Man Shot and Killed By Police For Holding Part of an Airsoft Gun

[SeanTX]

Some nice officer safety there, walk up to a suspicious vehicle and just open up the passenger door -- don't announce yourself or anything. Worked out this time for the officer though, not so much for the mundane.


http://www.storyleak.com/airsoft/#ixzz2q2rghrzR


Man With Disassembled Airsoft Gun Shot In The Head By Police
Mikael Thalen
by Mikael Thalen
January 10th, 2014
Updated 01/10/2014 at 10:49 am

Newly released information has shed light on the Sunday death of a Yakima, Wash. man who was shot and killed in his vehicle after police mistook his disassembled airsoft gun for a real firearm.

According to statements from Department spokesman Capt. Rod Light, Yakima Police Officer Casey Gilette observed a “suspicious” vehicle parked outside a local car wash while on a 3 a.m. routine patrol.

After reportedly surveying the situation for one hour, Gilette decided to approach the vehicle, occupied by 23-year-old Rocendo Arias.

“Approached on foot on the driver’s side, moved around the vehicle to the passenger side of the vehicle,” Light explained to the KNDU News.

Instead of knocking on Rocendo’s window to further investigate the situation, Light admits the officer swung the passenger side door open without informing the driver. After noticing the disassembled gun, Gilette fired four shots, striking Rocendo once in the head.

“It appeared that he had some accessories to the handgun that he was trying to install on it or put pieces of this gun together,” Capt. Light said.

The airsoft gun, which shoots plastic pellets, reportedly had a bright orange plastic tip as well, used to clearly define the item as a toy.

“I believe this particular handgun had an orange tip. But based on our investigation I don’t want to go into particulars and details of the position of the gun and where the officer was,” Light said.

Despite the toy being partially disassembled, Light appeared to defend the officer’s actions, claiming that Rocendo had his hand on the section containing the trigger.

“The deceased had the weapon not only in his hand, but he also had his finger on the trigger,” Light said.

According to Light, Gilette declined to be interviewed for 48 hours after the shooting, a right given to officers by the local police union contract.

snip

[Anti Federalist]

Summary streetside execution.

Will anything ever be enough?

[Anti Federalist]

“I believe this particular handgun had an orange tip. But based on our investigation I don’t want to go into particulars and details of the position of the gun and where the officer was,” Light said.

I bet you don't, Captain.

http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/004/2/0/pennywise_in_front_of_a_mirror_by_oddman94-d70sp60.gif

[tod evans]

Didn't that young boy who got killed have one of these toys?

Shoot first apologize later seems to be the name of the game...

[Dr.3D]

Guess it wouldn't do any good to paint the end of my pistol orange.

[jmdrake]

Ummm....so why does it matter if it was an airsoft gun when the freaking thing was disassembled? Seriously. It could have been a real Glock of an AK 47. If it's in parts there is no excuse to shoot.

[alucard13mm]

That's the worse thing I've heard in a long time, regarding cops.

[pcosmar]

That's the worse thing I've heard in a long time, regarding cops.

Par for the course

[Anti Federalist]

That's the worse thing I've heard in a long time, regarding cops.

Oh...?

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?438382-NC-Family-Calls-Police-For-Help-w-Schizophrenic-Son-They-Shoot-and-Kill-Him

[Mani]

Was the officer ok?

You know those orange tip pellet guns can poke an eye out when assembled that is...

[Anti Federalist]

Was the officer ok?

You know those orange tip pellet guns can poke an eye out when assembled that is...

And..."you'll shoot your eye out, kid".

[GunnyFreedom]

was he holding the shoulder thing that goes up?

[Mani]

Oh...?

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?438382-NC-Family-Calls-Police-For-Help-w-Schizophrenic-Son-They-Shoot-and-Kill-Him

That one was just a bad apple. Wait..this one was a bad apple as well....when he sneaks up on someone at 3am and opens the door and panics and starts shooting.

Imagine what the poor guy must be thinking....he's minding his own business with his toy and someone opens his car door and shoots him. Sounds a lot like an execution.

But its just 1 or 2 bad apples.

[Anti Federalist]

That one was just a bad apple. Wait..this one was a bad apple as well....when he sneaks up on someone at 3am and opens the door and panics and starts shooting.

Imagine what the poor guy must be thinking....he's minding his own business with his toy and someone opens his car door and shoots him. Sounds a lot like an execution.

But its just 1 or 2 bad apples.

He's thinking nothing, now, sadly.

In a bad neighborhood, in a bad area of town, shootings and killings happen suddenly, we all know that.

But this is a cop, with a badge, meaning he has the whole force of the mega state behind him.

You are, unlike being attacked by a street thug, quite totally defenseless.

[Dr.3D]

was he holding the shoulder thing that goes up?
Oh I seen those! Those are so dangerous.


/s

[Philhelm]

That's the worse thing I've heard in a long time, regarding cops.

