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PH/CIB · August 26, 2012, 04:03 PM

I personally think both Police Officers acted bravely and with skill. They I believe had been tipped by a civilian that Johnson had a gun or had a gun and had just shot someone. In a place as crowded as New York City and in uniform it is doubtful that they could have followed him to a more safe place to apprehend him and they probably wanted to apprehend him immediately before he shot anyone else.

In the video which is grainy, you see the killer Johnson looking backwards while walking curbside between a large concrete planter with an upright pole and the street with the two police officers one behind the other hurrying to catch up with him from behind him.

Johnson pulls a gun to fire at the police officers and both police officers move to their right to fire at Johnson while taking cover behind the concrete planters. To his credit the police officer farthest away from Johnson who was behind the other police officer bravely breaks cover and moves laterally across his left front while exposing himself to deadly fire and firing at Johnson.

Johnson for some reason moves from behind cover out into the open to his right front while the closest police officer bravely stands his ground and the other police officer who is moving and firing and between the two of them they kill Johnson.

While it is unfortunate, civilians were wounded, I am sure there will be an investigation and the video will be thoroughly analyzed and critiqued and there will be lawsuits and I am sure the NYPD is heavily insured. If there is anyway this could have been prevented or handled better I am sure that be analyzed and found and taught in the future, but at this point I do not know how it could have been handled differently.

This brings us up to the point of accurate shooting in a gunfight and if the officers could have had better training and put all or most of their rounds on target thus reducing or eliminating the wounded civilians.

I really wonder how many of those critical of the officer’s shooting skills have ever been in an actual gunfight themselves or even any split second life and death situation in their entire lifetimes where the stress and adrenalin rush are unreal.

There are two old sayings that come to mind:

“Don’t be too critical of a man, until you have walked in his shoes.”

And

“If you don’t have the guts to play, don't be too critical of those that do."

August 26, 2012, 04:03 PM	#50
PH/CIB Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2007 Location: Iowa Posts: 281	I personally think both Police Officers acted bravely and with skill. They I believe had been tipped by a civilian that Johnson had a gun or had a gun and had just shot someone. In a place as crowded as New York City and in uniform it is doubtful that they could have followed him to a more safe place to apprehend him and they probably wanted to apprehend him immediately before he shot anyone else. In the video which is grainy, you see the killer Johnson looking backwards while walking curbside between a large concrete planter with an upright pole and the street with the two police officers one behind the other hurrying to catch up with him from behind him. Johnson pulls a gun to fire at the police officers and both police officers move to their right to fire at Johnson while taking cover behind the concrete planters. To his credit the police officer farthest away from Johnson who was behind the other police officer bravely breaks cover and moves laterally across his left front while exposing himself to deadly fire and firing at Johnson. Johnson for some reason moves from behind cover out into the open to his right front while the closest police officer bravely stands his ground and the other police officer who is moving and firing and between the two of them they kill Johnson. While it is unfortunate, civilians were wounded, I am sure there will be an investigation and the video will be thoroughly analyzed and critiqued and there will be lawsuits and I am sure the NYPD is heavily insured. If there is anyway this could have been prevented or handled better I am sure that be analyzed and found and taught in the future, but at this point I do not know how it could have been handled differently. This brings us up to the point of accurate shooting in a gunfight and if the officers could have had better training and put all or most of their rounds on target thus reducing or eliminating the wounded civilians. I really wonder how many of those critical of the officer’s shooting skills have ever been in an actual gunfight themselves or even any split second life and death situation in their entire lifetimes where the stress and adrenalin rush are unreal. There are two old sayings that come to mind: “Don’t be too critical of a man, until you have walked in his shoes.” And “If you don’t have the guts to play, don't be too critical of those that do." __________________ Life Member,,,Military Order of the Purple Heart, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Amvets, Disabled American Veterans, 173rd Airborne Skysoldier Association, National Rifle Association, Member,,,IDPA, USPSA, Iowa Sheriffs and Deputies Association,,Website http://www.handgunholsters.net Last edited by PH/CIB; August 26, 2012 at 04:50 PM.