State Trooper Shoots Unarmed Man

originally posted by: 38181
a reply to: butcherguy
Dosnt really matter what neighborhood; It was in SC. SC is one of the most segregated/racist states I've been in, don't believe me? Live there for a few months, especially in a small town in the sticks.

I believe you. I have been there and stayed with locals.

I was just wondering what kind of neighborhood because cops are more to pull black drivers in white neighborhoods for BS stops.

a reply to: The_Truth_Seeker

As awful as that story is, I think this sentence scared me the most:

Barney Guise, an attorney for Groubert, says his client is not guilty and looks forward to his day in court.

Firing 4 shots, at a dude obeying your orders, in a gas station, facing the pumps, nearly point blank, and only 1 shot hitting the target. The cop is an incompetent &%$ who is lucky he didn't blow up or hit anyone else in the parking lot. How can anyone say he's not guilty with a straight face? You'd think his attorney would be telling him to take a plea deal -- any plea deal.

a reply to: halfpint0701
Im sure he is "looking forward" to it, the gall, its so insulting but thats the lawyers job though..paint a pretty picture.

a reply to: vonclod

The gall is right. With that video, I just don't see how he can claim not guilty to gross negligence. He endangered the lives of everyone around. Im curious as to where his missed shots landed and glad one didn't find it's way through a car window and into a kid.

Oh my gosh, that is scary. he shoots the guy, not only that but any of those bullets that miss the target, would go straight into the gas station, this is very negligent

originally posted by: 38181
a reply to: butcherguy
Dosnt really matter what neighborhood; It was in SC. SC is one of the most segregated/racist states I've been in, don't believe me? Live there for a few months, especially in a small town in the sticks.

I do. Both SC, and small town in the "sticks."

And no. It's not.

Try living here for MORE than just a "few months" and you'll see that.

another horrible video showing a cop gunning someone down for no reason..

may i ask our american friends....

I have been to the U.S on numerous occasions ( from UK) and we are always told that if you get pulled over to not move and follow every command or they will shoot , we are told to not reach for anything as this will get you shot?

Is this not the case here? he asked him for his licence and as probably any normal person would do reached for it inside the car i'm not advocating this in any way the few videos recently have been disgusting... but don't you guys get told the same thing? don't move and don't reach for anything?

Q

Ug this is getting way out of hand. I thought there was some kind of test in place to keep this type out, maybe some kind of IQ test. Some kind of moral code test would be nice. But I'm betting we'd have a lot few cops for a while after everyone got retested.

I'd hate to be the PR guy for any police right now. I'd have an easier time putting a good spin on third world dictators.

You guys really do have a swine problem.

I definitely feel the officer was in the wrong in this case.

Mistakes were made for sure.

Let me tell you from personal experience having a person jump out of the car like that can be scary. Officers are shot and killed that way on many ocassions. It is also scary when a person turns quickly like this gentleman did and reach back into their vehicle. Again officers have been shot and killed in that circumstance as well. It is always in the back of our minds.

That being said there is no excuse to act in a negligent manner.

The officer gave the driver a verbal command to get his license after he had already exited the vehicle. That was a mistake.

The officer should have done one of two things.

1. Instruct the driver to sit back in the vehicle and close the door. The officer could of then made his approach.

or

2. Instruct the driver to walk forward and stand infront of the patrol car.

However the officer did not do that. He asked the driver to get his license. The driver complies, although he spun around and back into his vehicle rather quickly he was following instructions. The officer assumes he is retrieving a firearm and shoots.

The fact that the officer asked the driver who already stepped out of his vehicle to then go back to his vehicle only to retrieve his license is what caused the chain of events. It is not the drivers fault that he turned around quickly.

NOT A GOOD SHOOT.

a reply to: TorqueyThePig

Let me tell you from personal experience having a person jump out of the car like that can be scary. Officers are shot and killed that way on many ocassions. It is also scary when a person turns quickly like this gentleman did and reach back into their vehicle. Again officers have been shot and killed in that circumstance as well. It is always in the back of our minds.

Agreed.
I ALWAYS stay in my vehicle if I am pulled over by a police officer.
I keep my hands where the officer can see them and I don't make any sudden movements.
All for my own safety.

But who knows how the poor guy that was shot was instructed on how to deal with such matters when he was learning to drive?

originally posted by: Quantum_Squirrel
another horrible video showing a cop gunning someone down for no reason..

may i ask our american friends....

