A 12-year-old boy shot to death by police...

[Guest Downhome]

Check this out, and discuss...

 

UNIONTOWN, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A 12-year-old boy was shot and killed by state troopers after he led them on a chase in a stolen car, authorities said.

 

Michael Ellerbe led troopers on a chase Tuesday afternoon, crashed the car and then tried to run away, state police said.

 

While chasing the boy, the troopers shot him, police said. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

 

Troopers Juan Curry and Samuel Nassan have been placed on administrative leave, pending an internal investigation. Police declined to discuss the incident further, citing the probe.

 

Uniontown is located about 40 miles south of Pittsburgh.

 

...thoughts, comments, rants?

 

Sincerely,

...Downhome...

[Guest bob_barron]

There's a lesson for the day kids.

 

I really can't say I feel too bad for the kid since he asked for it

[Guest RobJohnstone]

isn't it illegal for police to shoot unarmed people? Even if they are running? I thought so, if that policemen is not removed of his job and/or prosicuted I am going to write my congressmen and force them to do something about this. I am not saying the kid was right, but 2 wrongs do not make a right.

 

--Rob

[Guest Downhome]

I can't really say how I feel, as I don't know all the facts about this right now, but I can't see it possible that the cop MEANT to kill the kid, it must have been something gone terribly wrong.

 

Of course, what do you do when a kid goes crazy like that and it putting peoples lives at risk, ya know?

[Guest RobJohnstone]

I can't really say how I feel, as I don't know all the facts about this right now, but I can't see it possible that the cop MEANT to kill the kid, it must have been something gone terribly wrong.

 

Of course, what do you do when a kid goes crazy like that and it putting peoples lives at risk, ya know?

you follow the law. After he lkeaves the car you chase him on foot till you catch him. No need for shooting.

 

--Rob

[Guest Downhome]

I can't really say how I feel, as I don't know all the facts about this right now, but I can't see it possible that the cop MEANT to kill the kid, it must have been something gone terribly wrong.

 

Of course, what do you do when a kid goes crazy like that and it putting peoples lives at risk, ya know?

you follow the law. After he lkeaves the car you chase him on foot till you catch him. No need for shooting.

 

--Rob

You can however shoot in the leg or the such, as long as it is not fatal. Which makes me believe that this MUST have been a horrible mistake, or it could have been the cop was just crazy, who knows.

[Guest J*ingus]

The laws about lethal force are very different from state to state. I'd say there are some major details that have been left out of this story thus far, and I'm not passing any judgement until I hear the whole thing.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Definitely. It doesn't say whether the kid was armed or not in the story there. My guess is that he had something, otherwise a cop just would've ran him down, or at the worst, maced him.

 

Regarding clipping someone with a gun in the leg that's running at full sprint, that's easier said than done. This conversation's been done here before, though. My guess is that the kid was armed, went out joyriding, started to get pulled over, and freaked out, ramming people left and right. He wrecked the thing, got out and ran, ignored a warning shot, or else turned on the police. Of course, the whole story's not there, and all that I just said is speculation, but I doubt it's much farther from the truth. If they just shot an unarmed kid and killed him, well, that's much different.

[Guest Downhome]

Which is why we can't TRULY say what we all TRULY feel about this, there just aren't enough facts. I just found it interesting, so we could just talk about it, no big whoop.

[Guest red_file]

You can however shoot in the leg or the such, as long as it is not fatal.

Which violates their dictum of discharging their firearms against people: use as a fatal force. A police officer is not supposed to shoot unless s/he's intending to kill (or in the case of tires, destroy). The only police officers that shoot people in the leg are in the movies.

 

Also I was under the impression that every time a police officer shoots someone there is both an investigation (however informal) and a psychological examination. A statie my father knows shot a person and has been riding a desk ever since because he was deemed unfit psychologically to be back on the road.

 

As for the event, there's really not enough to comment on. Given where it happened, I'm willing to give the officers the benefit of the doubt.

[Guest J*ingus]

Once again: it is physically impossible, in all but the strangest and most rare of circumstances, to intentionally fire a gun in a non-lethal manner. Plenty of people have died from shock or blood loss from leg wounds.

