Yep, the ATF Agent stopping a robbery was Shot by a Retired cop.
I don’t want to armchair QB this story but it seems the BIG issue was two cops without uniforms acting like uniformed cops was the big issue. The ATF agent was perusing the armed robber with his gun drawn. Kosher behavior for a cop, but verboten for an armed citizen.
Be careful out there. Same goes for cops, just because YOU know you’re a cop, doesn’t mean anybody else does, or if they’ll take your word for it.
“As the retired lieutenant grabbed Capano and pulled him away from the fallen robber, a gun went off, sources said, blasting Capano.”
“a gun went off”. Those darn guns, always going off by themselves.
That’s how they deflect blame from the shooter and onto the gun. I’d bet it’s at least partly why some people are afraid of guns, it’s often phrased in a way that makes it seem like the gun did it on it’s own somehow.
This is the most dangerous scenerio and why I won’t go running into a fight. In a uniform it’s obvious I’m a good guy. If I’m caught in the middle and have to fight I will but I will not pursue someone.
If you come across a situation and two are pointing guns at each other stay out of it. Bottom line is how do you separate the good from the bad. Yeah those stupid badges are supposed to help, but they’re stupid, impractical, and a total mall ninja thing. The only way you can distinguish good from bad in that situation is behavior which takes time. Most cops will not take the time to figure it out even though it’s pretty simple. The bad guy will engage the new comes as well as the original citizen. The law abiding citizen won’t point arms and the new comers unless they shoot at him. And if it’s a uniformed cop, the citizen will obey orders to put down the weapon, bad guy wont. (That’s assuming gunfire isn’t currently being exchanged. If it is I’d suggest waiting out the exchange, it sucks but do you really want to shoot the good guy?)
It’s a tough scenario, one I don’t have answers for. Luckily instances like this are quite rare, and civilian concealed carriers are very careful about engaging. See Appalachian School of Law. If we still had VC this would be a perfect discussion topic. I’ll try and test my setup tonight and if it works I’ll help you mirror it.
Isn’t it interesting how often this type of thing happens to other cops (I don’t think I’ve ever heard a story of a citizen gun owner being shot while or after stopping a crime) and in places like New York where gun ownership is difficult if not impossible.
I have a working theory: I think it happens that way more often than not because the cops in those areas are programmed to believe that anyone in civvies with a gun is a bad guy. Normal citizens typically cannot get CHPs so when they see a citizen with a gun, they assume that’s the criminal.
Because, in those states, they are generally right…only the cops and the bad guys have guns…when they shoot someone they mistakenly assumed was a bad guy under that premise, it’s usually a cop of some sort.
That doesn’t happen in Florida, or Virginia or any of the other free states (or very rarely anyway) because the cops know that there are a significant number of law abiding citizens that may be armed, so they don’t make those assumptions about the guy (or gal) in civvies with a gun and try better to figure out what’s going on before just arbitrarily blasting away at everyone with a gun.
Well also uniform or not these guys were BOTH operating as Cops, tho neither was on the clock. The ATF agent identified himself as LEO, and the retired cop went in for an arrest.
Meanwhile my game plan if I pull my gun is:
Step 1: Stop immediate Threat
Step 2: Get to Safe Place if my current location isn’t
Step 3: call 9-11 and give all, but only, reliant information about the incident.
Step 4: Keep head on swivel because the “Help” that arrives may be for the bad guy, not for me.
Step 5: When the police arrive gun gets dropped to the dirt and my hands go to the sky and I comply with police and expect to be arrested.
Step 6: Unless I’m not arrested or charged request my lawyer.
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ATF agent identified himself in the store. After that he was in a close quarters fight. I suggest you try to conduct an interview while rolling on the concrete with somoe trying to kill you. Oh, and ATF agents don’t wear uniforms.
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