Cop Stops Suicide by Killing the Guy

[AkSaber]

The guy aimed a firearm at the officer. This is self defense, plain and simple.

Why the cop didn't shoot him in the leg is the mystery to me.

What would you do if someone aimed a loaded weapon at you? Wounded people can still fire guns. From the sounds of it, incapacitating this guy wouldn't have stopped him.

[AkSaber]

What would you do if someone aimed a loaded weapon at you? Wounded people can still fire guns. From the sounds of it, incapacitating this guy wouldn't have stopped him.

I'll assume you've fired a rifle before. Forgive me if that's not true, but your post implies it. I know I'd be unable to fire an aimed shot with a .22 if I was on the ground after my knee has been destroyed. Or shoot him in the elbow, etc. There's no need for a head shot in such a situation.

Oh yes, I've fired a rifle before. It's like an Alaskan tradition.

I know if I were shot in the leg I'd stop whatever I was doing. The suicidal guy seemed too determined to die to surrender. True, being clipped in the leg would probably have reduced his accuracy to almost nothing, he still could have thrown shots at the officer and one of them could have hit him. I can understand why the officer killed the man. I probably would have done the same.

[AkSaber]

I agree.  Besides, what does the suicidal guy have to lose?  Often times, people ready to take their own lives are ready to take others as well, if necessary.

Now if the suicidal guy was pointing his gun at himself and the police officer shot him, I'd find the officer's actions criminal.

Yeah, I think he would have shot someone to provoke a response from the police.

But yeah, if he was just holding a gun to his face, lay off the trigger.