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this post was submitted on 14 Feb 2024
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If you look into this story a little further, it turns out that there are a few things to consider.
One, this is actually the result of training. The man served two tours overseas, this is quite literally what he's trained to do. Do you have any idea what a gunshot sounds like from far away? Because it's not exactly a clear sound, and there are a shitload of different bullets (and gun barrels, compensators, silencers, sub sonic ammunition as an even further layer) to make different noise. When you're used to being shot at from far away, yeah a sound like this actually does sound like you're being shot at. I could also easily see someone mistaking it for a bullet landing near them.
He also describes experiencing a tingly sensation and thinking something was wrong with his left(? going from memory, lazy) side. It very much sounds like he had a PTSD attack.
Lastly, he resigned during the course of the investigation into the shooting. Not to mention, the investigation into him concluded that no he should not have unloaded his firearm after hearing an acorn hit the car.
Should he be a cop? Fuck no! He likely has undiagnosed PTSD and should be getting help, not putting himself into circumstances where he is much more likely to be shot at.
However this is not the result of incompetence. This man is a military veteran. He will likely be more proficient with firearms than you or I ever will be. You need to stop thinking of cops as pigs in tight bullet proof vests. This guy, and there are absolutely others like him, is not at all untrained.
I'll preface this saying that I own firearms and I spent 11 years in the military, I've had people shoot in my general direction, but I've bever been in a firefight.
Police and military operate in different environments that require different skillsets and different training. People expect, incorrectly, that police are there to protect citizens (this isn't a rant about them protecting only the owner class...the judicial branch has upheld that police had no duty to protect). IF they had a duty to protect, they wouldn't be allowed to open fire without a target in site and awareness of what was beyond that target and endangered when they miss that target.
Hearing a gunshot is not a valid excuse for randomly discharging your weapon.
I'm glad nobody was hurt, and I really hope the VA or some other organization is able to help this guy recover from his combat trauma. The department that hired him should have done better, and I hope they revisit their candidate screening policy...
He may have PTSD and he may have had 1,000 hours of firearms training, but if you empty your magazine the way he did, under the circumstances he did, you're incompetent to be a police officer. Period.
And even he apparently recognizes that since he resigned (though whether he'll just go get hired the next town over is probably a decent bet).
This is the result of having minimal training and not having enough training to be competent.
His description of legs feeling weak and tingly are that of an adrenaline dump.
i.e officer has been trained in handling firearms but not "stress innoculated" he's not been trained to respond properly in a stressful situation.
His firearm handling is also below an acceptable standard. He emptied his mag without so much as landing a single hit on the car and when he goes to reload fumbles numerous times, isn't sure if he wants to reload or find cover and does both badly.