Dallas Cops Shoot Unarmed Mentally Ill Man: Video

[damnedifIknow]

"On October 14th, Dallas police officer Cardan Spencer shot a mentally ill man four times in the stomach. According to Spencer's partner, Christopher Watson (who wrote the report), the man (Bobby Gerald Bennett) moved "in a threatening manner" towards him and the other officer. Watson's statement even went so far as to say Bennett "lunged" at them. A statement released by the DPD a few hours after the shooting claimed the situation "escalated."

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131202/08531625430/dallas-pd-rule-change-gives-officers-72-hours-to-get-their-stories-straight-after-shooting-citizens.shtml

[NutmegYankee]

1. Cop got fired

Cardan Spencer, Dallas Officer Who Shot Mentally Ill Man, Fired and May Face Charges

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2013/10/cardan_sencer_officer_who_shot.php

The Dallas police officer who shot an unarmed, mentally ill man in the stomach has been fired, Dallas Police Chief Brown announced at a news conference today. Brown also said that the police officer, Cardan Spencer, would face a first degree felony charge of aggravated assault, but the department later announced that the case will be referred to a grand jury.

Joyce Jackson called the police on her 53-year-old son on October 14 because she was afraid he would hurt himself. Her son, Bobby Bennett, is bipolar and schizophrenic. He had been off of his medication for a few months, after his last prescription seemed to knock him out completely. "He can be eating, and then all of a sudden he's just out," Jackson told Unfair Park in an interview, "and he'll have food in his mouth or whatever. That's over-dosing I think."

As he sat on the cul-de-sac of the residential street where he lived holding a knife, Jackson asked the 911 dispatcher why police were taking so long to arrive. The dispatcher was reassured her. "She said, 'We're getting special officers out there to you Ms. Jackson."

But not long after the police car with Officer Spencer and Officer Christopher Watson pulled up, Jackson heard four gun shots.

[Incitatus]

2. It's a good thing that camera was there. nt

[damnedifIknow]

3. Yes it is

DPD Chief David Brown watched the video and claimed his own officer's statement trumped his lying eyes.

"The unfortunate thing here is that Officer Watson's statement really overrode what the video showed," Brown said. "We had not at that point determined if the video captured the entire incident, or if the video had not been altered in any way. We put a lot of credibility on officer's statements until we have other evidence to prove otherwise."

[Ranchemp.]

5. This lying POS chief should be fired and charged with accessory after the crime.

He had, HAD to know that what his officer did was highly illegal and the other officer should be fired and charged for accessory to the crime and filing a false police report.

I'll admit that I'm a U.S. Marshal and usually support LE, but in this case, fuck em, they should all be fired and charged with the appropriate crimes and tried by jury.

[NutmegYankee]

4. Indeed.

The man shot would still be facing charges if it hadn't shown up.

[Brigid]

6. Oh good Lord.

Do cops in TX -- or anywhere else for that matter -- know how to deal with any situation without gunfire?

One of these days I have got to ask some cop, preferably younger one, just what they learn in the police academy nowadays. If I went there, I would hope that a good deal of time would be devoted to learning how to deescalate situations instead of using force as a first resort.

[madrchsod]

7. my wife is trained to disarm people like him without using weapons.

another facility has two people that deal with one person at all times because of the severity of the persons illness.

if anyone in the field my wife is in would use any "weapon" they would lose their job and never work in that field again.

her training is at least 8 hours and refresher courses throughout the year.