From: "Phil Payne" 


"James Adams"  wrote in message
news:42f2061e{at}w3.nls.net...
> >
> >
> >A police shooting over here makes headline
> >news and it's quite likely the officer in question will face charges.
> >
>
> Not in Prince George's County, MD.

Which is a good reason to live here and not there.

We don't even have the death penalty for CONVICTED criminals - much less
suspects that haven't even been detained.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is automatically engaged
whenever police action results in a death - be it gunfire or a car case.
All officers involved are suspended from firearms duties and most never
resume them.  In one recent case, a man claimed to have a sawn-off shotgun
concealed in a piece of cloth and threatened several people in a pub with
the same.  He left and an armed response police unit was called.  They went
to his house and he came out and waved the same thing at them - they shot
him dead.  It turned out to be a chair leg and both police officers were
prosecuted for manslaughter.

In another case, recently up for review, a sword-wielder was shot dead.
Still very current.

In the Tube incident, the case is even clearer.  The "suspect"
ran from police - but did he know they were police?  Anyone can make up a
baseball cap that says "Police" on it.  Did they issue the
formally required warning: "Armed police"?  It seems nobody heard
exactly those words.  He also didn't fit the profile - a quilted jacket is
not a rucksack containing an insulated drinks container.  He was also
immobilised - tripping on the train's step and landing flat on his face
with three officers in attendance and restraint imminent.

The only question is whether the charge will be manslaughter or murder.
Given that the officer firing apparently knew his identity and acted
deliberately with a weapon, I think murder with a mandatory life sentence
is appropriate.

Contrast this with the SAS action at the Iranian Embassy, where
shoot-to-kill was a very effective and appropriate way to disable the
terrorists.

The net effect of this, of course, is to make an officer faced with a real
terrorist more reluctant to open fire.  In every way you can think of it,
this incident was a catastrophe.

--
 Phil Payne
 07833 654 800

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5