Police officer shoots at man - thought cell phone was gun

[The Straight Story]

Police officer shoots at man

PADDOCK HILLS – A Cincinnati police officer fired a gunshot early today at a man she thought was armed with a weapon, a Cincinnati police spokesman said.

The weapon turned out to be a cell phone, said Lt. Mark Briede. The shot missed, and no one was injured.

The incident occurred when the officer was dispatched to the 4500 block of Paddock Road at 2:48 a.m. to investigate an anonymous report of a fight and shots fired, Briede said.

Police identified the officer as Chantia Pearson, 26. She has been a police officer with Cincinnati since March 2006, Briede said.

Pearson is on paid administrative leave, which is routine whenever an officer is involved in a shooting.

The man she shot at was identified as Robert Davenport, 29, of College Hill. Briede said Davenport was taken into custody on three open misdemeanor warrants for possession of an open flask, possession of marijuana and disorderly conduct.

Briede said Pearson started walking around the building and saw a man head around a corner of a building with something in his hand, he said. She assumed it was a gun and fired her 9 mm semi-automatic handgun.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090326/NEWS01/303260011

[dipsydoodle]

1. We had a similar issue in the UK

with a chair leg.

[notadmblnd]

2. Shoot first, ask questions later. Is that the new police slogan?

it used to be.. to protect and to serve:shrug:

[The Straight Story]

3. maybe it looked like an assault phone

:)

[rrneck]

11. It had a bayonet lug nt

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. Reminds me of the Tropper in OK who did the same thing

It was a scary video

[stray cat]

7. I think they are allowed to keep themselves from getting killed if someone draws on them

a tragic incident however to be sure.

[notadmblnd]

8. So what would be wrong with using one word sentences?

Halt! Freeze! stop! before shooting? Surely our public safety offices are capable of constructing and articulating those phrases?

[Tim01]

21. Here is a video for you.

If the public OBEYED when the officer told them to do something I would totally agree with you. 100%
This woman argued,was hostile, and refused to do what the officer told her to do over and over and over. Because of a speeding ticket.
Is this the person who is digging around in her car for a gun? Is she just argumentative? Why won't she do what she is told? Cops have to wonder. Is this the day I get shot in the face? She got tasered.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVhR0SY-cSw

[notadmblnd]

25. obviously, she deserved to die

:sarcasm:

[Pastiche423]

38. I could not that entire video

Are you saying we should all do whatever cops tell us to? And that she deserved being tased?

That fucking pig was the one w/the attitude!

[acmavm]

9. What has that to do with this unless anything in one's hand is now considered

to be a deadly weapon?

[Tim01]

23. Shiny small thing in the hand.

Officers responding to shots fired, prepared to be in a gun fight. Phone? Gun? Hard to tell.
Maybe the police should wait to see the flash from it before they shoot back.

But I do understand your point. Things happen very fast though.

[acmavm]

26. I don't have the answer. I just know that the police cannot go on operating

on the principal that if someone has something in their hand they need to be shot.



41 shots, and we'll take that ride
'Cross this bloody river to the other side
41 shots, cut through the night
You're kneeling over his body in the vestibule
Praying for his life

Well, is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it a wallet, this is your life
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)

41 shots, Lena gets her son ready for school
She says "On these streets, Charles
You've got to understand the rules
If an officer stops you, promise me you'll always be polite
And that you'll never ever run away
Promise Mama you'll keep your hands in sight"

Well, is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it a wallet, this is your life
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)

(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)

Is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it in your heart, is it in your eyes
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)

41 shots, and we'll take that ride
'Cross this bloody river to the other side
41 shots, got my boots caked in this mud
We're baptized in these waters (baptized in these waters)
And in each other's blood (and in each other's blood)

Is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it a wallet, this is your life
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

(41 shots)
You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)
You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)
You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)
You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)
You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)
You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)
You can get killed just for living in

[Tim01]

28. Perhaps their response should be more like the 4 dead cops in Oakland?

[acmavm]

30. Now that's a knee jerk reaction.

That was a gunfight. Everyone was armed.

edit: So help me, explain where I said that no police officers should ever use their guns.

[Tim01]

33. I don't think it is possible to get loss of life down to a level you consider acceptable.

Civilians, or police officers , or both.

[acmavm]

34. That I consider acceptable. This is NOT about ME and what I consider

acceptable. It's about justice and what is right. Killing innocent people because of a 'mistake' is not acceptable.

[Raineyb]

41. Yeah because that WALLET that Mr. Diallo was carrying was deadly

-for him.

There's no bloody excuse for the cops rolling up on a man in the vestibule of the apartment he lives in and shooting him down the way they did. All because he "fit a description." What was the description? A black man. They shot at him 41 times and miss more than half in a bloody vestibule with is probably about the size of a NYC bathroom. There. Is. No. Excuse. For. This.


Regards

[Tesha]

36. This is the beauty of everyone having easy access to guns.

It's now *ASSUMED* that everyone has a gun.

See how guns make you safer?

Tesha

[Tim01]

37. I was going to post pics for you

of stabbing victims in America. But the google search produced tons and tons of pictures of the most graphic injuries I have ever seen. It looked just like a horror movie, and that is current America.

The point is that criminals are still dangerous with knives. Great Britain knows all about knife violence since guns are not there.

My argument would go better with the pics, but knife wounds are so much worse than gun shots.

So......I guess banning knives would be next? Right?

