Training. You go for center mass and use force to stop the subject from what they're doing. The Officer apparently felt they were no longer a threat after the single shot. Had he walked up to them and put a bullet in each of their heads, people would be singing a very different tune.

That being said, I can't say I don't agree. It'd be nice to just bury these felons then send them back to prison on our dime. Not that I expect an Officer to carry the burden of having to take two human lives. It's easy to talk about, it's another to do it and live with it, even if they are bottom feeding a-holes. If an Officer feels absolutely nothing after taking two human lives (even for the greater good or self defense) then it's time to hang up the belt. Some people will disagree with me, then again those people probably have never killed anyone.

Scary thing is, this can happen anywhere..

If an Officer seems very focused, or has their guard up, this is why. Because even if someone is just saying hello, you NEVER know who you're dealing with. Even a simple traffic stop could have car full of wanted felons with no bail warrants who don't want to go back to prison and have nothing to lose. Never mind that Officers have to worry about being murdered for simply being in uniform (like the Lakewood Officers). Yeah, you'd be a little testy and aware of your surroundings too. Fircrest has some great Officers, and being a small agency, one Officer off the streets is certainly going to be felt.

It's not everyday an Officer takes two people out.. Good for him for not hesitating. Hesitation kills in the field. Just imagine if you had your every move under a microscope just waiting for you to make a mistake, then be put in a position where you have to make split second life and death decisions. It's not always easy, it's doesn't always turn out perfectly in a nice little perfect world.

My point being, so long as an Officer is acting with good faith, with the information they have at the time in front of them, I don't second guess many Officer involved shootings unless there is a reason too. Especially if I wasn't there and didn't feel what he felt. That goes for all Officer involved shootings. And if you mess up under that microscope, you can expect to have your picture and name dragged through the media mud, setting up on your street, having people crying foul and crying murder, and you'll have groups of people pressing for a criminal charge against you. Then you'll get sued on top of that. Then those, groups of people, will hound the feds to charge you with civil rights violations if they don't get what they want. Even IF a shooting turns out to be a "bad shoot", again, so long as they were acting in good faith at the time with the information they had.. And again, be thankful it's not you having to make a split second life or death decision while under a microscope KNOWING full well what will happen if you pull the trigger..

Jesus Mike...

Are you STILL hounding these forums with your cop hating criminal loving spew? Why don't you take you and your 93 different forum profiles you've come up with, and hit the road mmmk. And do us a favor and take your family members from Tacoma with you.

You want to know why you have no credibility? An Officer can't even defend his own life from 2 FELONS who pulled a GUN on him, and you're still throwing a hissy fit about. I don't care if there is an OIS 12 times a day so long as it's legit and the Officer was acting on good faith. Not that I expect someone with a criminal record to get that...

Have a nice trip home.

I don't really care one way or the other, I'm not gay so it makes no difference to me. I believe people have a right to love whoever they want (which they already do). This "marriage" thing is nothing more then about money and benefits at the end of the day.

Now maybe they can get back to, oh I don't know, digging us out of this massive hole we're in.

And you know "most cops" Newdragon? That's what I thought. You don't even know the whole constitution, most people don't in fact. An Officers job is the law, not the constitution. The oath is a technical tradition.

That's true. But you have to be able to show that Officers in general, stand by, and support dirty corrupt criminal cops, and you can't really show that.

And when is a civilian suspected of stealing drug evidence in drug investigations? Exactly. It's not the same thing.

Settle down Eagle, you don't have any idea what you're talking about. They did investigate him. At the end of the day, many had to turn on their OWN FRIEND. Remember, these are human beings. Not emotionless, faultless robots like you apparently expect.

Until you're on the street, facing down with criminals, people who want to kill you, people who threaten your wife and kids, you don't have a lot of room to judge.

You have a split second to make decisions about your LIFE (which some of you don't get). The Des Moines dog case. Maybe it was a bad shoot, but the Officer doesn't know that dogs intention. Or maybe it was acting aggressive in that split second. Look how bad the Officer feels for what he felt he had to do. But in the end, he (I believe) acted in good faith and without malicious intent. Again... split second choices. Be thankful you don't have to make them, fearing having your name, family and picture dragged through the media mud and forums being labeled a dirty bad Officer. Be thankful you don't have your every move and every word being recorded so lawyers and the public can review it to look for something to get you in trouble for. Be thankful you don't have to have your guard up 24/7. A car pulls up next to you with someone waving and getting out, you're first thought isn't waving back, you're first thought it, can I get to my gun, and what is this person's intention.

By point... not everything is black and white. Split second decisions about your LIFE and getting home to your family are serious. Officers don't get weeks to pick through a situation like people do in here. Birk for example. I don't think he maliciously set out to "murder" some random guy. I think he probably did feel a threat, even if Williams had no intention to harm. Even if the shooting turned out to be a bad call, the point is, what is the Officers intentions, were they malicious, did he act in good faith. Not everything is cut and dry and people forget that. They also forget one simple thing. Officers are human beings.