Sounds like a challenge.

[Dr.3D]

Seems to me, if government is so keen on cutting down on murders, they should just cut most of their police force.

[Philhelm]

How I truly wish this pig will end up being dragged from his home in the middle of the night and burned alive.

[Dr.3D]

How I truly wish this pig will end up being dragged from his home in the middle of the night and burned alive.
It would be more ironic if he was the victim of a no knock search and got shot by the police.

[pcosmar]

Police Officer Casey Gilette observed a “suspicious” vehicle

Just what is it that makes a vehicle suspicious?

What was the vehicle suspected of doing? Was it wearing a hoodie?

Just remember folks,

If you're not doing anything wrong,,,,,

you can still be blown away by a cop while minding your own business.

[Suzanimal]

Shortly after an investigation was opened by Gilette’s own department, Police Chief Dominic Rizzi Jr. spoke out in support of the officer’s actions as well.

“Based on the preliminary investigation, I absolutely stand behind the officer and his actions in the shooting that occurred,” Rizzi said.


His bosses "absolutely stands behind" his actions?? Geez, these guys are unfreakin' believable. I just read this stuff and shake my head, wtf is wrong with these people?

[Dr.3D]

His bosses "absolutely stands behind" his actions?? Geez, these guys are unfreakin' believable. I just read this stuff and shake my head, wtf is wrong with these people?
What else would you expect from gang activity?

[WM_in_MO]

This is fucking sick.

Absolutely SICK.

This murderer in a uniform should be drug behind a car for a mile by his neck. (If there was such a thing as justice for ALL anymore, he probably would get death. However it's not the "Just-us" system, so if you're a lawyer, judge "Cop" or politician the rules don't apply for you.)

I bet anything that this psychotic killer for the state will get paid vacation (Oh, sorry "Administrative leave") and we'll soon see photos of him deep sea fishing.

Meanwhile the unarmed mundane he murdered is still dead.

People said Zimmerman was out looking for someone to kill, here is a case where it seems someone really WAS looking for a kill.

Observed him for an hour? Stalking
Ripped open the door? trespassing, illegal search
Shot the driver, even after seeing the disassembled gun? Murder, cold blooded murder.

[aGameOfThrones]

not a gun. not assemble. not doing anything wrong. not alive.

[Spikender]

Typical gang activity.

There is absolutely no justifying this at all. The mental loops a cop and a cop-lover have to go through to trivialize or rationalize this must be painful.

I mean, the man had a gun in his car. I don't care if it's a semi-automatic AK47 or a Nerf Gun, who in their right mind would shoot someone on sight for the simple activity of having a firearm, especially a disassembled one that can't even be used?

Oh that's right, I forgot; cops don't have a right mind, they barely even have a mind. The only thought process that seems to go through a cops head is "If you see an opportunity to kill something, pop it till it drops and enjoy paid vacation while the Department covers your ass.

Fuck em.

[VoluntaryAmerican]

Cop: He had his hand on the gun, what was I to do?

Dead man's rebutal:

[mrsat_98]

The cop was just checkin' on his welfare, yall act like he had no legitimate reason to be there.

[Kotin]

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


its lawful to own firearms you fucking reactionary pig murdering morons

YOU CANNOT EXECUTE SOMEONE BASED ON THR FACT THAT THEY POSSESS A FIREARM.. WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK???

WHY ISNT THIS MOTHERFUCKER LOCKED UP????????( not that I need to ask)

this is one is too much for even me.

[phill4paul]

I saw azxd on the forums earlier today. Beuller? Beuller? Beuller?

[Anti Federalist]

I saw azxd on the forums earlier today. Beuller? Beuller? Beuller?

Really...? You don't say.

I'd love to see him check in on some of this.

[aGameOfThrones]

I'm in my home, I'm putting together my gun/toy, cop walks near my house and sees through the window what I'm doing, cop kicks my door in, cop shoots me dead. Justified?


This hero needs to have only 3 options:

1, the chair

2, the rope

3, the needle(fuck it)

3, the firing squad

[pcosmar]

Really...? You don't say.

I'd love to see him check in on some of this.
In the "Cop Bashing" thread.

Still angry over that knock on the head LOL

[PaulConventionWV]

How I truly wish this pig will end up being dragged from his home in the middle of the night and burned alive.

I would roast marshmallows over that shit.

How freaking retarded do you have to be to just walk up to somebody's car and just open the door unannounced? Especially at 3am. It really makes you wonder just how much common decency and humanity somebody can completely forget just because they are a police officer and have petty "authority" backed up by the state? How do these people even function as normal people when they don't have the common sense and wherewithal not to treat strangers like objects to be examined? None of us would survive long acting like that. How can someone simply ignore the entire idea of privacy and private property and even be functional in society? It really boggles the mind.

