I was almost sick when I watched the video. Is this like common practice in the US?
I found some background to this on YouTube.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office published body camera video of an officer involved shooting Friday afternoon.
First Coast News reported in April an officer shot and killed 43-year-old Kevin Mahan. JSO was initially called to the 7200 block of Morse Avenue, on the city's Westside, for a person described as mentally ill.
The video shows the moments before the officer shot Mahan, the actual shooting and the aftermath.
"Put the hatchet down!" the officer can be heard in the video yelling commands at Mahan.
"Listen man, don't..."
"Put the ax down!" the officer shouted.
The officer can be heard telling Mahan to put the ax down four times.
Mahan can be heard saying "man, listen bro..." and then the officer shoots him in the head. Then-chief TK Waters said that Mahan stood up and raised the ax. The policeman fired one shot and killed Mahan at the scene.
Former JSO Police Detective, Kim Varner, reviewed the video and told First Coast News the officer was quick to shoot Mahan.
"I'll speak just for me. I can't speak for that officer and why he did what he did," Varner said, who has nearly 30 years being with JSO. "If it was me I would've held him at bay until I had some backup arrive."
Varner said he's been involved in officer involved shootings before. Considering the man in the video was described to be mentally ill, Varner said he would've tried talking the Mahan down to put down the ax.
"Why not try and talk to the guy? 'Drop the axe' ain't talking to him," Varner added.
JSO has not identified the officer because he requested to be under Marsy's law. A police official said the officer is back to work and no longer on administrative leave. However, the investigation is ongoing.
This guy looks like he's chopping wood to me. Half of the US population claim they have mental health issues? Should Police go around shooting them? (OK I get it he holds a "weapon" of sorts but still)
I was almost sick when I watched the video. Is this like common practice in the US?
Yes. Plenty of YT videos of cops shooting people in split second decisions. Some justified, others poor training/rookie cop.
There is a rule called the 21 ft rule (6.5m) where it'll take a second or two for an attacker to close the gap. Good luck getting a shot off at a moving target. That is why the officer isn't interested in a conversation at the moment. It's a gamble not worth taking. Backup isn't on scene, axe wounds suck to first aid (by yourself). Guy has a long history of violence.
The cop drew his gun when he was 100 feet away, started yelling at the guy from 50 feet away, and deliberately closed to 10 feet so he could invoke the 21 foot rule. He could have stayed away and yelled commands from a distance, but then he wouldn't have had the excuse to kill.
From the video, I can see neither that the guy was "crazed" nor that he was "chased down". For all I can tell, the cops trespassed on some guys property and gunned him down. In any case, the cop wouldn't have gone that close to him if he posed a real threat. He would have shot him from 50 or 100 feet away.
I was almost sick when I watched the video. Is this like common practice in the US?
I found some background to this on YouTube.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office published body camera video of an officer involved shooting Friday afternoon.
First Coast News reported in April an officer shot and killed 43-year-old Kevin Mahan. JSO was initially called to the 7200 block of Morse Avenue, on the city's Westside, for a person described as mentally ill.
The video shows the moments before the officer shot Mahan, the actual shooting and the aftermath.
"Put the hatchet down!" the officer can be heard in the video yelling commands at Mahan.
"Listen man, don't..."
"Put the ax down!" the officer shouted.
The officer can be heard telling Mahan to put the ax down four times.
Mahan can be heard saying "man, listen bro..." and then the officer shoots him in the head. Then-chief TK Waters said that Mahan stood up and raised the ax. The policeman fired one shot and killed Mahan at the scene.
Former JSO Police Detective, Kim Varner, reviewed the video and told First Coast News the officer was quick to shoot Mahan.
"I'll speak just for me. I can't speak for that officer and why he did what he did," Varner said, who has nearly 30 years being with JSO. "If it was me I would've held him at bay until I had some backup arrive."
Varner said he's been involved in officer involved shootings before. Considering the man in the video was described to be mentally ill, Varner said he would've tried talking the Mahan down to put down the ax.
"Why not try and talk to the guy? 'Drop the axe' ain't talking to him," Varner added.
JSO has not identified the officer because he requested to be under Marsy's law. A police official said the officer is back to work and no longer on administrative leave. However, the investigation is ongoing.
This guy looks like he's chopping wood to me. Half of the US population claim they have mental health issues? Should Police go around shooting them? (OK I get it he holds a "weapon" of sorts but still)
Yes. Plenty of YT videos of cops shooting people in split second decisions. Some justified, others poor training/rookie cop.
There is a rule called the 21 ft rule (6.5m) where it'll take a second or two for an attacker to close the gap. Good luck getting a shot off at a moving target. That is why the officer isn't interested in a conversation at the moment. It's a gamble not worth taking. Backup isn't on scene, axe wounds suck to first aid (by yourself). Guy has a long history of violence.
Homie should have dropped the axe.
The cop drew his gun when he was 100 feet away, started yelling at the guy from 50 feet away, and deliberately closed to 10 feet so he could invoke the 21 foot rule. He could have stayed away and yelled commands from a distance, but then he wouldn't have had the excuse to kill.
From the video, I can see neither that the guy was "crazed" nor that he was "chased down". For all I can tell, the cops trespassed on some guys property and gunned him down. In any case, the cop wouldn't have gone that close to him if he posed a real threat. He would have shot him from 50 or 100 feet away.