PM

2015-01-25T12:58:21-05:00

Tough call, but I'm giving this one to the police officer on the ground.

Yes, yes, yes, I know - "But the 'suspect' wasn't acting aggressively towards the pig and the pig gunned him down in cold blood." - PIFFLE. Someone, obviously, doesn't know diddly about the ROE or the law.

Yes, yes, yes, I know - "But the pig could have shot him in the leg and disabled him." - [INCREDIBLY LOUD SNORT OF DERISION] Someone, obviously, doesn't know diddly about weapons and/or shooting and/or targets.

What is going to be interesting is the news follow up on this one when the reason why the person fled comes out. Don't expect that to get as much publicity as "Another Killer Cop Shoots A Black Man In The Back" does.

PS - I was very pleasantly surprised to see the Muskogee Police responding in force WITHOUT looking like Imperial Storm Troopers and also WITHOUT a massive display of weaponry. It's a good thing that the local media weren't the ones who shot the video.

Response by CW3 Clayton C. made Jan 25 at 2015 1:29 PM

2015-01-25T13:29:58-05:00

What a terrible situation in which to be placed. Having been placed in tense situations, I know that none of us can say whether or not we'd have acted the same way the officer did but I do not find fault with his actions.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 25 at 2015 1:50 PM

2015-01-25T13:50:06-05:00

I'd rather be judged by 12, than carried by 6, honored by 7 and bugled by one.

He had a gun. So did I. I just happen to be better with mine.

Response by PO2 Steven Erickson made Jan 25 at 2015 2:32 PM

2015-01-25T14:32:02-05:00

It looked justified to me.

Like many here, I have a lot of LEO friends. I've known two who were murdered during "routine" traffic stops. Civilians will never understand the moment when that "them or me" decision has to be made. I don't, either, but I've listened to those who have been. It's a humbling thing, acting as a friend to these men and women.

Thank God these men and women are out there and run toward "The Dark" in our stead.

Response by CMC Robert Young made Jan 25 at 2015 3:21 PM

2015-01-25T15:21:14-05:00

We (four current police officers) watched this the other day after work.

From a purely tactical point of view, I was impressed with the officer's composure. He is professional in is approach to the suspect, and he escalates only in response to the suspect actions. Once the confrontation is over, he is able to quickly and with detail articulate the circumstances to other responding officers.

From the side of me who studies human behavior, I was struck by the idiot stopping his car and running into this mess as the shooting had just taken place. He immediately starts telling the officer not to shoot the suspect. The lack of just good old fashion common sense demonstrated here is appalling. What person in their right mind absent some very focused professional training stops in the middle of a gun fight to tell the people shooting to stop??.....much less the officer who is engaged in taking down a bad guy??? Does this idiot not realize that he not only now introduced himself into a situation where the officer - already under a significant amount of stress - must evaluate another person's intent and determine if that person is an additional threat or not; he also potentially exposed himself to actions of the suspect who clearly doesn't have anybody else's best interest in mind? You have to wonder what happens if the suspect isn't disabled and re-emerges as a threat....does the motorist understand that he might have been shot by somebody he was trying protect....so stupid!! And then the headline would have been "Lazy Cop Allows Motorist to be Killed by Known Felon"

And finally, without knowing anything about anything, the rabble comes out screaming that the suspect didn't have a gun.....where's Al Sharpton when you need him?

From somebody who as lived a lifetime in this environment, it really does happen that fast every time. I've been fortunate that to date everybody on the other end has had the good sense to put the gun down, or to run off; but I have friends who have both been shot, and likewise shot other people. If the public understood how difficult this really is, maybe we (L/E personnel) could catch a break from the media.....

Response by SGT Jim Z. made Jan 25 at 2015 3:28 PM

2015-01-25T15:28:23-05:00

From watching the video it appears that it was clean shoot and I am glad that he had a body camera to capture the events of the shooting.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 25 at 2015 4:30 PM

2015-01-25T16:30:27-05:00

It looks pretty clear to me. The guy the LEO was chasing had a weapon. Doesn't matter if it's pointed at anyone or otherwise being held in a threatening manner, once you've been chased by a police officer and a weapon is reached for it's game over. Righteous shoot.

Response by SGT Justin Singleton made Jan 26 at 2015 8:39 AM

2015-01-26T08:39:45-05:00

You all were right. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/01/25/naacp-official-cop-who-fatally-shot-armed-man-is-proof-of-shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later-culture/

Response by MSgt Robert E. M. made Sep 7 at 2022 9:06 AM

2022-09-07T09:06:25-04:00

Not my call, good or bad. Put yourself in the shoes of the man and then the cop. Proverbs 1: 1 to 33 or our favorite St. Matthew 7: 1 to 29. Let the Church say: Amen!