http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060116/ap_on_re_us/school_evacuated

quote:

LONGWOOD, Fla. - Family and friends gathered at a private candlelight vigil Sunday to mourn a 15-year-old they knew as a troubled but friendly boy who was shot during a confrontation with police at his middle school.

Christopher Penley was pronounced dead early Sunday, according to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office Web site, two days after a deputy gunned him down as the boy brandished a pellet gun that closely resembled a 9mm handgun.

I would like to take a moment, and an increasingly unpopular stand for some reason, and say:

Thank you for the outstanding work and training that the SWAT team undergoes... thank you for responding exactly how your training required you to respond. I do not in the least feel sorry for this 15 year old or his family.

I hope that kids in school around the nation learn that if you want to be stupid and bring a gun to school you had better expect to be shot.

And none of this is sarcasm.

lol
you make me smile

i agree, but also if you bring one. make sure you take out the Infidel, j/k

i would have to agre with hydrok...you should be smart enought to know that more then likely you are going to get shot....but i do feel somewhat sorry for his parents..

I don't get it. The teacher shot the kid? If that's the case then i'm not ever going to piss off the math teacher again.

quote:

Originally posted by pigeonman:
I'm a kindergarten teacher in Thailand and over here its not uncommon for kids, even as young as 5, to carry guns. One time a 6 year old walked into a classroom next to mine with his father's gun - next thing I heard was 2 gunshots and the back of the kid's skull and brains on the floor in the hallway. The parents even supported Teacher Peter's decision and thanked him for it.

Oh my! That would have been a very scary situation. The poor man! What a situation to have been put into.

His brains? Wow, how technical... And Teacher Peter? So you must be some kind of Christian mercenary or something?

I'm a kindergarten teacher in Thailand and over here its not uncommon for kids, even as young as 5, to carry guns. One time a 6 year old walked into a classroom next to mine with his father's gun - next thing I heard was 2 gunshots and the back of the kid's skull and brains on the floor in the hallway. The parents even supported Teacher Peter's decision and thanked him for it.

another thing is you can buy pellet weapons that look just like a normal gun like I own (I don't have it yet) a airsoft rifle that is an exact replica of an M-16A2 Assualt rifle and I've seen hundreds of lookalike airrifles like ones that are Pistols from the Berreta 9mm to an AK-47 no paint required

I'm in Law Enforcement and we're trained that if we feel threatened by a suspect, especially if they're brandishing a weapon, to eliminate the threat. The boy spray painted his pellet gun to look like a police standard 9mm the news even compared the two and you can't tell the difference. The boy pointed the gun at the SWAT team officer and he had no choice but to eliminate the threat. A lot of people don't think about the feelings of the officer as well as the victim. That officer now has to live with the fact that he killed a child, the people he's been protecting for several years.

-----"""No one is perfect. I know that, and, hopefully, you know that. And I never said they were. That was why I said that"""---

You were implying it didn't really matter if the cops were in the wrong or not, what happened happened and the kid deserved it for bringing a fake gun to school. I disagreed with you and said it was fair to question who was responsible.


-----""""You obviously are determined that, unless perfection is achieved, they're not professionals.""""---

Don't quote your own comments from your last post and then respond to them.


-----"""And no, voicing your opinion isn't un-american."""---

You're right. But that's not what you seemed to think when you said: "if they had done it your way, you'd find some other reason to harp on the men and women defending our nation?" Ugh, please don't try mix this up with political lingo or try paint me as some type of whining liberal. I am a liberal, but I am not whining.


-----"""Just like a--never mind."""---

See what I mean. Don't be an idiot.


-----"""From your viewpoint you sound pretty demanding."""---

Haha. What am I demanding? Nothing, I just think it was probably a mistake, and that it's stupid to say "it doesn't matter, the police are always right".

Iceland.

"the military/cops are not infallible."

No one is perfect. I know that, and, hopefully, you know that. And I never said they were. That was why I said that

"You obviously are determined that, unless perfection is achieved, they're not professionals."

Baby, no one can be perfect. And when you have to make that crucial decision whether or not to pull the trigger, it's usually in a few seconds. No time for Committees!

