Go read this story about a 16 year old boy who was killed by undercover police disguised as food deliverymen when he held a realistic looking toy 9mm handgun to the head of one of the officers during a robbery attempt. The boy, Allen Newsome, was a suspect in at least 2 other robberies involving deliverymen. Of course, neither the relatives or the neighbors think the youth deserved to be killed for his actions (after all, it was a toy gun he held to the officer's head, right?), instead focusing their wrath on the restaurant that all of the robbed deliverymen worked for. From the article:
"White on white, black on black. I'm tired of killing all together," said Jeff Copeland, who identified himself as Newsome's uncle. "The police killed a 16-year old kid, and I don't understand that . . . My mother's upset, she's hurt; my sister's upset. That's her only son."
Several hours after the shooting, about 25 angry residents descended on Wimpy's, some of them accusing the owners of setting up the teenager.
"You got him killed," shouted Kevin McPherson, 21, banging a counter. "You set him up to get killed by the police."
Another protester screamed: "They killed children. Don't buy from these people."
"You got him killed", when all the restaurant was trying to do was protect its deliverymen. Here's a novel thought: the youth got himself killed when he decided to rob someone at gunpoint. I'm guessing if he had been at home watching TV, he never would have been shot by the police.
Posted by Neal Mauldin at January 03, 2003 02:22 PM | TrackBackI just want to know how come these buffoons don't have a comment section! Boy would I have a mouthful for them! Re-dic-u-lous! My neighbor pointed a "fake" gun at us as we were driving up the street to go home one evening. He was ripped a new asshole by me and I got scolded by his parents for being too harsh! I was reluctant to tell them that we carry concealed and that if we weren't prudent people their son could have had his head splattered in their driveway but warned them that it COULD happen. It scared the shit outta me!
Posted by: SondraK on January 3, 2003 10:32 PMNo arguement, the boy aimed what was percieved to be a real weapon, intending that it be thought real. He got what he had coming. If committing the same act, he pointed a toy gun at a man's head and he died of a heart attack, he would be charged with murder. And I'm sorry but 16 isn't an excuse, old enough to commit armed robbery, old enough to pay the price.
Posted by: puggs on January 4, 2003 12:22 AMYou're so right! Now, it matters not if the gun was a toy or for real. The boy committed a crime.
Ugh. Yeah. Let's ban toy guns. Make the world so much safer.
Posted by: Da Goddess on January 4, 2003 12:37 AMDa;
Missed the point didn't you, It's tragic that boy is dead, it's also tragic that people like you see him as a victim. He chose his own fate as certainly as if he overdosed on pills or shot himself in the head. Need to blame someone? Blame him, or his parents, or God if you dare, those cops were just trying to survive a confrontation with what they reasonably thought was an armed robber.
It's called duty, risking your life to take down thugs and killers so that self satisfied whiners can bitch that you were too violent, or too aggressive. The whole time wallowing in the protection of the people they whine about. They don't have to go to work wondering if they'll catch a bullet that day, or if a stranger will bring up their kids. The decision to take life, or not, isn't a game, or a TV show filled with pat easy answers. And these men do what others can't, for a public that only seems to like them when they happen to fall in the line of duty. They deserve better.
Posted by: puggs on January 5, 2003 03:27 AM