Census worker confrontation leads to "Suicide By Cop"

[XNavyNuke]

Woman shot, killed by Yuba City police (http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/family-95100-city-woman.html)


Officers went to the Mariner Loop home after receiving a call at 9:04 p.m. about weapons being brandished.

A U.S. Census worker “had been confronted by residents who pointed a firearm at the worker and said they would not answer any questions and closed the door,” said police spokeswoman Shawna Pavey.

When two male officers arrived, 51-year-old Lionel Patterson answered the door, armed with a handgun, police said.

“As officers were dealing with the male, a female approached the door with a shotgun and ignored officers’ orders to release the weapon. As the female advanced on officers, she continued to point the shotgun at officers in a threatening manner and the two officers fired their service weapons, hitting the female,” police said.

Some additional links to the story:

Family Laments Woman's Shooting By Police (http://www.kcra.com/mostpopular/23634399/detail.html)


Between 9 and 9:30 p.m., a U.S. Census worker knocked on the door of a home on Mariner Loop. A man inside answered the door either holding or pointing a handgun, the district attorney's office said.

The census worker immediately left and called police. The district attorney's office said officers went to the home, and as they were handcuffing the man, someone else pointed a shotgun out the doorway.

Two officers shot at her, the district attorney's office said, and she died.

Police shoot and kill Yuba City woman after confrontation with census worker (http://www.news10.net/news/article.aspx?storyid=81905&provider=top&catid=188)

Dispute over Census questions ends in Calif. woman's death (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2010/05/woman_killed_by_police_after_h_1.html)

XNN

[pcosmar]

Lesson,
If you are defending your home against armed predators. Shoot first.
I suggest head shots.

:mad:

[Philhelm]

Lesson,
If you are defending your home against armed predators. Shoot first.
I suggest head shots.

:mad:

I agree! At that point, they were all in, so may have well gone the distance. In either case, I salute them for their conviction. Just wait until the government tries to disarm the American citizenry; they will have a mess on their hands.

[jmdrake]

Lesson,
If you are defending your home against armed predators. Shoot first.
I suggest head shots.

:mad:

Or how about if you've just chased away a government worker with a gun make sure you're not at home when backup arrives?

[tremendoustie]

Wow, that's stupid. Talk about asking for a confrontation ... if you're trying to avoid fatalities, why would you show up at someone's door who you know has just recently brandished weapons, with intent of shooting them if they do?

"Peace" officers my arse.

[1000-points-of-fright]

Pulling a gun on the census worker was stupid and irresponsible gun ownership.

[free1]

A U.S. Census worker "had been confronted by residents"

Enumeration happened at that instant, he could count heads, his job was done.

I smell a big, huge lawsuit!

[catdd]

Either put the stinking gun down or shoot it. WTF?

[Vessol]

Pulling a gun on the census worker was stupid and irresponsible gun ownership.

This.

However the cops were definitely out of line too.

[tremendoustie]

Pulling a gun on the census worker was stupid and irresponsible gun ownership.

That's obviously true as well. Pulling a gun on someone who is posing no immediate threat is both irresponsible and immoral.

My criticism of police behavior was not intended as an excuse for the behavior of the homeowners.

[Mach]

Pulling a gun on the census worker was stupid and irresponsible gun ownership.

Who knows what really happened, there's no video, so.... I guess we "do."

The rule is, always keep a video camera handy, if you have a confrontation with the police, turn it on at least as they arrive. Their lies are fact in court.

[XNavyNuke]

A little bit more trickles out today. Not surprising, there are some conflicts with the early reports.

Calif. grandmother with gun fatally shot by police (http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_15141810?nclick_check=1)


Police said they were called at 9:04 p.m. Thursday after a census worker reported a man with a gun answered the door of a Yuba City home. The census worker reported residents of the home pointed a firearm at her, said they would not answer any questions, then closed the door, said police spokeswoman Shawna Pavey.


Her son, Christian Biscotti, said Friday his mother was likely frightened by the late visits to the upscale home she shared with Patterson.

"I think she was just startled," he told the Marysville Appeal-Democrat.


She was the sister of a former Yuba County judge and district attorney, Thomas E. Mathews, who died in 2005.

There were conflicting accounts of when the census worker knocked on the door.

The Sutter County District Attorney's Office said she went to the house between 9 and 9:30 p.m. Yuba City police said the visit was between 7:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.

XNN

[t0rnado]

If she was going to confront the cops with a shotgun, she should have just shot the parasitic pigs.

[Kylie]

With the stories of people posing as census workers to invade your home just out of the headlines, why wouldn't people be leery towards some stranger posing as a census worker?

As for the rest, I dunno. I wasn't there.

