So what was the cop supposed to do?

[SeaCat]

Click on the video after reading the news story to hear the Aunts comments.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/boca-raton/fl-boca-shooting-20100609,0,2069649.story

Cat

 

[michchick98]

Click on the video after reading the news story to hear the Aunts comments.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/boca-raton/fl-boca-shooting-20100609,0,2069649.story

Cat

Looks like it's literally a case of he said/she said. I think the officer was justified in shooting the teen, but I don't agree she should've shot him 3 times.

And to those who might decide to jump on me about what I said, it makes no difference. We are all entitled to our own opinions and I refuse to reply to anyone who tries to force their views, opinions or beliefs on me.

No matter what any of us says, in the end, the courts will handle it.

 

[Xelebes]

The headline makes me want to scoop my eyes out with a spork.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Point a gun at a cop, expect to be shot. What's hard about that?

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Stupid is as stupid does...what VM said. Having been a cop, I would have unload my weapon in him. All 15 round dead center mass. Well maybe not all 15 but at least 3, just as she did. In the military you're taught to put two in the chest and one in the head. BAM, BAM...BAM.

 

[Weird Harold]

Point a gun at a cop, expect to be shot. What's hard about that?

The Jeep's driver, whose name has not been released, put the vehicle in reverse and rammed Wendlick's patrol car, authorities said. Police are still searching for him.

Rosario jumped out of the Jeep and pointed a handgun at the officer, the report said. Wendlick then raised her gun and shot Rosario three times in self-defense, according to the report.

Jump out of a stolen vehicle that just deliberately rammed my patrol car and point at me, and I'm not going to be looking too closely at what you are pointing at me....

 

[cloudy]

I dunno...there seems to be a whole lot more to the story that's not included in the article.

On the surface the cop's actions seem justified, but there's a couple of sentences that make me wonder:

Wendlick has been investigated for firing her gun on duty at least twice. The first shooting was in 1997, when she shot a suburban Boca Raton woman who was trying to stab an ex-boyfriend.

In 2003, she shot out the tire of a car whose driver was trying to hit her. She was cleared in both investigations.

In 2006, she was suspended for three days after investigators said she improperly used her Taser when shocking three officers during training.

Most cops go their entire careers without firing their weapon. Makes you wonder.

 

[SeaCat]

I dunno...there seems to be a whole lot more to the story that's not included in the article.

On the surface the cop's actions seem justified, but there's a couple of sentences that make me wonder:



Most cops go their entire careers without firing their weapon. Makes you wonder.

Some areas in southern Florida have very high violent crime rates. The area around Orlando, The strip along the coast from Jupiter south. (Jupiter, West Palm Beach, Wellington, Belle Glade, Pahokee, Hollywood, Riviera Beach, Mangonia Park, Lake Park, Lake Worth, some areas of Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, shall I go on?)

For the police it's almost like being in a shooting gallery. For the residents, the law abiding residents it is like being in a shooting gallery. (Today alone in the local news we had reports of three shootings, an armed bank robbery with hostages and two Car Jackings.) Last night in the western part of the county we had a motorcycle cop shot from ambush. (He'll survive but he has serious injuries.)

This area can be likened to the streets of certain parts of N.Y.C. not too long ago.

As for the reasons or causes behind this I don't honestly know although I do have my own theories.

Cat

 

[TE999]

The little punk should be glad he's still alive. His Aunt's a moron. Of course that's SOP when a 'misunderstood youth' gets plugged by a cop. "Well, she didn't have to shoot him three times." What utter idiocy. You have a gun and you defend yourself you shoot to kill. I'm sure there'll be the usual whining from the PC pansies about this.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

The little punk should be glad he's still alive. His Aunt's a moron. Of course that's SOP when a 'misunderstood youth' gets plugged by a cop. "Well, she didn't have to shoot him three times." What utter idiocy. You have a gun and you defend yourself you shoot to kill. I'm sure there'll be the usual whining from the PC pansies about this.

