10/7/2012: The explanation for Friday night’s shooting at the University of South Alabama is still unknown, but it seems likely the student would still be alive if not for the fact that the campus officer was armed. And we’ve posted before about an earlier campus shooting at the University of Central Florida. A campus officer, in plainclothes, fired a warning shot after being harassed by students during an attempt to curb drinking at a football game. He was then shot and killed by a city policeman who didn’t know he was police. Incredibly, the UCF police chief who set up this botched operation was then hired by Jamie Moffitt’s predecessor Frances Dyke as UO’s interim DPS Director. I’d thought he was the first of four DPS directors in a row to leave UO without explanation, but it turns out the history goes much farther back – see this Oregon Commentator issue from 2000. But I’m sure our administration has all the kinks worked out now.
“It seems likely that the student may still be alive.” Maybe so, but would the officer if he didn’t have the gun? Sounds like the student was messed up on drugs, maybe PCP, which is a dangerous drug, and people can and will do crazy things while high.
A properly trained and equipped officer, safely ensconsed inside of a police police station, does not need a sidearm to respond to a naked man knocking on the window.
Really? The report said banging on the window which I don’t consider knocking, and acting irrationally. Besides, how do you know the officer wasn’t just taking a break? Most cops don’t take their belt off to be able to sit down because they have to respond to calls at any time. Best to wait until the report and video are available. Besides, I don’t care how small he was, a trained wrestler his size could easily overpower and seriously hurt a much larger man easily.
A dead student, and a police officer sworn to “protect and serve” who will have to live with the consequences of a 1:30 AM split second decision for the rest of his life. Any larger lessons for the debate on arming campus police will have to wait for the investigation, apparently there is security camera video.
Debate? There will be no debate. The UO administration has already decided to arm its new police force. Count yourself lucky if they bother to notify the Senate before the first shots are fired.
The UO administration has already lied about the departure of the last Director, in as much as they told the employees and the public that he requested to leave and relocate to be near family. What they do not reveal is the amount of financial damage they allowed during his tenure. In a state that asks for more tax dollars and higher tuitions DPS purchased over twenty new vehicles, jail transport vans, ATV’s and a safe full of firearms.
What makes anyone think UO will be truthful about DPS. They have already been allowed to rename themselves in order to soften the blow.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57528957-504083/university-of-south-alabama-freshman-gil-collar-took-lsd-before-fatal-campus-shooting-police-say/