Long Island police defend Hofstra student killing

[gthaustex]

A student being held hostage was killed when a police officer shot the man who was holding her hostage. It should be noted that Smith was a convicted felon in possession of a handgun.

/sarcasm

Imagine that a criminal with a handgun not obeying New York or Federal gun laws.......shocked I am...

/sarcasm off

In what police are describing as a crime of opportunity, a wanted man with a criminal history dating nearly 15 years entered a front door that had been left open at a New York home near Hofstra University.

A short time later, the intruder, Dalton Smith, and a 21-year-old college junior, Andrea Rebello, were both dead. The two were killed early Friday by a Nassau County police officer who fired eight shots at the masked man, hitting him seven times but also accidentally hitting Rebello once in the head, Nassau County homicide squad Lt. John Azzata said Saturday.

Smith was holding Rebello in a headlock and pointing a gun at her head before he turned his gun at the officer, Azzata said, prompting the shooting.

"He kept saying, 'I'm going to kill her,' and then he pointed the gun at the police officer," Azzata said.

A loaded 9 mm handgun with a serial number scratched off was found at the scene, police said.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-575 ... t-killing/

[jmra]

Sad story. I'm sure the decisions will be second guessed many times during the investigation.

[texanjoker]

Very tragic.. I knew a guy that accidentally hit a person when in this type of situation. Legally he will be ok, but he has to live with it and that will be the hard part.

[Excaliber]

When this incident is critiqued, it is important to remember a couple of things:

1. Unlike the NYPD in the Empire State Building shooting last year, the officer in this incident hit the suspect with 7 out of 8 shots - an excellent performance that was very likely built on significant effort devoted to refining his skills.

2.The officer was engaging an immediate deadly threat target that was almost certainly twisting and turning in the type of movements that are often seen in someone being hit by gunfire. The hostage, who was being held in a headlock, may very well have been pulled into the bullet's path by the offender's movement at the very instant the officer fired with a sight alignment that was solidly on the suspect. While it can be anticipated that such movement may happen the how far, which direction, and what moment in time parameters of that movement can't be predicted.

The tragic outcome is another sobering reminder that things can go horribly wrong for officers (or non LEO rescuers) even when they try their utmost to do everything right.

[gthaustex]

Unfortunately, the responding LEO was caught in somewhat of a no-win situation. Either take incoming fire from the perp or shoot in the immediate area of an innocent bystander / victim. I agree that he did well in hitting 7 of 8 times as well as Excaliber stating that she may have been pulled into the line of fire. My motivation for posting this was as another example of criminals breaking gun laws, even the really tough ones, like in NY. The gun grabbers will never let themselves see that side of the equation. One other reason would be to be safety conscious and not leave criminals an easy way into your residence.

[Excaliber]

Unfortunately, the responding LEO was caught in somewhat of a no-win situation. Either take incoming fire from the perp or shoot in the immediate area of an innocent bystander / victim. I agree that he did well in hitting 7 of 8 times as well as Excaliber stating that she may have been pulled into the line of fire. My motivation for posting this was as another example of criminals breaking gun laws, even the really tough ones, like in NY. The gun grabbers will never let themselves see that side of the equation. One other reason would be to be safety conscious and not leave criminals an easy way into your residence.

They see it just fine, although of course they won't admit it and must ridicule it because it's not helpful to their cause.

Despite the fact that their arguments are cloaked in promises of safety, they know full well their efforts won't deliver that, and that's fine with them because it has nothing to do with their goal. Their game plan is to fool enough people with the same arguments that were made under Hitler, Stalin, and dozens of other dictators into thinking that, if they give up enough of their rights, the all powerful government will protect them. That wouldn't happen here any more than it did anywhere else, but once the constitution is ignored and rights invalidated, the progressives (the new name for communists) can establish the same type of Marxist dictatorship as the ones that were successfully built before.

Their greatest fear is that people will hear the truth and recognize both the fallacy of the progressives' arguments (which are so completely unfounded as to be ridiculous under any logical standard) and the true intent of their efforts, and stand up and fight for the right to individual self defense, as well as all the others enumerated in the constitution and bill of rights. That's why they are desperately trying to demonize anyone and anything that has to do with Christianity, the constitution, adherence to oaths of office, limited government, and fiscal responsibility.