[Tesha]

39. The cops aren't "shooting first" because of knives -- they're doing it because of guns.

The dynamic has shifted as more and more of everyone has a gun.
And the shifting dynamic has now made all of us *FAR LESS SAFE*
than we used to be.

Pull out your cell phone; get shot.

Pull out your lighter; get shot.

Pull out your wallet to get your license; get shot.

Yeah, guns make people safer. NOT.

Tesha

[badacid]

13. oooooooh! I see what you did there....

You are trying to be condescending while completely ignoring the other thousands of police officers who are Protecting And Serving.


Sneaky sneaky. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else.

[notadmblnd]

15. Be my guest. Sing it to the world

if you're so afraid of doing the job you choose to do (no one is forced into law enforcement) and are ok with yourself killing innocents with no questions asked to preserve yourself, then what can I say? maybe you shouldn't be in law enforcement?

I for one am, sick of the mentality of law enforcement these days, that everyone is a criminal and the name of the game is kill or be killed. It's bullshit!

[Tim01]

35. Professional officer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzcYdg786sc

[rosesaylavee]

4. I always walk with my gun to my ear.

[LisaL]

5. The guy is lucky to be alive.

[Divine Discontent]

10. that was my thought too! first thought - usually they keep shooting til they shoot the target - he

can count that day as a blessing. I'd sue even if I did all they said he did. He could have been killed by incompetence and fear. What ever happened to FREEZE OR I'LL SHOOT?????? COULD WE GET THEM TO SAY THIS AGAIN?

[badacid]

14. That would cause a lot more shootings

You don't give ultimatums.

"Police, put the gun down"

Things like this.


However, go about and start yelling, "Stop or I'll shoot" means the person has 2 choice, do what they're told, or be shot.

Now, in most circumstances people, especially those who are already committing a crime, don't want to stop so they keep moving.

Then the police officer has to repeat - "Stop or I'll Shoot" Now you've just told the same person - I am not going to shoot you.


NEVER give ultimatums.

[Occulus]

17. .

:rofl:

That was funny.

[Tim01]

12. Cautious enough to get killed, or aggressive enough to shoot an innocent. Pick one.

In some places it is either one or the other. There isn't a middle ground.

[AndyTiedye]

16. So We Are Supposed to Just Accept Getting Shot at By the Police???

[Tim01]

19. There are some options

1)Raise taxes a LOT to train police better and increase their numbers.
2)Tell police they don't have to go into situations they don't feel safe in, give the criminals whatever areas they want.
3)Get rid of the police.
I'll be happy to listen if you have better solutions.

Personally, I am super cooperative when dealing with the cops.
If they pull me over I get off the road as fast as I can and I sit there with my hand on top of the steering wheel until they tell me to do other wise. They usually appreciate that. They also usually give me a hard time and a lot of attitude. I don't take the bait, I remain polite. Once they realize I don't have a temper problem and I am not going to start a fistfight with them, they are quite polite and professional.
They have let me go lots of times for things like a broken tail light or whatever because I try to cooperate with them. I am probably not the one who is going to get shot for holding a cell phone. But no system is perfect. Bad things happen to good people in spite of our best efforts.

[Solon]

20. "I am probably not the one who is going to get shot for holding a cell phone."

Well, unless you don't have a cellphone at all, I would say that this isn't true, you are just as likely as the next guy to get shot(one exemption, if you are black, you are more likely to be shot), regardless of how "cooperative" you have been with police in the past. After all, its not like this guy was even given an opportunity to even know the officer was around before being shot at.

[Tim01]

22. If I am someplace where there has been

reported a fight and shots fired and I come around the corner with something in my hand that could be mistaken for a gun and bump into a cop, yep I might get shot at.

It would be nice if we could make it so that the good guys always win, but we can't.

How about this, jail for everybody who might shoot a cop. Then the cops have no reason to be concerned about being murdered at traffic stops, and domestic disputes, and break ins, and all the other times they are trying to protect average people.

[Solon]

27. Well, that would be everybody, would it not?

With no knock warrants, hell, even little old ladies shoot at cops who fail to identify themselves, so we would have to lock up everybody in the country to make sure cops are safe.

[Raineyb]

42. You must be white

I find that the police aren't really very polite or professional with black people.

Having an attitude BTW is not a capital offense last I checked. If the police can't manage an attitude without shooting someone they ought not be in law enforcement.

Regards

[Solon]

18. I'm frankly amazed people are defending this police officer, she violated one of the most basic...

rules of engagement, to not shoot at someone unless you reasonably believe the suspect poses a threat to yourself or others. She assumed he had a gun, but couldn't be sure, so she just fired off a shot. Not to mention the fact that she could have shot someone else by accident, even though she missed him.

[MineralMan]

24. Nothing good happens between 2 A.M. and sunrise.

"at 2:48 a.m."

[Solon]

31. That is absolutely not true, plenty of good things happen inbetween that time...

of course, generally I never have to leave home to have those good things happen. ;)

[MineralMan]

32. Ah...good point. Perhaps I should rephrase...

Nothing good ever happens in public places between 2 A.M. and sunrise.

How's that?

[TWiley]

29. I thought guns were supposed to make society safer?

how could this have happened? Maybe the policeman needed to attend a gun safety class.

[LynnTheDem]

40. Fire her. Charge her. Jail her.

"saw a man head around a corner of a building with something in his hand... She assumed it was a gun and fired her 9 mm semi-automatic handgun."

Fuck this shit.