Deputy's Handgun vs Killer's AR-15
Wouldn't it have been a suicide mission since a handgun is no match for an AR-15?
shareno, ar-15 is not a bazooka and if it is not modified it isn't automatic either. The weapon gives the kid an advantage, but the training of the officer would have given him a considerable advantage as well. It would not have been a suicide mission, it would have been very risky, but its not like Rambo was waiting inside with an M60. It was a punk kid with a rifle..whose primary advantage is range, in an enclosed space that can be nullified somewhat and obviously clip size.. Just occupying him would have made a world of difference. This was his job, this is really the primary reason there are SROs. I don't ever want an officer to just throw his life away, but this is the type of thing he signed up for, the risk is part of the job. Its why i don't overreact to the sensationalized stories involving officer shooting suspects because their job is so dangerous, and they can lose their lives so easily.
shareKiller had training too. The few direct confrontations I've read between law enforcement with a gun and a terrorist with a military style weapon had law enforcement dead.
Isn't it range and the bullets are more lethal? It sounds odd for a 19 y.o. civilian to have a more powerful weapon than law enforcement. He had no back-up. In my area, they send TWO cops if you call for an ambulance to a home.
AR-15's are fairly weak as far as rifles go. It shoots the 223 Remington which produces around 1000-1300 ft-lb of muzzle energy. Common hunting rifles used for deer easily exceed 3000 ft-lb of energy due to the more powerful cartridges and longer barrel lengths. I've hunted with an AR-15 and would never use it on anything bigger than a raccoon. The stopping power is very marginal.
shareIf their are two and the situation allows for the unit to wait he should wait. The subject was actively shooting in a school full of kids. The situation requires action. An officer can die in this situation no question about it, but suicide mission is no chance of survival, and that is not the case here. An armed officer can certainly kill a person with a rifle without getting killed himself, especially if he engages him inside the building where wide open ranged advantage is somewhat limited.
share