[satchelmcqueen]

i swear id if i ever have to testify for a cop ill wait my 48hrs first

[Cleaner44]

“It appeared that he had some accessories to the handgun plastic toy that he was trying to install on it or put pieces of this gun plastic toy together,” Capt. Light said.

The airsoft gun, which shoots plastic pellets, reportedly had a bright orange plastic tip as well, used to clearly define the item as a toy.

“I believe this particular handgun plastic toy had an orange tip. But based on our investigation I don’t want to go into particulars and details of the position of the gun plastic toy and where the officer was,” Light said.

Despite the toy being partially disassembled, Light appeared to defend the officer’s actions, claiming that Rocendo had his hand on the section containing the trigger.

“The deceased had the weapon toy not only in his hand, but he also had his finger on the trigger,” Light said.


Just fixed up their journalism to make it a bit more accurate.

[aGameOfThrones]

124 Page Investigate Report Details Officer Involved Shooting at Yakima Car Wash

The report contains testimony from the officer who pulled the trigger, investigators and a witness. The witness was on a ride along with Officer Casey Gillette when they noticed a suspicious car. She initially couldn't see anyone in the car until Gillette opened the passenger door. Then she said a head popped up and seconds later there were shots.

According to Officer Casey Gillette's written statement, he didn't know the gun Rocendo Arias had in his hands was a fake until after it was removed from the crime scene.

Officer Gillette said he saw Arias with his head slumped forward sitting in his running car in a parking lot. Gillette opened the passenger door causing Arias to look up at the officer. That's when Gillette noticed what looked like a semi automatic pistol in Arias's lap with his finger on the trigger.

Gillette said he told Arias not to move, but the boy lunged at him. Officer Gillette said he was convinced he was about to be shot and reacted by shooting his own gun four times.

Other police testimony of that night said the orange tip around the barrel of the fake gun was visible from the drivers side but not the passengers side where Gillette was standing.

"Sad thing is that it happened, and it's unfortunate but the case has been ruled justified for a summary of reasons and we have to move on now," said Captain Rod Light with the Yakima Police Department.

Police said a toxicology report shows Arias was under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

"I believe he had some alcohol, meth, and marijuana in his system," said Captain Light.

The Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney finished his review in late February saying the use of deadly force was justified.


http://www.kfbb.com/story/24972021/124-page-investigate-report-details-officer-involved-shooting-at-yakima-car-wash


Now this site:



Police: Arias lunged at Officer Gillette before deadly shooting

Just last week, the prosecutor's office said this shooting was justified. But this lengthy report gives more details of that night. It says Officer Gillette opened the passenger door of Arias' car to see if the man inside was impaired. Police say Arias lunged at Gillette, pointing his Airsoft gun. Gillette had only a moment to decide he would kill Arias with a single shot to the head.

The officer noticed a suspicious car had been at the car wash for over an hour. The 23-year-old was inside the parked car. Officer Gillette says he opened the door on the passenger side to assess the scene.

"You know, every scenario is different, obviously; every time we come into a field contact, there's things that are going to - we've got to make a judgment call in terms of how we're going to tactically approach the situation," said YPD spokesman Capt. Rod Light.

The officer says Arias lunged at him with the gun. He didn't have time to decide if the gun was real or not. Officer Gillette fired four shots.

"You know, we're not going to make everybody happy all the time, just unfortunately. We're not in the business and our business doesn't let us do that," said Capt. Light. "But, we certainly want the community to understand that we got a tough job to do, and it's a very dangerous job at times."

The report also revealed Officer Gillette's fiancée was with him at the scene. She had been in the car for a ride-along. YPD says it's common for citizens to ride with police during the overnight hours when it's most busy.

Gillette's decision to use deadly force was found justified, but the family of Rocendo Arias recently announced plans to sue YPD and the city for wrongful death.

"So, how would YPD respond to people that are upset with the shooting? How concerned are you with the perception of the community?" asked KIMA.

"Well, the police department certainly wants the support of the our community, and I think now that more of the facts have come out in terms of the totality of the circumstances, it paints a clearer picture," said Capt. Light.

http://www.kimatv.com/home/video/Police-Arias-lunged-at-Officer-Gillette-before-deadly-shooting-248876121.html

[Anti Federalist]

The report also revealed Officer Gillette's fiancée was with him at the scene. She had been in the car for a ride-along. YPD says it's common for citizens to ride with police during the overnight hours when it's most busy.

No conflict of interest in that testimony...

[GunnyFreedom]

Summary streetside execution.

Will anything ever be enough?

Not until they go hungry.

Selfish bastards.

[VoluntaryAmerican]

Just fixed up their journalism to make it a bit more accurate.

Just deleting words from a sources statement is pretty shitty journalism.

[jclay2]

No conflict of interest in that testimony...

Unreal and then they have the nerve to add this little explanation afterward:


YPD says it's common for citizens to ride with police during the overnight hours when it's most busy.