Palin Is Just Bush With Breasts

Palin Is A Bad Choice

Police Shootouts

Flipping through the television news channels, I stumbled across a segment on CNN Headline News' Prime News showing a high-speed police chase of a liquor store robber that ended in a shootout when the driver went off the road into a ditch.

The suspect clearly opens the passenger side door and begins firing upon the police officer, who proceeds (entirely within view of the camera) to open fire on the suspect - ending with the death of the suspect.

The show's anchor invited a guest on, a former police officer, to ask him about what they had watched. His question was, essentially, "Could this have been avoided, did it have to end with the death of the suspect?"

My answer surged out in an angry bellow: "NO! You shoot at a police officer, they shoot you and you die! It's that simple!"

I think it really is that simple - if you pull a weapon on a designated law enforcement official, they are empowered by our government to defend themselves and any other innocent bystanders by using lethal force against you.

The officer was nicked in the collar by a round from the suspect's untrained fire, and the suspect it appears was nicked by probably a half-dozen of the officer's bullets - in the face. There was no follow up telling us how many rounds actually hit the suspect, but if the officer's tight grouping and the quick ending of shooting coming from within the vehicle is any clue, I'd imagine quite a few bullets found their mark.

Most people who know me know that I'm not an advocate of the death penalty - I feel that if we've captured a dangerous criminal, it's a crime on our part against our own humanity that we take their life - regardless of their crimes. However, I don't believe the use of lethal force by law enforcement officials is entirely unwarranted. In this situation, it was obviously necessary.

And that's my big issue with the way the anchor posed the question - given the straightforward nature of the film, it strikes me that no question need be asked. When a suspected criminal opens fire on you, as a police officer would there be any reason not to fire back?