Saturday Story

Recently, several individuals have been killed by police officers and then it comes out they were “armed” with something other than a gun. A pellet pistol, an airsoft/paintball gun, or a “replica”. They were killed by the responding officers

Don’t point anything at a police officer. Especially if it “looks” like a gun. Most cops will not take the time to identify it. They will draw and fire and you will probably die.

Bullet Proof Vest Story

It was the night shift; I’d been a cop for about 6 years. On south King, just Ewa of the entry to Straub Hospital, was a skating rink, roller skating rink. Roller/Disco skating was making a big come back.

Across the street were a little drive-in restaurant and an empty lot.

These had been some kind of altercation inside that had spilled into the street and parking lot. Units were dispatched to the scene until things could calm down.

One guy, with a coat, was walking around talking to no one. He caught my attention. Watching him I caught the big telltale print in the small of his back. Really a poor place to carry a weapon unless you know what you’re doing. But it looks really cool in the movies.

I had just called for back-up when I realize he’s trying to avoid me and keeps looking at me as he walks toward a vehicle. Again, I see his hand go under the jacket and time stops.

My gun clears the holster, I have a good 2 handed Weaver, barrel centered on his chest, finger on the trigger, a deep breath, and again I see the CO2 end cap on the gun butt, same type of pellet gun.

I do remember screaming “No” to this one. He stopped in mid draw, and just let it fall to the ground.

But as it did, he yanked open the driver’s side vehicle door, jumped in, in what appeared to be an attempt to run away.

It never occurred to me he might have a “real gun” in the car. I knew he’d dropped a pellet gun and was trying to get away.

I speed dropped my revolver back into the holster while running up to the car. He was putting the key in the ignition when I got an arm around his neck and literally dragged him out the driver’s side window.

My back-up pulled in the lot in time to see me drag this guy out of his car, through the driver’s window, by his neck. I then choked him out (and I mean out) threw him on the ground, and cuffed him.

When he came to he started crying and saying it wasn’t real and he wasn’t going to shoot anyone.

I keep screaming at him because I was angry, because he almost made me kill him. I was a raving madman, I was so angry. He almost made me kill him, because he wanted to be a “tough guy”.

This guy survived the night because I had on a bullet-proof vest and could take an extra heartbeat to identify his “weapon”. I would have been perfectly justified if I had shot. “Justified” doesn’t make sleeping any easier.