Richmond shooting this morning 4/22/09

[Dragonfly]

If you watched the 6 pm news today you most likely saw the report about a shooting after a traffic stop where the person got shot after threatening the LEO with a BIG knife. OK so he was a 30 year veteran of our penal system. Last report Critical but stable, however;

1) As shown on the news, several rounds ended in the Building, I believe more than five rounds where fired and he is still alive?

2) All indications will point towards justifiable shooting, however if a CHP holder or OC’r was in the same situation as the LEO would it also be considered justified or would John Q Public be required to retreat and possibly lock himself in his vehicle? Because as I understand it a greater force than immediate threat is not justifiable.

What are your thoughts?

[Vahunter]

I think I'd back off until he tried to get in the car with me. Then it's open season.

[alby]

Honestly. I all boils down to common sense. If somebody is charging you with a knife and you shoot him dead,
no prosecutor will convict because its obviously self defense. But if somebody is a reasonable distance from you
with a knife, is not charging you, and isn't about to kill somebody else near him, and you just shoot him dead anyways,
chances are, you might find yourself in handcuffs.

Now there will always be some folks who see a situation and feel threatened. Otherwise may not, unless the crackhead is
lunging at you. Its really a personal decision you have to make on if you feel that shooting somebody at that moment, given
the current circumstances, is justifiable.

In my opinion, if a knife wielding fool is either charging me or lunging towards me, I'll shoot. But if they are a reasonable
distance away and just waving their arms and shouting like a nut, I'll hold my fire and hope the cops hurry their ass up.

[wylde007]

I ain't getting in a car (boxed in or shut off) and thereby providing myself with no out.

Gunpoint from fixed sights. Give an assailant the option to retreat (it's illegal to shoot them if they back away from you or flee).

If they approach, articulate your index finger ever-so-slightly until they stop and the threat is eliminated.

[allingeneral]

Honestly. I all boils down to common sense.

Unfortunately, it seems that common sense isn't so common in this day and age.

[wylde007]

Or sensible.

[allingeneral]

More on this from the Times-Dispatch

By Times-Dispatch Staff Reports

Published: April 22, 2009

Police from the city of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University shot and wounded a motorist early this morning after the driver charged at the officer with a knife during a traffic stop, authorities said.

Richmond police said the driver charged at two officers as backup units arrived to assist the Richmond officer during a 2:27 a.m. traffic stop in the 800 block of West Broad Street, in the heart of VCU’s main academic campus. The officer had pulled over a Chrysler sedan that was eastbound on Broad at the Laurel Street intersection, Richmond Sgt. Ron Brown said.

John M. Bennett, VCU’s senior vice president for finance and administration, said campus officers were among those to respond after the suspect became uncooperative and the Richmond officer requested backup.

The driver got out of his car and moved toward police while wielding a knife, and one Richmond officer and one VCU officer opened fire, striking the driver, Bennett said.

Neither officer was injured, Bennett said.

The driver was taken to VCU Medical Center for treatment of injuries that Bennett said did not appear to be life-threatening.

Neither Bennett nor Brown said how many shots were fired. Brown said Richmond police, who are leading the investigation, would release additional information about the shooting later today.

Broad Street from Belvidere Street to Shafer Street in both directions was closed until 7:30 a.m., and police used yellow crime-scene tape to close off the area as they investigated.
Police called for flatbed wreckers to tow away a number of vehicles, including the Chrysler as well as several police cruisers.