These cops must really feel bad!

[Drache]

Police shoot off-duty NYPD officer holding gun
Hit three times, Eric Hernandez is hospitalized in critical condition


Updated: 2:51 p.m. ET Jan. 28, 2006
NEW YORK - In a tragic case of mistaken identity, police shot and critically wounded an off-duty officer as he pointed a gun at a suspect outside a fast food restaurant early Saturday, authorities said.

Eric Hernandez, 24, was hit three times and was hospitalized in extremely critical condition, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

The officer who pulled the trigger, identified only as a 20-year veteran of the force, was being treated for trauma at another hospital.

Hernandez had been in line at a White Castle restaurant in the Bronx shortly before 5 a.m. when he was assaulted by a half-dozen men, Bloomberg said. It wasn't immediately clear what sparked the fight, but it was captured on the restaurant's security camera.

A White Castle employee called 911, and Hernandez—with his gun drawn—ran into the parking lot after his assailants, Bloomberg said.

He apparently subdued one of the suspects, and when a patrol car arrived, was pointing his gun at a man on the ground.

One of the two officers, apparently believing Hernandez was about to shoot,in the car opened fire, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.

Hernandez, who joined the force in 2004, never fired his weapon, authorities said. He was shot in each leg and the abdomen and lost a lot of blood, Bloomberg said.

Kelly said officials were questioning eight individuals about the shooting, including the six who fought with Hernandez inside the White Castle.

It was believed to be the NYPD's first friendly fire shooting since Desmond Robinson, who wasn't in uniform, was shot in the back by an off-duty officer in 1994. Robinson had his gun drawn on a subway platform, and the officer mistook him for a criminal.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10750040/

[TruckDriver]

The officer who pulled the trigger, identified only as a 20-year veteran of the force, was being treated for trauma at another hospital.

I think that says it all. That sucks.

[Charger_Fan]

At least he's not dead.
Hernandez owes that officer a  after he heals up.

[golden73]

I wonder if the guy that shot him will always be remembered as "the cop who shot another cop"

[Silver R/T]

he should resign and work as a janitor somewhere what an idiot

[golden73]

he should resign and work as a janitor somewhere what an idiot

Accidents happen dude...

[Charger_Fan]

he should resign and work as a janitor somewhere what an idiot

Accidents happen dude...

                            
Yep, that's true...look at Silver.

[Johnny SixPack]

he should resign and work as a janitor somewhere what an idiot

[TheGhost]

he should resign and work as a janitor somewhere what an idiot

Going by that logic, you should take your computer to the nearest bridge, and throw it into the river below.

[Drache]

he should resign and work as a janitor somewhere what an idiot

Accidents happen dude...

                            
Yep, that's true...look at Silver.

LMAO! A mistake AND an accident! Exactlly what this thread it about!

[Telvis]

Unfortunately mistakes happen. When you have a department as big as New York or Los Angeles theres no way to know who all the good guys are. I can see where it would be easy to make a mistake. It's no excuse but I can see where it could happen. Anytime you have guns involved the chance of mistakes are always there. We had an officer accidentally shoot and kill a guy he was holding at gunpoint about ten years ago.The guy was a murderer(not convicted) He was de-cocking his gun with his thumb instead of the lever on his S&W semi auto. We had riots for two days http://matei.org/research/publications/gbintro.htm. It's amazing how great a guy becomes when the Police accidentally kill him. That dude had more friends dead than he did alive. The Officer that shot him was a Sgt with over 20 years on. Subsequently we went to the Glock (no decock lever...idiot proof). We had an officer killed by friendly fire while assisting the State police. He was searching a corn field with his blood hounds in an adjacent county. I think the suspect was wanted on Murder. I'm not sure. A shot was fired then everyone opened fire on the cornfield. Unfortunately the State Troopers forgot our Officer was in there. They shot him in the head and he died instantly(RIP Roy Mardis...http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=8545 ). The  bad guy didn't get touched. Now our department only has German Shepherds. They don't track worth crap but you can turn them loose without worrying about them licking a suspect to death. The point is accidents happen. Our Police department has about 500 officers. I could imagine what happens when the department is the size of a small city. I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often.