And no, voicing your opinion isn't un-american. From your viewpoint you sound pretty demanding. Just like a--never mind.

Sincerely,
Celticlance
P.S.-None of the above is sarcasm

quote:

I am doubting the SWAT shooting of a cornered highschool student with a fake gun

those fake guns can look very real my airsoft M-16 looks exactly like a US Army M-16 right down to the Colt Trademarks and the "Property of United States Military" stampted on the side

-----"""Iceland,
SHUT UP!"""---

NO!!!


-----"""You obviously are determined that, unless perfection is achieved, they're not professionals. """---

No I'm not. I just think it's dumb the only way they could take out a 15 year old was by killing him. I'm pretty sure I could take out a 15 year old with a gun without killing him...and besides, they have bulletproof vests on!


-----"""you'd find some other reason to harp on the men and women defending our nation?"""---

Yes, that's it, I am doubting the SWAT shooting of a cornered highschool student with a fake gun, so I am being un-American.


-----"""well, darling, survival of the fittest."""---

Haha. The military/cops ARE NOT infallible! There are soldiers, cops, that make mistakes, take bribes, do stuff they aren't supposed to do, all the time. There are people who are wrongfully arrested, who are unnecessarily abused by police. I'm not saying it's a huge problem, but it happens, and when it does, saying "well, tough luck, the police are always right because they have guns!!!" is the stupidest stance you can take.

Iceland,
SHUT UP!

You obviously are determined that, unless perfection is achieved, they're not professionals. Why do I have the feeling that if they had done it your way, you'd find some other reason to harp on the men and women defending our nation? Yeah. Just stop typing and read every once in a while. okay?

My point is, these guys' job is to protect us, and if people are unfortunate enough to be, let's say, less than judicious about bringing a weapon-look-alike to school, well, darling, survival of the fittest.

Sincerely,
Celticlance

I agreed with you all the way up to the mistake part... there was no mistake, a SWAT team member reacted with efficiency, also the kid didn't die right away, he died in the hospital... he tried to disable him without killing him. if he wanted to kill him it would have been straight through the heart.

-----"""some study showed that disabling shots were dangerous for armed criminals even if an expert sniper puts a hot between an armed crimals headlights his body will spasm causing his fists to clench and causing him to pull the trigger this is called a "beyond the grave" and has resulted in several deaths"""---

Yeah, I know, but this was a 15 year old student with a handgun. Not a hardened criminal criminal with an ak-47. And I'm sure in any case, the disabling shot has worked waaaay more than it has failed.


-----"""He's talking about cop shows where they shoot hollywood style"""---
-----"""Some think well why didn't he shoot the boy in the arm or leg. Those people watch to much T.V."""---

Just a thought; it's not impossible for a group of professionally trained rifleman to shoot a cornered 15 year old without killing him. Drop the "welcome to the real world, biatch!" stuff already guys. It seems more like you have watched FML too many times.


-----"""Why not? I think he deserves a darwin award... or at least an honorable mention"""---

??? Not even close. That's just...lol. No, he does not deserve a Darwin award.


And also, it really doesn't matter how whiny or how much of an @$$hole the kid was. Jeesh, I'm not saying the kid was a saintly victimized angel, but DAMN, I really expect more from a professional SWAT team than that, I'm guessing they do too. There was more than enough advantage on the SWAT side to come out without killing him, and they should have been able to. But everyone makes mistakes.

just like columbine I've said it before and i'll say it again the kids were morons but the parents sure as hell could have turned it around if they spent some time with their kid

I agree with hydrok and all else who support the SWAT team here. He was 15, he painted his gun to replicate a real gun, so he had to expect to be treated like a real criminal. He was a whiny 15-year-old, another "angstmylifesucks" kid, who threatened to kill himself several times as they tried to get the weapon from him.

And of course, the saddened parents never saw this coming. Even though all the students saw him depressed and suicidal. But let's not blame the parents. Oh no, they've been through enough.

Hmm they should change that but he isn't elligable for a Darwin award, you get those for blatnt and life ending stupidty and I'm betting this Kid was commiting suicide by cop