Article

2014-01-07 -Land of the Free

Parents call police for help, cops show up and kill their 18-year-old son

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Posted by Fred 2014-01-07 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11127 views ] Top

#1 I believe this story has shades of "Old Yeller" weaving through it.

Posted by Black Charlie 2014-01-07 01:07|| 2014-01-07 01:07|| Front Page Top

#2 Story smells. Smells ambulance chasing.

Posted by JFM 2014-01-07 06:51|| 2014-01-07 06:51|| Front Page Top

#3 ...maybe, but our local police have their fair share of Barney Fifes, who should only have one bullet in their shirt pocket. You get what you can afford in the constabulary. As you allude to with the lawyers, sometimes saving pennies costs the taxpayers big dollars.

Posted by Procopius2k 2014-01-07 08:43|| 2014-01-07 08:43|| Front Page Top

#4 It's going to kill the case if he weighed 200 pounds and had a knife. I don't think anyone is dumb enough to make these claims if they aren't reasonable.

Something very bad happened.

Posted by gorb 2014-01-07 11:20|| 2014-01-07 11:20|| Front Page Top

#5 He weighed 90 pounds and had a screwdriver.

Posted by Deacon Blues 2014-01-07 12:13|| 2014-01-07 12:13|| Front Page Top

#6 The way I understand it the police have an escallation protocol. If the cop felt threatened it doesn't really matter the size or weapon.

Hate to blame the parents but what did they want the police to do? They should have called teh kids psychiatrist or something.

Posted by rjschwarz 2014-01-07 14:40|| 2014-01-07 14:40|| Front Page Top

#7 From now on, I'll take care of these things myself.

Posted by gorb 2014-01-07 16:05|| 2014-01-07 16:05|| Front Page Top

#8 That Cop badly needs Jail, there's no reason to "Barney Fife" On the kid.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2014-01-07 16:39|| 2014-01-07 16:39|| Front Page Top

#9 Schizophrenic, psychotic episode, and a screwdriver? This could also have been like dealing with someone on PCP or 'bath salts', rather than an overreaction to a kid flailing around, which would make sense if the parents were unable to control such a slight young man as described in the article.

I'd want a good deal more information before I'd feel comfortable drawing any conclusions.

Posted by trailing wife 2014-01-07 17:29|| 2014-01-07 17:29|| Front Page Top

#10 The way the article paints the picture this is nothing less than straight execution.
My Two questions would be; does this twat think he's Judge Dread and does the state sanction this.

Posted by Filet-o-fish 2014-01-07 18:13|| 2014-01-07 18:13|| Front Page Top

#11 Here is another local link: http://www.wect.com/story/24367610/new-details-911-report-shows-officer-shot-teen-seconds-after-arriving
The short version is that police had been on scene for almost 15 minutes and had apparently de-escalated the situation when the Southport officer arrived, according to the 911 calls timeline, the boy was shot 70 seconds later. I'm usually pretty pro-police, but if this story is remotely accurate, the Southport officer should be charged with 2nd degree murder.

Posted by Chantry 2014-01-07 18:14|| 2014-01-07 18:14|| Front Page Top

#12 Vidal had just turned 18, and weighed a mere 90 pounds. He couldn't have hurt anyone with the screwdriver

My cousin, an ex-cop, has battled debilitating neck pain for over a decade after an encounter with the butt end of a billiard cue wielded by a 100 pound woman in her 70s. Docs told him hes lucky he isnt in a wheel chair or worse.

Posted by DepotGuy 2014-01-07 20:31|| 2014-01-07 20:31|| Front Page Top

#13 maybe so, but the "we don't have time for this" testimony apparently came from one of the other (honest and good) cops. YMMV

Posted by Frank G 2014-01-07 21:00|| 2014-01-07 21:00|| Front Page Top

#14 Exactly, Frank. What is this "We don't have time for this" stuff? Was he in a hurry to get to the donut shop or something?

I understand that a 90 pound person can do some damage, but to kill someone because you are in a hurry seems to be criminal. Again, it is possible that there is more to the story than has been reported, but it doesn't look good for the shooter.

Posted by Rambler in Virginia 2014-01-07 21:26|| 2014-01-07 21:26|| Front Page Top

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