Police fatally shoot man in a wheel chair

Delaware police say officers fatally shot an armed man in wheelchair after responding to a call that he had a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Wilmington police said in a news release that they encountered the man Wednesday afternoon "armed with a handgun." Authorities say a shooting occurred and the man died at the scene. The news release did not elaborate, and police would not release any additional information. The races of those involved weren't released. According to a city spokeswoman, police Chief Bobby L. Cummings went to the scene and met with neighbors and relatives. The Delaware Department of Justice's Office of Civil Rights and Public Trust is investigating and will determine whether the officers acted within the law.

Currently the details are murky on just what happened but a man in a wheel chair was armed and had shot himself perhaps in an attempt on his own life? Police were called and they shoot him and kill him. Listen I don't give a # that he was armed the guy is in a wheel chair and had already been shot, there is a better way to handle this, someone does not have to #en die. Makes me proud i was a soldier so these pigs could rage kill in our streets. Here's a link

So you don't believe, that even though the man is in a wheelchair, that he could have tried to kill himself, and couldn't do it, so decided to go "death by cop"?

There aren't a lot of details here, so who knows. But the above could very well be the case, in which I can't blame the police in this instance.

a reply to: TechniXcality

Meh - happens annually........

The police clearly feel that the wheelchair bound constitute a threat like no other.

"the wheels, they were round and giving attitude and therefore terrorist, plus I be trigger happy - turn that camera off"

Police kill amputee in wheelchair at group home for the mentally ill police perform wheelchair murder/death/kill volume 1

Mesa man in wheelchair fatally shot by police during arrestpolice perform wheelchair murder/death/kill volume 2

a reply to: chiefsmom

Ok here come the Hero's, we are gonna stop you from killing yourself because we will kill you first..derp derp

I don't like how the article states that "the races of those involved was not released".... Like it even matters.

Media: the biggest racists of them all.

Yepp. The police certainly 95% of the time will end life FOR the person if they themselves are contemplating suicide with a weapon. Literally the reaction to every unknown scenario. Kill them!

a reply to: TechniXcality

LOL, well, your wrong about me son, so there's that.

Do you know he didn't fire at them first? I couldn't find that. Only that he may have shot himself first.

I was giving a senario, of what MIGHT have happened. You know, because as I stated, there isn't much info.

I'm sorry that I didn't automatically jump on the ALL COPS ARE BAD train. I'll remember next time not to think about things for myself.

We don't have much info to go on. Just because the man was in a wheelchair does not mean he was not an armed threat.

I'd wait for more info before we come to any solid conclusions.

a reply to: TechniXcality

Well the fact the Civil Rights office is involved tells you it wasn't a white guy.

My only thought, playing devils advocate as I often do, is maybe this guy called the cops himself saying he shot himself, with the intention of having the cops kill him when the arrived and he pointed a gun at them?

Outside of a situation like that, I don't see how this could be a justified shooting.

I'm right over the bridge from Wilmington. There's more information on Delaware Online - Police shoot armed man in Wilmington:

Cell phone video taken at the shooting scene shows multiple Wilmington police officers with guns drawn telling him to raise his hands into the air. One shot sounds, but it’s unclear whether the man was hit, as the camera moves away.

The video could not immediately be verified as capturing Wednesday’s shooting but the setting, near garages off Tulip Street and in front of a grey Mercedes, appears to match the scene where the police investigation was centered.

Police continue to advance in the video, repeatedly shouting at the man to raise his hands in the air. He appears to physically move his legs and adjust himself in the chair, before reaching into his pocket.

Multiple shots then ring out, striking the man before he slumps over and falls out of the wheelchair.

EDIT:

Looks like I found the video on YouTube, watching it now.

a reply to: theantediluvian

If that is true, the police may have been justified in their actions.

Perhaps the man decided death by cops was a better way to go since he could not finish the job himself, apparently.

a reply to: theantediluvian

Yea, doesn't look justified . That was sad

a reply to: theantediluvian

Looks like the police did the right thing. If someone pulled a gun on you, what would you do? Sit back and not defend yourself and the others around you?

I think not!

a reply to: theantediluvian

If that was the actual video then I would say suicide by cop was the intention based on non compliance with orders given multiple times.

I also think it would have been easy for one of them to go around behind him and taze the guy...he was moving very quickly.

So, he was armed?
And would not listen to the police and put it down?

Ok, so MAYBE they could have handled this differently, although I'm not sure how.

Sure looks like he wanted to die, given the information currently available.

Assuming that is a video of the shooting, he put his hand into his pocket and pulled out something which very well might have been a gun. If that's the case, the video title is inaccurate.

I'm not comfortable second guessing the cops' judgement at that point. If reaction time studies cited by police officials like this one are to be believed, it's often too late once the suspect decides he's going to shoot because suspects tend to be able to raise and fire faster than a cop can see the gun raised, make a decision and act upon the result of the decision.

theantediluvian vid...

Has LEO training for confrontation situations done away with mace, tazers and rubber bullets? it appears to not be an option for use by trigger-happy thug law enforcement in America any more?

First reaction - draw your piece and pump-em full of lead lest they be baddies.

Pathetic cowards swarmed upon him and carried out the execution.

a reply to: Sublimecraft

Exactly.....

I miss the days of "don't taze me bro".

Now it's "don't shoot me bro".

a reply to: introvert
a reply to: Vasa Croe
a reply to: slapjacks

Yea, I'm going to say this was an unfortunate outcome but a justified shooting based on what I can see in the video. I'd have liked to see some sort of non-lethal measure used; I don't think this guy was going to be putting up too much of a fight looking at the blood on his shirt and how slowly he was moving.

originally posted by: theantediluvian
a reply to: introvert
a reply to: Vasa Croe
a reply to: slapjacks

Yea, I'm going to say this was an unfortunate outcome but a justified shooting based on what I can see in the video. I'd have liked to see some sort of non-lethal measure used; I don't think this guy was going to be putting up too much of a fight looking at the blood on his shirt and how slowly he was moving.

Yeah...I would think a beanbag to the side of the head would have ended this as well, but they are very inaccurate and multiples would have needed to be fired. With an armed suspect and how close you have to be with a taser I would have ruled that out as an option too.

Then there is this well placed sniper shot that I guess could have been used....