TO: Bob Owens
RE: Rules of Engagement – North Carolina (Item 4)
“In plain English, (1) we can’t start a confrontation, (2) must try to diffuse or escape the situation if we can, and (3) can only pull a weapon when some tries to kill or sexually assault someone else or ourselves, and (4) once we fire, we can only shoot to stop the threat, not to kill.” — Bob Owens
Funny think, that….item 4; you cannot shoot to kill.
The police do it ALL the time.
Case in Point….
….some years ago some idiot commandeered an M60 Main Battle Tank from some Army fort in California.
He went cruising down the roadways of some big city there, squashing parked cars. Not killing, or attacking, anyone on his joy ride.
The police were following him closely; for some reason, not getting up a road-block.
At some point the tank driver, high-axled his vehicle on some structure leading to a bridge.
A cop climbed aboard the tank and got into the crew compartment through an unsecured hatch on the turret. [Note: I suspect this cop had some experience with tanks.]
He accosted this miscreant, who was sitting in the drivers seat from behind and told him to stop trying to free the tank from the immobility predicament.
When the miscreant continued to drive the tank off the obstacle, the cop shot him….IN THE HEAD.
This despite the fact that the tank was immobile, i.e., it wasn’t going to go ANYWHERE.
The cop was not charged with murder. Nor, to the best of my knowledge with failure to shoot ‘not to kill’.
Is there a double-standard here? In MY state, Colorado, I’m informed that cops and private citizens are held to the same standard regarding the lawful use of deadly force. [Note: However, I've not observed that is the case in a number of instances I've noticed since the 1980s, when our rich Uncle Sam moved me here to Fort Carson.]
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[Dead men cannot sue you in civil court.]
