A St. George police officer shot a man earlier this month. He was brandishing a gun in his front yard.
I heard the news, and thought, well, that sucks, but you do what you have to do.
Then I saw the gun he had:
And I was taken aback. Wow… the rifle is pretty clearly a pellet gun.
The story is further complicated by a 911 report the officer was responding too:
A woman called 911 to report that Craig Steiner had called her and said that he had killed his wife, Darla, by cutting her throat and dumping her in a field after she made him mad," Belnap said in the letter.
But on the other side people were telling the officers it was a “fake gun”:
"Darla told investigators that as the officers took cover and Craig (Steiner) walked toward her, she was yelling that it was not a real gun and told Craig to point it at her so they would know it was not a real gun," Belnap said in the letter. Darla’s son also told investigators he heard her identify the firearm as a fake gun.
I’m not going to second guess the officer, or the Washington County attorney, especially since this event happened at night:
Belnap said the pellet gun Steiner wielded could have been confused with a dangerous weapon as the officers encountered a stressful situation under poor lighting conditions at night.
The officer had to do what he did. Steiner and his training and available tools dealt him no other option.
I wish our force had some other non-lethal means to deal with situations we see here in St. George. Distressed men, maybe drinking, being dumb. We don’t get the LA and NYC type drug firearms escalation, I’d rather have seen Steiner bean bagged or netted (or something) than have him dead and an officer traumatized by killing somebody who had just a pellet gun.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
I’m pretty sure telling someone to point a gun at you to prove its fake is a stupid idea.What response would you expect from the cops at that point? How about telling them to put it on the ground?
Sounds like suicide by cop.
What net do you refer to? No one uses that. A stunbag gun might work, if there are two cops there. One cop has to have a real gun in case the stunbag doesn’t work. Taser requires too close a distance to suspect to be a safe alternative.
Tactics might be questionable. Did he roll in alone? Bad idea.Better to meet, form a team, make a plan, then carry it out.
In the bright light of day these guns look light pellet guns. Or real guns set up to look like pellet guns. Or a cheap pawn store rifle. Are you gonna take that chance for some guy you don’t know, if you’re the cop? Hope you guess right. I won’t. My plan is to go home.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
I’m not doubting his actions, I just wish we had better alternatives. Invent something! An instant tranquilizer or something.
October 28th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
I think mostly it boils down to tactics. We have non-lethal weapons, but it takes a few minutes to assemble a team and form a plan. If you take too long and he kills someone, your’e blamed. if you move in quickly and suspect gets killed, you get second-guessed. Having everything go right happens all the time,it just doesn’t make the news.
October 28th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
An LRAD (long range acoustic device) would work.
October 28th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
#4… LRAD… interesting idea. I don’t think they are portable enough yet. I’d also wonder if a determined foe could still squeeze off a shot or two before succumbing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Range_Acoustic_Device
October 28th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Ive been exposed to the LRAD. It isnt as bad as they make it out to be. Certainly wouldn’t have much effect on someone who is mentally deranged or under the influnce. It is also large and unwieldy, and takes time to set up. Not a practicle solution.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
http://thebsreport.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/ruger10_22carbinebig.jpg
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000OP0DVC/ref=dp_otherviews_0?ie=UTF8&s=hi&img=0
Would you spot the difference at night?
October 30th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
What about a 40mm or 37mm beanbag grenade launcher mounted under a patrol rifle? I read in tactical weapons magazine about a drunken man who barricaded himself inside his apartment and threatened suicide. Three beanbag rounds from a shotgun did little, but a 40mm beanbag knocked him down and sent him too the ER with nothing broken, just bruised.
November 1st, 2009 at 12:44 am
#7… depends on how dark…