[BigBlockSam]

mistakes happen. here's a funny story i was told. i have several nypd friends and a couple of transit police friends. they always tell me that they have fellow officers that they would trust with there lives but there are others that are useless. when you have a police force the size of the nypd, they can't all be winners. he told me he had a partner yrs back . they were going up to a projects apartment were shots were fired. the guy came out the door shooting. the other cops returned fire. his partner  dropped his gun and ran. d'oh!  he refused to have him for a partner again and he was put at a desk job.  Rene

[Drache]

They only thing I can say after the fact was the police should have called out for the "guy with the gun" to surrender before just trying to blow him away.

Being a police officer is a very stressful job....

[miller]

They only thing I can say after the fact was the police should have called out for the "guy with the gun" to surrender before just trying to blow him away.

Being a police officer is a very stressful job....

you are right on that one, but think about it, if he took the time to say "PUT DOWN THE GUN" and it was really a criminal at by that point he blew someones brains out... everyone would gang up on the cop for not saving the guys life when he had the chance, it would be a lose lose situation for the cop either way.

[5.9_Liter_Grand_Cherokee]

Did the off duty officer identify himself?  Did the officer who shot him tell him to drop the weapon?  With out knowing the answer to that, we cannot pass judgement.  It is a tragedy.  Hold it shot in the legs and abdomen?  My first instinct when dealing with an armed subject would be to shoot him in the shoulder.  You shoot them in the legs when they are running from you.  Or have they changed the rules since '85. 

[Rocky]

Did the off duty officer identify himself?  Did the officer who shot him tell him to drop the weapon?  With out knowing the answer to that, we cannot pass judgement.  It is a tragedy.  Hold it shot in the legs and abdomen?  My first instinct when dealing with an armed subject would be to shoot him in the shoulder.  You shoot them in the legs when they are running from you.  Or have they changed the rules since '85. 

I guess you think you're a crack-shot, and anyone in law enforcement should be too.

Always aim center mass.

You don't shoot unless you intend to kill.

[Telvis]

Always center mass.

[Drache]

But it sid the cop was kneeling by the "bad guy" when he was shot so really his center mass was everywhere. He was fortunate to not catch one through the head.

It did say though that the cop say a man with a gun kneeling by someone, thought he was going to kill the man on the ground, and opened fire. So he didn't identify himself nor gave the man with the gun to do the same.

He made a decision that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

[472 R/T SE]

silver, your attitude towards the men in blue is quite disturbing...really.  I hope for your sake you're never in a position of need from one.

And quite frankly you're reminding me of some of the putzes that have come and gone, only you're still here like a bad cold.

[BigBlockSam]

i heard on the radio this morning that the off duty cop was drunk. dah!  if i'm in  white castle late night  i'm drunk.

[dkn1997]

silver, your attitude towards the men in blue is quite disturbing...really.  I hope for your sake you're never in a position of need from one.

And quite frankly you're reminding me of some of the putzes that have come and gone, only you're still here like a bad cold.

take the "towards the men in blue" part out and you pretty much sum up all of his posts, even the ones that are not about cops.

He is like a fungus, except he's not growing on anyone.

[Silver R/T]

silver, your attitude towards the men in blue is quite disturbing...really. I hope for your sake you're never in a position of need from one.

And quite frankly you're reminding me of some of the putzes that have come and gone, only you're still here like a bad cold.

oh, there were a few moments when my family needed cop's help. Guess what, they said tough luck. They didnt do shit for us, even though I pay taxes (basically they live off of my paychecks)
Way I see it if you cant help yourself nobody will

[Arthu®]

Oh what an ever so intelligent discussion this is turning out to be again. Damn Silver maybe you should have taken all the hints alot sooner, I don't irritate myself easily. As I usually try to think that not everybody can be as good as me . But you are very close, the things you say tend to raise the feeling that you have put absolutely no thought at all into your post. I mean there are a couple of people here that make remarks on a certain subject and than I think they are completely wrong in what they are saying. But I can respect their opinion. As there was certain thought behind the whole remark. Ok I will stop here as it seems there is no one on this entire forum that can knock some sense in you, why should I succeed?

