Veteran's Family Sues Police, Counties

[AK-74me]

I knew that, hence the Thanks up front!!!

Looks like Mr Policeman since 1976 needs to blow the dust off his Police procedure books...

gottcha

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

Because at 20, you've put so much of your "tax money" into the system that it's incomprehensible for anyone to mooch off your three dollar contribution to society.

I think $3200/year into State taxes alone is a lot of money.

I could buy a new TV with that, and still have plenty of money left.

 

[sockgirl77]

Arm yourself with some knowledge before making such a broad statement.

Thank you. That is such crap. This family is not the kind of family who needs wealth to make them happy.

 

[donbarzini]

I knew that, hence the Thanks up front!!!

Looks like Mr Policeman since 1976 needs to blow the dust off his Police procedure books...

No, it looks like you need to become more current with Supreme Court decisions. The Use of Force Continuum is no longer recognized as the benchmark. And it hasn't been for a long time. See Tennessee v Garner and/or Graham v. Conner. It is now based upon what is deemed to be what a "reasonable" police officer would do. So we are back to the "Reasonable Man" doctrine as opposed to the "FLETC Stairsteps"

 

[BadGirl]

Thank you. That is such crap. This family is not the kind of family who needs wealth to make them happy.

Then why push for a $20 MILLION settlement?

If the point iof this lawsuit s to identify problems within the protocol of the police department, wouldn't a $1,000 settlement be just as effective?

The high dollar amount is making them appear greedy.

JMO

 

[sockgirl77]

Then why push for a $20 MILLION settlement?

If the point iof this lawsuit s to identify problems within the protocol of the police department, wouldn't a $1,000 settlement be just as effective?

The high dollar amount is making them appear greedy.

JMO

I am not sure why they have come up with this amount. :shrug:

 

[donbarzini]

I am not sure why they have come up with this amount. :shrug:

It's the lawyers making sure they get paid. I guarantee the family isn't gonna see any appreciable amount of that money when the leeches are done.

 

[beerlover]

Then why push for a $20 MILLION settlement?

If the point iof this lawsuit s to identify problems within the protocol of the police department, wouldn't a $1,000 settlement be just as effective?

The high dollar amount is making them appear greedy.

JMO

A $1,000 settlement isn't going to make any kind of difference or statement. It has to be enough to be PUNITIVE. Plus, didn't I read that this guy had kids? $1,000 isn't going to do squat for them.

 

[beerlover]

...in the begining of the report the first officer is advised by the neighbor that thus guy has a dozen shotguns in the house.....That would lead me to wonder what else he had. How did anyone really know that there was no one else in the house. No one could really know that until the house was searched. This was a sad ending..not perfect but nothing is.

What difference does it make how many shotguns were in the house? Is there some legal limit that he is accused of having exceeded? Owning dozens of shotguns and associated rifles is perfectly legal.

I think there is a valid argument that the police overstepped in this case.

 

[chernmax]

No, it looks like you need to become more current with Supreme Court decisions. The Use of Force Continuum is no longer recognized as the benchmark. And it hasn't been for a long time. See Tennessee v Garner and/or Graham v. Conner. It is now based upon what is deemed to be what a "reasonable" police officer would do. So we are back to the "Reasonable Man" doctrine as opposed to the "FLETC Stairsteps"

I can live with that, so again in this situation looks like unreasonable police officers took charge and escalated the situation...

 

[marybek]

If you read the report you would have known that one shot was into the air and 'rained down' on the police car. The other was into the ground. By the way, one of the county police officer's gun went off while he was securing it. Perhaps if you read the total report (aproximately 1400 pages) and listened to the audio you could arm yourself with some knowledge and stop making blanket statements. Jamie was shot by the Maryland State Police, who had been on the scene a little over an hour. Since they couldn't get him to come out of the house by firing, repeatedly, tear gas their next plan was to blow a hole on the end of the house and march through like Grant took Richmond.
All of this for a very sick and emotional man who asked to left alone. Now if you are concerned about the Maryland State police who were there ask them why they used the less protective 'peace keeper' vechicle instead of one of the other two at their disposal. Why? I think because it had a big seal of the State of Maryland and made for better coverage on CNN. If I was the spouse of one of the officers in that 'peace keeper' I'd be asking why. By the way, the FORMER head of the Maryland State Police was relieved of duty following the Fritz report. UMM. I wonder why.

