Mass. Officer Shoots Teen With Knife

[MJS]

Link

A "distraught" 16-year-old brandishing a knife and yelling, "Shoot me, shoot me, I want to die," was wounded by a Weymouth cop early yesterday after he ignored repeated orders to drop his weapon, police and witnesses said.

After reading this, the first thing that came to mind was all of the people who will start saying that the officer didn't have to shoot, tase him instead, talk him down, do this, do that, blah, blah, blah.

This is clearly, IMO, a suicide by cop case. Fortunately, he shot him in the shoulder, so no doubt the kid will survive.

 

[Tez3]

I'm just wondering how you manage to shoot with a knife

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I'm glad the kid's not dead, I hope he gets the help he clearly needs, and I have no idea if the shooting was justified or not, but I support law enforcement in the absence of compelling evidence to the contrary.

 

[KenpoTex]

I'm just wondering how you manage to shoot with a knife

easy...just use a knife that shoots

 

[Carol]

Some more info...

The event happened at 1am, the teen had spent the evening drinking 151 rum at home with his friends, and flew in to a rage when Mom tried to break up the gathering. The teen himself called 911 to get officers to respond.

4 officers responded to find the teen outside his home.

Another officer tried to subdue the teen with a baton, but was unable to do so safely.

TASERs weren't an option, the Weymouth PD doesn't have them.

At one point, the teen rested his hands on the cruiser as if to be giving up, but when an officer approached the teen to cuff him, the teen advanced on the officer with the knife. At that point, the officer fired.

Weymouth PD will not rule as to whether this is suicide by cop until they speak to the teen -- they have been unable to do so as of yet. He was taken to Boston for medical treatment, and his condition was recently downgraded from Good to Fair.

Teen has a juvenile record, and now faces four counts of felony assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of assault with intent to murder.

http://wbztv.com/local/weymouth.police.shooting.2.1956382.html

http://www.patriotledger.com/news/c...olice-911-call-came-from-suspect-s-cell-phone

http://www.patriotledger.com/news/c...130/Weymouth-police-shoot-knife-wielding-teen

 

[Hudson69]

Some more info...

The event happened at 1am, the teen had spent the evening drinking 151 rum at home with his friends, and flew in to a rage when Mom tried to break up the gathering. The teen himself called 911 to get officers to respond.

4 officers responded to find the teen outside his home.

Another officer tried to subdue the teen with a baton, but was unable to do so safely.

TASERs weren't an option, the Weymouth PD doesn't have them.

At one point, the teen rested his hands on the cruiser as if to be giving up, but when an officer approached the teen to cuff him, the teen advanced on the officer with the knife. At that point, the officer fired.

Weymouth PD will not rule as to whether this is suicide by cop until they speak to the teen -- they have been unable to do so as of yet. He was taken to Boston for medical treatment, and his condition was recently downgraded from Good to Fair.

Teen has a juvenile record, and now faces four counts of felony assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of assault with intent to murder.

http://wbztv.com/local/weymouth.police.shooting.2.1956382.html

http://www.patriotledger.com/news/c...olice-911-call-came-from-suspect-s-cell-phone

http://www.patriotledger.com/news/c...130/Weymouth-police-shoot-knife-wielding-teen

Thanks for the info Carol; I probably would have shot him as well based off that information (of the situation, not the criminal history). He is hopefully feeling lucky he is alive.

 

[Sukerkin]

I do agree. Not the world's happiest teenager it would seem ... but at least he gets to live to learn from his mistakes.

I know that's unlikely but we can hope . After all, that ache he's going to get in his shoulder whenever it rains or gets cold will remind him what happens when societies law enforcers have finally had enough.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I do agree. Not the world's happiest teenager it would seem ... but at least he gets to live to learn from his mistakes.

I know that's unlikely but we can hope . After all, that ache he's going to get in his shoulder whenever it rains or gets cold will remind him what happens when societies law enforcers have finally had enough.

More like when the police make it clear that they are not going to volunteer to be dead to avoid making a kid with a knife and some emotional problems dead first. I know my wife would be quite put out if I came home dead because I was overly concerned with the emotional well-being of a kid throwing a temper-tantrum with an edged weapon to the exclusion of my own safety.

 

[Sukerkin]

Aye, quite right :nods in affirmation:.

 

[David43515]

As always Bill, you have an amazing way with words. You always seem to nail the situation down to it`s most important points. Would it be childish to say that I`m jealous?

 

[seasoned]

At the risk of their own safety, or else a bad shoot, this kid is lucky to be alive.
"At one point, the teen rested his hands on the cruiser as if to be giving up, but when an officer approached the teen to cuff him, the teen advanced on the officer with the knife. At that point, the officer fired."
Justified in shooting, yes.

 

[WC_lun]

I can't see how anyone in thier right mind would blame the officers.

I have to admitt, my first thought was"Stupid teen, bringing a knife to a gun fight."

 

[Disco]

"At one point, the teen rested his hands on the cruiser as if to be giving up, but when an officer approached the teen to cuff him, the teen advanced on the officer with the knife. At that point, the officer fired."

We don't train to wound, we hit center mass and his shot hit the shoulder. I consider this officer to be lucky that he hit the teen at all. I realize that it was most likely a quick draw and shoot, at a fairly close distance and that unto itself makes this a lucky hit. Good thing that it did hit him or we may be reading a much different story.

 

[sgtmac_46]

The customer is always right.

 

[Mark Jordan]

No officers were hurt and the police who shot the teenager took care not to kill him. Sounds like it ended as well as it could have under the circumstances.

 

[Cryozombie]

the police who shot the teenager took care not to kill him.

I doubt that. I think it's just where the shot landed.

Don't get me wrong, this kid was armed, and if they had killed him I'd still side with them, but I don't buy the idea that the wounding was intentional.