After reading "Erick's" own account of the events I think I can see how this tragedy might have happened.
After Erick is confronted with the fact he is carrying by the Costco employee, a chain of communications starts running, simultaneously to Erik's remaining movements through the store. By the time the message gets through the Costco 'chain of command' and to the dispatcher, the message is garbled beyond recognition - like we have all seen and experienced in the 'telephone' game we played in grade school. By the time the police arrive on the scene, they are probably thinking "Ft. Hood" or "Columbine".
When Erick is pointed out, and confronted, all they have time to see is that he has something shiny and black in his right hand. His right hand is moving up and his left hand is moving across his body to pull up his shirt, exposing his Kimber. The already freaked out officer makes a split second decision and guesses wrong. He did not have all the facts.
After that point, it sounds like "contagious fire" and then a clumsy and despicable effort to cover up the whole business by an arrogant, isolated and apparently out of control police department. The part about harassment and intimidation of Erik's fiancée and friends is even more outrageous.
Hopefully the voters will be able to insure that the LVMPD chief is replaced as soon as possible. I know several of Texas' largest metro areas have had issues in the past, at least within my living memory, and usually involving minorities - and one of my own ex-brother-in-laws was a rogue officer that (well, I shall not say any more about that). But handling 'man with gun' calls seems to be routine Saturday night fare these days for the Dallas area PDs and are usually handled with professionalism - and with everyone still alive the next morning.
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Return to “CHL holder killed by police in Las Vegas at a Costco”
- Sat Oct 30, 2010 10:20 pm
- Forum: Never Again!!
- Topic: CHL holder killed by police in Las Vegas at a Costco
- Replies: 886
- Views: 192843
- Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:21 pm
- Forum: Never Again!!
- Topic: CHL holder killed by police in Las Vegas at a Costco
- Replies: 886
- Views: 192843
Re: CHL holder killed by police in Las Vegas at a Costco
The cynic in me is betting that when the video tape finally resurfaces Erick has a not quite discernible object in one of his hands.
- Sat Aug 07, 2010 9:46 pm
- Forum: Never Again!!
- Topic: CHL holder killed by police in Las Vegas at a Costco
- Replies: 886
- Views: 192843
Re: CHL holder killed by police in Las Vegas at a Costco
This incident is a tragedy on several levels and I have been following this thread intensely.
My take aways at this point are:
1.Like the man said earlier, concealed means concealed. If you are made, its most likely your fault.
2.If you are made, leave quietly and unobtrusively, this is not the time or place to be arguing 2A rights.
3.Some people are scared to death of guns, have never handled one, maybe never even seen one up close. They cannot imagine any rational reason why a 'normal' person would carry one. (I worked with a guy like this once). They will most likely assume you are some kind of crazed nut and will not be approaching the situation rationally.
4. My 'normal' may be your 'erratic'.
5. Peace officers have, arguably, the most demanding of all civilian jobs, and my default position has always been to assume the officer had some rational reason for his action, maybe not the way I would have approached it, and maybe not the way he would approach it given a second go 'round after access to more facts, but this case seems so far off the chart that it is hard to see it for anything other than what Erick's family thinks it is.
My take aways at this point are:
1.Like the man said earlier, concealed means concealed. If you are made, its most likely your fault.
2.If you are made, leave quietly and unobtrusively, this is not the time or place to be arguing 2A rights.
3.Some people are scared to death of guns, have never handled one, maybe never even seen one up close. They cannot imagine any rational reason why a 'normal' person would carry one. (I worked with a guy like this once). They will most likely assume you are some kind of crazed nut and will not be approaching the situation rationally.
4. My 'normal' may be your 'erratic'.
5. Peace officers have, arguably, the most demanding of all civilian jobs, and my default position has always been to assume the officer had some rational reason for his action, maybe not the way I would have approached it, and maybe not the way he would approach it given a second go 'round after access to more facts, but this case seems so far off the chart that it is hard to see it for anything other than what Erick's family thinks it is.