Tragic Accident

[Tecumsehsbones]

The 73-year-old ‘reserve’ cop who mistook his gun for a Taser


By Lindsey Bever April 13 at 7:47 AM

Reserve Deputy Robert Bates is shown in this undated handout photo provided by the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 4, 2015, Bates was involved in the shooting of suspect Eric Harris, after mistaking his service weapon for a stun gun, accidentally killing him, during an arrest Thursday, according to the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office. REUTERS/Tulsa Sheriff’s Office/Handout via Reuters

Why was a 73-year-old insurance company executive riding around playing cop?

That’s the simple question many are asking more than a week after an undercover Tulsa Police operation went wrong — and a “reserve deputy sheriff,” who is white, shot and killed an unarmed black man, apparently by accident. He has not been charged with anything.

When Robert Bates pulled his weapon and shot 44-year-old Eric Harris on April 2, he said he thought his handgun was his Taser. In a video released by authorities over the weekend, a gunshot rings out and Bates says, “Oh, I shot him. I’m sorry.” The incident has created a backlash for many reasons, one being Bates is not a real police officer. He’s a reserve sheriff’s deputy. And some fear he wasn’t qualified to be one.


More at link: The 73-year-old ‘reserve’ cop who mistook his gun for a Taser - The Washington Post

 

[BaalsTears]

Sounds like involuntary manslaughter at the least. This isn't the first time this has happened:

Former BART Officer Johannes Mehserle gets 2 years in Oscar Grant killing - latimes

 

[Twila]

Here's the video. Seems Eric was already on the ground when he was shot.

 

[EagleSmack]

WTF! Seriously?

 

[darkbeaver]

A compelling argument for the more heavily armed citizen. Sumtin is wrong with the plice in Usa.

Could it be their exotic Israeli training?

 

[eh1eh]

Wow. They got the shooting blacks thing figured out already. "I thought I was tazing him." lol.

 

[DaSleeper]

Who's gun is that on the ground at 43 mark?

 

[EagleSmack]

A compelling argument for the more heavily armed citizen. Sumtin is wrong with the plice in Usa.

Could it be their exotic Israeli training?

Yes. Joos

Who's gun is that on the ground at 43 mark?

An Israeli's sidearm.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

I actually feel kinda sorry for the old codger. The person who really needs a long stretch in prison is the imbecile sheriff who gave an untrained 73-year-old a badge and a gun and sent him out on a bust like this.

Bates has been charged with second-degree manslaughter. That's up to four years and up to a thousand bucks in OK.

By the way, did you see the arm with the tattoo holding the victim down? Damn. Can you say "roid rage?"

 

[EagleSmack]

73 is simply too old for police work like that IMO.


He should have been enjoying his retirement. Now he could do some time for this.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

73 is simply too old for police work like that IMO.


He should have been enjoying his retirement. Now he could do some time for this.

I wouldn't worry about it. Any lawyer who couldn't spin these facts into a fine, probation, and of course giving up his badge, in Tulsa, should be disbarred.

 

[tay]

Why was a 73-year-old insurance company executive riding around playing cop? That’s the question many are asking a week after a Tulsa Police operation went wrong, and a white “reserve deputy sheriff” shot and killed an unarmed black man, apparently by accident.




“These people drop four or five grand and dress up to look like police,” Donna LaMontaine, president of the Deputy Sheriffs Association of Michigan, told the magazine. “I have a problem with that.”


The Tulsa World said Bates, who worked for a year as a police officer in 1964-65, served as chairman of the Re-elect Sheriff (Stanley) Glanz Committee in 2012 and donated $2,500 to Glanz’s campaign that year

 

[SLM]

I can get behind a 'reservist' program where the personnel are utilized to participate in search and rescue or for a basic security presence along side full police officers, that type of thing. But they should never be used as 'front line', that should be limited to full time police officers. They shouldn't be engaging a criminal or assisting in apprehensions.

I have to put as much blame for this shooting on the party that put this guy out there, maybe even more, than on the guy himself. I can't help but feel a bit sorry for him, clearly he was out of his element and quite frankly, he's not the one who should be the judge of whether he's out of his element, the police authorities are.