Seattle: Man shot and killed by cops for whittling.

[pmbug]

On page 3 or so of the comments to the article, someone said the victim had been increasingly hostile to police recently and this event wasn't entirely unexpected.

 

[aGameOfThrones]

On page 3 or so of the comments to the article, someone said the victim had been increasingly hostile to police recently and this event wasn't entirely unexpected.

If true, maybe it was because the police were increasingly hostile with the victim. After all, he got shot 6 times in the chest for whittling and causing no harm to anyone or anything.

 

[libertybrewcity]

On page 3 or so of the comments to the article, someone said the victim had been increasingly hostile to police recently and this event wasn't entirely unexpected.

There was no reason to stop him in the first place.

 

[oyarde]

I am speechless . Insanity .

 

[MelissaWV]

On page 3 or so of the comments to the article, someone said the victim had been increasingly hostile to police recently and this event wasn't entirely unexpected.

While I understand your point, perhaps he was hostile towards police because they were pestering him for whittling. Also, this implies that the police knew the guy was increasingly hostile... so why bother him? There's knowledge that the guy is just sitting there whittling. If there were reports of his being hostile towards people, who then sought the aid of police, who were then confronted with an angry man with a knife, perhaps the story would be a little different. Even then, the matter of so many shots at close range would remain a mystery.

 

[TC95]

This pig needs to go to jail for life.

No. He needs to be tried for murder and given the death penalty. I guarantee you they'd be giving someone else the death penalty if someone murdered that cop.

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/09/...tml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

[Anti Federalist]

The man was known in the community, he sat there for two years making those totems. He was a cripple, alcoholic and deaf in one ear. He probably never heard the insane murderer's commands.

Please post a link to that info, thanks.

This is one of the things that makes me fearful for some of my friends. I know quite a few deaf or blind folks, and shudder at the fact that the police don't seem to think that they might exist. Imagine if the guy was totally deaf, looking down, whittling, oblivious to the cop's shouting and not looking at him (so didn't see the gun, etc.). Maybe he just happened to get up. Oh, yeah, I could see that being a misunderstanding... but... worthy of death? Jeez.

There have been more than a few cases of people being dragged out of their cars for DWI or drugs, tased and in some cases killed, when the reality was they were in diabetic shock and could not "comply".

Or crippled...I could post a thousand of these stories.

Youngstown cop beat me, paralyzed man says
http://www.vindy.com/news/2010/mar/10/city-cop-beat-me-paralyzed-man-says/
Daniel said a tow truck rode by the accident shortly after his brother left the scene, and he slid into the driver’s seat to flag down the driver. Daniel asked the driver for assistance, but said he did not need to have the police called.

The tow truck driver, according to police reports, however, called police because he thought he saw a gun inside the vehicle in which Daniel was sitting. Police did not find a gun, but did find a black stick inside the vehicle.

Joliff arrived at the scene of the accident shortly after the call from the tow truck driver.

Daniel said Joliff, at gun point, used an expletive and told him he would hurt him if he moved. Daniel said he told the officer he was paralyzed and could not walk, but the officer told him to be quiet.

Daniel said Joliff handcuffed him through the window, then punched him in the mouth. He said the officer dragged him from the SUV causing his pants to come down.

Daniel said he asked the officer to help get him out of the road because he is handicapped, but was again told to shut up. He said he asked two other officers who had arrived at the scene for help, and Joliff again hit him in the mouth.

 

[RedStripe]

 

[fedup100]

Please post a link to that info, thanks.



There have been more than a few cases of people being dragged out of their cars for DWI or drugs, tased and in some cases killed, when the reality was they were in diabetic shock and could not "comply".

Or crippled...I could post a thousand of these stories.

Youngstown cop beat me, paralyzed man says
http://www.vindy.com/news/2010/mar/10/city-cop-beat-me-paralyzed-man-says/
Daniel said a tow truck rode by the accident shortly after his brother left the scene, and he slid into the driver’s seat to flag down the driver. Daniel asked the driver for assistance, but said he did not need to have the police called.

The tow truck driver, according to police reports, however, called police because he thought he saw a gun inside the vehicle in which Daniel was sitting. Police did not find a gun, but did find a black stick inside the vehicle.

Joliff arrived at the scene of the accident shortly after the call from the tow truck driver.

Daniel said Joliff, at gun point, used an expletive and told him he would hurt him if he moved. Daniel said he told the officer he was paralyzed and could not walk, but the officer told him to be quiet.

Daniel said Joliff handcuffed him through the window, then punched him in the mouth. He said the officer dragged him from the SUV causing his pants to come down.

