Slaying of Army veteran shocks friends Man shot by police was West Point grad

[Solus]

His fiancee will have the complete story since she was likely by  his side from start to finish.  She will have her bias and won't be telling her story until after what ever legal action is to be taken.

[Bic]

http://www.topix.com/forum/news/violent-crime/TQ4OHAEPSJNLAPICO

Some of the usual BS in the 'comments' section of the story, also a little confusion as to whether the deceased was a successful real estate broker or a medical device salesman.

I kinda feel like I'm obsessing a little over this story and I don't know why, I have no dog in this fight, but maybe the heat is increasing under the box of rats (thanks MB, one of my favourite analogies of yours) . I know that I'm certainly a little more sensitive and edgy these days when dealing with 'authority figures'.

[Bic]

http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/local-police-officers-are-on-edge-98587689.html

  This cocksu.....editorialist, for I won't call him a 'journalist, sure makes a ton of assumptions!

[Solus]

Here is a letter received by Dr. Piazza of Frontsight about the incident.

I have no link as it came in an email from Frontsight.


    Dr Piazza,

    My name is Dr. Greg Goetz. I'm a Front Sight Lifetime Member and pistol/rifle graduate.

    There was an incident a week ago at a Costco about 2 miles from my house, one that I shop at regularly.

    A 39 year old Boston Scientific medical instruments rep who was a West Point graduate was shot and killed by Las Vegas Metro police as he exited Costco after shopping there with his girlfriend. I don't think I've ever met the guy but I know one of his co-workers very well. (I'm an anesthesiologist)

    According to the Las Vegas review journal, he was inside shopping with his girlfriend and at one point became agitated or frustrated trying to see if a case of bottled water or Gatorade would fit into his backpack. He was noticed by either fellow shoppers or Costco staff or both. The decision was made by someone to call the police.

    He eventually calmed down, finished his shopping, paid, and was exiting the building when he as approached by 3 policemen. The best that can be gathered from hearsay and secondhand reports was that he was trying to tell them he was carrying concealed and lifted his shirt to show the police. At that point he was shot.

    As the facts become more clear and public (and they surely will because there were a multitude of witnesses not the least of which was the girlfriend) the police's choice of lethal force over less lethal (stun gun, etc) will either be validated or rejected.

    But I think our local community here in Las Vegas, the news media, and the rest of the firearms community nationwide are missing a very important point. The police don't get called for some guy just acting agitated at a Costco.

    I will bet my life he somehow exposed his sidearm and someone got scared and notified the police on a "man with a gun" call.

    I think this has more to do with the fear of the largely gun-intimidated public, many of whom sit at the left end of the political spectrum. Some soccer mom shopping with her kids probably saw his gun. freaked and called the cops. Such a call results in a mindset by the responding officers that probably has more to do with this man being dead than whether or not he failed to follow the cop's instructions verbatim when he was approached.

    I carry every day. Everywhere I'm allowed, unless there is a no firearms sign. Then it stays in the car till I come back out and it goes back on my hip where it's happy. Front Sight has given me the comfort of mind of being safe and effective with my guns, but the rest of the public is still predominately very intimidated by guns. I think those of us in the "gun community" have to recognize this and take the appropriate steps while carrying to maintain good concealment and monitor our behavior so that we are 'model' citizens while doing so, so the same thing doesn't repeat itself.

    Again, my take is that this was not so much a police over reaction as a CITIZEN'S over reaction to seeing a gun, because THAT is really, that's what started the events in motion.

    This fall I'm scheduled for Precision Rifle, Edged Weapons, Advanced Tactical Handgun and I'm bringing out my 3rd and 4th first time students so they can experience Front Sight too.

    Keep up the good work. You're fighting the good fight.

    Dr. Gregory Goetz
    Anesthesiologist
    Las Vegas, NV.

[Bic]

This is some sort of video related to this case.

http://www.fox5vegas.com/video/24492085/index.html

It was linked to on ARFCOM and the quality is supposed to be bad.

Until I spring for HughesNet, I'll let you guys be it's judge.

[Sponsor]