Paging Mister Tee... got an explanation for this one?

They're all fans of Sir Edmund Hilary ("Because she was there")?

Come on.....this doesn't even sound plausible. There has to be more to the story than just this.

Well, that was hard.... suicidal and armed with a knife. At least it now makes some sense.

"However, police told the El Reno Tribune in January that the woman had threatened to kill herself and threatened officers with a knife."

"However, El Reno Police Chief Ken Brown told the city's local newspaper that she ordered officers out of the apartment, telling them that she wanted to die. At that point, Brown said, the woman grabbed a kitchen knife and told officers, "She was in control of her life."

source:http://www.koco.com/news/24046264/detail.html?source=htv

Eh, more reading here mp97303:

http://www.popehat.com/2010/06/29/a-lot-of-people-say-wtf-but-they-dont-know-what-theyre-talking-about-this-is-wtf/

El Reno 911.

Since we like to comment on police matters from around the country now, he is some more from today:

2:15 a.m.: Tampa police officer Dave Curtis stops a red Toyota Camry for a missing tag near 50th Street and 23rd Avenue, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said. The passenger is wanted on a misdemeanor warrant out of Jacksonville for a worthless check, so Curtis calls for backup and Officer Jeffrey Kocab comes to the scene.

Both officers are shot in the head at close range as they approach the passenger side of the Toyota, McElroy says.

JS

The article linked to in Jacks story was lacking context. That's all I was saying. I have said nothing about the officers actions being justified or not.

MP97303, that is a very sad news item. Interesting how two officers approaching a vehicle that they know they will be arresting the occupant, are both shot in the head at close range, where most often then not,it takes several LE officers to empty several clips into a person to kill them?

Just as PoPo hides behind "further training needed" when common intelligence would suffice, maybe the Florida officers didn't follow training guidelines?

We can all be thankful that you or the PoPo wasn't called to assist this lady- http://www.allgov.com/Images/eouploader.4cdbd30a-ef33-494d-9c10-a32e4cef83e2.1.data.jpg because now she would be dead.

down the rabbit hole folks, curiousier and curiouser.
"Off with her head!"

Well, I had to call for emergency help for the same reason: Suspected OD. I was 21. The First Aid responders (that was 1958) showed up quickly, no police entered the home and I don't even remember if they were there. If so, most likely to control the situation outside the residence.

Things have changed, and the cops in that little town were not noted to be tender hearts, either.

Prof. Jack:

When I first read this story on your blog, I thought, OMG, has this country sunk so far? After reading it to my wife and everybody I know, I Googled the internet and saw that local news reports (OK City TV news) also say that Granny pulled out a kitchen knife from under her pillow and threatened the cops. The police conduct still might be actionable, but at least it doesn't seem altogether crazy. So.....Portland is still in the running for WORST COPS ANYWHERE.

in re: Tampa officer killings

Officer Jeffrey Kocab's wife is in labor delivering their first child right now. Talk about a tragedy.

Comparing two cops who were shot approaching a car they stopped with 10 cops tasering an 86-year-old demented woman with a knife and stepping on her oxygen tank hose is not helpful and is disingenuous. The situations are not even closely comparable.

No, the Tampa officers did not deserve to be shot and had they managed to get a shot off first, killing the suspect who obviously was armed and dangerous, I'd be high-fiving them all over the place. I am very, very saddened by this and send my prayers to the families.

But the other situation doesn't pass the common-sense test. First, there are 10 cops in the room; can't they just step away out of knife range or one of them distract her, while another grabs the weapon or knocks it out of her hand? As a citizen, I'd have less trouble with a quick chop to the arm that leaves a bruise or even breaks it, than with a taser. My guess is the woman wasn't very mobile -- if at all.

And why weren't the paramedics with them? They'd be a lot more helpful in preventing death by overdose than cops.

So the cops' response and the automatic "I feared for my life" excuse makes absolutely NO sense.

MP, I get that you're most likely now or was a Portland cop. But you know what? If you sign up for the job, you have to expect a little danger. If you don't want to deal with it, don't be a cop. We all make career choices based on a number of criteria. I also get that many cops didn't sign up to be mental health workers and I have issues with the way our country is handling that. But it is part of the job now, fair or not. Are you getting training in that? You should be.

I'm not trying to be flippant, I have much respect for the police and for the danger they face daily; I'm just pointing out a reality of the job. For example, if I'm a nurse, I have a chance of being stuck with a needle from a patient with HIV or Hepatitis. If I'm an anarchist trying to do an illegal protest, I'm likely to get in trouble with the law. This are just some of the risks everybody takes in the world today.

I'm pretty positive health workers in nursing homes have to deal with demented patients all the time -- never heard of them tazing one of them. They may shoot some Haldol up their IV to calm them down but they normally don't bring out tasers or guns.

(If they do, now that's a story.)