Gun carrying man ends stabbing spree at Salt Lake grocery store

[Haakon]

This is an example of a defensive use of a firearm that doesn't get recorded as such because no shots were fired.
A gun was used to stop the attacks, but no one was shot and the knife wielder has an extensive criminal record so don't expect to see this story in the national media.

http://www.abc4.com/content/news/sl...op-stabbing-spree/zdZzsT6hNk2Q9tJtkKq3VA.cspx
http://www.abc4.com/content/news/to...-lake-city-smiths/NDNrL1gxeE2rsRhrWCM9dQ.cspx

 

[Sukerkin]

I watched through the news clips in the link and I wonder why it is that the reporters repeatedly kept saying "allegedly" in reference to the attackers acts?

It is not exactly in doubt that it was the fellow under arrest that carried out the stabbings so why is it necessary to make use of such legal 'judo'? I suppose it is a side effect of the 'innocent until proven guilty' axiom but it really did strike me as quite odd under the circumstances.

 

[Haakon]

They always do that here until someone has been through a trial and actually convicted. My guess is they would be sued for liable or defamation of character or something if they didn't say he "allegedly" did it before he was convicted.

 

[billc]

About the man...

MAN WITH CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT:

Salt Lake City police say the man who stopped the stabbings at Smith's is from rural Idaho and he doesn't want attention.

Police say he was in the right place at the right time and his quick action likely saved lives.

Well, the solution is once again quite obvious, ban guns. While it would not have stopped the attack in the mall, and would have let more innocent people be harmed, banning the gun the man had would make people not involved in the actual situation feel better about themselves and allow them a neat sense of superiority over the neanderthals who believe every nut job walking the streets should have a bazooka...:angel:

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Glad to know that someone out there took action and saved some people!

 

[oftheherd1]

I watched through the news clips in the link and I wonder why it is that the reporters repeatedly kept saying "allegedly" in reference to the attackers acts?

It is not exactly in doubt that it was the fellow under arrest that carried out the stabbings so why is it necessary to make use of such legal 'judo'? I suppose it is a side effect of the 'innocent until proven guilty' axiom but it really did strike me as quite odd under the circumstances.

Yes, this is a legal out for the news media in the USA. They are not allowed to say someone is a murderer or assaulter or whatever, until proven so in a court of law. Some news media will continue to say alleged until after all appeals even on conviction. And it is tied to protection against lawsuits for false accusations, slander, or whatever state or federal law may apply. The reason is that if there is no trial or conviction, the person is considered innocent.

Apparently not so in your country?

 

[Sukerkin]

There is indeed a similar style of presentation in that a reporter will preface their original remarks with such a phrase as "Arrested on suspicion of ...", "Charged with ...", "Accused of ..." etc, even using the "Alleged" get-out-clause. What struck me as so odd was the repeated use of the term, most especially under the circumstances.

I guess your lawyers must be more hyper-sensitive to such things than ours .

 

[oftheherd1]

There is indeed a similar style of presentation in that a reporter will preface their original remarks with such a phrase as "Arrested on suspicion of ...", "Charged with ...", "Accused of ..." etc, even using the "Alleged" get-out-clause. What struck me as so odd was the repeated use of the term, most especially under the circumstances.

I guess your lawyers must be more hyper-sensitive to such things than ours .

I guess we have more our of work lawyers than you. :uhyeah:

 

[WC_lun]

That and the reporter was just lazy so used "alleged" quite often instead of mixing it up a bit

 

[Buka]

Score one for the good guys!