Teenager Shot Dead for Holding a Wii Remote

[MysticSlayer]

If it turns out to be true that the officer really was going to the house for probation reasons, then I can somewhat understand her reaction. I knew a former probation officer, and she did have her life threatened during her job, so it is understandable that this officer would be nervous if that's why she was at the house. Still, at the very least, this was incredibly reckless behavior, and I sure hope she doesn't just get away with a mild slap on the wrist, if even that. Even if she was nervous, it is part of her job to work well under that pressure, and it sounds like that's hardly what she did here.

 

[Evonisia]

That article really paints the police officer as some kind of distressed or unstable person.

If I assume the article is true, well... I can't say anything really. What the hell was that? I hope that officer gets punished to the fullest extent of the law (of the state they were in).

 

[Weaver]

I just find more and more reason to hate/be afraid of cops every single day.

I'm more worried about police arresting/assaulting me for no reason when I walk home than a crackhead mugging me. And I live in an area with a crack problem.

 

[tippy2k2]

First off, can we get a source that isn't from a nut job website?

Here's a couple:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/georgia-teen-holding-wii-remote-shot-cops-front-door-family-lawyer-article-1.1619842

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/attorney-georgia-teen-killed-by-cop-was-holding-wii-controller/

Right now, the biggest issue we have is a lack of information.

?The eyewitnesses on the scene clearly state that he had a Wii controller in his hand. He heard a knock at the door. He asked who it was, there was no response so he opened the door and upon opening the door he was immediately shot in the chest,? Law told WSB". Law is the families attorney. The only source we are getting any info from MIGHT be a tad biased here...

It sounds like it was a terrible accident and we have zero information on what actually happened except that a Wii remote was involved somehow. Until we have...well....ANY reliable information at all, can we go ahead and calm down a minute with the "Throw the officer in jail forever!" talk. You know, at least until we have some information? That'd be great...

 

[MysticSlayer]

Wtf, that is messed up.

That's not a freaking accident. Put the officer in jail for life. You don't shoot people by accident. Even if the officer thought the Wii remote was a weapon, it takes time to take out a gun, take it off safety, aim it and make the decision to shoot. Enough time to see that it's not a weapon and the guy wasn't being a threat.

Except as far as we know, the gun was out and ready at the time the teenager answered the door. Given the story that she was there for probation reason, that is a very likely scenario, especially in some situations. In that case, the idea of making a mistake isn't easily disproved by time.

I'm not saying that this means she's innocent and undeserving of punishment. However, at the time, it does seem reasonable that it was an accident, not a cold-blooded murder.

 

[WeepingAngels]

Are people really going to defend this?First a kid was shot after being tazed and now this....how many cops have to "overreact" and kill someone before people stop making excuses for cases like this?

Oh but you know...it was a probation thing and and and it could have happened to anyone and and being a cop is hard work.


You can bet your ass that if it happened to anyone else, that anyone would be sitting in jail right now. Cops are supposed to be trained and held to a higher standard but apparently it's the other way around. You can bet that if it were a non cop that acted this way, no one would be defending them.

All this "let's wait for more info" while ignoring the info we already have is bullshit as well.

 

[tippy2k2]

All this "let's wait for more info" while ignoring the info we already have is bullshit as well.

How so? We literally have no information about the situation except for these facts:

1. A cop was there to serve a warrant on a probation offense and shot a teen with one shot, killing him
2. ???

...the end. That is literally the only information that is confirmed. The family says he had a Wii controller and that's it (the cops did not confirm nor deny if a weapon was found). Hell, even what the kid had is conflicted as the lawyer/family is saying "Wii Mote" and the neighbor in the story is saying "BB Gun".

The website the OP put up says the officer was verbally and physically abusive but you're going to have to forgive me if a site that has this:

as a t-shirt I can buy raises a few "Conflicted Interest" flags in my eyes. Those actions also conflict with what the other new stories are saying (that the cop broke down in tears after she realized what she did).

 

[WeepingAngels]

Are people really going to defend this?First a kid was shot after being tazed and now this....how many cops have to "overreact" and kill someone before people stop making excuses for cases like this?

Oh but you know...it was a probation thing and and and it could have happened to anyone and and being a cop is hard work.


You can bet your ass that if it happened to anyone else, that anyone would be sitting in jail right now. Cops are supposed to be trained and held to a higher standard but apparently it's the other way around. You can bet that if it were a non cop that acted this way, no one would be defending them.

All this "let's wait for more info" while ignoring the info we already have is bullshit as well.

Agreed,nobody would be making excuses if some random stranger had shot the teen.Police always get the benefit of the doubt when they go around half cocked shooting people.Right now people are fearing the police because of cops like this lady.

...and there are cases of police brutality in the news all the time. Chances are the police will cover for each other because cops have this "cops vs everyone else" mentality and this cop will get off with minimal consequences. I can't understand how people can defend this shit but when they do, they only enable more of this shit.

 

[WeepingAngels]

All this "let's wait for more info" while ignoring the info we already have is bullshit as well.

