Armed Robber Killed

[Steve Walker]

I think it would be technically easier with our policy and weapons than yours, Newt - ordinary police don't have personal side arms and armed response units generally use weapons like this:

 

[Phone]

Steve,

 

You say, "easier with our policy". How about psychologically? You're fortunate you don't have a gun culture. But, I assure you, you don't pay those guys enough to have a "second thought".

 

When, do you suppose, was the last time that weapon was put to use?

 

Phone

[kirisute]

most of our police force I believe are still adverse to being armed; but they would like more trained armed response officers.

current policy I believe is to be trained for torso shots unless the target is a suspected suicide bomber where "Operation Kratos" recommends shots be delivered to the head or lower limbs to eliminate the threat of the bomb going off.

cant find any evidence to give a suitable figure to how often an average armed response officer might have fired his/her weapon in the "call of duty"...

 

psychologically our culture is vastly different to yours anyway Phone; for the average person over here a gun, of any type, I suspect is still an item that holds an inherent fear and misunderstanding. they are simply not part of our culture to that extent. In rural communities then sure, you will have a greater acceptance of shoguns or hunting calibre rifles...but even so the majority of people will still frown upon them.

The trained officers of our armed response units often wont need to fire their weapons because in most cases I would think that the guns involved are being used as threats rather than as actual "intent to fire" weapons. only on rare occasions do they encounter a suspect that is willing to use the firearms in any way other than a threat.

and I would suspect once the situation becomes clear that your staring down the barrels of several MP5's your going to need some big kahunas to pull the trigger.

that's almost encoded into the British psyche I would think...its simply the case that guns; for us; still have a very high impact on our culture and fear levels.

[corydoras]

Steve,

 

You say, "easier with our policy". How about psychologically? You're fortunate you don't have a gun culture. But, I assure you, you don't pay those guys enough to have a "second thought".

 

When, do you suppose, was the last time that weapon was put to use?

 

Phone

That particular weapon, perhaps never in anger. The last time a cop shot someone here was in 2011 i think.

[Steve Walker]

Fair chance it's never been fired at a human being, I should think. Between 2001 and 2010, police discharged firearms on 60 occasions, killing 27 people, over which period there were between five and seven thousand authorised firearms officers. They aren't personal weapons, so no idea how many guns those shootings are shared between, but you get the picture. The rules of engagement are pretty strict. I think generally that having video evidence would be more likely to act in the officer's favour than against him.

[Phone]

Guys,

 

We have a rather common event. "Suicide by cop" is a standard cause of death. It takes no "big kahunas" and is rather cowardly.

 

The differences are as wide as the ocean itself.

 

Phone

[kirisute]

Guys,

 

We have a rather common event. "Suicide by cop" is a standard cause of death. It takes no "big kahunas" and is rather cowardly.

 

The differences are as wide as the ocean itself.

 

Phone

no...it might be stupid, irrational or even mental to perform "suicide by cop"...but I doubt if its ever a cowardly act...

it might be false courage aided by drugs or alcohol or even mental issues...but any kind of suicide attempt cannot be called cowardly!

that's the words used by people who don't understand the mindset of the person committing the act.

 

accepting the risks of being shot by a cop is "part of the job"......the phrase "suicide by cops" doesn't fit at all.

[corydoras]

Phone

 

I'd hazard a guess that I am the only poster on AN who has held a hangun in my hand and has had a handgun held to their right temple,

[Steve Walker]

Just for comparison, the New York City Police Department publishes statistics for firearms use as an annual firearms discharge report.

 

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/analysis_and_planning/nypd_annual_firearms_discharge_report_2011.pdf

 

One year, 8.2 million people, 36 incidents in which police firearms were discharged, 9 suspects killed, 19 injured. It's been much higher in the past. You are much less likely to be shot by British police, not least because only specialist units are armed, but it would seem that if you do find yourself on the receiving end of police gunfire you're a lot less likely to survive the experience.

[Newt]

but any kind of suicide attempt cannot be called cowardly! that's the words used by people who don't understand the mindset of the person committing the act.

 

accepting the risks of being shot by a cop is "part of the job"......the phrase "suicide by cops" doesn't fit at all.

 

I'd argue the top sentence with you but at another time.

 

As to "suicide by cops", it does happen and it does fit. How else to describe the actions of a person who knows he holds an unloaded gun (or a pipe in dim light) but will aim it at an officer even after the officer has ordered him to drop it?