TexasCHLforum.com

Just as the saying, "Truth is the first casualty of war," this has already turned into a liars' contest.

The only fact that is beyond doubt is that an officer was shot dead.

- Jim

The Annoyed Man wrote:I can think of other situations too. What about if an off-duty LEO uses his gun in the apprehension and/or shooting of a suspect, and uniformed officers roll up while the off-duty guy still has his gun in hand?

This is not an isolated incident. There was a similar "friendly fire" homicide in NYC a few months ago.

Apparently there is a pervasive attitude that anyone with a gun not wearing blue is a bad guy.

I'm reminded of a bad old joke about life as a seaman in the Navy: If it moves salute it. If it stands still paint it gray.

- Jim

Most likely the deceased officer was trying to do the right thing.

What is it that trickles down?

- Jim

Should, would, or could will not buy you a cup of coffee. (I've said that before now.)

Many police officers will shoot at anyone holding a weapon. They have come out and said this in public and still have their jobs.

- Jim

On whose part?

- Jim

In Massapequa Park, Long Island, New York, a deranged man was threatening neighbors with knives. Along with uniformed police officers responding, a plain-clothes "special operations" officer showed up with a rifle.

A Metropolitan Transportation Authority officer fatally shot the plain-clothes officer.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/nyreg ... ?src=twrhp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This unfortunate incident raises two concerns:

• People who are not immediately recognizable as LEO or other good guys responding to a chaotic scene where uniformed officers are already in place
• The proliferation of agencies in densely populated urban areas

We have the latter problem in places like Houston, where an incident might draw responses from Houston PD, Harris County Sheriff's deputies, constables, and possibly university or HISD police. And that's only in the parts of Houston that are in Harris County. There are some areas of Houston that require close examination of a map to figure out which county they are in.

- Jim