Man with toy gun shot, killed by police in Fla.

[ruger17hmr]

Autistic Man with toy gun shot, killed by police in Fla.


Man with toy gun shot, killed by police in Fla. - Yahoo! News

 

[lrahm]

It's sad for the family and for the officers involved. A couple of years ago a student at one of the high schools brought in a gun that looked and function exactly like a 1911. It even broke down like one and could use a real magazine.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all parties involved.

 

[1032JBT]

Very sad situation.........but with that being said, I can't fault the police based on the limited information.

 

[lrahm]

Very sad situation.........but with that being said, I can't fault the police based on the limited information.

I can't agree more. It will now take lawyers years to decide the approprite action that the officer(s) only had a second or two to decide on.

 

[chocktaw2]

Autistic Man with toy gun shot, killed by police in Fla.


Man with toy gun shot, killed by police in Fla. - Yahoo! News

A tragedy for all involved! Everyone suffers in this situation.

 

[indykid]

His neighbors said it was obvious that Ernest Vassell had a disability, and police should have known.

So police have super human powers to make a split second life and death decision that the rifle that everyone agreed looked real was not going to be used against the office because it was obvious that the person holding it had a disability. So disabled people are not capable of murder?

 

[FutureButterBar]

crappy situation, but I don't blame the officers. I've been in situations where grown men have air-soft/bb guns. it is hard to tell. you have to keep yourself protected.
maybe his guardians should watch over him better. crappy.

 

[Nightwalker65]

Absolutely tragic for everyone involved.......

 

[newtothis]

It is sad and unfortunate, but the officer made the right call with the limited information he had at the time.

 

[Benny]

What a terrible situation.

I feel just as bad for the POs involved than the family of the deceased...They are going to have that on their conscience forever, despite having just a split second decision whether to fire or not.

Everyone involved are in my prayers.

 

[jfed85]

Guy points a gun at me that looks to be real and wont drop it or at the very least not point it at me, I'm doing the same thing. He didnt have any way to know this guy had a disability. Chalk it up to an accident and misunderstanding, but not that the cop is at fault for. I bet this gets blown way out of proportion though.

 

[danielocean03]

I agree with all of the above. It's easy for the media to spin situations like this one as "out of control cops, etc.", when in actuality the LEO was forced to make a difficult split decision to protect himself and others.

 

[Expat]

Not much more to be said. Just a terrible thing.

 

[Leo]

Some of the new "hi tech" pistols out there like some h&k look more like a toy gun than the toy guns from walmart. The first one I saw I couldn't even believe it was real. But it is very real and very accurate. Unless someone points a clear plastic pistol with water squirting out the end at me, I am going to assume it is real and deadly.

 

[tradertator]

Maybe the family that is so shocked should have kept a better eye on him. Sounds like the officer did exactly what he had been trained to do. I'd understand their concern if it was a brightly colored Nerf rifle, but that doesn't sound like the case.

 

[7th Stepper]

I can't agree more. It will now take lawyers years to decide the approprite action that the officer(s) only had a second or two to decide on.

I agree completely, and where did he get this "toy gun" from? A relative or caregiver perhaps? What were they thinking? (or lack thereof) Why on earth would someone give an Autistic person something that they 1) Really don't/can't understand, and 2) not be able to be taught the rules about safety on? I know it depends on the degree of Autism the person has, but none the less, the understanding is limited by the severity of the condition.

Even if it was just a toy, if it looked real (heck, they come in all colors and models now, real AND toys), how were the LEOs supposed to react? Assume it was a toy until it could be taken away from the man? And if it were real, get shot themselves in the process. "If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck". Ever seen the ones they use for hunting, THEY look real enough to fool anyone, even REAL ducks, into thinking they're real too.

If I were to punish anyone, it would be the caregiver who allowed him to have access to it in the first place. I believe that falls into the "neglect of a dependent" category in my opinion. The caregiver should have known how people would have reacted, and NOT set the poor guy up in the first place. That was a tragedy, looking for a place to happen.

Even if I were a civilian, and he'd pointed it at me, I'm not sure how I would have reacted, depending on the threat. I have this aversion of having guns pointed straight at me, regardless it it's a toy or not. Who can tell nowadays?

7th Stepper

 

[k12lts]

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

 

[iChokePeople]

Maybe the family that is so shocked should have kept a better eye on him. Sounds like the officer did exactly what he had been trained to do. I'd understand their concern if it was a brightly colored Nerf rifle, but that doesn't sound like the case.

+1. The family needs to do a little less looking at others and a little more looking in the mirror. Whether you're raising children, caring for mentally challenged, or caring for a dog, YOU have some responsibilities. Sounds like the LEO did exactly what he should have. As to the neighbors who say the LEO should have been able to see that the guy was disabled -- yes, you can often see that... but most people will not notice it right away when there's a gun pointed at them. That kind of distracts most people.

 

[mcolford]

Its easy to make a decision sitting under flourescent lighting, but making the same decision when you have a gun or what appears to be pointed at you, its a completely different ball game. I hope the community does not treat this officer like a murderer because of this.

-MColford

 

[Rookie]

What a terrible situation.

I feel just as bad for the POs involved than the family of the deceased...They are going to have that on their conscience forever, despite having just a split second decision whether to fire or not.

Everyone involved are in my prayers.

This was the first thought I had as well.