Officer Suspended Over Warning Shot

[The Straight Story]

Officer Suspended Over Warning Shot
Melbourne Officer Accused Of Shooting Into Air At Orlando Restaurant

MELBOURNE, Fla. -- A Melbourne police officer who investigators said fired a warning shot into the air after someone stole a tip jar from an Orlando restaurant has been suspended for a week.

Officer Mark Knott was suspended for 40 hours without pay after an internal affairs investigation found he violated department rules on firing warning shots and the use of firearms while off duty.

“It was against department policy. It’s prohibited. The bottom line is that anytime you fire a weapon, there’s a chance a bullet could strike someone,” Cmdr. Ron Bell, spokesman for the Melbourne Police Department, told Local 6 News partner Florida Today.

Officials said Knott was at a Tijuana Flats in Orlando on Dec. 5 when the incident took place.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/22752561/detail.html

[DrDan]

1. suspended . . . . good!

[Mike K]

2. Suspension for 40 hours -

- is a punishment, which is not appropriate in this situation.

Based on what is reported in the opening message, this fellow fired a shot in the air because someone stole a tip jar -- not because he or persons under his protection were subject to imminent attack. If that is true then he should be terminated as a police officer and redirected into a different (unarmed) civil service occupation with closely comparable pay and benefits.

What he did demonstrates bad judgment, not an intentional misconduct.

[DrDan]

5. termination would be ok with me

at least a suspension will get his attention

[Historic NY]

3. You kidding right.........only Barney Fife would do something that stupid..

this guy needs to go he is too dangerous.

http://www.wftv.com/news/22748421/detail.html

[deaniac21]

4. Barney would never have used his bullet for a warning shot.

[etherealtruth]

11. I beg to differ

Barney surely would have tried to fire a warning shot had he been allowed bullets1

[deaniac21]

16. By the time he got his bullet from his shirt pocket and loaded

into his revolver the moment would have passed.

[etherealtruth]

17. Thereby proving my point

Barney would've if Barney could've.

Now Dudley-Do-Right .... one can never be sure what the RCMP's would do.

:evilgrin:

[rcrush]

6. Don't cops have to file a report for each bullet they fire?

I guess he listed his reason as "Yosimite Sam"

[DrDan]

9. he was off duty - wouldn't that make a difference as to whether he had to report it?

[rcrush]

12. Well I assume his superiors would ask about where that bullet is

I have some cop friends and they say that they have to keep track of every bullet. For any reason its discharged they have to file a lengthy report etc etc.

Unless he was using his personal gun or something?

[DrDan]

13. Keeping track of each and every bullet makes a lot of sense to me.

But . . . I can see how a couple of extras might find their way into pockets (not that it's right)

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

18. As if he couldn't have used his own bullets in his police sidearm.

[petronius]

7. Why would there not be criminal charges here?

What would happen to a non-cop who did this? A private citizen with a CCW even? The business owner? I'm guessing there would be charges across the board in those cases...

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

20. It would depend on local law mostly.

[Renew Deal]

8. There's a new sheriff in town. Bang bang bang

:rofl:

[arcadian]

10. Cop defenders in 3... 2... 1...

[Edweird]

14. Yeah, warning shots are a NO-NO.

[alcina]

15. Coming soon to a Starbuck's near you

"Armed patron fires warning shot in air when short-quad-vanilla-latte is taken by another customer."

[SteveM]

21. There'll be blood running in the double espressos!

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

19. Fine with me. Firing him would be fine too.

He definitely needs extensive retraining.