Administrative leave question...

[jtkratzer]

There as an incident last week a few blocks from where I live where a drunk man pulled a pellet gun pistol from his pants and pointed it at an officer and after failing to drop it, the officer fired three times and missed all three sending several rounds halfway down the block.

He was placed on administrative leave and the article said that is a normal procedure anytime an officer discharges his firearm.

Is that true? Just station to station policy? Any thoughts or reaction to his lack of accuracy or the rest of the article?

Here's the article.


EDIT: Oh, and before a certain someone calls me a cop-hater, I'm not, I'm curious about the procedure. Is the leave because he fired his gun or because his shooting was potentially hazardous to others or a combination of both?

[Glxso201]

Most departments (all that I've seen policy manuals on at least) place officers on administrative leave after discharging their firearm, with the exception of putting down animals and such.

[dsump]

Administrative leave only if there is an internal investigation that can lead to policy and procedure violations and possible criminal charges afterward.

[Alaskapopo]

Originally Posted by jtkratzer

There as an incident last week a few blocks from where I live where a drunk man pulled a pellet gun pistol from his pants and pointed it at an officer and after failing to drop it, the officer fired three times and missed all three sending several rounds halfway down the block.

He was placed on administrative leave and the article said that is a normal procedure anytime an officer discharges his firearm.

Is that true? Just station to station policy? Any thoughts or reaction to his lack of accuracy or the rest of the article?

Here's the article.


EDIT: Oh, and before a certain someone calls me a cop-hater, I'm not, I'm curious about the procedure. Is the leave because he fired his gun or because his shooting was potentially hazardous to others or a combination of both?

Most of us know you are a cop hater. If you weren't you would not only post negative threads towards police. Anyone who looks at your posting history can figure that one out.

But to the original question when officers are involved in a shooting rather the subject dies or not the officers get administration leave and usually have to see a psycologist prior to returning to work. Its paid leave. Being in a life and death situation is a bit more stress full than your average day at the office in Marketing and it can take a lot out of a person.

Rather than being all over the officer for his poor accuracy. Perhaps a little empahty or compassion would be in order for a man who is going through what is probably the most stressfull time of his life right now. I bet you think he should have have been able to tell it was a pellet gun. For someone who is not a cop you spend a lot of time in this forum bashing them.

I came close to having to shoot someone once and it was not fun.
Pat

[zac07]

I was wondering if there would be any negative issues arise because he missed three time at 25' ?

[Mike TRT]

I can't and won't "monday morning quarterback" the incident or the officer from a newspaper article, but if the events went in the order listed, cop arrives, dumbass on the porch pulls weapon from waistband, points it at the copper, cop pulls his own weapon and gives verbal commands......again, not questioning the officer, but, tactically this was wrong, no verbal commands are required, the officer has every right to kill the suspect immediatley. Im sure the officer can shoot well enough to hit a human target at 8 yards, but we don't know if he was moving to cover (which he should have been, standing still in a gunfight is a huge no-no) (anybody training to survive and end a gunfight needs to shoot on the move, with skill)

I have my own theory on why police officers (and military) miss what they're shooting at A LOT, if you've read "On Killing" by Lt Col Dave Grossman you already know.....

also, if your reading this and are a police officer (or want to be) and have not read On Killing and On Combat, order them and read them, its mandatory!!!!

and nothing will happen to the officer from his department because he missed three shots, nobody was injured, except him, Im sure, like Pat said, he's going thru a difficult time...........

[Mike TRT]

was just wondering how many have read the 2 books mentioned above? Im curious because I ask all my new applicants Im doing backgrounds on if they have read them, most have not........

[Tard]

In the western Washington State areas, we've had a recent rash of teenagers doing crazy stuff with pellet guns.

Some of them waited for some girls to get off their schoolbus and then SHOT THEM REPEATEDLY with real pellet guns, chasing the girls in their car. Uh, the girls daddy is a state trooper who was home and sitting in his cruiser in their parking lot. Oh, he's an ex-SEAL as well. They got chased and arrested at gunpoint.

Then, the next day, a 17 year old kid robbed a bank w/ a pellet gun but was seen driving away and caught as he came back to his mom's house.

I've personally seen kids with pellet guns that looked so real I would have shot them if they threatened me with it and I had no avenue of escape.

A pellet gun is no joke.

The kids here also paint the red-tipped Airsoft guns black so they look completely real and have been taken at gun point by cops and private citizens when they threatened people with them... as a joke?

When I was a kid, we never ever threatened anyone w/ a toy gun much less shot them w/ a bb gun. WTF?

[03RangerXLT]

Mike-
I am working on reading "On Killing" right now. I am having a hard time with it though because I am a newly minted road warrior out here and I can't find much time after hitting reports and such.

When I went through my agencies "Advanced Pistol and Tactics" class (mandatory to all deputies after mandate (academy) before you roll to the road, Grossman was heavily quoted during the presentations.

We are under strict and direct orders from the Lt. of the Training Division to never lie in a pool of our own blood. Thats the "bad guy's" job.

[aftershock]

These books seem interesting will have to pick them up and read them when i get a chance....