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Well 3 for yes and 0 for no.....
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OMG!!!  We actually agree on something :o ;D

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But why shoot him dead, in that case?
Why not shoot at his leg or feet, that'll bring him down just in case he did have a gun.
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Absolutely agree. Just make sure you're a good shot or else that person isn't going to be able to have kids.  ;)

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But why shoot him dead, in that case?
Why not shoot at his leg or feet, that'll bring him down just in case he did have a gun.

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In close quarters, policemen (and policewomen) are trained to "aim for the torso" to maximize the probability of hitting the target.  If you aim for the head or feet, the chances of missing are much higher (especially for the feet).

On the other hand, long-distance snipers who are shooting at a stationary target DO attempt to aim for less-lethal parts of the body, unless the perp starts moving (like he is aiming a gun at a hostage).

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But why shoot him dead, in that case?
Why not shoot at his leg or feet, that'll bring him down just in case he did have a gun.

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A good question that is simply answered.  You aim for the most massive part of the body to avoid missing the intended target and unfortuanatley hitting the wrong target.  If a bullet misses it's intended point it will contine to travel until it meets another mass, and it's very unfortuante it it's an innocent bystander.

I have to add, I am a gun owner and regulary visit a gun range, it's not easy to shoot straight and true every time, especially under great stress.  Please believe me when I say you want them to shoot the best target possible if they need to draw their weapons.

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And I guess when you've been drinking, your sense of judgement is the first thing to go. This student may not have intended to hurt anyone before he drank, but he might fall into that line of thinking after a few cold ones. But I'm not blaming alcohol for this either. The man has a right to drink at a bar. My only qualm is that the officer should have had access to pepper spray or mace (maybe a tazer) as well as a gun. Shooting should always be a last resort, but he should have some form of protection.
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Every cop I know has mace/pepper spray.  It's part of their uniform, along with the gun.  However, if someone lunges at you, and you don't know if they have a weapon, pepper spray isn't going to do much as their momentum is already going forward.  Also, if a person is intoxicated enough, or is on certain illicit drugs, the tazers/pepper spray will have no effect.

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But why shoot him dead, in that case?
Why not shoot at his leg or feet, that'll bring him down just in case he did have a gun.
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Simple, because that only works in the movies.

The arms and legs are a VERY hard target to hit.  They are small, and move around very easily.  The head is also a very hard target to hit.  Military and law enforcement are all trained to shoot for the head.

Add to that the fact that a limb being shot rarely disables somebody, ESPECIALLY if they are under the influence.

This may be of interest.  This is the "legal definition" of Deadly Force, as used by the US Marines.  I first learned it 20 years ago, and it still is my guideline:

"Deadly force is that force which a person uses, which he knows (or should reasonably know) will create a substantial risk of death or serious bodily harm.  It is used only in cases of extreme necessity, as a last resort, or when all other means have failed."

Having guarded Military facilities (including Nuclear stockpiles), I can tell you that I take such responsibility very seriously.  Such a decision normally has to be made in a split second, and is very traumatic.

As for pepper spray or other "non lethal tactics", they are not always effective.  Just watch a few shows of "Cops", and you will see people that were sprayed and kept comming.  Even Rodney King got shocked numerous times with a Taser, and he still tried to get back up on his feet.

Having been on the "good" side, I know how hard the job is.  And if somebody is stupid enough to get drunk in public and break into somebodies house, then we are better off without them in the gene pool.

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I guess I'm not sure where I stand on this one. While I do feel for the cops and their safety, I can't help but think of a situation that happened here a couple of years ago. A friend of mine became very unstable and things kind of turned into a standoff with the police. He was holding a knife to his throat, begging to talk to one of his friends as the police surrounded him. As per policy, the cops attempted to negotiate with him, and shot at him with the customary bean bag type item. The problem was that he was hit in the back- which naturally propelled his body forward- in turn appearing to lunge at the police where an officer who had been with this particular squad for less that 18 months "jumped the gun" and shot him. He died almost instantly. I didn't hear about  anything until my birthday a couple of days later when one of our mutual friends called to tell me that Mike was dead. I'm not saying that what Mike did in the first place was justified at all, but in retrospect there were a number of things that could have been handled a little differently. Just wanted to give you all a different insight into the topic.

:'(
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