How so? We literally have no information about the situation except for these facts:

1. A cop was there to serve a warrant on a probation offense and shot a teen with one shot, killing him
2. ???

...the end. That is literally the only information that is confirmed. The family says he had a Wii controller and that's it (the cops did not confirm nor deny if a weapon was found). Hell, even what the kid had is conflicted as the lawyer/family is saying "Wii Mote" and the neighbor in the story is saying "BB Gun".

The website the OP put up says the officer was verbally and physically abusive but you're going to have to forgive me if a site that has this:

as a t-shirt I can buy raises a few "Conflicted Interest" flags in my eyes. Those actions also conflict with what the other new stories are saying (that she broke down in tears after she realized what she did).

The information we do have is:

- The kid was holding a Wii Remote
- The police were asked to identify themselves and they did not
- The kid was shot as soon as he opened the door

The police have not disputed this information so I think it's fine to go with this information until we have reason not to.

Further, if the kid were holding a BB Gun, that is not a crime and certainly not worthy of a death sentence. This cop is 100% to blame. You criticizing a website just tells me that you are grasping for straws to defend this cop. Defending cops who shoot first and ask questions later only enables more of the same.

 

[tippy2k2]

The information we do have is:

- The kid was holding a Wii Remote
- The police were asked to identify themselves and they did not
- The kid was shot as soon as he opened the door

The police have not disputed this information so I think it's fine to go with this information until we have reason not to.

Further, if the kid were holding a BB Gun, that is not a crime and certainly not worthy of a death sentence. This cop is 100% to blame. You criticizing a website just tells me that you are grasping for straws to defend this cop. You are just enabling this bullshit.

Except none of that info is confirmed. All of that is from either the family or the families lawyer:

WiiMote, non-identification, and shots fired ASAP: "The eyewitnesses on the scene clearly state that he had a Wii controller in his hand. He heard a knock at the door. He asked who it was, there was no response so he opened the door and upon opening the door he was immediately shot in the chest," Law told WSB. (Law is the family lawyer)

That also conflicts with a neighbor named in the story: "This is tragic," Yates told the station. "She came out of this house. She put her head in her hands and she was sobbing. Supposedly, he opened the door with a BB gun and in my opinion I think he was playing a game with his neighborhood buddies." (Yates is a neighbor of the deceased teen)

And yes, the source is important. The only source reporting that the cop was abusive and threatening is a source that clearly is anti-cop (see the t-shirt). As stated as well, the nature of the actions that site claims (abusive cop) conflict with the actions that other sites claim (broke down and cried after finding out what she did). I have found zero other sources making abusive claims besides that one website. You'll have to forgive me if I take whatever that site says with a grain of salt.

EDIT: I missed something. Yes, you are correct that answering the door with a BB gun is not a death sentence crime. However, the cop is going to a door into a potentially hostile situation (warrant issue). The door is opened and someone is standing there with a gun in their hands (A BB Gun sure as hell can look like a real gun). Training took over and a unfortunate accident happens.

 

[WeepingAngels]

The information we do have is:

- The kid was holding a Wii Remote
- The police were asked to identify themselves and they did not
- The kid was shot as soon as he opened the door

The police have not disputed this information so I think it's fine to go with this information until we have reason not to.

Further, if the kid were holding a BB Gun, that is not a crime and certainly not worthy of a death sentence. This cop is 100% to blame. You criticizing a website just tells me that you are grasping for straws to defend this cop. You are just enabling this bullshit.

Except none of that info is confirmed. All of that is from either the family or the families lawyer:

WiiMote, non-identification, and shots fired ASAP: "The eyewitnesses on the scene clearly state that he had a Wii controller in his hand. He heard a knock at the door. He asked who it was, there was no response so he opened the door and upon opening the door he was immediately shot in the chest," Law told WSB. (Law is the family lawyer)

That also conflicts with a neighbor named in the story: "This is tragic," Yates told the station. "She came out of this house. She put her head in her hands and she was sobbing. Supposedly, he opened the door with a BB gun and in my opinion I think he was playing a game with his neighborhood buddies." (Yates is a neighbor of the deceased teen)

And yes, the source is important. The only source reporting that the copy was abusive and threatening is a source that clearly is anti-cop (see the t-shirt). As stated as well, the nature of the actions that site claims (abusive cop) conflict with the actions that other sites claim (broke down and cried after finding out what she did). I have found zero other sources making abusive claims besides that one website. You'll have to forgive me if I take whatever that site says with a grain of salt.

You won't take any information that isn't confirmed? Why are you even discussing this at all then since NOTHING is confirmed except that the teenager is dead and the cop shot him.

I think that the cops are staying silent because there is nothing positive they can say but if you want to wait for an official statement, why be here discussing it?

EDIT: I missed something. Yes, you are correct that answering the door with a BB gun is not a death sentence crime. However, the cop is going to a door into a potentially hostile situation (warrant issue). The door is opened and someone is standing there with a gun in their hands (A BB Gun sure as hell can look like a real gun). Training took over and a unfortunate accident happens.

If training had taken over, she would have told him to drop the weapon. Shooting him in the chest is not the correct procedure, is it?