I have been to the U.S on numerous occasions ( from UK) and we are always told that if you get pulled over to not move and follow every command or they will shoot , we are told to not reach for anything as this will get you shot?

Is this not the case here? he asked him for his licence and as probably any normal person would do reached for it inside the car i'm not advocating this in any way the few videos recently have been disgusting... but don't you guys get told the same thing? don't move and don't reach for anything?

Q

Yes. I was taught this a very long time ago:

If you get pulled over by LEO, simply stop your car, row down your window and place your hands on the steering wheel where the LEO can see them.
Be polite. Not confrontational.

When asked for Drivers License, Registration and Proof of insurance, tell the LEO where it is. (IE, Yes sir. My driver license is in my back pocket, I have to get it out. My registration is in the glove compartment. I have to reach over and get it.).

I do this all the time when I get pulled over (not been pulled over a lot, but enough). I always ask "Can I get it for you?" and each time the officer has been polite back and told me okay.

The other thing I was taught was: do NOT make sudden movements. And I don't. I slowly reach for these things, trying to keep my hands in view as best as I can.

Once I have the items and have given them to the LEO I place my hands back on the steering wheel where he or she can see them.

Why?

Because I was taught that the cops in most cases are more scared of you, than you of them. And, that means you have a SCARED and ARMED individual. So I take great pains to make sure that this ARMED individual knows I'm not a threat to them.

As some have said: The cop wants to go home from their job. Well so do I.

I was also taught to not argue with the cops. Even if I don't agree with the ticket they are going to give, etc. Because arguing will not do you any good, and is only going to tick them off even more.

You want to argue? Fine. That's what the court date on the ticket is for: it is for you to be able to go argue in front of a judge. Not on the side of the road with an armed individual who has a book full of tickets they can give.

Was the cop in this video right? No. Absolutely not. The man that was shot was simply doing as he was told: he was getting his license.
His mistake was not telling the cop first that he needed to get it out of his car. That still didn't justify what the cop did.

But, unfortunately, cops are taught that anyone that does what this guy did, might be going for a weapon, and enough cops have been killed in situations like this that cops are taught to approach someone as if they are armed.

It's really, really sad. But that is the reality of it.

a reply to: The_Truth_Seeker

ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING ME???

The cop demands a license then shoots him for getting it...

There are so many thing wrongs with this...so many things...

Was this a rash response by the officer, or was his response a result of his training? both ideas are unsettling.

originally posted by: Thecakeisalie
There are so many thing wrongs with this...so many things...

Was this a rash response by the officer, or was his response a result of his training? both ideas are unsettling.

I am not a police officer, nor have I been through their training, but I believe that this is a case of him not following his training. He should have had the guy put his hands up or get back into the vehicle slowly before he asked for his license.

That said, I do not agree with some of the training that officers get, but it is not all bad.

a reply to: The_Truth_Seeker

He has been fired, and charged. This prick-cop might go to prison.

a reply to: The_Truth_Seeker

Maybe we should treat them all like Barney Fife. Sheriff Andy didn't carry a gun but his inept deputy Barney did, BUT he only had one bullet and had to keep it in his shirt pocket.

Shooting civilians should be a last resort, and never a knee jerk reaction by a coward in a panic. All of these type of videos the LEO is always in a panic... Do they have no training at all? It's always like 9 times minimum a perp gets shot, sometimes 80!? Who trains these people to shoot in a panic because I have an idea to stop all of these incidents of people getting shot on a traffic stop. A way to keep everyone safe and guns in there resting position.

Ahhh! He is black and bent over! I'm gonna die! Ahhhh! Shoot wildly while running! Just like they taught me at the Academy!

The cop didn't initiate the stop until after they were in the parking lot, AFTER the guy was exiting his vehicle. It appears to me like the driver didn't even realize he was being pulled over until after he was out and the cop asked him for his license.

The SC law states that

...every driver and every occupant of a motor vehicle, when it is being operated on the public streets and highways of this State, must wear a fastened safety belt...

The driver told him that he didn't even take it off until after he was in the parking lot....

There is absolutely nothing anyone can say that even slightly justifies what happened here. Nothing. It was an illegal stop to begin with!

a reply to: th3dudeabides

Found an article today that he was charged with "assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature." Not good enough. He needs to be charged with attempted murder. But at least he's locked up and off the streets.


USA Today article from today

a reply to: TorqueyThePig

Great post Torquey, Is good to hear from a LEO perspective (I think you are a LEO at least...)