6 Officers Shot, One Killed

Saw a piece on abc news tonight about how some police are saying enough is enough and it's time to do something more...Doing something more that pertains to criminals being able to get their hands on assault weapons, AK-47's and the like. I know a lot of you (most probably), are all for no gun control, or leaving gun control laws alone because whatever system is in place now is working. But to hear the cops talk about it there was a 20% increase in cops killed during 2011. Whenever I have the opportunity to talk one-on-one with I cop I usually let him or her know how much I appreciate the job they do and the sacrifices they sometimes have to make.

So what do you all think about all the assult weapons that are readily available and what can or should be done to help keep these types of weapons ending up in the wrongs hands? I personally think no one needs assault weapons except for military personnel...some people might argue it's a hobby and they're a blast to shoot, and I can't argue with you on that...but in the mean time we have a lot of very good men and women being mowed down because of the availability of this style of weapon. Read on for the story>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

One police officer has died and five others were shot in a wild shootout overnight in Ogden, Utah. The shootings continue a dangerous trend for law enforcement with the number of police killed by gunfire spiking 20 percent in 2011.

The Utah officers, part of a drug task force, were trying to serve a warrant at a home just before 9 p.m. Wednesday local time when gunfire erupted.

Neighbors say it sounded as if AK 47s rifles being fired -- quick pops followed by a pause, then a barrage of gunfire. As many as 40 shots were fired.

The suspect, who was also wounded, tried to escape on foot, but didn't make it far, according to police. He was eventually cornered near a backyard shed and taken into custody.

Jared Francom, the Ogden officer who died from his injuries, was a seven-year veteran of the force who was married and a father of two. His five fellow officers are all hospitalized with injuries ranging from critical to serious.

"We came running outside to see what was going on," neighbor Janessa Vanderstappen told the Deseret News. "Officers told us to go back in our house."

Erin Hooley/Standard-Examiner/AP PhotoPolice officers and an emergency crew are... View Full Size Erin Hooley/Standard-Examiner/AP PhotoPolice officers and an emergency crew are seen in Ogden, Utah where 6 police officers were shot, including those from the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force and the Ogden Police Department, while serving a warrant, Jan. 4, 2012.
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Vanderstappen said she went back inside, and minutes later heard yelling coming from the backyard. She walked onto the back porch to see officers addressing a person hiding in a nearby shed.

"There's cops telling him to 'put your hands up, put your hands up,"' she said.

The suspect, Matthew David Stewart, 37, suffered injuries that are not life threatening, the AP reported, though it's unclear if he was shot. Stewart is in a hospital under guard and it wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney.

The team serving the search warrant was made up of officers from the Weber County Sheriff's Office, local police departments and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

The shooting comes after a deadly year in 2011 for law enforcement, with two of the most recent incidents occurring in Virginia and New York.

In early December, a gunman ambushed Virginia Tech police officer Deriek Crouse as he sat in his police car. Crouse was not able to return fire and died at the scene.

New York Police Officer Peter Figoski, a 22-year veteran of the force, died December 12 after being critically wounded while he responded to a robbery in Brooklyn.

Last year officer fatalities were up 17 percent nationwide and police killed by gunfire spiked 20 percent. It was the deadliest year for law enforcement since 2007.

In basic terms more armed criminals are willing to go toe to toe with police.

A total of 1,794 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the past 10 years, an average of one death every 53 hours or 163 per year. Last year 177 officers were killed.

I'm all for not creating new laws and enforcing the laws that are in place. Criminals can get anything they want so new laws are not gonna help anything. Look at what the justice department did with giving guns to Mexico and even though it was illegal they are prolly gonna get away with it. That's just typical.....if we would enforce the laws, prosecute the snot out of the criminals maybe some of the repeat offenders and losers would actuallly be punished and stay behind bars.
Gangs rule so many city streets and they have little to stop them from getting assault weapons. Drugs, stolen property and other criminal activity fuels their money flow and nothing can stop that.....nothing. Jmo

All the gun control in the world would not have kept this crazy man from getting a gun and shooting those police officers.

People who commit crimes with GUNS should be put away for a LONG, LONG time.......or killed. Either works for me.

Later,

Geo

Yep. Will never happen

I have a different slant. First, let me say I'm not anti police, and truly appreciate their efforts.

Has anyone seen the methods they use to serve warrants and the attitude they have while doing it? What the hell has happened to innocent until proven guilty?