IMO the real problem was that the cop wasn't carrying enough weight. If she'd plugged him with a .45 there wouldn't have been any need for the other two shots. He might not have been dead but he'd have been on the ground.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I dunno...there seems to be a whole lot more to the story that's not included in the article.

On the surface the cop's actions seem justified, but there's a couple of sentences that make me wonder:

Wendlick has been investigated for firing her gun on duty at least twice. The first shooting was in 1997, when she shot a suburban Boca Raton woman who was trying to stab an ex-boyfriend.

In 2003, she shot out the tire of a car whose driver was trying to hit her. She was cleared in both investigations.

In 2006, she was suspended for three days after investigators said she improperly used her Taser when shocking three officers during training.

Most cops go their entire careers without firing their weapon. Makes you wonder.

In 16 years, she has fired her weapon twice besides on the firing range. Hardly sounds trigger-happy.

I don't see that she had any real choice, after the suspects rammed her car with their SUV and a guy was aiming a gun at her. It seems like a matter of shoot or be shot.

 

[TE999]

IMO the real problem was that the cop wasn't carrying enough weight. If she'd plugged him with a .45 there wouldn't have been any need for the other two shots. He might not have been dead but he'd have been on the ground.

All the cops carry 9mm Glocks and Birettas nowdays...they're adequate under normal circumstances, but you can empty a clip into some 300 lb dude high on ice and it's like hunting Cape Buffalo with a 30.30.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

IMO the real problem was that the cop wasn't carrying enough weight. If she'd plugged him with a .45 there wouldn't have been any need for the other two shots. He might not have been dead but he'd have been on the ground.

Most police dept's don't carry anything more powerful than a 9mm as the high power rounds have a tendency to go through the perp and into a civilian. Or through the engine block and into the babies nursery.

So the compromise was the 9mm as it had just a little more knockdown power than the .38 special.

 

[SeaCat]

The Police Departments around here all carry the .40 Cal. Either the Glock or the S&W.

Cat

 

[Zeb_Carter]

The Police Departments around here all carry the .40 Cal. Either the Glock or the S&W.

Cat

That a just a silly millimeter longer.

Ballistic performance 9mm Parabellum
Bullet weight/type Velocity Energy
7.45 g (115.0 gr) FMJ 390 m/s (1,300 ft/s) 570 J (420 ft·lbf)
8.00 g (123.5 gr) FMJ 360 m/s (1,200 ft/s) 518 J (382 ft·lbf)
9.10 g (140.0 gr) FMJ 305 m/s (1,000 ft/s) 419 J (309 ft·lbf)
9.50 g (147.0 gr) JHP 368 m/s (1,210 ft/s) 643 J (474 ft·lbf)
7.45 g (115.0 gr) JHP 435 m/s (1,430 ft/s) 704 J (519 ft·lbf)

Ballistic performance .40 S&W (10mm)
Bullet weight/type Velocity Energy
135 gr ( 8.7 g) Federal Premium JHP 1,190 ft/s (360 m/s) 424 ft·lbf (575 J)
155 gr (10.0 g) Speer Gold Dot JHP 1,175 ft/s (358 m/s) 475 ft·lbf (644 J)
165 gr (10.7 g) Speer Gold Dot JHP 1,150 ft/s (350 m/s) 484 ft·lbf (656 J)
180 gr (12.0 g) Speer Gold Dot JHP 985 ft/s (300 m/s) 400 ft·lbf (540 J)
200 gr (13.o g) Double Tap Hornady 1,050 ft/s (320 m/s) 490 ft·lbf (660 J)

They are basically the same cartridge. The .40 is a little slower but packs a bigger punch. I would give a slight edge to the .40 for knock down power. Although the 9mm does it's job with less weight.

 

[SeaCat]

That a just a silly millimeter longer.