[tangent4ronpaul]

Few more incidents like this and door knocking census workers might become as rare as door knocking girl scouts selling cookies.

-t

[Carole]

Just last week there was a story about a census taker being recognized as a sex offender. The lady of the house reported recognizing him and he was caught shortly thereafter.

Our government does not care whom they hire to come to our door.

[XNavyNuke]

Vigil remembers woman killed by Yuba City police (http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/police-95249-vasselin-biscotti.html)


Friends related how Roger-Vasselin recently began a dog-selling business, and was awaiting word from a New York publisher about a romance novel she had written.

"She was full of life," remembered a cousin, Ann Mathew Dais. "She was just a sparkle."

Roger-Vasselin's youngest son, Christian Biscotti, 41, thanked God that he and his family were "not alone in this tragedy."

On Thursday night, Christian Biscotti, a military chaplain stationed at Beale Air Force Base, arrived at the scene on Mariner Loop about an hour after the shooting occurred, which, according to police scanner traffic, had been at 10:20.

That sucks. Join the military to serve your country and the LEO's shoot your mother in an "altercation" over the Census.

XNN

[XNavyNuke]

MediaMatters hops on board the train.

Yuba City census shooting echoes census threats of CNN's Erick Erickson (http://mediamatters.org/blog/201005240058)


Back in April, CNN pundit Erick Erickson said he would "pull out my wife's shotgun and see how that little ACS twerp likes being scared at the door" if a representative of the Census Department's American Community Survey tried to arrest him for not filling out his form. And now this from Yuba City, CA:

XNN

[XNavyNuke]

Bail set at $140k in case.

Y.C. man faces charges after officer-involved shooting (http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/patterson-95280-officers-assault.html)


A Sutter County judge on Monday set bail at $140,000 for Lionel Patterson, who allegedly held a handgun when he opened the front door of a Yuba City home to police officers just before they fatally shot the owner, Victoria Roger-Vasselin.

Patterson is facing two felony counts: assault with a firearm, and assault with a firearm on police officers when he should have known they were engaged in their duties. The first count carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison, the second count eight years, Judge Brian Aronson told Patterson.

XNN

[XNavyNuke]

Census worker details encounter prior to fatal police shooting (http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/roger-97242-sager-vasselin.html)


Patterson is still charged with assaulting officers with a gun, King said after the hearing.

Sager said Patterson answered the door at Roger-Vasselin's home, then slammed it, saying "We don't want any."

When she rang the bell again, Patterson answered and was more receptive when he realized she was a census worker. But then Roger-Vasselin, smelling strongly of alcohol, appeared behind him and told him not to talk, Sager said.

When Patterson told her it was a census worker, Roger-Vasselin said, "We're not doing that," Sager said.

Patterson seemed to become hostile again and said, "Yeah, we're not doing that," Sager said. Sager said she apologized for interrupting their evening, explained that it would take only a few minutes to answer the questions, and that she would be sent back later if the answers weren't provided.

Roger-Vasselin said, "Oh, really," and pointed a dark-colored gun at her, raising it to near-shoulder level. Patterson took her hand and raised it so the gun was no longer pointing at her, Sager said.

"I was looking at her face. I thought she looked smug," Sager said.

Sager said she backed away from the door, then ran. As she ran, Patterson yelled, "Do you think you want to come back now?" she said.

"It sounded like he was trying to provoke me in some way," she said.

XNN

[tangent4ronpaul]

A Sutter County judge on Monday set bail at $140,000 for Lionel Patterson, who allegedly held a handgun when he opened the front door of a Yuba City home to police officers just before they fatally shot the owner, Victoria Roger-Vasselin.

Patterson is facing two felony counts: assault with a firearm, and assault with a firearm on police officers when he should have known they were engaged in their duties. The first count carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison, the second count eight years, Judge Brian Aronson told Patterson.

"Assault" - hmmm... I have found no ref to a fireatm actually being discharged, except the cops....

If someone unexpected comes nocking on my door at 9-10pm, they would be met looking down the WRONG end of a firearm! Though I generally don't answer the door, especially at that hour.

-t

[coastie]

"Assault" - hmmm... I have found no ref to a fireatm actually being discharged, except the cops....

If someone unexpected comes nocking on my door at 9-10pm, they would be met looking down the WRONG end of a firearm! Though I generally don't answer the door, especially at that hour.

-t

+1

I carry my pistol in my waistband religiously...during the day and there's a knock and I can see who are-there it stays.

Come to the door at night, and there will be one in my hand. I would've never answered the door for the pigs anyway.

[Rael]

Jesus, has no one ever considered NOT OPENING THE DAMN DOOR? Don't open the door for the census bureau and don't open it for the cops. I never open the door for anyone I don't know, and you know what, they ALWAYS GO AWAY.