yet another one - Page 1

so many cops who use their guns first instead of so many other options available to them - this time not a dog, but still, another option could have been considered before firing the gun THAT KILLED A CHILD.  http://news.aol.com/story/_a/cops-shots-at-snake-may-have-killed-boy/20070805154109990001

Dear God, what a shame. 

And they had to shoot the snake, why? Because it was a snake? The cops are just getting to trigger happy.

yes the snake was in a tree, doing what snakes do - most likely a non-poisonous snake since it was in a tree - so harmless snake in a tree at a lake.  Oh horrors, let's shoot it, it's so dangerous.  What a load of crap.  I hope this trigger-happy cop is put in jail for murdur (killing the boy and a harmless snake). 

molly

What in the world are some of these police officers being taught and how are they screened prior to being accepted into a force?

almost always there's more to the story than what is printed.  what a shame about the boy and i feel so sorry for his family.

pjp

Just to let you in on a secret, humans make mistakes.  Cops are human.  You can do all the screening you want and there will still be a mistake made here and there.  Thanks to our media, we are overwhelmed with the negative.  If they were to print every wonderful thing our law enforcement did, we would have 6" thick newspapers.  Tragedy sells.  I wonder what the percentage is of good deeds to bad that the L.E. produces everyday.  I think you would be amazed.  When you watch the news, it is one bad story after another.  It makes them money and it keeps you coming back. 

I'm not defending this police officer in any way.  I want to get that out there.  I am just getting sick of hearing how bad these guys are.  They put thier lives on the line evry day and this is how they are repaid.  Take teachers for an example.  You rarely hear about Mrs. Potter staying behind to tutor little Billie McCraken so he can pass the second grade.  No, the only story the media wants to show is the couple of teachers that made a few 15 yr old boys the happiest kids in junior high.  It is the same with breeding.  You may have bred 200 puppies and one of them is severely displastic.  Which one do you think is going to get splattered all over this board?  It sure as hell isn't going to be the one that is healthy, has great temp., and loves the kids.  You, as a breeder, are going to be crucified on this board because you have a 0.5% of hip displasia in your program.

I guess I'm just sick of seeing people make a stressful job even harder.  I know the justice this officer recieves will not bring back this child to his family and that is a shame, but I hate to see the cop haters come out of the woodwork and loop them all as a whole.  They do more good than bad.  Take them off the street and see how many lives you'll save then.

there are many good cops that are smart and don't use their guns unless there are no other options open to them.  Then there are bad cops, and then there are the idiot cops who can't think for themselves, who have no common sense, and who reach for their gun as the solution to a problem first, before considering other options.  This kind of cop needs to be off the streets.  They are not public servants, they are public menaces. 

shooting a dog inside it's own owners' home because it's barking, doing what it's supposed to do - the cop is the trespasser - no, that should never happen.  Shooting a snake because it's in a tree and some neurotic person just happened to notice it there and is afraid of it - no, that should never happen.  And the little boy fishing with his grandpa on a pond should not have died because some idiot person with a gun thinks the gun is the solution.  No no no.  I hope he goes to jail for murdur.

molly

I suppose this was justified because the snake was threatening the officer.  He should have claimed that the snake bit him.  Even with no proof that would have gotten him off the hook. 

I'm just wondering why the police were called to take care of a snake problem? Do they not have animal control? Better yet  homeowners, why not deal with the damn snake yourselves? I know if I called the cops for a snake in my tree, they would laugh me out of town! Let me guess, they called 911 too?