Ballistic performance 9mm Parabellum
Bullet weight/type Velocity Energy
7.45 g (115.0 gr) FMJ 390 m/s (1,300 ft/s) 570 J (420 ft·lbf)
8.00 g (123.5 gr) FMJ 360 m/s (1,200 ft/s) 518 J (382 ft·lbf)
9.10 g (140.0 gr) FMJ 305 m/s (1,000 ft/s) 419 J (309 ft·lbf)
9.50 g (147.0 gr) JHP 368 m/s (1,210 ft/s) 643 J (474 ft·lbf)
7.45 g (115.0 gr) JHP 435 m/s (1,430 ft/s) 704 J (519 ft·lbf)

Ballistic performance .40 S&W (10mm)
Bullet weight/type Velocity Energy
135 gr ( 8.7 g) Federal Premium JHP 1,190 ft/s (360 m/s) 424 ft·lbf (575 J)
155 gr (10.0 g) Speer Gold Dot JHP 1,175 ft/s (358 m/s) 475 ft·lbf (644 J)
165 gr (10.7 g) Speer Gold Dot JHP 1,150 ft/s (350 m/s) 484 ft·lbf (656 J)
180 gr (12.0 g) Speer Gold Dot JHP 985 ft/s (300 m/s) 400 ft·lbf (540 J)
200 gr (13.o g) Double Tap Hornady 1,050 ft/s (320 m/s) 490 ft·lbf (660 J)

They are basically the same cartridge. The .40 is a little slower but packs a bigger punch. I would give a slight edge to the .40 for knock down power. Although the 9mm does it's job with less weight.

Yep, the .40 does have a bigger punch at impact. Mainly because it is a heavier round. (Much better at one round take downs with center of mass shots due to impact on Bone Structures. ie Ribs and Sternum.)

Neither round will have instant kill due to soft tissue damage like a higher powered rifle round.

The biggest myth out there is the effectiveness of rounds on a target. A .50 is not more effective than a .22. Both will kill a person. The difference is in the knockdown power, or the destructiveness of the round on impact.

A .22 in the heart will kill a person. The problem is it may take a bit for the body to realise that it is dead. The impact of the small .22 round is minimal. A .50 round on the other hand will knock the person backwards and to the ground. (Picture getting hit with a Pea and a Wrecking Ball.) This is why the Amreican Military went from the .38 to the .45 round.

Most Police Departments went with the .40 round because it is fairly easy to manage and has a decent knockdown power.

Personally I carry a 9mm with a staggered load. I have a Hydrochock in the chamber with another behind it. After that it is staggered between Hydro's and Ball. (Beretta 92fs) Short of a person wearing armor I can take them down, and if they are wearing armor the first couple of rounds will knock them back enough for me to go for a head shot.

Cat

 

[JackLuis]

Both the 9 mm and the .40 S&W are suitable, the .45 ACP takes a little more effort and requires a heavier gun, making it lees attractive for holster wear, day to day.

It sounds like she shoots a lot better than the NYPD, they once fired over a hundred rounds to hit one guy 20 times. Loosers! all fifteen of 'em.

 

[SeaCat]

Both the 9 mm and the .40 S&W are suitable, the .45 ACP takes a little more effort and requires a heavier gun, making it lees attractive for holster wear, day to day.

It sounds like she shoots a lot better than the NYPD, they once fired over a hundred rounds to hit one guy 20 times. Loosers! all fifteen of 'em.

The .45 ACP is a good round and the newer designed weapons make it much easier to handle. (Although I do like the 1911 the newer models are easier to handle.)

As for you comment of the NYPD. There is a big difference between shooting at paper targets and shooting at someone who is shooting back at you.

Stress shooting is something that takes time and effort to manage. It is a skill that takes a lot of rounds and a lot of effort to get right. We're talking hundreds of rounds a day and constant practice.

Shooting under stress is something that most people never have to deal with, and that includes L.E.O.'s.

I personally have a lot of experience with this. I have been shooting and carrying since 1984. I have been to such places as Thunder Ranch. I shoot on average 200 rounds a week. My Range Master and myself work hard on ways to keep me on edge with my shooting. I have also been in situations where I have shot at someone who happened to be shooting back at me. (Not something I recomend for personal enjoyment.)

Believe me when I say this young woman getting three rounds on target is respectable.

Cat