Gun suicide on video

[robbiev]

Received on a law enforcement board I'm on. No clue if it's real. The guy that posted it claimed it was from his department.

http://www.rrmemphis.com/sandiego.wmv

Warning: pretty graphic at about 57 seconds.

[Wolf333]

Here is an article about it.

[UEL]

I really wonder who controls the release of imagery.

I know that I work in a completely different environment, but I would be drawn and quartered if anything that might compromise security, procedures or safety were to be found online from my unit.

To me, this is the type of thing that should not be released except through official sources.

[Astra]

What UEL said. It surprised me just how easy it would be for someone to copy or remove that type of file from my workplace. I know I would never do such a thing, but when I see stuff like that pop up on the internet you know someone, somewhere, did do it and it makes me wonder how common other lapses are.

[Seburiel]

All other considerations aside: It was interesting to see on the video.

[Eddylizard]

From Wolf333's link, what are we missing in this story? The guy is an accomplice to carjacking, and possibly faces firearms charges, yet rather than face a few months to a couple of years in prison, he shoots himself dead? Why?

[Ravenhull]

Originally Posted by Eddylizard

From Wolf333's link, what are we missing in this story? The guy is an accomplice to carjacking, and possibly faces firearms charges, yet rather than face a few months to a couple of years in prison, he shoots himself dead? Why?

I remember watching one of those 'caught on tape' shows where a guy in an SUV ran from the cops, crashed and then shot himself. After checking him out, he had no warrents or such, and he was simply being pulled over for a simple traffic violation when he bolted. (Note: There is no way in hell the officers could have realized that when they gave chase. They simply tried to do a simple pullover when he bolted. At that point, they had to assume that he had good reason to run.)

People do stupid things when they see blue lights.

[TuFurg]

Originally Posted by Eddylizard

what are we missing in this story?... rather than face a few months to a couple of years in prison, he shoots himself dead? Why?

Quite probably a whole lot. It doesn't seem like a huge stretch to assume that the guy may have had priors or even warrants out and was looking at a lot more than a couple of years in prison. Perhaps it was a third strike situation given that it was in Cali?

[robbiev]

Or perhaps he was just mentally unstable.

[robbiev]

Originally Posted by UEL

To me, this is the type of thing that should not be released except through official sources.

I agree.

I really wonder who controls the release of imagery.

Maybe the problem is some places have no (or very little) control.

[Dark Blue]

The guy is an accomplice to carjacking, and possibly faces firearms charges, yet rather than face a few months to a couple of years in prison, he shoots himself dead? Why?

I have seen firsthand people willing to murder others or kill themselves over a whole lot less. Doesn't suprise me at all.

If this is a real video the pilot did an outstanding job, and I would say likely saved the officer's life by telling him not to go over the fence when the guy was picking up the shotgun on the other side.

[General Redwood]

I saw this clip last week at another site. The clip had no sound so I was suspicious of a fake. The level of gore seemed to high for pistol to the head suicide (I've seen footage, they are surprisingly clean). But a shotgun to the head would do that.

Hope it was worth it buddy.

[Astra]

Originally Posted by General Redwood

I saw this clip last week at another site. The clip had no sound so I was suspicious of a fake. The level of gore seemed to high for pistol to the head suicide (I've seen footage, they are surprisingly clean). But a shotgun to the head would do that.

Hope it was worth it buddy.

FYI, lack of sound may not be a sign of fakery. The cameras I use on crime scenes have the microphones removed, so all of our video documentation is silent.

The level of gore is also more determined by the caliber of the bullet than the type (pistol/shotgun/etc) of weapon. Well, it also depends on where it impacts. A larger caliber tends to blow a large hole through the head. Smaller calibers, like .25s, don't make such a big entrance/exit, but they ricochet around and do far more damage to the interior of the head. I saw one suicide with a small caliber handgun where the wound was almost unnoticeable, but the skull was obviously shattered.

[Eddylizard]

Originally Posted by General Redwood

I saw this clip last week at another site. The clip had no sound so I was suspicious of a fake. Hope it was worth it buddy.

There is sound when I play it, lots of radio chatter between the helicopter crew and the ground.

[videoguy]

Originally Posted by UEL

I know that I work in a completely different environment, but I would be drawn and quartered if anything that might compromise security, procedures or safety were to be found online from my unit.

To me, this is the type of thing that should not be released except through official sources.

Here in the USA, videos very similar to that (other than the suicide) are routinely shown on TV.

[UEL]

Originally Posted by videoguy

Here in the USA, videos very similar to that (other than the suicide) are routinely shown on TV.

I don't doubt the videos shown on TV are quite common. Heck, that is how I passed my evenings last spring in New Mexico.

However, those are all released by official sources. This one obviously was not. There are things I can analyse about this video that can potentially be used to cause harm to a police officer.

Official sources would scrub the voice and ensure that the video would not compromise officer safety.

[damian]

Originally Posted by Dark Blue

...the pilot did an outstanding job, and I would say likely saved the officer's life by telling him not to go over the fence when the guy was picking up the shotgun on the other side.

I am always amazed at how cool people can be in a highly stressful situation. The guy in the chopper is a true professional.

[UEL]

Originally Posted by damian

I am always amazed at how cool people can be in a highly stressful situation. The guy in the chopper is a true professional.

Imagine doing that for a career?

[videoguy]

Originally Posted by UEL

However, those are all released by official sources. This one obviously was not. There are things I can analyse about this video that can potentially be used to cause harm to a police officer.

Official sources would scrub the voice and ensure that the video would not compromise officer safety.

What I'm saying is that videos are shown just like that *including* the voice of the officer in the helicopter directing the officers on the ground. Other than the suicide, there's nothing I hadn't seen or heard before on TV.

[UEL]

Fair point, but I don't think this was officially released.

Most of the video I've seen have been from news helicopters, and their voice over, rather than police operations voice calls.

I know that when our footage is shown on television, it is not our voices being heard.