With no warning, a swarm of cops use a battering ram to bust the door and run in the house screaming at the top of their lungs. What do they expect? I'm surprised there aren't more shootings.

The macho attitudes where they treat people like subjects aggravates me too. They order people to do things that would rankle any average person, then become very very aggressive when someone doesn't meekly comply.

That said, I'm basing this on things I've seen on TV, and maybe 'real' life isn't like that. But if the TV shows are any indication of how normal operations are run, there will be more and more police shootings.

On the shows I've seen they're usually just busting in on some hapless pothead and nobody gets hurt, while the official sounding voice-over guy hypes how brave they are for doing such a dangerous job. I don't watch those type shows anymore, after I found myself secretly pulling for the supposed 'bad' guys.

Yes, you batter someone's door down in the middle of the night and there is a good chance you'll get shot at.

A lot of what you see on TV is called "playing for the camera." There are idiot, redneck cops out there who get a gun and a uniform and think they're the baddest of the bad, but they are few in numbers. The chances are less likely if the cop was forced to attend a Police Training Academy.

I thought that, several years ago, a law was passed that banned AK-47s unless they had been modified to prevent multiple shots. I do know that it was placed on the table in Gun Control Laws right after President Reagan was shot. I agree that we don't need more gun laws, we just need to enforce those we already have and hand out some stiff fines and jail time for using illegal weapons.

Just my 2-cents.

If a mistke is made, and a door busted down, defending your self is not a crime in my opinion. A warrant usually secifies what or who is being sought, and where is also a part.Buta lot of that is going to change for the worse soon. Giving the military the right to arrest american citizens of suspected terrorism, is the beginning.We respect [most of us] our military, but when they become quasi legal storm troopers, they will loose the respect.Nobama didn't have the "nads" to stop this from happening.When you give up freedom, for security, you soon have neither!!

I have a friend who is a sheriff in Illinois and has been in law enforcement for 48 years. He is all for concealed weapons the sheriff association in Illinois supported the attempt to pass concealed weapons in Illinois.

He told me we can not get anywhere in time to prevent a murder all we can do is try and find out who committed the crime; so it is up to you to protect yourself and family. With that said he does not want any one who is not responsible or a criminal to have a gun.

Now as far as a fully automatic assault weapon I think they are illegal and can only be attained from Eric Holder.

[QUOTE=roadrunner;476939]I have a friend who is a sheriff in Illinois and has been in law enforcement for 48 years. He is all for concealed weapons the sheriff association in Illinois supported the attempt to pass concealed weapons in Illinois.

He told me we can not get anywhere in time to prevent a murder all we can do is try and find out who committed the crime; so it is up to you to protect yourself and family. With that said he does not want any one who is not responsible or a criminal to have a gun.

Now as far as a fully automatic assault weapon I think they are illegal and can only be attained from Eric Holder.[/QUOTE]


What do you mean by this last sentence?

[QUOTE=Devils Horse;476900]I have a different slant. First, let me say I'm not anti police, and truly appreciate their efforts.

Has anyone seen the methods they use to serve warrants and the attitude they have while doing it? What the hell has happened to innocent until proven guilty?

With no warning, a swarm of cops use a battering ram to bust the door and run in the house screaming at the top of their lungs. What do they expect? I'm surprised there aren't more shootings.

The macho attitudes where they treat people like subjects aggravates me too. They order people to do things that would rankle any average person, then become very very aggressive when someone doesn't meekly comply.

That said, I'm basing this on things I've seen on TV, and maybe 'real' life isn't like that. But if the TV shows are any indication of how normal operations are run, there will be more and more police shootings.

On the shows I've seen they're usually just busting in on some hapless pothead and nobody gets hurt, while the official sounding voice-over guy hypes how brave they are for doing such a dangerous job. I don't watch those type shows anymore, after I found myself secretly pulling for the supposed 'bad' guys.

Yes, you batter someone's door down in the middle of the night and there is a good chance you'll get shot at.[/QUOTE]



The reason why you show of force is for a couple reasons. To so bad guys do not have as much of an edge. If you have a show of force it lets the bad guys know who is in charge. It is not them, just like when the military goes in. I was not there but a guy that was suspected of being that heavely armed (if they knew) entry should have been done with a swat team.

If you knock and let them know hey the police are outside it gives them more of an opportunity to plain. Which gives them the upper hand. The element of surprise is what you want.

I don't know a lot about the situation but, I have been on several dozen warrants. But those are just a few reason why you hit a door with force.

The person is not guilty because he was or would have been arrested. He would have his day in court.