Florida deputies shoot at SENIOR CITIZEN 15 times! Blame Victim

Law enforcement in this country at it again.

"The tragedy of this is the noncompliance to the directions of law enforcement officers," said Sheriff David Morgan of Escambia County, Florida. "Had that occurred we wouldn't be having this discussion. It's a tragedy all the way around. He is both a suspect and a victim."

WOW, The arrogance of this man is disgusting! How is this person a "SUSPECT"? He went out to his car to get a got damn cigarette on HIS property

The bizarre story started Saturday around 2:30 a.m. as Middleton was returning home. Searching for a cigarette inside his White Lincoln Town Car, he appears to have been mistaken for a car thief by a concerned neighbor who called 911. Escambia County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremiah Meeks and Sgt. Matthew White responded to the call.

The deputies were in fear for their own safety, according to the sheriff. "He came out of the car with more of a lunging motion coming out of the car, and the deputies were standing behind him and he had what appeared to be a metallic object in his hand," Sheriff David Morgan said.

REALLY? So you shoot at him 15 TIMES??? IS THIS HOW THEY TRAIN OFFICERS IN FLORIDA? Shoot first and ask questions later? I hope this man sues the department dry.
www.cnn.com...-982378622

(i apologize in advance if a thread was made)

sue the pants off of them....the paradigm has changed....after 11:30 midnite.....don't be seen out front by the car. HUH!! OK

So this was a senior citizen going to his own car to grab a cigarette and when he exits his own car in front of his own house he gets popped 15 times? Is that really true?

reply to post by djr33222


he apparently had his keys in his hands....enough for these well trained officers to start shooting at him

I'm always amazed at how the police just expect you to do everything they say.

I'm just some guy, minding my own business, at my own home, fishing around in my own car for a smoke and Ponch & Co. come rolling up out of the blue and start shouting at me.

First I'd be stunned, I'd probably look around to see if I'm missing something, then stunned again, maybe shut the car door and start walking toward these strange people to see if I can speak to someone about what's going on in my neighborhood.

All the while my heart is likely pounding into my head and my eyes close into tunnel vision and all I can hear is the blood pumping above my neck and white noise.

Then I'm shot 15 times.

If they cant be expected to behave in a calm and rational manner and they're armed with backup how the hell is it that they expect the person they're shouting at, aiming guns at, to listen to, understand and follow a command hidden in all that ruckus?

I suppose we're all just supposed to lay prostrate on sight of a cop now regardless of what we're doing or where we are?

Oh, 15 shots fired, hit twice in the legs. Score one for the "highly trained" professionals.

It seems like many cops these days are little more than hired thugs who would rather shoot first and ask questions later. I'm not going to paint all LEO's with the same brush though. There are good Police Officers out there. But their image is tainted by ******** like these. The fact that the Sheriff is taking their side is despicable and not surprising in the least.

If the old timer really had a "metallic object in his hand" when he "lunged" and the officers "feared for their lives", why could they have simply not tased him? It seems like an ingrained instict in these people to react to any potentially hostile situation with deadly force.

What the hell has happened to diplomacy (i.e. attempting to talk down an aggressor), and if that fails, falling back on non lethal force? Lethal force should always be a last resort. Hell, it's a miracle that the man wasn't hit by more than a couple of the fifteen rounds that were fired.

Speaking of which, their aim is crap.

Originally posted by Lunarian
I'm not going to paint all LEO's with the same brush though.

Until the majority of them (the good ones) start holding their jack-ass renegade gunmen accountable, paint them all with that brush. If all police officers started condemning this behavior, it wouldn't happen. Until they do, they are also guilty.

Heard this man speaking on CNN...he had a keyring in his hand.

Another case of react first think later.

Roy Middleton, 60, was hit by two of those rounds in his legs. He is in good condition at a Pensacola hospital after a metal rod was placed inside his shattered left leg.

At least he is still alive!! I pray he gets a good lawyer and sue the ?$@# out of that county for everything possible!!!!

Originally posted by Cuervo

Originally posted by Lunarian
I'm not going to paint all LEO's with the same brush though.

Until the majority of them (the good ones) start holding their jack-ass renegade gunmen accountable, paint them all with that brush. If all police officers started condemning this behavior, it wouldn't happen. Until they do, they are also guilty.

they are no longer the majority. maybe 1/3 are "decent".. if participating and PROFITING from a FOR profit prison industry is considered good.

gotta do bad to do a little good.. that's the mentality.

Why are people so quick to say things like "Sue them for everything they've got" how does taking tax payer money help the situation? If anything it just makes things worse. I understand suing for lost wages, and medical expenses, and any lawyer fees you acquire but this idea that people should be trying to get as much money as possible is one of the biggest flaws in the system.

You aren't hurting the police by doing that, Well, you are, but you're also taking tax payer dollars and putting it into another person hands, despite them not really deserving nearly as much money as people tend to get in these situations.

I don't think taking their money is the way to fix the system, if anything it probably just makes the cops angrier, and the last thing we need is a bunch of angry cops.

I feel like a lot of these lawsuits contribute to that whole us vs them mentality that the bad cops tend to have.

But despite all that I can't say I wouldn't consider doing the same if I was shot by a police officer, so I don't think any less of the people who do. I just feel conflicted about the whole thing.

Stupid has sure reached law enforcement.

For fair and balanced reporting

JUSTICE FOR JAMES: Black Cop Shoots Unarmed Decorated Veteran in Orange, TX – Gets Off Scot Free

www.thegatewaypundit.com...

deputies were standing behind him and he had what appeared to be a metallic object in his hand," Sheriff David Morgan said.

Were they attempting to shot him in the back? Were the back of his legs hit or did they wait for him to turn.

Good news for this man is that the officers seem to be poor shots.

Change the rules of engagement so that law enforcement cannot fire on a citizen unless they are fired on first. Also make sure that all weapons have a safety that must be disengaged before their weapon can be fired and make it a serious offense to carry it off safety.....then see who wants to remain on the force to "protect and serve" and who wants to just "get home safe".

The damn anti smoking crowd is pushing things to far.

OK I am glad this guy lived and will be suing those dumb arse cops and all but they can't shoot worth sh!t.


15 times WTF.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
I'm always amazed at how the police just expect you to do everything they say.

This is no longer a Free Country
If you are own your own land, a cop can come on your land and tell you what to do and you better obey.
If you are in your own house, a cop can barge in (no knock warrants) and tell you what to do.
If they get the wrong house and barge in, they can still tell you what to do.

If you are an innocent civilian, a cop has the right to kill you and make up any excuse they want.

Originally posted by Lunarian
when he "lunged" and the officers "feared for their lives",

That is all it takes for a cop to kill an innocent man.
Claim the dead lunged at them and they feared for their lives.

Dead men tell to tales.

Not that it would matter unless it is on video.

Originally posted by CosmicCitizen
Change the rules of engagement so that law enforcement cannot fire on a citizen unless they are fired on first. Also make sure that all weapons have a safety that must be disengaged before their weapon can be fired and make it a serious offense to carry it off safety.....then see who wants to remain on the force to "protect and serve" and who wants to just "get home safe".

I like your idea but unfortunately, the ones to change those policies would be the same wolves in charge.
Also, to the above poster, I agree that having the tax payers on the hook for LEO mistakes is wrong when it should be coming out of their own pockets.

Maybe they need to start carrying 6 shot single action revolvers.