They know as well as we do that a tyranny cannot stand without submissive and cowering subjects.

[baldeagle]

Prayers for that officer. This has to be painful for him. The BG didn't leave him any choice, but that doesn't make it any easier to live with.

That's an absolutely horrible headline, BTW. It should read something like Hofstra student tragically killed when criminal threatens officer's life.

[C-dub]

This really is terrible. Of course, the anti's will say if he'd only fired seven shots she'd still be alive, but there's no way to tell if it was the first or eighth shot, is there?

I'm also not quite sure exactly what to think about this one. Will the officer be criminally held responsible for her death or will the city just pay an enormous wrongful death lawsuit and the officer not be punished? I don't really know what is right or wrong in this case. I would probably be going to jail, but I'm not a LEO.

[The Annoyed Man]

Well, at least with the new law, the bad guy only had 7 rounds in his magazine.

[JJVP]

This really is terrible. Of course, the anti's will say if he'd only fired seven shots she'd still be alive, but there's no way to tell if it was the first or eighth shot, is there?

I'm also not quite sure exactly what to think about this one. Will the officer be criminally held responsible for her death or will the city just pay an enormous wrongful death lawsuit and the officer not be punished? I don't really know what is right or wrong in this case. I would probably be going to jail, but I'm not a LEO.

7+1. The law talks about seven rounds in the magazine. As far as I know, it says nothing about the chamber.

[mamabearCali]

It is terrible....but the as far as I can tell the cops had no choice. I am sorry she died....it is terrible, but it was the gunman's fault not the cops (and the people of NY for letting their politicians write such horrendous gun laws that prevents the young lady from defending herself. The LEO's did their best, but sometimes evil gets a victory.

[Beiruty]

Why in the world he was out on parole, he was a violent offender. Where did he got the gun? Mr. Bloomberg and Mr. Como, does your gun control works in saving lives???!

[TexasGal]

The tragedy of her death began with letting career criminals run the streets and disarming citizens. I hope her family can understand the position the officer was in and be forgiving. My anger remains with the legislators who are the ones who truly put this young woman in this terrible situation.

[armanius]

Did y'all read the most recent comments beneath the CBS article? All of them blamed the cops and portrayed the cops as the bad guys. I don't always side with cops, but I am perplexed at the anti-LEO sentiments expressed. And even more perplexed by the high probability that these anti-LEO people are also anti-gun ownership.

But then, maybe I shouldn't be perplexed at the libtard way of thinking.

A student being held hostage was killed when a police officer shot the man who was holding her hostage. It should be noted that Smith was a convicted felon in possession of a handgun.

/sarcasm

Imagine that a criminal with a handgun not obeying New York or Federal gun laws.......shocked I am...

/sarcasm off

In what police are describing as a crime of opportunity, a wanted man with a criminal history dating nearly 15 years entered a front door that had been left open at a New York home near Hofstra University.

A short time later, the intruder, Dalton Smith, and a 21-year-old college junior, Andrea Rebello, were both dead. The two were killed early Friday by a Nassau County police officer who fired eight shots at the masked man, hitting him seven times but also accidentally hitting Rebello once in the head, Nassau County homicide squad Lt. John Azzata said Saturday.

Smith was holding Rebello in a headlock and pointing a gun at her head before he turned his gun at the officer, Azzata said, prompting the shooting.

"He kept saying, 'I'm going to kill her,' and then he pointed the gun at the police officer," Azzata said.

A loaded 9 mm handgun with a serial number scratched off was found at the scene, police said.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-575 ... t-killing/

[johncanfield]

...That's why they are desperately trying to demonize anyone and anything that has to do with Christianity, the constitution, adherence to oaths of office, limited government, and fiscal responsibility. They know as well as we do that a tyranny cannot stand without submissive and cowering subjects.

Well said

The tragedy of her death began with letting career criminals run the streets and disarming citizens. I hope her family can understand the position the officer was in and be forgiving. My anger remains with the legislators who are the ones who truly put this young woman in this terrible situation.

Yup!