Friday, July 15, 2011

Another Police Shooting In Las Vegas

Yesterday morning, there was another police shooting when Metro cops shot and killed a man on the city's northwest side.
From the LVRJ: Ralfy Olivas felt the impact from the officer's beanbag shotgun but did not stop. He heard police order him to drop the weapon but did not comply.
Instead he charged forward, a butcher knife in his hand, and forced officers to shoot and kill him, his family said Thursday.
"My cousin wanted to die," said an emotional Victor Chavez, 21, Olivas' cousin and close friend.
Olivas, 23, was identified by Chavez after Thursday morning's deadly police shooting in the northwest valley.
Police said the incident stemmed from an argument Olivas had with his mother about 7 a.m. at 7704 Musical Lane, near Buffalo and Westcliff drives. When the argument intensified, she called 911. Olivas then left the home.
As officers arrived in the neighborhood they encountered Olivas, walking alone toward them on Firestone Drive.
Capt. Patrick Neville, who oversees the department's Robbery and Homicide Bureau, said Olivas refused multiple commands to drop the knife.
One officer first tried to subdue him with a nonlethal beanbag shotgun, but Olivas continued to approach. When he did not drop the knife, three officers shot him multiple times, police said.
"At some point the officers felt fear for their lives," Neville said
http://www.lvrj.com/news/las-vegas-police-involved-in-morning-shooting-125562523.html

It's sad that this man, Olivas, decided life was not worth living. But suicide by cop is a lazy man's out. A police officer is now at home wondering if he could have done some thing differently.
Did the cops do the right thing? Well, they did try the bean bag shotgun and that didn't work. They may have tried to get him tasered, but there was no guarantee that it would have worked.
This case is probably a good shooting, if there is ever a good shooting. This was not a case where the cops killed an unarmed guy like Trevon Cole or put their hands on a suspect before shooting him like in the Eric Scott shooting.
This is about the 10 shooting by County police officers this year so far.
So, this shooting will probably be excused, just like all police shootings are in Clark County.

3 comments:

  1. As a reader, I think this blog needs to be revisited. It's filled with inaccuracies and premeditated assumptions. Funny how callus a person can be when reality seems so far away from ones own destiny. Sad thing is, I used to be just like you. Used to.

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  2. Really is pretty hard sometimes, in a time like that i ask myself once, why he was killed ? what he did to diserve be killed like that ? did he kill ?, did he rape ?, or something else.. is really sad how the world is.

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  3. I've read much about this kid. No criminal record, not involved in gangs or drugs. His mother calls for help with a domestic situation, cops come and shoot him dead in a matter of a couple minutes! My thoughts go out to his family. Las Vegas citizens time to wake up!!!

    http://www.lvrj.com/news/deadly-force

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