Shoot First and Ask Questions Later

Anaheim officer mistakenly kills man on his front lawn - Los Angeles Times If you or I did this, we would be arrested for manslaughter if nothing else. When cops do it, it is a "tragic situation."

An Anaheim police officer chasing burglary suspects shot and killed an innocent 20-year-old man who heard a commotion and emerged from his house early Tuesday holding what authorities said was either a broomstick or a shower rod.

The officer involved is on leave.

He was shot twice in the chest and pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Alexander was married last week, and his wife, Renee, 19, is expecting a baby girl in December, his family said.

He was a graduate of Notre Dame High School in Riverside, where he played football, and as a student worked in the commissary at March Air Reserve Base.

Alexander also volunteered as an usher and did charity work at his church.

The phrase "trigger happy" comes to mind. Anyone you meet is an enemy, and shooting them is OK. What do you think will happen to this cop? 30 days non-paid leave? A reprimand in his permanent file? He might lose his job (though I am sure the unions will argue that point), but I seriously doubt that he will face criminal charges for negligently discharging his firearm.

I want to categorize this as cops behaving badly, but I can't. I wasn't there and he may have been justified. But the point remains that cops are all to eager to shoot people who are no threat to them.