Daniel said he asked the officer to help get him out of the road because he is handicapped, but was again told to shut up. He said he asked two other officers who had arrived at the scene for help, and Joliff again hit him in the mouth.

http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=91

The cop is lying, witnesses say the cop ran up to the sitting man and shot him. Te man was a cripple, I assure you he was not advancing on the loser murderer with a badge.

scroll all the way down to the last story.

Williams was 50-years-old. He walked with a pronounced limp and was deaf in one ear, according to friends. The officer says he stopped when he saw Williams with his knife because something "didn't feel right".

 

[forsmant]

wtf. I carry a knife all the time. A box cutter. I am a carpenter. I like sharp things. WTF. Is the cop at least fired and charged with murder?

 

[Mini-Me]

wtf. I carry a knife all the time. A box cutter. I am a carpenter. I like sharp things. WTF. Is the cop at least fired and charged with murder?

You know, it's a pretty sad world. Exhibit A: The question you asked is not supposed to sound absurd and comical, but somehow it does. :-/

 

[Mach]

Acting Deputy Chief Nick Metz said Tuesday that Birk was stopped in his car at a red light as he headed south on Boren when he spotted Williams walking in a crosswalk "carrying a wooden board and a knife."

"He could see the blade of the knife and the man was doing something to the board," Metz said.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012769201_copshooting01m.html

 

[Vessol]

I can't wait until they shoot an old lady for knitting on a bus because whittling needles can be sharpened and used for weapons!

 

[pmbug]

I hate abuse of authority as much as the next person, but those of you characterizing this incident as someone being shot for whittling are disingenuous.

Even if the guy was deaf - you don't advance on a policeman with an open blade in your hand. That's just never going to end well.

 

[MelissaWV]

I hate abuse of authority as much as the next person, but those of you characterizing this incident as someone being shot for whittling are disingenuous.

Even if the guy was deaf - you don't advance on a policeman with an open blade in your hand. That's just never going to end well.

I don't see any convincing evidence of "advancing" going on, and I also don't see justification for that many gunshots at point blank range. My question to you is whether or not taking a step or two with a blade in your hand, after standing from using that blade, is worthy of instant death penalty? Consider this: Do you really think this would have ended differently if the person paused to put the blade away? To close it (assuming it's that kind of knife)? To fling it on the ground (if it was flung "in the officer's direction" it would have seemed threatening, too)? To gently set it on the ground? Which of these would the officer have accepted as good enough to keep the guy alive? If you can't answer the very last question, then neither could the guy who was sitting there whittling.

The officer, though, did save that board from certain destruction.

I can absolutely understand the point of view of the police in some circumstances, but this one stinks in so many ways.

 

[Anti Federalist]

I hate abuse of authority as much as the next person, but those of you characterizing this incident as someone being shot for whittling are disingenuous.

Even if the guy was deaf - you don't advance on a policeman with an open blade in your hand. That's just never going to end well.

What would happen if you did it?

If, all things being absolutely equal, you would walk, with no charges filed and not even an arrest, then OK, maybe it was a justified shoot.

Now, given the circumstances of this particular case, would that be true?

 

[Vessol]

YouTube - WA Police TASER Another Man To Death

 

[BuddyRey]

This story brings to mind that South Park episode, where Jimbo and Ned had a hunting show, but because of new laws on the books, they could now only kill animals in self-defense. To get around this, they would approach their game and yell into the video camera, "it's headed right for us!", even though the unsuspecting critter was clearly standing around, disinterested.

Now, I'm not saying that this is what happened to the whittler in Seattle, but isn't it interesting how often we hear this same excuse from trigger-happy cops around the country when their misdeeds are called into question? Also, how easy would it be for these police to prove their claims of self-defense, when we know they have dashcams and witnesses galore? I say that until we see the dashcam footage, these officers should be suspended without pay.

 

[RCA]

This story brings to mind that South Park episode, where Jimbo and Ned had a hunting show, but because of new laws on the books, they could now only kill animals in self-defense. To get around this, they would approach their game and yell into the video camera, "it's headed right for us!", even though the unsuspecting critter was clearly standing around, disinterested.

Now, I'm not saying that this is what happened to the whittler in Seattle, but isn't it interesting how often we hear this same excuse from trigger-happy cops around the country when their misdeeds are called into question? Also, how easy would it be for these police to prove their claims of self-defense, when we know they have dashcams and witnesses galore? I say that until we see the dashcam footage, these officers should be suspended without pay.

Spot on with the South Park reference!

 

[aGameOfThrones]

YouTube - WA Police TASER Another Man To Death