Okay, just to clear this debate up...my friend and I were arguing the other day about if a police officer could fire at you if you were unarmed. I said that it was illegal for a police officer (or any other part of law) to shoot at someone if they commited a crime, let's say someone robbed a bank or something. Would it be illegal if that person kept their hands in the air while screaming, "I am unarmed," while running away and the police shot him in the back. If it was that person could escape. Just wondering...

Yes cops can not do that.

It really depends, for example let's say this individual just commited a drive by shooting and killed a half dozen people, etc... law enforcement officals can shoot to stop the individual. Espically if the individual has been attempting to ellude them. Therefore reducing the risk of letting a dangerous individual back onto the streets.

If you are running away from the cops hands in the air screaming "I am unarmed", that doesn't mean shit espically if you are running towards a potential hostage.

Not a everyday situation i'm sure law enforcement officals encounter here in the US.

Key phrase = shoot to stop

This is not against the rules, although i'm sure they wouldn't light you up.

Poop I mean if someone didn't have a hostage and it was in the middle of the night, no one was around, the person committed the crime and ran away, hands up and saying," I am unarmed". And if they shot to stop the person they could kill him, so how is that legal? I know that if the person killed a dozen people or anyone they can be shot to be stopped but I'm talking about a crime not involving killing anyone or anything. And the person is running AWAY from the police. I remember reading a topic a long time ago that said: To escape the police you have to keep your hands up to show you're not reaching for any weapon and run away screaming," I am unarmed." Everyone agreed and I remember some moderator (I think it was you) said that if you jumped behind a big bush that was an instant escape because the police were trained not to follow you behind something because they don't know if you set traps.

I saw on a police car video were a man who was pulled over got out and began punching the two cops, who began spraying him with mace, hitting him with billyclubs, then finally shooting him. Several times.

I think it has to do with the Escalation of Force, First there is verbal warning, then unarmed restraint, then either Mace, dogs, billy clubs, then stungun, then deadly force.

Well he hit the police so I guess that's legal I don't know. It's like those people in London that wear long tall black hats. They don't do anything unless you touch them. One of my friends hit one of those guys in the show and he went totally wild on him and beat the shit out of him. That's the same with our police. So if they do the verbal warning before anything physical, they could say it really fast then shoot the guy like,"StoporIwillhavetouseforce" and then shoot the guy. That's unfair!!!

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Originally posted by Pyr0-Optimist:
That's unfair!!!

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How is it unfair? The asshole isn't cooperating. Should they have said Please get into the car?

Deadly Force is the last resort. While I have no doubt some cops abuse this, I believe in giving them the benefit of the doubt, since they have been entrusted in great responsibility

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Originally posted by Joe Boo:
How is it unfair? The asshole isn't cooperating. Should they have said Please get into the car?

Deadly Force is the last resort. While I have no doubt some cops abuse this, I believe in giving them the benefit of the doubt, since they have been entrusted in great responsibility

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Giving cops the benifit of the doubt is why police brutality is getting outa hand.

If you are unarmed and the cops dont like the way you look (black mabye?) they will shoot your ass. Then they will place a throw away gun or knife in your hand and say you were armed and threatened to fire.

I'm sure abuses of power such as you described have happened, although with today's technology and training it happens a lot less than you think. Espically when practically every moment while that officer is on duty his actions are recorded via video and or audio. I once heard a cop mention "i forgot to turn my mic off when i was taking a leak","someone played back the tape and discovered i named my junk big johnny.",etc..

Try running from someone with your hands in the air and screaming that you are unarmed. I bet you don't get too far before they catch you. You lose alot of speed by not having your arms beside you while running.

Poop's right. I used to be a reserve sheriff deputy. The situations that we could shoot someone were:

1. Self defense after asp and pepper spray were ineffective or not practical.

2. To STOP someone from fleeing that had commited a violent crime in which others were hurt or dead.

3. To protect someone else from serious injury or death if asp and peper spray were not practical.

4. There's a few others that I can't remember right now, but they're pretty rare.

It all depends on where you live. If you live in an area where people don't take shit from criminals, go for it! If you live near a bunch of left wing, gun control nuts then you probably shouldn't.

You see, it is all about the juries. Left wing nut juries think criminals have a right to life.

Bullets are cheaper than prison guards, correctional facilites, and jail food.

laws arent applicable to dead men. i dont care what the laws says, if my life is threatened the criminal will be shot. id rather be alive fighting the legal system than dead for fear of paperwork

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Originally posted by I Love Poop:
I'm sure abuses of power such as you described have happened, although with today's technology and training it happens a lot less than you think. Espically when practically every moment while that officer is on duty his actions are recorded via video and or audio. I once heard a cop mention "i forgot to turn my mic off when i was taking a leak","someone played back the tape and discovered i named my junk big johnny.",etc..

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They still get away with shit because bad cops look out for each other and if caught will face little or no punishment. The good cops keep their mouth shut because if they snitch, then the bad cops will send them into a bad situation with no back up.