For a moment, after the off-duty officer produced his pistol, Jose Arreola considered how he might die over a $1.19 pack of Mentos. Arreola had already paid for the mints in an Orange County gas station March 16 and slid them into his pocket. The officer behind him, clad in black shorts and a sweatshirt, appears to think he sees a crime in progress. The officer reaches for his semiautomatic pistol, and in a quick action, pulls back the pistol slide to chamber a round, a video shows. “Give that back … police officer,” he tells a stunned Arreola. Recounting the event later to the Orange County Register, Arreola envisioned how the next few moments could unfold. “I thought my wife could be a widow after tonight,” Arreola, 49, told the California newspaper about his encounter with the Buena Park police officer. [Fatal police shootings of unarmed people have significantly declined, experts say] The encounter, which Buena Park Police Chief Corey Sianez called “disturbing,” had already triggered an administrative investigation, he said in a Facebook statement posted Friday.What is it with even off duty police to invoke a fascist state mentality?“I can definitely assure you that our investigation will be thorough, and if the officer is found to be in violation of any policies and procedures, he will be held accountable,” Sianez said. In the surveillance video that appears to be recently released, Arreola is seen asking for the price of the mints, then hands over cash to the attendant before pocketing the mints in his jacket. That is all it took for the officer to take action and demand that Arreola place the mints back on the counter. “Oh!” Arreola says, shaken. “I paid for this,” he says several times. At one point, his face is stunned as he looks to the attendant for help. After holding his pistol out for eight seconds, the officer appears to put the pistol back into his pocket. “Try stealing that again. Get your cash and leave,” the officer warns. [The Post’s 2018 police shootings database] As Arreola panics and steps out of the way, the officer directs his attention to the cashier: “Did he pay for this?” The cashier answers yes. The officer asks if he is sure. He offers the same reply: Yes.
“My apologies, sir,” the officer tells Arreola. “My apologies.” Arreola is seen collecting the rest of his change and quickly makes his way toward the exit. Arreola could not be reached for comment. In the statement, Sianez says the video clearly shows the officer drawing his gun “but not pointing it” at Arreola, though his assertion is unclear from the video. In a split-second, the officer appears to raise his weapon toward Arreola, than quickly lowers it for the rest of the encounter. His index finger is clearly extended and not on the trigger. The department did not immediately return comment asking whether the officer is back on duty, or if the department stands by the statement that his weapon was not pointed at Arreola. [After Stephon Clark’s death, new videos show police muted body cameras at least 16 times] It was not clear why the video of the incident, which took place more than seven weeks ago, has only recently surfaced. Arreola has retained an attorney and seeks damages from the police department.
The incident has left him shaken, he told the Register. “I can’t get it out of my mind,” he said. Police shootings of unarmed people have declined since 2015, according to data analyzed by The Washington Post, though experts are unsure what has led to the reduction.
An off-duty police officer thought a man stole Mentos. So he drew his gun.
| Source: | WP |
| Published: | May 6, 2018 |
| Author: | staff |
| Post Date: | 2018-05-06 14:12:43 by buckeroo |
| Views: | 4125 |
#1: sneakypete To: buckeroo (#0)
Are these people SURE he was a cop?
WHY would a cop,who you would think had received at least as much as 15 minutes of firearms handling course go around with a semi-auto without having a round in the chamber?
sneakypete posted on 2018-05-06 15:25:23 Reply Private Reply
#2: Tooconservative To: sneakypete (#1)
Even if most people do, not everyone does. My bedroom gun, I don't keep a round in the chamber.
Admittedly, you would expect a cop to have one in the chamber when he's on-duty.
Tooconservative posted on 2018-05-06 19:01:37 Reply Private Reply
#3: misterwhite To: Tooconservative (#2)
Well, in the home you'd expect to have more time to put all the pieces together, rack a round, take the safety off, figure out which end the bullet comes out of, identify the target and shoot.
Me? I simply grab my revolver and start screaming and firing at anything that moves. The bad guy thinks he's in a house with an armed crazy man.
misterwhite posted on 2018-05-06 19:25:52 Reply Private Reply
#4: Tooconservative To: misterwhite (#3)
Well, that would convince most bad guys to leave very quickly.
And you still have the gun if they're determined to kill you.
Tooconservative posted on 2018-05-07 03:34:57 Reply Private Reply
#5: sneakypete To: Tooconservative (#2)
Then why even bother to keep a gun?
When you need a gun you either need a gun right NOW,or you don't need it at all.
You might as well keep a rock by your bed.
sneakypete posted on 2018-05-07 04:01:21 Reply Private Reply
#6: Tooconservative To: sneakypete (#5)
Our police and military don't practice that. They have plenty of weapons they keep in reserve or bring out only for certain circumstances.
So I'll handle my gun as I see fit and don't really give a shite what you think about it.
Tooconservative posted on 2018-05-07 04:39:08 Reply Private Reply
#7: sneakypete To: Tooconservative (#6)
They don't? I can't remember the last time I saw an unarmed cop,or a cop that had a unloaded weapon.
BTW,are you,or have you ever been a cop or a soldier? If not,how do you know what you claim to be true?
BTW,bubba,if there isn't a round in the chamber,it is unloaded.
So I'll handle my gun as I see fit and don't really give a shite what you think about it.
Well,I am heartbroken over all this,but somehow I will manage to live with it.
sneakypete posted on 2018-05-07 08:03:02 Reply Private Reply
#8: misterwhite To: Tooconservative (#4)
Quite frankly, when they enter the home and see all the bullet holes in the ceilng and walls ... that alone does the job.
misterwhite posted on 2018-05-07 08:25:04 Reply Private Reply
#9: Tooconservative To: misterwhite (#8)
Tooconservative posted on 2018-05-07 08:51:44 Reply Private Reply
#10: Tooconservative To: sneakypete (#7)
I believe the crime stats generally and the research of John Lott on the use of firearms by civilians in America against bad guys (muggers, rapists, burglars, home invaders).
Tooconservative posted on 2018-05-07 08:59:58 Reply Private Reply
#11: misterwhite To: Tooconservative (#9)
And I think the average encounter (where a firearm is discharged) consists of one to two shots.
misterwhite posted on 2018-05-07 09:54:34 Reply Private Reply
#12: sneakypete To: Tooconservative (#10)
OK.
I prefer to go with the certainty of a loaded gun in my hand,ready to fire.
sneakypete posted on 2018-05-07 17:57:48 Reply Private Reply
#13: GrandIsland To: Tooconservative (#2)
GrandIsland posted on 2018-05-07 20:17:48 Reply Private Reply
#14: Tooconservative To: GrandIsland (#13)
It's worthless unless you are actually in the act of using it to coerce someone or shoot them.
Tooconservative posted on 2018-05-07 21:12:26 Reply Private Reply
#15: GrandIsland To: Tooconservative (#14)
I keep ONE UP, in my Glock, whether I’m carrying it or it’s on the night stand.
GrandIsland posted on 2018-05-07 22:12:36 Reply Private Reply
#16: Tooconservative To: GrandIsland (#15)
Yes, I do.
Tooconservative posted on 2018-05-07 22:22:34 Reply Private Reply