Back to subject, I agree accidents how tragic they can be happen. I feel very bad for the cop that got shot and his family. They will be having a terrible time and I hope he completely recovers. The cop that shot him will have a terrible time too, I can see how he could be so traumented that he can't do his job for the full 100% ever again. I would probably suffer a nervous breakdown if something like that would happen. Probably the worse thing that can happen to a cop.

Arthur

[TheGhost]

silver, your attitude towards the men in blue is quite disturbing...really. I hope for your sake you're never in a position of need from one.

And quite frankly you're reminding me of some of the putzes that have come and gone, only you're still here like a bad cold.

oh, there were a few moments when my family needed cop's help. Guess what, they said tough luck. They didnt do shit for us, even though I pay taxes (basically they live off of my paychecks)
Way I see it if you cant help yourself nobody will

[472 R/T SE]

silver, your attitude towards the men in blue is quite disturbing...really. I hope for your sake you're never in a position of need from one.

And quite frankly you're reminding me of some of the putzes that have come and gone, only you're still here like a bad cold.

oh, there were a few moments when my family needed cop's help. Guess what, they said tough luck. They didnt do shit for us, even though I pay taxes (basically they live off of my paychecks)
Way I see it if you cant help yourself nobody will

OH I'm sure there's more to that story than you're leading us to believe.

Way I see it if you cant help yourself nobody will 

Good God Silver when did you figure that out, obviously not soon enuf.          HTF do you think I do it!  Nobody but me with my wife helping. 
You get out of life what you put into it man.  How can you expect ANYONE to do it for you!  Step up to the plate, there's got to be some good in you.

[CaptMarvel]

Dont get me wrong, I feel really bad for the cop who was shot & also for the other one who made this terrible mistake but people seem to forget that we humans are fallable. It sets me off every time some big mistake or even a disaster happens around the world all the news folks cry "why wasnt this preventable?" and then proceed to trash someone who may or may not be at fault. Case in point: the 2 space shuttle accidents, guess what folks, space travel will ALWAYS be problematic, no matter how many precautions we take, natural disasters will always destroy coastal towns, or trailer parks, we can do very little about it. We are so full of ourselves that we actually think we can prevent every mishap that is possible? People arent realistic anymore. When you do dangerous things or live in dangerous conditions, stuff happens. I do think we should always do all we (realistically) can to avoid accidents, but when things go wrong (and they always will) lets not jump on the "why did this happen" bandwagon...It happened because there is good & bad, pain & happiness, fullfillment & hunger on our individual turns on this crazy rotating rock. We are supposed to learn the differences & not pretend we are perfect and can prevent the unpreventable...

[Wakko]

Telvis, good posts. 

And as previously stated, you don't give notice to drop the gun...you fire.  If I'm holding my gun at your face with the finger on the trigger and you're holding your gun pointing at the ground, and you bring your gun up to fire at me there's a damned good chance I'm going to get shot.  Reaction is simply too slow to be giving people warnings. 

And yes, that man WILL feel bad for the rest of his life, but it's still a justified shoot.

[Drache]

Telvis, good posts. 

And as previously stated, you don't give notice to drop the gun...you fire.  If I'm holding my gun at your face with the finger on the trigger and you're holding your gun pointing at the ground, and you bring your gun up to fire at me there's a damned good chance I'm going to get shot.  Reaction is simply too slow to be giving people warnings. 

And yes, that man WILL feel bad for the rest of his life, but it's still a justified shoot.

Yes that is true Wakko but the cop shot was kneeling on the ground with his side to the police officer. The off duty cop never pointed his gun at the direction of the police officer who shot him, the police officer just assumed that he was about to shoot the guy on the ground and opened fire.

[ChargerHound69]

Hello.
Pointing his gun at the guy on the ground.  I would have assumed the samething. 
We were not there, this is all pointless when it comes to trying to justify his shoot.  We don't know what that officer saw, felt, heard.  You can not go off of the news report, thier info is second and third hand.

Silver get a job and get off this site.