284 replies to this topic

[Darthvader]

I'll do it.

Me and my partner will be there wearing Kevlar vests, you haven't eaten for 3 days and are tired and weak; we'll plug you with a Taser, then maybe we'll use our billy club or maybe pepper spray before we shoot you in the legs. That sounds like fun to me!

Oh yeah, I forgot...we are both big guys, we work out every day, and we have years of training for all kinds of situations such as this....ok now let's play!!

[B&G]

I love how all these new 1st time posters are coming in to slam the FPD.

Anytime you come at a police officer in a threatening manner, you should expect to die - as should the assailant's family. I don't care if it is with a Gun, a knife, a bat, a spoon, or half-cocked fist.

Doesn't matter the state of mind. Doesn't matter the level of drugs in the system.

It is very sad. A tragic end to a young life. It shouldn't have happened. But to call it the fault of the Police is asinine.

+1
Thank you FPD for keeping our neighborhood safe! You have a very tuff job. My family appreciates each and every one of you.

[DavidH]

+1
Thank you FPD for keeping our neighborhood safe! You have a very tuff job. My family appreciates each and every one of you.

+1!

[pet lover]

Very well put. My friend, a law enforcement officer, said the taser should have worked. . . especially when shot two times! I am still thankful we have our law enforcement here to help keep us protected.

My understanding of tranquilizer guns/darts is that they take some time to go into effect. The taser should have been effective, but it apparently wasn't. They aren't foolproof. A person with a knife, which is a very deadly weapon BTW, can cover 10-15 in a second or so. It's not like the officers would have had a lot of time to decide what course of action to take. It is very sad that this man died and I imagine it is very difficult for the police officers involved as well.

[Carl G]

To the friends and family of Joseph - I'm sorry for your loss.

On the news Joseph was referred to as a good kid. Can you tell us more about him? I believe he was a recent college grad. What was his major? What fun things did he like to do? What are some of your favorite memories?

I understand given the situation the anger you feel towards the FPD, but I wonder if it goes deeper. Did Joseph ever have run-ins with the police? How about you? (Just to let you know where I'm coming from, I've always had very positive encounters / interactions with the police.)

I'm really just trying to make sense of the entire tragic situation.

[Chad Vander Veen]

Why havent the names of the officers been released? If they are such conquering heroes as you say, shouldnt they be celebrated and given medals for "keeping our town so safe"?

Probably so "special" people such as yourself don't do anything stupid.

[Dave Burrell]

Probably so "special" people such as yourself don't do anything stupid.

good point, that guy's extreme hatred for the FPD is concerning.

Usually only criminals have such fear and hatred of police.

just saying...

[h2831]

You cannot die from being tazed



This wasnt a pocket knife, it was a camping knife with 8 inches of cutting power. Although, every knife is a dangerous knife, I still cannot understand why people are not supporting our police officers. My offer is still up about one of the non supporters to face off with a knife weilding schizo.

I know for a fact that the blade was only 4 inches long. It was a swiss army knife. However, I do agree, any knife is still dangerous.

[ducky]

I know for a fact that the blade was only 4 inches long. It was a swiss army knife. However, I do agree, any knife is still dangerous.

I looked at a Swiss Army Knife site and this is what it said.

"PLEASE BE AWARE - this knife has a 4 inch blade and MUST NOT be carried in a public place. It is intended for use during outdoor activities, camping, sailing, climbing etc."

It doesn't take 4 inches to hit the jugular, which also isn't protected by a Kevlar vest.

Again, I'm sorry for this family's loss. I wish there were a different outcome.

[h2831]

This country was founded on a bunch of people questioning authority. It's our right to continue to do so, 200 years later. Whether or not the shooting was justified--we'll see what happens.

[ducky]

This country was founded on a bunch of people questioning authority. It's our right to continue to do so, 200 years later. Whether or not the shooting was justified--we'll see what happens.

I agree with you a hundred percent about the questioning. It's the automatic bashing without facts that I have a problem with.

[Deb aka Resume Lady]

This country was founded on a bunch of people questioning authority. It's our right to continue to do so, 200 years later. Whether or not the shooting was justified--we'll see what happens.

No one here is saying we shouldn't ask questions -- that we shouldn't question authority. But to refer to the officers' actions as murder isn't asking a question. You're right -- we'll find out soon enough if the shooting was justified or if the situation could/should have been handled differently.

My heart goes out to the family. They were obviously worried about the well being of their son and weren't getting anywhere on their own. I don't know what their fears were or how recently he got possession of the knife, but as a mother I might have been worried that my son would harm himself or us in his described state. It's a horrible position for a parent to be in. I'm sorry things turned out the way they did and will be interested to hear further information about how the incident went down.

[forumreader]

To the friends and family of Joseph - I'm sorry for your loss.

On the news Joseph was referred to as a good kid. Can you tell us more about him? I believe he was a recent college grad. What was his major? What fun things did he like to do? What are some of your favorite memories?

I understand given the situation the anger you feel towards the FPD, but I wonder if it goes deeper. Did Joseph ever have run-ins with the police? How about you? (Just to let you know where I'm coming from, I've always had very positive encounters / interactions with the police.)

I'm really just trying to make sense of the entire tragic situation.

Thank you, Carl, for trying to turn the direction of this thread.

There is a tendancy on this forum to speculate and quickly criticize in the aftermath of tragedies. Perhaps this is simply a natural human response for some folks, in order for them to process these tragedies. (??)

I share your compassion for the family. On a different level, I have sympathy for the police officers involved in this tragic incident.

Thank you, Resume Lady, for your compassionate post.

[Chad Vander Veen]

Why is it concerning? Im not the one with guns, tasers, billyclubs, handcuffs, bulletproof vests, two partners at my side, years of training, and a town of full people like you who have a tough time grasping reality giving me a green light to storm into peoples houses to kill a 125lb man.. Im simply a guy with a computer. I didnt harm anyone, your police force did.

And to say that someone is a criminal because they have a distrust in police is ignorant.. As painful as it is for you to understand that others often times have varying viewpoints, the people who differ from your opinion arent automatically criminals or villans.. You are ignorant for simply believing a cop is all knowing and all good simply because they have a badge and a cool uniform. Skepticism and hatred are two very different things. I live three doors down from a member of the FPD and cant think of a bad thing to say about the guy. Nice guy, nice family, and without question, a very difficult occupation. Unfortunately, his 3 overzealous colleagues has stained the entire police force. Is it fair? Probably not.. But not as unfair as the family who had to watch their son die at the hands of our trusted police force.

Why are you dodging the question? Why do you hate FPD? You can't say it is because of this instance because you don't have all the facts. So why?