Saturday, July 26, 2008

Unfortunately, It Only Works For Kzinti

Louis Wu, I found your challenge verbose. To a Kzin, the only challenge required is a scream. You scream and you leap.

(From Larry Niven's novel Ringworld, perhaps imperfectly remembered, since I don't have a copy at hand.)

A mad Irishman is shot dead in Oregon after attacking police:

Police officers Tony Gonzalez and Josh Barnett respond to the 911 call and break off to search for the suspect. Mr Gonzalez is alone on Oak Street when he hears branches breaking and shines his torch on the area and spots Mr Hanlon. He does not draw his gun but orders him to come out and show his hands.

Mr Hanlon comes out but cuts behind a line of parked cars and moves down the street. He ducks out of sight and Mr Gonzalez hears the sound of glass breaking.

Bumped

He assumes the suspect is now armed with a broken bottle and draws his gun. It appears that Mr Hanlon had actually bumped against a recycling bin full of bottles.

Mr Hanlon steps out from behind the cars and the police officer orders him to show both of his hands and to lie down on the ground. They are standing about five to eight feet apart.

Mr Hanlon says "ok" and starts to reach toward the ground. However, he suddenly stands back up again, bends down again and then lets out a scream and jumps at the officer.

The police man begins to retreat and is chased by Mr Hanlon, who is now swinging his arms and kicking and screaming. Mr Gonzalez is never able to get more than five feet from the Irishman. While retreating, he fires seven shots, five of which hit Mr Hanlon.

A local resident, Jeff DeSantis, hears the police officer repeatedly shout out "Get down", "Freeze", "Don't move". Mr Hanlon lets out what was later described as a "primordial war scream" and is performing kicks and what appear to be martial arts moves. After several shots are fired Mr Hanlon falls to the ground. Officer Gonzalez grabs his radio and reports "Shots fired". Mr Hanlon dies at the scene.


You can analyze the situation all you want; cop should have used a Tazer or his stick instead of a gun, and Hanlon would still be alive. Having drawn his gun, though, it is possible that he couldn't have re-holstered it safely while under physical attack by Hanlon. So another dubiously-justified shooting, another apparent "suicide by cop" on the part of Hanlon.

The lesson learned, though, is that the Kzinti method of attack shouldn't be used against armed police, especially if you aren't Kzinti.

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