In Duluth, Minnesota, a teenage kid attacked a police officer with a baseball bat. The cop shot the kid, killing him. One news source referred to the suspect as the victim:
A 17-year-old boy whose friends said had been drinking earlier in the night died in the street near his Norton Park home late Thursday, shot by a Duluth police officer sitting behind the wheel of a squad car as the boy broke out the driver’s side window with a baseball bat.
Witnesses identified Joey Carl, who lived at 424 N. 79th Ave. W., as the victim.
The headline to this article was, of course, Teen shot dead by police officer. Typical media.
Another news source quoted a friend of the suspect. The friend has been watching way too many movies: “Joey did not deserve to be shot. The cop didn’t even try to taser him. Horrible. No one should die like that.”
Let’s get it straight–if a police officer is being attacked with a baseball bat, the baseball bat-wielding idiot is at best attempting to commit suicide by cop, or at worst an attempt murder suspect, in which case the cop would be the victim.
A cop being attacked by a baseball bat does not have the luxury of guessing if the suspect wants to commit suicide or homicide. Being attacked with a baseball bat clearly puts the police officer in a deadly force situation. To respond to deadly force with a Taser would be tactically unsound.
A tragedy? No doubt. It’s a shame you had to die young, kid. But your parents should have taught you never to swing a baseball bat at the police.
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Tags: baseball bat, death, homicide, shooting
Dispatcher Sassy Pants
08/07/2010
Oh he’s a victim. Victim of his own stupidity.
911R
08/07/2010
Well said. Sucks for the kid but I’d much rather my LEO come home to me and not end up in the hospital or worse becuase they have to taser people instead of protect themselves. Selfish of me? Darn right. My man and all the officers shouldn’t have to wonder if they’ll go home at night.
The use of force continuim works, but the public doesn’t understand it and the media won’t report it working for the officer. Ok, that’s my 2 cents.
Sister Copinherhair
08/08/2010
A-freaking-men. If you are being attacked with a baseball bat, you don’t fight back with a taser. If you are being beaten by a baseball bat, the only thing that trumps the bat is a gun.
Bob G.
08/08/2010
Officer Butler:
You are SO correct.
SOP demands that ANY immediate THREAT be dealt with…immediately…AND with the appropriate response.
That means if someone looks to be wanting to KILL you, you don’t stop and think about “alternative” responses TO that threat.
Good post AND comments by all.
Stay safe.
Aurora
08/08/2010
Cop was totally in the right.
The media (and friend of Joey Carl) was ridiculous as usual.
It really staggers me we live in a society so blind that some people cannot or will not understand at a base level the concept of taking responsibility for their actions.
You want to swing a baseball bat at a cop ? Expect to die.
The kid clearly had a death wish that he carried out successfully.
One less scumbag on the streets.
Glad the cop is okay, but it must have scared the **** out of him.
Funkkeejooce
08/14/2010
Typically media! It’s no longer about quality journalism, but what story sells more. In some cases like this, unfortunately police get the short end of the stick.
Clady
08/14/2010
Trying to bust out the windows of a squad car?? What did they think he was trying to do? Just have a friendly chat with the officer? Victim, my foot!
Ann T. Hathaway
08/16/2010
Dear Officer Butler,
I’m late to the comments, but read this earlier. We are inundated with this media slant in re: law enforcement. Sometimes I wonder how we will tip the passage to responsible journalism again. If we commenters are sick of it, one can only imagine how surfeited you are in the field.
Best wishes to you,
Ann T.