Man With Disassembled Airsoft Gun Shot In Head By Police

[Frosty]

WTF! Don't have a disassembled airsoft gun on you or in your car at least not in WA. state. I would hate to see what the Cop would have done had it been assembled! Then again not sure what the cars occupant was doing at 3 a.m. either.

Mikael Thalen
by Mikael Thalen
January 10th, 2014
 
Newly released information has shed light on the Sunday death of a Yakima, Wash. man who was shot and killed in his vehicle after police mistook his disassembled airsoft gun for a real firearm.

According to statements from Department spokesman Capt. Rod Light, Yakima Police Officer Casey Gilette observed a “suspicious” vehicle parked outside a local 24-hour car wash while on a 3 a.m. routine patrol.

After reportedly surveying the situation for one hour, Gilette decided to approach the vehicle, occupied by 23-year-old Rocendo Arias.

“Approached on foot on the driver’s side, moved around the vehicle to the passenger side of the vehicle,” Light explained to the KNDU News.

Instead of knocking on Rocendo’s window to further investigate the situation, Light admits the officer swung the passenger side door open without informing the driver. After noticing the disassembled gun, Gilette fired four shots, striking Rocendo once in the head.

“It appeared that he had some accessories to the handgun that he was trying to install on it or put pieces of this gun together,” Capt. Light said.

The airsoft gun, which shoots plastic pellets, reportedly had a bright orange plastic tip as well, used to clearly identify the item as a toy.

“I believe this particular handgun had an orange tip. But based on our investigation I don’t want to go into particulars and details of the position of the gun and where the officer was,” Light said.

Despite the toy being partially disassembled, Light appeared to defend the officer’s actions, claiming that Rocendo had his hand on the section containing the trigger.

“The deceased had the weapon not only in his hand, but he also had his finger on the trigger,” Light said.


Read more: http://www.storyleak.com/airsoft/#ixzz2qFP8jy00

[MikeBjerum]

This is a free nation, and it doesn't matter that he was parked near a car wash at 3:00am.  I find it interesting that the officer admits to so many errors on his own part.  The cop is either extremely honest, has a guilty conscience, or both.

We used to live under "Innocent until proven guilty."  Today it is becoming guilty and dangerous until neutralized.

[Solus]

I wonder what would have happened if the victim had been handling his legal carry pistol, the door gets yanked open and a shot is fired at him and he responds, killing the officer.

I see the citizen's actions being justified where the officer's are not.

[TAB]

lots of wtf and missing info thats for sure.  have had held many an airsoft gun, lots of them if you didn't know beter you would say were real.

[MikeBjerum]

lots of wtf and missing info thats for sure.  have had held many an airsoft gun, lots of them if you didn't know beter you would say were real.

Orange Tip On Barrel !!!

IF you read the article you would have noted that while it appears that he had the frame in his hand with his finger on the trigger, it was also noted that the gun was disassembled, and had the orange tip on the barrel, the officer observed for an hour, and he looked in from both the driver and passenger side prior to forcibly entering and firing shots into the person.

This was slow paced with plenty of time to act.  This was not a high stress rapid moving situation.
 
Liberal Kalifornia Education System released on the public 

[Sponsor]

[TAB]

Orange Tip On Barrel !!!

IF you read the article you would have noted that while it appears that he had the frame in his hand with his finger on the trigger, it was also noted that the gun was disassembled, and had the orange tip on the barrel, the officer observed for an hour, and he looked in from both the driver and passenger side prior to forcibly entering and firing shots into the person.

This was slow paced with plenty of time to act.  This was not a high stress rapid moving situation.
 
Liberal Kalifornia Education System released on the public 

and the news always tells the truth...

[MikeBjerum]

Do you understand what these little marks mean "  " ?  Those are quotation marks.  They indicate that the words placed between them came from someone.  In this case it is Captain Ron Light, who gave these statements to the media.

[Solus]

Yeah..but the media might have been lying about that quote too....

For all we know, the cop ran to the car through a  hail of bullets from an M60 and was wounded several times before he jerked open the door and shot the guy.

Actually, it doesn't matter if it was a real gun...if you are legally holding it and a cop sneaks up and yanks open the door of your car and shoots you, he made a mistake.

What I expect is that they will justify it by saying the officer responded to a perceived threat.

As TAB has said many times, the police should be treated like every other citizen....for sure in this case. 

It should be just as right/wrong for a police officer to respond to a perceived threat with deadly force as it is for a citizen to do the same

Here is a link to a news story that states that only 33 police officers were killed in 2013 by gunfire. 

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-police-deaths-20131230,0,2076517.story#axzz2qUnklM37

I don't know the total of innocent folks shot by police in 2013, but it is not unreasonable to think it could well be more than 33.


If so, then innocent citizens are in more danger from police then the police are in danger from ALL citizens.

[MikeBjerum]

Instead of knocking on Rocendo’s window to further investigate the situation, Light admits the officer swung the passenger side door open without informing the driver

This statement right here is what really bothers me.  It is not a direct quote from the Captain, but it is in the middle of his quoted statements.

[Big Frank]

Cops are totally out of control. Another one went ballistic and pulled a gun on a guy at McDonalds because the line at the drive through was too slow. WTF is wrong with these guys?