Grey Templar wrote:
As far as the Cops knew, it was a real gun.

And there is no way you don't notice multiple cars driving up behind you. He would have had to have been deaf and blind not to notice what was going on. Especially considering the behavior that got the cops called in the first place.

Did they get a little too close? Yeah. But that doesn't make them the ones at fault here.

 Vaktathi wrote:

 Grey Templar wrote:

 Psienesis wrote:


He didn't reach for a gun, he was a 12 year old boy with a toy and, according to reports? No, he didn't see them approaching, they drove right up to him, one cop jumped out and shot him.

As far as the Cops knew, it was a real gun.

And there is no way you don't notice multiple cars driving up behind you. He would have had to have been deaf and blind not to notice what was going on. Especially considering the behavior that got the cops called in the first place.

Clearly you don't remember being 12 years old. I was a total blithering idiot, unaware of just about everything (and not caring about most of what I was aware of) when I was 12 years old. I totally remember playing with toy guns as a kid and not paying any attention to cars, I almost got hit by a car doing exactly that as an idiot kid.

From the behavior of other 12 year olds I've had to bear the company of lately, I don't gather much has changed.

 Grey Templar wrote:
Its not like they saw some cute little kid with a gun. Look at it from their PoV.

 whembly wrote:

This is what these police officers are facing...

So, it's not surprise the Tamir incident happened in such a way...

Los Angeles Times wrote:According to Loehmann’s personnel records, released by the city of Independence, police officials were in the process of firing him when he resigned in December 2012. Supervisors described an emotionally unstable recruit with a “lack of maturity” and “inability to perform basic functions as instructed” during a weapons training exercise.

In a statement issued Wednesday evening, the Cleveland Police Department said that it had not reviewed Loehmann’s Independence personnel file during his background check. According to Cleveland police spokesman Ali Pillow, detectives interviewed the human resources director for the city of Independence, who told them there were no disciplinary actions or incidents in Loehmann’s file. The manager told detectives Loehmann left because he resigned for personal reasons, Pillow said.

Current policy does not require the department to review previous employers’ personnel files, the department said, but police officials say they are now amending those policies to request such files.

According to a memo sent by Deputy Chief Jim Polak of the Independence Police Department to the city’s human resources manager, Loehmann was visibly “distracted and weepy” during a gun range training course, and could not follow simple directions or communicate clearly.

“His handgun performance was dismal,” read the memo, which called the incident a “dangerous loss of composure.” The training officer took Loehmann’s weapons away and drove with him to pick up some of his other gear, but the officer continued to have an “emotional meltdown,” crying at times as he described relationship problems with his girlfriend to his training sergeant.

In two other incidents, the documents say, Loehmann failed to follow instructions, at one point leaving his gun in an unlocked locker overnight.

“Individually, these events would not be considered major situations, but when taken together they show a pattern of a lack of maturity, indiscretion and not following instructions,” the memo reads. “I do not believe time, nor training, will be able to change or correct these deficiencies."

The department recommended that Loehmann be fired. He decided to resign instead, the memo says.

(CNN)—A police officer lied when he said somebody shot at his patrol car, causing it to crash and catch fire, said Millis, Massachusetts, police Sgt. William Dwyer on Thursday.

"We have determined that the officer's story was fabricated," Dwyer said. "Specifically that he fired shots at his own cruiser as part of a plan to concoct a story that he was fired upon."

Dwyer said the officer will be prosecuted. He was a dispatcher hired as a part-time officer and was training to become a full-time officer, Dwyer said.

Dwyer said the officer's name won't be released until charges are filed. He didn't say why the officer made up the story.

On Wednesday, the officer reported that a white man in a dark pickup truck fired shots at him, causing his patrol car to spin around, strike a tree and catch fire. The officer said he returned fire.

Police conducted an intensive search with officers from other law enforcement agencies, firefighters, police dogs and a Massachusetts State Police helicopter.



Also on Wednesday, somebody made a threatening call to a local middle school. City schools were locked down for the day and were closed all day Thursday. Police don't know if that threat and the cruiser incident are related.

Millis is a town of about 8,000 people located about 25 miles southwest of Boston.