A GOOD AND BAD SHOOT ALL AT ONCE: Gardena Police Shooting Video Released

By Bob Owens

We’ve covered our share of controversial police shootings of suspects that were technically unarmed. In most instances, the suspects shot conceivably posed a threat to officers, either because they appeared to be going for a weapon, or because they were in a position to overwhelm the officer and take their gun (Michael Brown is a perfect example of the later, as he was shot attacking Officer Darren Wilson a second time).

Now we have yet another incident where the attitudes, perspective, and biases of the viewer will go a long way towards determining whether you think this was a justified or unjustified shooting… and yet, it appears (from my perspective) that we have both a “good shoot” and a “bad shoot” based upon the physical position of the three officers involved.

The Los Angeles Times provides the background leading up to the shooting:

The shooting occurred about 2:30 a.m. on June 2, 2013, after a bicycle was stolen from outside a CVS Pharmacy on Western Avenue. A police dispatcher mistakenly told officers that the crime was a robbery, which usually involves a theft using weapons or force, and officers headed to the area in search …read more

Source:: Bearing Arms