Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan says the Taser was the best choice
A man in Western Australia was engulfed in flames when police officers fired a Taser stun gun at him.
Police say they used the Taser on Ronald Mitchell, 36, when he ran at them carrying a container of petrol and a cigarette lighter.
They said that Mr Mitchell, who lives in a remote Aboriginal community, had been sniffing petrol. They suggested the cigarette lighter started the fire.
Mr Mitchell is in a critical condition in hospital with third degree burns.
The Police Commissioner told reporters: “The only other choice they would have had is to use a police-issue firearm, and the consequences would almost certainly have been far more grave.”
I hadn’t realized that police departments are down to only two choices when it comes to conflict with a suspect: taser – or shoot ‘em?
see, now THAT is something we need a video clip of.
I’m thinking maybe basic physics should be
course police should be made to take as well.
how about this:
-new rule, for every 4 “perps” a cop tasers, he must be tasered twice–for 30seconds each time, or lose a months pay.
maybe that will slow down the free for all going on with law enforcement & tasers
these days.
lets just hope nobody in congress ever gets
it in their head that maybe law enforcement should use hand held microwave ADS guns instead..because you know, they’re “safer”
-2
Was the cop whistling the Doors?
“I hadn’t realized that police departments are down to only two choices when it comes to conflict with a suspect: taser – or shoot ‘em?”
When you’re lazy and fat there aren’t many things you can do to defend yourself. You can’t chase them, you can’t kung-fu them, you probably can’t even aim the taser and gun properly to hit the person, but they are the easiest and requires the most minimal amount of energy to do.
While the police reaction is fairly lazy, I am more amazed that Benson once again decides to blame Obama for what happened in Australia.
Benson, you’re an idiot AND a troll. Not to mention you really should see a dentist, your breath stinks. Either is it a serious gum infection or you spew to much shit.
Here in Victoria, the police shoot you with real guns then cover it up. Those WA cops are just plain soft.
If my parents taught me one thing its never get confrontational with somebody armed with a taser while your holding a can of gasoline. At least drop the can before you advance.
26, OR THROW the gas at the cop..
There is one other option that never seems to occur to cops. Leave the guy alone.
All to often they interfere in situations where no one it in danger or being threatened and turn them into situations where people are hurt. And of course it’s always the fault of the people they whose lives they were budding into.
If they had left the man to sniff his gas in peace this wouldn’t have happened.
The cop should be given a medal for bravery for resisting the urge to put a bullet between this guys eyes.
I don’t see anything wrong with a society where, if you walk around threatening police officers with a painful death, you just may get messed up yourself.
“I hadn’t realized that police departments are down to only two choices when it comes to conflict with a suspect: taser – or shoot ‘em?”
Couple these two options with a “need for speed” in conflict resolution and it’s a recipe for tragedy. Why is it that a man with a knife is considered so dangerous that he needs to be shot and killed rather than spending whatever amount of time it takes to get the advantage and disarm him?
I believe today’s policeman is psychologically predisposed to resorting to violence during conflict resolution. He has a gun and by god he’s going to use it!