| Verbalization Aids in Officer's Exoneration |
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| Written by Daniel White | |
| Thursday, 22 September 2005 | |
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Most firearms instructors will tell you that verbalization during a lethal force confrontation not only can halt the attack, but also aids with potential legal issues in the aftermath of a shooting. That advice helped an Abington, Massachussetts police officer after being involved in a confrontation with a knife-wielding attacker. It was the yelling that Bill Read heard first. Then he heard the gunshot. (Click 'READ MORE' to continue...) Reports indicate that Daniel McCarthy, an escapee from Taunton State Psychiatric Hospital, approached officers with a knife after the vehicle he was riding in was stopped for erratic driving. Officers on the scene backed away after the initial confrontation, hoping to de-escalate the situation. McCarthy ran behind a house, then back into the front yard. He then charged the officers, who tried to use pepper spray to halt the attack. After failing to halt the attack with the pepper spray or with verbal commands to drop his weapon, one officer was forced to fire one shot, hitting the assailant in the chest. McCarthy was rushed to a local hospital where he was last listed in stable condition. After reviewing the evidence and witness testimony, the shooting was ruled justified self-defense by the District Attorney. One witness reported he heard the officers yelling at the man. "They were yelling, 'Put it down. Put it down. Put it down,'" Read said. "They were very authoritative." Another neighbor also said he heard loud yelling followed by a bang. McCarthy was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and three counts of attempt to murder the Abington police officers. |