Police Officer shoots student taken hostage in the head...and gets off

As I'm sure most of you are aware, there is an ever increasing trend of deadly violence on the part of LEO's against innocent people in the US. We are bombarded day after day by stories of police officers shooting first and asking questions later.

There is also a well established process by which the officers in question get paid administrative leave, while the police force inevitably finds that they followed procedures and protocol...and are found not guilty of wrongdoing.

In the spirit of the above...I give you this from the "Are you F&*%&ing kidding me" files...

The cop who can’t shoot straight who killed an innocent Hofstra University student while a wanted felon was holding her at gunpoint has been completely cleared of wrongdoing.

I know what you're thinking....no way!! To that I say....yes way.

The incident occurred in May 2013 when Delton Smith, wearing a black ski mask and carrying a gun, went into a house near the Hofstra campus shared by Rebello, 21, her twin sister and others. It was about 2:30 in the morning.

So...Mr.Smith takes these girls hostage and demands money to pay back what the article describes as some "Russian guy".
Being not very bright, Mr.Smith allows one of the girls to go get $700 out of an ATM for him...guess what she did next?

According to the report, Smith allowed the roommate to leave for the cash. When she did, she promptly called 911.

Good girl! The cavalry is on the way to save the day right?.....ummmm...not exactly.

Not content to let a robbery situation end without anybody dying, Budimlic fired a flurry of shots. He shot Smith seven times, killing him.

Budimlic also shot Rebello in the head. She later died at Nassau University Medical Center.

Article...here

So the police officer that responded....ordered the perp to let the girl (Rebello) go...he didn't so he shot at Mr. Smith...hitting the victim of the hostage taking in the head killing her.

She was only 21 years old.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am sick to death of reading about tragedies like this. Whatever happened to police always acting with the utmost regard for human life?

How could something like this be in line with police policy? What are we going to do about this continuing violence against innocent people?

This situation shouldn't have ended like this, nor do I believe that this officer should be able to walk away from this with zero consequence. I'm absolutely disgusted with LEO's.

What do you think ATS?

reply to post by deadcalm


May I ask you something....just to play devils advocate....what would you have done if you arrived on scene..you see a hostage....and the bad guy points the gun at you...what do you? just curious...

The cop was definitely in the wrong for firing while the perp held a hostage. He should be relieved of his duties permanently.

However, this is tragic and my heart bleeds for the victims family.

Should have called in the FBI.

They would have burned them out.

In all seriousness an example of c.o.d. syndrome.

Cept' they're aren't any respawns.

Sad...

reply to post by cosmicexplorer


He was holding her at gunpoint.

kimish
reply to post by cosmicexplorer

 

He was holding her at gunpoint.

I know this...i never said anything otherwise...you turn the corner...you see the bad guy holding a hostage..and the bad guy fires at you..what do you do?

We have no idea what this cop was told by the girl...she could have said..hey there is a guy with a gun in my house..not that he was holding a gun to her head...so the cop doesnt know there is a gun to her head until he sees it...because no bad guy is gonna hold a gun to a girls head 24/7

reply to post by cosmicexplorer


I would back off to a safe distance and not force a situation that means I have to unload my gun with the potential of killing an innocent 21 year old girl.

I would have waited for back-up, and a professional trained in hostage negotiations.

reply to post by cosmicexplorer


My fault. Hearing he has her at gunpoint, im assuming he's point the gun at her, the hostage.
My misunderstanding.

Tragic none-the-less

Man didn't know his own limitations....poor pistolcraft.

reply to post by deadcalm

So the police officer that responded....ordered the perp to let the girl (Rebello) go...he didn't so he shot at Mr. Smith...hitting the victim of the hostage taking in the head killing her.

Isn't the official policy to never shoot a person in this situation, as far as taking a shot at someone holding a hostage like this?
I think it is against policy just because of what happened. Hopefully a leo here can clarify this. Perhaps he felt the suspect was going to actually kill the girl and he felt he had no choice. Maybe the officer has seen too many movies and he definitely needs to go back to the target range!

Not content to let a robbery situation end without anybody dying, Budimlic fired a flurry of shots. He shot Smith seven times, killing him. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

Who determined this? Did the officer say that?

Condolences to the family, what a way to lose a loved one.
I am curious how the officer is reacting to this and I hope he has some remorse.

kimish
reply to post by cosmicexplorer

 

My fault. Hearing he has her at gunpoint, im assuming he's point the gun at her, the hostage.
My misunderstanding.

Tragic none-the-less

I agree brother...its sad...but what do you do? I honestly know what id do...but im curious to hear if you guys have a solution for that situation that I am speculating on....

reply to post by deadcalm

Good girl! The cavalry is on the way to save the day right?.....ummmm...not exactly.

