Community Chat

[Noel7]

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@sidsmom wrote:

@Noel7

Thank you for the references, but I'm familiar with

CIT (Crisis Intervention Training) & Mental Health Code.

Dallas Police Academy has a required 24hrs of

CIT/Mental Health training before graduating.  

Dallas Police Department has one of the best training facilities

in the country...especially with Reality Based Training.

When I give opinions about the police force, it's usually 

with this skill set in mind.   Can't speak for other cities, 

but again here in Dallas, the bar is set petty high. 

Regarding the incident in California, sometimes no matter 

how much training one has, the outcome will be the same.

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@sidsmom

Then why did you ask me?  And in such a silly manner, talking about taking them out for coffee.

If you already knew about the training, there was no need for that sarcasm.

[ChynnaBlue]

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@Nightowlz wrote:

Surely they could see that was not a gun.

We had a guy walking down the street that runs out from our neighborhood with a rifle a few weeks ago. The police were called & he was picked up before anything happened. He had a backpack with several rounds of ammo, 3 knives & I cannot remember what else. He told police he felt it was his right to walk down the street with his rifle? They had no idea what he had in mind to do. He said he was just going for a walk. I'm sure he was up to something or why all the ammo in the backpack? Why even carry a rifle on a walk? He was not far from a school when he was picked up.

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They could not see anything at all. By all reports, including the one linked in the OP, he had his hands in his pockets and did not follow commands to take them out of his pockets, so they assumed he was armed and fired.

"Serna kept his hands in his pockets as he walked toward the officers, and ignored their demands that he put his arms up and stop moving. Officer Reagan Selman shot and killed Serna after he refused the cops’ requests, police said."


Not following the commands shouldn't be a death sentence. A lot of people cannot hear or understand the commands and that doesn't mean they are trying to shoot anyone.

The people who called this in to 911 and reported he had a gun should be deeply ashamed of themselves. I've called the police to check on mentally ill people and if they ask me if the person has a weapon and I did not see one, I always said I did not know, but I did not see one. I've never reported a non-existant weapon.

" He told police he felt it was his right to walk down the street with his rifle?"

Depending on the state, it may well be. Here in Texas it is. Prior to 2016, you could openly carry a long rifle in Texas, but not a handgun. Handguns could only be carried if concealed and with a conceal carry permit. As of 2016, handguns can be openly carried in Texas with a license. A Texas legislator has filed a bill for the 2017 session that would, if passed, allow anyone in Texas to carry a handgun without any kind of handgun license or training.

[dex]

I would not want anyone in my family to be a police officer in these times.That job is just so dangerous and everything can change in a split second....wouldn't want to have to make those decisions and live or die with the consequences.I believe that most are racked with fear in these rapidly evolving situations...then self preservation takes over.

[Noel7]

I just came across this information on a news site:

"A study published last year by a project called Mapping Police Violence rated Bakersfield's Police Department as the deadliest in the country, logging 13.6 killings for every million people. The United States average is 3.6, according to the project."

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/crucifix-carrying-man-with-dementia-killed-by-police-in-calif/ar-AA...

[Greeneyedlady21]

Well that's certainly interesting about that police department. Being critical of police does not mean you don't support them. I think we need to be critical in order to hold them to a certain standard. And it seems to me they should want to be self critical in order to hold themselves to certain standards.

Of course they need to make split second decisions that are easy for us to criticize in hindsight. But to shoot that man nine times? 

Living in quiet suburbia I have still had a couple of negative experiences with police officers. But a couple of years ago I had a very positive one, they really helped me. The negative ones made me lose some trust in them, the positive one helped with that. I respect and admire police officers, but I also think it's my right and responsibility to question their actions.

[jaxs mom]

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@Mz iMac wrote:

@Noel7

According to the article you linked....

He did not have Alzheimer's.  He was in the early stages of dementia.  Alzheimers was never mentioned in the article.

911 calls reported man w/gun.

No way for police to know "no gun."  They were going by what was called in to "911."

Man kept hands in pocket & did not respond to police commands.  Kept coming toward them.

How were the police to know this man had dementia????

Most important question of all....

Where were his caretakers?  This "killing" occurred 12:30 AM.

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Using that "logic" apparently police can just shoot the hearing and developmentally or mentally impaired without cause as long as the idiot public claim the person has a gun.

[jaxs mom]

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@sidsmom wrote:

@Noel7

So the police are supposed to take the perpetrator,

maybe go out for coffee, sit down & really talk it out?

SMH

And I'm not sure what someone with dementia 'looks' like.

My mother looks the same as she was 10+ yrs ago.

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In what way was this man a perpetrator, other than to the crack pot public that called police saying he had a gun? He committed no crime other than having dementia and leaving his home at night. 

[sidsmom]

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@jaxs mom wrote:

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@sidsmom wrote:

@Noel7

So the police are supposed to take the perpetrator,

maybe go out for coffee, sit down & really talk it out?

SMH

And I'm not sure what someone with dementia 'looks' like.

My mother looks the same as she was 10+ yrs ago.

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In what way was this man a perpetrator, other than to the crack pot public that called police saying he had a gun? He committed no crime other than having dementia and leaving his home at night. 

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You're right. I've should've said 'possible" perpetrator...or suspect.

[Noel7]

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@sidsmom wrote:

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@jaxs mom wrote:

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@sidsmom wrote:

@Noel7

So the police are supposed to take the perpetrator,

maybe go out for coffee, sit down & really talk it out?

SMH

And I'm not sure what someone with dementia 'looks' like.

My mother looks the same as she was 10+ yrs ago.

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In what way was this man a perpetrator, other than to the crack pot public that called police saying he had a gun? He committed no crime other than having dementia and leaving his home at night. 

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You're right. I've should've said 'possible" perpetrator.

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@sidsmom

If that's the case, every person walking down the street or acting oddly would be considered a "possible perp."

[Nancy Drew]

Post like this are interesting. Beats talking about mascara. However we makes statements and judgements with not knowing the facts. I am guilty of this also. We don't know what he was doing with them item in his hand, we don't know what the law enforcements train of thought was. So many variables.