Dad Calls Cops on Son to Teach Him a Lesson, Cops Shoot Son Dead

[Groves]

http://gawker.com/dad-calls-cops-on-...oot-1460159897

A father's attempt to teach his son a lesson for taking his truck without permission ended in tragedy Monday after a local police officer shot the teenager dead.

James Comstock told the Des Moines Register he called the police on his son Tyler after the latter took the former's truck in retaliation for refusing to buy him cigarettes.

Ames Police Officer Adam McPherson reportedly spotted the lawn care company vehicle and pursued it onto the Iowa State University campus, where a brief standoff ensued after Tyler allegedly refused orders to turn off the engine.

McPherson eventually fired six shots into the truck, two of which struck Tyler who was later pronounced dead.

The official report claims the action was necessary in order "to stop the ongoing threat to the public and the officers."

Tyler's dad says he was unarmed at the time.

"So he didn't shut the damn truck off, so let's fire six rounds at him?" exclaimed Gary Shepley, Tyler's step-grandfather. "We're confused, and we don't understand."

James said his son had his fair share of minor troubles with the law, and was distraught over a recent breakup with his girlfriend, but was in the process of turning his life around, and was working on obtaining his GED at Des Moines Area Community College.

"He was a smart kid. He made his own computers. He was interested in IT," James told the Register.

The family's demands for answers got even louder following the revelation that a member of the Ames police department suggested twice that officers call off the chase.

"He took off with my truck. I call the police, and they kill him," James said. ""It was over a damn pack of cigarettes."

McPherson is currently on paid leave pending the results of his department's investigation.

[crazycoffey]

Originally Posted by vailpass

Honest question: do you get to refuse a call if you want to?

When the caller is confused to the "crime". In the instance I was referring (based on some similar calls in the past) it was a civil and family matter. Criminally speaking; the kid could claim a right to the property because he used it on a regular basis so it's not a "crime" that I enforce. Once a court has ruled a family or civil issue, it becomes criminal and I can enforce the judges rulings.

I would tell dad to parent up, go to family court, file restraining order, change the locks, take back keys, sack up, etc. long before I took a stolen vehicle report. But the situation I was referring to may or may not match up to the OP

[ROYC75]

Originally Posted by OmahaChief

Sounds like the kid was headed for lung cancer anyway. Just moved the process along that much quicker.

ObamaCare at work, eliminate the waste ( death panel )?

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

If you are still wailing over this, even after watching the video, then you are purposefully being a miserable dumbass. The car chase and shooting were justifiable.

Big Daddy is on the cops' side, that's all we need to know about the story

[mdchiefsfan]

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin

So if an A.P. shot someone in a residential neighborhood and then took off on the run, you'd prefer LE not pursue him because they might 'stoke' him up a little bit, making him more likely to shoot additional people???

Sounds like a good idea.

Wow that was far off base.

I don't see what is so hard to comprehend here. Tablet is saying that there is a likely chance that if someone who is being chased by the cops "gets away" they will slow down, ditch the car, and get somewhere out of the public. The sight of a cop car in their rear view is obviously escalating the situation.

There is a reason that is protocol for some departments.

In this case, however, one the cop was hit he was unable to disengage and the maniac needed to be stopped.

[WhiteWhale]

Originally Posted by OmahaChief

Sounds like the kid was headed for lung cancer anyway. Just moved the process along that much quicker.

Hilarious.

The way this is phrased sounds like you don't understand that everyone, eventually, dies.

[mcan]

Look, we need better training for cops. That's the final answer. If somebody is just trying to get away, they shouldn't have to pay with their lives unless they are putting people in DIRECT danger. The fact that he was putting people in danger 30 seconds ago doesn't mean dick. There is no immediate need to fire your weapon. I understand having it drawn. I understand you gotta protect yourself from a criminal who is putting his own and others' lives at risk with his reckless behavior. But there was zero NEED (I want you guys to look at that word again... NEED) to fire his weapon. Weapons should only be fired when they NEED to be. And if you think this weapon NEEDED to be fired, then you are not seeing beyond your principle to stand up for cops no matter the circumstances.

I don't think this cop is a bad guy, or needs to lose his job or anything. He was put in a tough spot, saw a problem that looked to him like a nail, and decided to use his hammer. But cops need to able to recognize problems that AREN'T nails. Or, perhaps in this case, was a former nail that had turned into something way less serious by the time the gun was drawn.

[Strongside]

Originally Posted by mcan

Look, we need better training for cops. That's the final answer. If somebody is just trying to get away, they shouldn't have to pay with their lives unless they are putting people in DIRECT danger. The fact that he was putting people in danger 30 seconds ago doesn't mean dick. There is no immediate need to fire your weapon. I understand having it drawn. I understand you gotta protect yourself from a criminal who is putting his own and others' lives at risk with his reckless behavior. But there was zero NEED (I want you guys to look at that word again... NEED) to fire his weapon. Weapons should only be fired when they NEED to be. And if you think this weapon NEEDED to be fired, then you are not seeing beyond your principle to stand up for cops no matter the circumstances.

I don't think this cop is a bad guy, or needs to lose his job or anything. He was put in a tough spot, saw a problem that looked to him like a nail, and decided to use his hammer. But cops need to able to recognize problems that AREN'T nails. Or, perhaps in this case, was a former nail that had turned into something way less serious by the time the gun was drawn.

Some people just want to fire their weapon. Those people should not be cops.

[mcan]

This should also be a lesson to the rest of us that the days of using the police to help calm domestic situations down are over. Calling the cops is now just asking for the situation to escalate.

It used to be that if you and husband got into too many drunk saturday night fights, you could teach your loser husband a lesson by calling the cops. Have him sit a night in jail without his shoelaces and come home all glassy eyed and apologetic and that'd be the end of it. Or if you wanted to scare your druggie kid straight, you could have some cool neighbor cops show up and cuff him... Maybe even put him in the back of a squad car for a bit until he promises he'll clean up. Then the cops fill out some paperwork and go away and that's the end of it.

Now, really all you're doing is asking for HUNDREDS of dollars of outrageous court fees and principled judges looking for convictions. Zero tolerance policies that put your "stoner" kid into jail or juvie for months. Soccer moms being hog tied and questioned for hours because some twat didn't like her little kids putting rocks in her mailbox... Cops that kick open your front door with weapons drawn because they heard it was a dangerous situation when really all it is is a drunk housewife with some scissors cutting up pictures of her new husbands ex girlfriends... Well, enjoy paying for your new door, $1000 bail money, and $600 in court costs because the people you called to "help" are about to make this situation way worse. Oh, also... If you panic and do something stupid, you're odds of being dead by the end of the night just went from 1 in a couple million to 1 in a couple thousand.

The fact is, cops used to be awesome citizens with a feeling of community who wanted to serve and protect. Now, police forces are so militarized that calling them at all is like calling out the national guard, and because once in a great while, a cop is actually in a dangerous situation, they treat too many (most?) calls like they're responding to a terrorist threat instead of coming to help keep the peace.

[philfree]

One shouldn't call the police on their own family unless it's absolutely necessary. There's not much good that can come from it and lot's of bad that can.

[mcan]

Originally Posted by philfree

One shouldn't call the police on their own family unless it's absolutely necessary. There's not much good that can come from it and lot's of bad that can.

That took me about four paragraphs to say... And not as well. REP!

[mcan]

Originally Posted by Strongside

Some people just want to fire their weapon. Those people should not be cops.

agreed. whole heartedly. I think part of the problem might be that even the people who become cops aren't aware if they are or are not one of those people until the weapon is drawn and they unload a clip on an unarmed kid sitting in a stopped truck.