This one almost doesn’t qualify for the “Gun Death?” Files. Not all of these stories involve a dead body, but generally gunplay is NOT part of the story. In this story a man was shot by police. But WHY he shot by police is why we have the tag:
man was shot and killed Wednesday after he allegedly poured gasoline on a woman and tried to set her on fire before charging a Bakersfield police officer.
…Witnesses saw the man “behaving erratically,” including screaming, yelling obscenities and throwing outdoor furniture, Grubbs said.
Next, he walked over to the woman who was pumping her vehicle with gas in the 2100 block of East Brundage Lane. The woman’s children were inside the vehicle.
The man removed the gas nozzle from her vehicle, poured gasoline on the ground and on the woman’s pants and tried to set her on fire with a lighter, he said.
The woman got in her car and drove away, Grubbs added.
When the officer arrived at the scene, police said, the man ignored his orders and charged him, carrying a possible bicycle lock. The officer then fired one shot at the man.
Thankfully the woman got away before she could be set ablaze. And then this lunatic charged a peace officer attempting to restore order. It didn’t have to end that way, but that was how this guy chose it.
Now gasoline and fire is VERY serious stuff. If she had been ignited at BEST she would probably be dealing with disfiguring burns, if not serious physical impairment or death. If an officer being charged with a “Bike Lock” (one of the small padlocks might be a minor impact weapon, some of those big bar locks or heavy locking chains are MUCH more formidable weapons) seems a bit severe for getting center-punched, think about if the officer didn’t act. They guy already showed he was willing to kill a total stranger in front of her kids, and was acting erratically.
I call good shoot. Again this WAS a “Gun Death”, but if it hadn’t been, there still might have been death. Which do you think was the better outcome?
