Sunday, February 10, 2013

Calm Down!

The manhunt for whatshisname continues in California, and the police are jumpy.  Unfortunately, the good officers of Torrance CA have wrecked a pickup truck and shot at a man that turns out to not be whatshisname.

David Perdue was on his way to sneak in some surfing before work Thursday morning when police flagged him down. They asked who he was and where he was headed, then sent him on his way.
Seconds later, Perdue's attorney said, a Torrance police cruiser slammed into his pickup and officers opened fire; none of the bullets struck Perdue.
 Simply a case of mistaken identity?
His pickup, police later explained, matched the description of the one belonging to Christopher Jordan Dorner — the ex-cop who has evaded authorities after allegedly killing three and wounding two more. But the pickups were different makes and colors. And Perdue looks nothing like Dorner: He's several inches shorter and about a hundred pounds lighter. And Perdue is white; Dorner is black.
What?  Torrance police wrecked and shot a pickup truck that was a different make and color, and they injured a man who was also a different make and color?
"As you know, officers of the Torrance Police Department attempted to kill Mr. Perdue" Thursday, the attorneys wrote in a letter to the agency's chief.
 This marks the second time that police have shot up the wrong pickup truck, injuring people in the process.  The first time it was two women delivering papers, this other incident was a white guy.  Just for the record, the guy they're looking for is neither female, skinny, nor white.  It's hard as hell to claim mistaken identity.

No, the cops in California are jumpy as hell and they need to calm down, check a picture of their fugitive, and take a deep breath.  They can't endanger the citizens they're sworn to protect.  The manhunt for whathisname is starting to look like a Chinese fire-drill.  My apologies to the Chinese.

6 comments:

Rivrdog said...

Tactics and training are not ready for this scenario at all. We must assume that other policing agencies aren't ready either.

Old NFO said...

I'm thinking if I owned a pickup in LA area, I'd be parking it... sigh...

Matt G said...

As I said at my place, not only was it a case of failure to verify target, it was illegal. TN v. Garner says that we can't just shoot fleeing felons. We can't shoot the guy on sight because he's wanted.

We as peace officers MUST condemn dangerous actions by other officers that put the citizens at risk.

BobF said...

On the bright side, if there is to be one, is the fact that herein lies the answer as to how the cizenry of this country might take the country back if necessary. If one man can cause this many screwups and such vast expenditure of resources of many types, just think what thousands of individuals might be able to accomplish. I pray it never comes to pass, but if it does, it won't be the slam dunk many leftists think it will be.

Anonymous said...

I hope the victims are receiving compensation for damaged property and that the perpetrating LEOs are being adequately strung up by their toenails for their actions.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I am sure the officers involved will receive harsh notes that will go in their permanent records and several days paid administrative leave.

Gerry N.