[Guest NoCalMike]

If the boy was unarmed then this is inexcusable, however we don't have the facts or the full story it seems, so I will put my feelings on hold.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Whatever. If it was my car that was stolen, I'd want the little bastard dead. Ho ho ho...

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Oh yeah, grand theft auto should SOOO be a capital offense, since no one has insurance, and the fact that it's impossible to replace a car.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

"Oh yeah, grand theft auto should SOOO be a capital offense, since no one has insurance, and the fact that it's impossible to replace a car."

 

I didn't say it should be -- just for the one person that takes my property...

[Guest Sandman9000]

I think a little bit of wisdom from Chris Rock could have prevented this:

 

"If the police have to come and get you, they're bringing an asskicking with them."

 

 

Truer words have never been spoken.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

lol -- I heard about one bit he did on his HBO show.

 

HOW NOT TO GET YOUR @SS KICKED BY THE POLICE

 

Rule #1: Obey the law...

[Guest NoSelfWorth]

Break the law and pay the price.

[Guest cynicalprofit]

Now you people know why I hate Pittsburgh, this is something I would expect of those cops. When in Pittsburgh I witnessed some very unique things, I saw acop turn on his lights to run a red, I almost got his right infront of a cop car by another driver and he did nothing about it, didnt even ask if i was ok or anything, and a guy stopped his car in the middle of the street to talk to a lady on the sidewalk, right in the middle of the road, cop drove by and did nothing. "Fuck the Pittsburgh Police" as a friend of mine used to say.

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

Maybe I'm just a cold bitch, but.....who the fuck cares about some dumb 12-yr old kid? It doesn't effect my life AT ALL, and thus, I feel nothing for the kid. I don't care if the kid was walking down the street and some cop came up and said...

 

Cop: I'm going to kill you now..

 

BANG

 

Kid's dead.

 

I have a sick humor....because I find that funny.

[Guest Mad Dog]

Sounds to me like the kid had a weapon or the cops thought he was in possession of a weapon.

 

This article seems to be leaving key facts out to try and get people pissed at the cops.

[Guest Insanityman]

I can't imagine dying two years ago. But on a side note aiming for limbs is just a retarded idea- you'll either miss or hit them where you didn't. I have very little sympathy for the kid, but I think the office might get charged.

[Guest EricMM]

If the kid was being completely dangerous, people need to understand that a recklessly driven car is like a 2000 lb blunt object. Driving dangerously is one of the most violent things a person can do, because you put everyone near the road for MILES at total risk for being hit, and they'd probably die. So first of all, this kid was certainly not innocent.

 

In terms of him being gunned down, I dunno why they did that. If they shot him in the back, it'd certainly surprise me. I'd feel that it might be excessive. But I doubt a cop would shoot a kid in the back as he ran, I feel that the kid must have done something.

[Guest evenflowDDT]

This article seems to be leaving key facts out to try and get people pissed at the cops.

Because everyone knows AP has an anti-police agenda

 

While it's true that the lack of a details is the wild card in this issue, I'm not sure why this comes as a shock to anyone - I very rarely see AP articles that have adequate information. I believe they just do "skeletal reporting" so that other news media can pick up the story and get more info themselves. Is this anywhere near correct? That's how it's always seemed to me.

[Guest So what? I liked bubble boy]

If the boy was unarmed then this is inexcusable, however we don't have the facts or the full story it seems, so I will put my feelings on hold.

Couldn't have said it better

[Guest Dopey]

"You shall not steal." Exodus 20:15

[Guest J*ingus]

"Thou shalt not kill." Exodus 20:13.

[Guest cynicalprofit]

"Thou really shouldnt give a fuck." Cynicalprofit 4:20.

[Guest bob_barron]

"Don't besmirch the integrity of the commissioner" Regal 2:48

 

Anyone found more info on this story like if the kid had a weapon?

[Guest EricMM]

"Thou Shall not Quote religion in an argument of law"

-Eric 1:23

 

Seriously. That's like saying something is true or right because the bible Koran, or any other holy book says so. It's meaningless.