Another cop, another murder

Nakosis said:

It is often use as a reason. They thought they saw a weapon.

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The nephew says the victim had a pistol, and was pointing it in the direction of the window. A gun was found with her body. That makes two who said she was pointing her gun at the glass of the widow.

shmogie said:

The nephew says the victim had a pistol, and was pointing it in the direction of the window. A gun was found with her body. That makes two who said she was pointing her gun at the glass of the widow.

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It sounds like it might have been a suicide by cop.

Possibly

savagewind said:

It sounds like it might have been a suicide by cop.

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Possibly. They are going to try to make the case that the glare from the flashlights would have prevented him from seeing her gun.

So the case will be, he killed a woman with a gun pointing out the window, but he couldn´t see it, so he is guilty of murder, and it is just a co incidence that she actually had a gun pointed out the window,

shmogie said:

The nephew says the victim had a pistol, and was pointing it in the direction of the window. A gun was found with her body. That makes two who said she was pointing her gun at the glass of the widow.

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Interim Police Chief Ed Kraus said at a news conference Tuesday that it “makes sense that she would have a gun if she felt that she was being threatened or there was someone in the backyard.”

That sentiment was echoed by an attorney for the victim’s family. Lee Merritt said Jefferson had every right to defend herself because the officers did not announce themselves as law enforcement.

“It’s only appropriate that Ms. Jefferson would have a gun,” Merritt said, noting that she had a license to carry the legally owned firearm. "When you think there’s someone prowling around in the back at 2 in the morning, you may need to arm yourself. That person could have a gun.”
Atatiana Jefferson pointed gun at window before Fort Worth officer killed her, nephew told authorities

Supposedly he was responding to a non-emergency call. Wouldn't police in this situation normally walk up to the front door and knock? Announce they are the police.

Scoping out the back yard, looking through windows on a non-emergency call, not going to the front door and announcing yourself does not seem like a very well thought out procedure to follow.

Nakosis said:

Interim Police Chief Ed Kraus said at a news conference Tuesday that it “makes sense that she would have a gun if she felt that she was being threatened or there was someone in the backyard.”

That sentiment was echoed by an attorney for the victim’s family. Lee Merritt said Jefferson had every right to defend herself because the officers did not announce themselves as law enforcement.

“It’s only appropriate that Ms. Jefferson would have a gun,” Merritt said, noting that she had a license to carry the legally owned firearm. "When you think there’s someone prowling around in the back at 2 in the morning, you may need to arm yourself. That person could have a gun.”
Atatiana Jefferson pointed gun at window before Fort Worth officer killed her, nephew told authorities

Supposedly he was responding to a non-emergency call. Wouldn't police in this situation normally walk up to the front door and knock? Announce they are the police.

Scoping out the back yard, looking through windows on a non-emergency call, not going to the front door and announcing yourself does not seem like a very well thought out procedure to follow.

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It was a welfare check, which means the call was initiated by someone who had concern about the safety of the victim.

Upon arrival, the police saw that the front door was open. They apparently decided, that the possibility of an intruder being inside existed. They then apparently decided to investigate if a break in had occurred. (People who break in via a window exit via a door), and to try and see inside to see if there was an intruder, and evaluate the safety of the victim. What if there was an intruder and they announced themselves, and he started shooting, or made a hostage of the victim ?

I think their reasoning was weak, but they did what they did.

The issue of the gun and the victim is totally different. She had the right to have it, she even had the right to point it out the window.

The Police had the right to fire if someone is pointing a gun at them.

So, the cops tactical plan may have been wrong, yet if in fact as two witnesses state the victim was pointing a gun out the window, I cannot blame the officer for firing.

Sometimes terrible tragedies occur, they are no ones fault, just a combination of actions.