Overkill & Overstepping Boundaries: I Have Some Questions...

[quincy]

Well, all we can really do is guess as to why. We can’t say with any certainty why they actually did do what they did.

Yes. But I should have said in my first post that the only way to answer the "why" questions was to guess instead of saying no one could answer the questions. I temporarily forgot how good we all are at guessing. Haha.

 

[justalayman]

So, there's a consensus that six armed officers to handle this is efficient use of funds? Whatever happened to guys like Harry Callahan who did it all toting a single wheelgun? ....Oh, I forgot, that's just Hollywood, of course!

you need to remember Harry had a propensity to pull the trigger as well though. The intent of so many officiers is actually to reduce the possibility the suspect will fight or be able to mount a serious threat and possibly injure an officer or even escape.

It’s much easier to control the situation when they have an overwhelming force.

 

[michaelm101]

I also think you might not have known your friend as well as you thought you did.

Indeed, I knew of the conviction, but not the skipping parole part of the story. He's gonna have some explaining to do. But, six guns aimed at his head?

Reminds me of an experience I had back in 2010. My brother and I had an altercation where he said he would break into my house, blahh blah blah...

I reacted by saying, "If you break in, I'll blow your head off..." He surreptitiously videotaped this exchange. Twenty minutes later there was a Sheriff helicopter hovering above my house. I immediately phoned my attorney friend and she said to call the Sheriff and tell them what was up. Deputies instructed me to walk down the driveway to the street with my hands in the air. There were approximately 20 or more LEO with their guns aimed at me. I was commanded to crawl into the street on hands and knees where I was BRUTALLY handcuffed and stuffed into a squad car. Incidentally, I'm a part-time private tennis coach and my wrist condition as a result, prevented me from playing for months.

In the car, I (thankfully) was questioned by an empathetic deputy who heard the full story- Like eight year old's, we brothers had a squabble...
FYI, I counted 13 squad cars in the street, that incidentally, was blocked off to any traffic during the incident.

I was not arrested, but subsequently released right there in the street. However, in the meantime, the task force broke down my door with a battering ram, searched my house and confiscated an heirloom Beretta trap shotgun I kept beside my bed, loaded (why keep an unloaded gun?).

It took matter of years to get this item back. The deciding factor, after all this time, was I had to provide a photograph of me with the gun. Thankfully, I had a picture, circa 1984, of me shouldering the shotgun...

Helicopter and 13 squad cars with guns aimed at my temporal lobe? Overkill and waste of tax-payer $$? You tell me...

BTW, I think that year, one of the senior members of the force was caught escorting women in the helicopters and doing helicopter "rides."

 

[quincy]

There have been prank calls (about bombs, hostages, whatever) that have resulted in massive armed responses, too. Scary for those unsuspecting innocent souls who are suddenly confronted by SWAT.

 

[justalayman]

There have been prank calls (about bombs, hostages, whatever) that have resulted in massive armed responses, too. Scary for those unsuspecting innocent souls who are suddenly confronted by SWAT.

There was a recent situstion where a House was “swatted” (that’s where somebody calls in some serious situstion taking place at a house where there really is nothing going on) and the resident was shot and killed by the police



In the op’s scenario with the threat to kill his brother;

On the part of the police they need to control the situstion, with the thought the situstion could be real, and then investigate

Too many cops have walked into situstion without enough concern for the possible issues and been killed.

And in the op’s situstion: apparently the brother reported it to the police conveying the belief you were serious. Of course they are going to come in on the ready for trouble. The blame should be directed towards your brother if he didn’t actually believe you were serious but on you if he did believe you were serious.

 

[michaelm101]

There have been prank calls (about bombs, hostages, whatever) that have resulted in massive armed responses, too. Scary for those unsuspecting innocent souls who are suddenly confronted by SWAT.

Perhaps, better (or more) intelligence?

 

[michaelm101]

There was a recent situstion where a House was “swatted” (that’s where somebody calls in some serious situstion taking place at a house where there really is nothing going on) and the resident was shot and killed by the police



In the op’s scenario with the threat to kill his brother;

On the part of the police they need to control the situstion, with the thought the situstion could be real, and then investigate

Too many cops have walked into situstion without enough concern for the possible issues and been killed.

And in the op’s situstion: apparently the brother reported it to the police conveying the belief you were serious. Of course they are going to come in on the ready for trouble. The blame should be directed towards your brother if he didn’t actually believe you were serious but on you if he did believe you were serious.

Since adulthood (long story), my younger brother has made it a goal in his life to see me prosecuted in any way shape or form...

 

[justalayman]

Since adulthood (long story), my younger brother has made it a goal in his life to see me prosecuted in any way shape or form...

Then maybe blame your brother for abusing the system rather than the police who took the report seriously and responded with what they determined to be proper force.

I do believe there are way too many situstions where the police use excessive force but when responding to a call where the caller plays a recording of another person threatenejng to shoot them, well, I’m not seeing a big problem with their response.

 

[michaelm101]

Again, it's all about intelligence...

 

[Just Blue]

Again, it's all about intelligence...

Indeed it is about intelligence. You didn't use your intellect when you said you would blow your brothers brains out. Dumb thing to say.

 

[quincy]

Perhaps, better (or more) intelligence?

There is always a need for better and more intelligence.

 

[xylene]

Harry Callahan who did it all toting a single wheelgun?

That is a fictional character.

Why didn't Rambo win the Vietnam War would be equally insightful...

 

[quincy]

I have a sneaking suspicion the reference to Harry was in jest.


(I like the avatar, xylene )

 

[michaelm101]

Indeed it is about intelligence. You didn't use your intellect when you said you would blow your brothers brains out. Dumb thing to say.

There are many things that I've said that I would consider "brain unplugged." Perhaps, you've never been in a situation that was beyond intellectual reasoning...If so, you are a fortunate (or a sheltered) man...

 

[Just Blue]

There are many things that I've said that I would consider "brain unplugged." Perhaps, you've never been in a situation that was beyond intellectual reasoning...If so, you are a fortunate (or a sheltered) man...

1. I am female.
2. I have been so pissed off that my mouth acted independently from my brain. I just wouldn't blame the police if they showed up prepared for the worst. I would blame myself for my lack of control.