Had she only been a member of ATS and paid attention to what I have to say: Never EVER call the cops.

cosmicexplorer
reply to post by deadcalm

 

May I ask you something....just to play devils advocate....what would you have done if you arrived on scene..you see a hostage....and the bad guy points the gun at you...what do you? just curious...

You take cover and call for back up of course.

deadcalm
reply to post by cosmicexplorer

 

I would back off to a safe distance and not force a situation that means I have to unload my gun with the potential of killing an innocent 21 year old girl.

I would have waited for back-up, and a professional trained in hostage negotiations.

Thats a good answer if you have time to get away ...the problem is we dont know all the facts... I was a cop for almost 10 years and I can tell you (and I am in no way defending cops as I hate the bastards more than you guys) that witnesses often do not give the right details and also how it went down.

BEfore columbine the answer to everything was set up a peremiter and wait for swat.....so as kids were dying in the school cops were sitting outside listening to the horror....now everything has changed...the training now is you rush in if you hear shots fired. What I am curious is....did this guy fire a shot....if this bad guy fired a shot...then the cops did what they were trained to do. Unfortunately this cop may have ran in...doing what he was trained to do only to find himself being shot at and stuck in one #ty situation.

All im saying with this article is try to get all the facts...this guy may have very well been perfectly wrong but what i mentioned above...if that scenario happened he did right. Imagine if he heard shots and didnt run in...then later they found she was dead...youd all be on here calling him a coward! Just keep an open mind with this until everything is out.

edit: id also like to add..unless I missed it we dont know what he shot with..im assuming a pistol..and a pistol in a dynamic situation like that is just asking for trouble...its tough to make a good shot past 10 meters and then add movement and heart rate etc...bad recipe.

It seems when this story came out that I read it was one of the final shots that struck her in the head. I remember thinking to myself what if he would have stopped sooner.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

However, could it be that one of the FIRST rounds struck her in the head and seeing this he went apes# crazy with follow up shots out of deep regret?

reply to post by cosmicexplorer


Um... well... lets see. First, when I signed on to be an armed enforcer of law, I would have to ensure that my ability with the weapon was totally and utterly perfect in every particular, since getting paid to place ones self in the line of fire, is not qualification enough to carry a weapon professionally. Then, when I came across this clusterbang later in my career, I would have emptied the damned hostage takers head, with one single round, rather than emptying the better part of a magazine in the general direction of the shooter, like some Quake III Nerd with a kill boner.

That would have been a God damned start I think.

TrueBrit
reply to post by cosmicexplorer

 

Um... well... lets see. First, when I signed on to be an armed enforcer of law, I would have to ensure that my ability with the weapon was totally and utterly perfect in every particular, since getting paid to place ones self in the line of fire, is not qualification enough to carry a weapon professionally. Then, when I came across this clusterbang later in my career, I would have emptied the damned hostage takers head, with one single round, rather than emptying the better part of a magazine in the general direction of the shooter, like some Quake III Nerd with a kill boner.

That would have been a God damned start I think.

Ok what ammo would you train with to perfect your elite shooting skills? Before I left I was getting 30 rounds a year....

And did you read my above post where he may have been forced to go in due to the way he was trained? And we also dont know how long this cop was on the job...

Edit: also feel free to research some of the spec op missions that have been carried out throughout the world in which hostages have been killed...those guys train for those scenarios every single day and mishaps happen. Those guys have unlimited resources...tons of prior planning...intel teams...infinte rounds to train with...and often have ratios of 3 to 1 before assaulting....not including all their support...and still ..hostages die.

deadcalm
reply to post by cosmicexplorer

 

I would back off to a safe distance and not force a situation that means I have to unload my gun with the potential of killing an innocent 21 year old girl.

I would have waited for back-up, and a professional trained in hostage negotiations.

agreed on all counts. but where's the fun in that? officer doohickey wouldn't get to fire his little gun.

reply to post by cosmicexplorer

Before I left I was getting 30 rounds a year....

What people believe is one thing ... reality is usually something entirely different. I get tired of explaining the difference, but I applaud your efforts.

If this post appears to lack tact, to anyone, let that serve as my point above being proven.

I will not debate this incident with anyone. The point the OP made is that the trend for death by cop is WAY on the increase. Please don't lose yourselves in the particulars of this one incident. Getting lost in the particulars of a single incident is nothing more than a distraction from the OP's point. Here let me help.

THE COPS ARE KILLING WAY TO OFTEN AND FOR WAY TOO LITTLE. I never used to get scared during a traffic stop, not being a criminal and having insurance, registration and whatnot I should not be afraid. Sadly I am very afraid. One wrong move and the cops shoot first ask later.

This is not the America I dreamed of living in. I am mad as hell but without one clue as to how to change it. So instead of going to a cops home that has abused his power and killing the SOB myself..... I whine on ATS.

I am embarrassed to be such a wimp.