Because there was an election with a new govenor you moron!

 

[marybek]

Rule, Principle, whatever, escalation of force was part of my training in law enforcement...

That is why in NYC you shoot an unarmed person 43 times...no big deal. MSP shoots a guy with a gun, who has shot at cops, or rained bullets above their head as suggested in here.....20 million dollars.

 

[marybek]

I knew that, hence the Thanks up front!!!

Looks like Mr Policeman since 1976 needs to blow the dust off his Police procedure books...

Wouldn't someone pointing a loaded long gun at someone be considered deadly force? Aren't you supposed to meet deadly force with deadly force? Just askin

 

[donbarzini]

I can live with that, so again in this situation looks like unreasonable police officers took charge and escalated the situation...

Well, you see the key to your statement is those two words "looks like". That denotes that you are making an assumption based on your opinion. I wouldn't presume to do that unless I was accompanied by 11 other people sitting in the jury box and the judge told me it was time to do so. So all this speculation is just that. Speculation.

 

[chernmax]

That is why in NYC you shoot an unarmed person 43 times...no big deal. MSP shoots a guy with a gun, who has shot at cops, or rained bullets above their head as suggested in here.....20 million dollars.

And California just beats them till they're rich!!!

Anyway I'll always be on the side of law enforcement. The truth will come out and I'll support the final decision. I wasn't there and in life or death situations I sure as hell won't play armchair quarterback.

 

[chernmax]

Wouldn't someone pointing a loaded long gun at someone be considered deadly force? Aren't you supposed to meet deadly force with deadly force? Just askin

I've seen many officers use great amounts or restrain in many situations that would have justified use of deadly force. But donbarzini pointed out newer procedures being followed where as the decision to fire is based on what a "Reasonable Man" would do if he had a gun pointed at him.

 

[Ken King]

ST. MARY'S COUNTY
Fatal Shooting of Veteran Justified, State's Attorney Finds

By Megan Greenwell
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 11, 2007; Page B03

The fatal shooting of a distraught armed man by a Maryland State Police officer last year might have been avoided if officers had not taken an "overwhelmingly aggressive" approach to the incident, the St. Mary's County state's attorney's office concludes in a report released yesterday.

But the report also said the officer who killed James E. Dean on Dec. 26 was justified in opening fire.

Dean's widow, Muriel, said she does not believe Fritz's statement that Weaver's actions were justified, but she was pleased to see an official statement about the police mistakes.

"I'm not completely satisfied, but I'm okay with it. And we will review it independently," she said.

Her attorney, Daniel Guenther, said attorneys and forensic experts hired by the family will comb through the evidence that resulted from a state police investigation into the incident. After that team reaches its conclusions, he said, family members will decide whether to file a lawsuit seeking civil damages.

I wonder why the family has a new lawyer? Maybe because the report says the shooting was justified as this reporter says and it was deemed a losing cause.

 

[chernmax]

I wonder why the family has a new lawyer? Maybe because the report says the shooting was justified as this reporter says and it was deemed a losing cause.

The shooting may have been justifed but what got it to that point is the issue. Reread the first sentence!!!

 

[Ken King]

The shooting may have been justifed but what got it to that point is the issue. Reread the first sentence!!!

Just a wild guess but I'm betting that it might have been the fact that there was an armed disturbed person whose family called the police to get involved with in the first place because not only was he armed but he had said that "Someone is going to die" or words to that effect.

What should the police have done from your armchair quarterback role?

 

[itsbob]

What should the police have done from your armchair quarterback role?

They should have left him alone so he could have killed himself, and possibly two or three others on his way out, and the family could sue the state for 20 Million dollars for not doing anything..

Hmmm, interesting..