Cop mistakes cane for gun

[Bitter Clinger]

And acts accordingly imho....

http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/03/13...eteran-who-was

Hope this is not a repost. I am on the officers side on this one, but let this be a reminder to us all, KNOW YOUR TARGET, but that cane DID look like a long gun of some sort, I know the older generation were taught to greet the officer standing at their car door, this is not the case anymore. I have firsthand experience in this....stay in your car.

[stenz]

Damn... I agree he did the right thing but what a shitty situation to be in.

[HoneyBadger]

Wow, I feel terrible for everyone involved in this...

[Hound]

Um... No. The man did what anybody with a cane would do. He never raised the cain like a gun and clearly had no idea why the cop was acting the way he did. If simply having something that might be a gun freaks out a cop THAT much ...... Really? What happened to verifying your target? The cop clearly had every reason to draw his weapon... No issue there, but crossed the line when he fired and he knew it. If the man had raised the cane like a gun, some noise had happened, etc maybe.... But he did not. I am sure the cop will get off but he overeacted. The guy was a vet and showed no real signs of agression. Cops have a dangerous job and have every right ot protect themselves but should also be trained in restraint. A 70 year old man with a cain should not have evoked that response. Believe it or not cops are human and do make mistakes. This was one of them.

Let the "he is just cop bashing" BS start 3...2...

Actually I think Honeybadger is spot on.

[Bitter Clinger]

He had no idea that the guy was 70.

When he pulled out the cane it did look like a long gun.

When one is in a potentially deadly situation, if you see a "weapon" you protect your self. period.

Any one of us in a similar situation would have fired.

This "may" be a symptom of the cop culture where everyone is a potential threat, but really.....it's dark. Guy GETS OUT OF THE CAR, and reaches for a long black object. If it was a gun and the officer did not end the threat, he would be dead.rifle/shotty beats a pistol 100% of the time.

[Mick-Boy]

He had no idea that the guy was 70.

When he pulled out the cane it did look like a long gun.

When one is in a potentially deadly situation, if you see a "weapon" you protect your self. period.

Any one of us in a similar situation would have fired.

This "may" be a symptom of the cop culture where everyone is a potential threat, but really.....it's dark. Guy GETS OUT OF THE CAR, and reaches for a long black object. If it was a gun and the officer did not end the threat, he would be dead.rifle/shotty beats a pistol 100% of the time.

Remind me never to go to the range with you.

[Rooskibar03]

Remind me never to go to the range with you.

Plus 1

[cstone]

Another tragedy for everyone involved. Sadly these types of things happen daily and most don't end up on national TV.

Another take away from this, six shots fired presumably 9mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP, one hit, looked like the upper torso of a 70 year old male. The shooting victim did not go down, did not drop the cane right away, and was able to speak to the deputy shortly afterwards and is apparently going to make a full recovery.

I have no idea what the deputy's firearms qualifications records show, but even the best shooters don't shoot as well when they believe their life is in danger. Handguns do not possess knock down power. Most handgun shootings are very survivable. The only opinions that really matter are those of the people who are present, prosecutors, judges and juries. Most cops feel badly after they shoot someone regardless of whether they are justified or not.

Just some of my quick take aways from watching the video once.

Be safe.

[Dave_L]

Some basic rules to follow when getting pulled over:

1. Stay in the vehicle.

2. Keep your hands visible.

Do those things and your chance of accidentally getting shot drop dramatically. The guy didn't acknowledge the officer, got out of his car and grabbed something out of the bed of his truck. What was the officer supposed to do? The cop attempted to make contact and thought he was about to be met with force. Next time, he hesitates and he gets shot.

Unfortunate situation all the way around but cops want to go home to their family too.

[earplug]

I didn't see any aggressive movements, the cane did not look like a weapon, the victims actions did not look aggressive. The shooter had plenty of distance. I'm curious what the traffic stop was for? That might be a reason for the shooting.