NationStates Jolt Archive

Man dies after cop hits him with Taser 9 times

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/07/22/taser.death/index.html

Ex-cop may be charged in case of man Tasered to death

WINNFIELD, Louisiana (CNN) -- A police officer shocked a handcuffed Baron "Scooter" Pikes nine times with a Taser after arresting him on a cocaine charge.

He stopped twitching after seven, according to a coroner's report. Soon afterward, Pikes was dead.

Now the officer, since fired, could end up facing criminal charges in Pikes' January death after medical examiners ruled it a homicide.

Dr. Randolph Williams, the Winn Parish coroner, told CNN the 21-year-old sawmill worker was jolted so many times by the 50,000-volt Taser that he might have been dead before the last two shocks were delivered.
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Winn Parish District Attorney Christopher Nevils said he will decide on any charges against the ex-officer, Scott Nugent, once a Louisiana State Police report on the case is complete.
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[Winnfield police Lt. Chuck] Curry said Pikes told officers he suffered from asthma and had been using PCP and crack cocaine. But Williams said he found no sign of drug use in the autopsy, and no record of asthma in Pikes' medical history.

In the year since Winnfield police received Tasers, officers have used them 14 times, according to police records -- with 12 of the instances involving black suspects. Ten of the 14 incidents involved Nugent, who has no public disciplinary record.
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Curry said Taser International, the device's manufacturer, indicates that "multiple Tasings do not affect a person." But he said he could not explain why Pikes was shocked so many times, and said whether Nugent followed proper procedure was "yet to be determined."
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And Carpenter's predecessor, Gleason Nugent -- the father of Pikes' arresting officer -- committed suicide in 2005, after allegations of fraud and vote buying in the race for police chief, an elected position in Winnfield.

Now Nevils is awaiting the state police report on Pikes' death, which will be presented to a grand jury for possible charges against Nugent -- a possibility Curry said would be a blow to the department. "It's one of these no-win situations," he said. "No matter the outcome, nobody's going to win in this case."




So, has someone said that tasers don't kill people but people kill people? Should the police force such as Winnfield police department be entrusted with as dangerous weapons as tasers in the first place? :p

Also, is it just me who finds the issue more than wee bit comical and the Lt Curry's archetypal denial speech worth a good chuckle? :D

Why did he TASER him SEVEN times?

So, has someone said that tasers don't kill people but people kill people? Should the police force such as Winnfield police department be entrusted with as dangerous weapons as tasers in the first place? :p

Also, is it just me who finds the issue more than wee bit comical and the Lt Curry's archetypal denial speech worth a good chuckle? :D

Just goes to show, anyone who claims a weapon is "non-lethal" is simply not trying hard enough.

On a more serious note, I think it is important to make sure when training cops with tasers and other less-than lethal weaponry that they still can be lethal under certain circumstances. And to actually ensure that they're using them responsibly.

If you hit a guy with a taser 6 times and he's still resisting, it might be a good idea to switch to a nightstick or some other weapon instead of tasering him again.

Alternatively, continue to resist arrest after being tasered 6 times, and you should know the cops are going to be pissed at you and are going to keep pulling the trigger. Since this guy had no sign of drug use in his autopsy, I'm going to have to say: He was a complete idiot.

The stories of the police officer and the witnesses are so conflicted. I think I need to see what happens in court first. However, I would like to point out that the reason there's a homicide charge at all is because the police officer's version doesn't jibe with the facts of the case.

As someone said, there's no such thing as a non-lethal weapon. They are less-lethal weapons. Properly abused, anything can be dangerous; even pie. *nod*

The stories of the police officer and the witnesses are so conflicted. I think I need to see what happens in court first. However, I would like to point out that the reason there's a homicide charge at all is because the police officer's version doesn't jibe with the facts of the case.

As someone said, there's no such thing as a non-lethal weapon. They are less-lethal weapons. Properly abused, anything can be dangerous; even pie. *nod*

ANYTHING can be lethal. ANYTHING.:wink::tongue:

Why did he TASER him SEVEN times?

he was asking for it - just look at the way he was dressed

As someone said, there's no such thing as a non-lethal weapon. They are less-lethal weapons. Properly abused, anything can be dangerous; even pie. *nod*

Indeed. You know those stories about people dying in a barrel of wine? Pies do just as well. *nods*

That being said, tasing a non-responsive suspect who is already in cuffs (by the coroners report) is just plain sadistic. Wouldn't have been any different if the suspect had been knocked out and the officer decided to play a rumba beat on his skull with a hammer.

Obviously it's a gross hate crime. There's no reason to taser a man because he's in handcuffs and isn't getting up fast enough.

"But Williams said Pikes was already handcuffed and on the ground when first hit with the Taser, after the 247-pound suspect was slow to follow police orders to get up."

Just another sign that police aren't really there to help you.

Just another sign that police aren't really there to help you.

On the contrary -- the police are there to help you. However, they are not quite so accommodating to the dregs of society, abhorrent criminals who will not submit to authority even when handcuffed. Such people are incorrigible in their ways and should be dealt with by whatever means necessary to ensure their compliance. It is unthinkable that someone might be so devious and evil as to resist the police even after being apprehended. If such a person cannot be instilled with respect for the law even after being repeatedly shocked with a Taser, then they pose a grievous threat to society and should be expunged from it.

On the contrary -- the police are there to help you. However, they are not quite so accommodating to the dregs of society, abhorrent criminals who will not submit to authority even when handcuffed. Such people are incorrigible in their ways and should be dealt with by whatever means necessary to ensure their compliance. It is unthinkable that someone might be so devious and evil as to resist the police even after being apprehended. If such a person cannot be instilled with respect for the law even after being repeatedly shocked with a Taser, then they pose a grievous threat to society and should be expunged from it.

I like you. You're funny. Or horrifying, not sure which.

I like you. You're funny. Or horrifying, not sure which.

You know, throw "bourgeoisie" in a few times, with maybe a sprinkling of "class traitors" and he'd be a shoe in for Andaras.

Looks like the Winfield P.D. had a rogue officer who has now been expunged from the department and possibly faces charges. To indict the entire department and/or all police everywhere based on the actions of a single out of control person is a bit over the top.

He stopped twitching after seven, according to a coroner's report.

Wait, the CORONER knows when he stopped twitching? Was the coroner there WATCHING?

Just goes to show, anyone who claims a weapon is "non-lethal" is simply not trying hard enough.
Heh, very much true...

At the very minimum if you pile enough of them in one place you crush the target with their weight :p

Wait, the CORONER knows when he stopped twitching? Was the coroner there WATCHING?
Yeah, that piqued my interest too...How did he make the call that 7 was enough?

Though, based on DaVinci's Inquest one could hazard a guess there are witness reports, et al in the coroner's report.

Looks like the Winfield P.D. had a rogue officer who has now been expunged from the department and possibly faces charges. To indict the entire department and/or all police everywhere based on the actions of a single out of control person is a bit over the top.

you know, there sure do seem to be an awful lot of bad apples in the police. perhaps there is something wrong with the barrel?

you know, there sure do seem to be an awful lot of bad apples in the police. perhaps there is something wrong with the barrel?
You are looking at it wrong, there are hundreds, possibly thousands, of barrels, not a single one. some have no bad apples at all. Some are completely full of them and some just have 1 or 2.

To compare a small town P.D. of 6-7 officers to a department like L.A. or N.Y. or S.F. or Dallas, it like comparing apples to oranges.

You are looking at it wrong, there are hundreds, possibly thousands, of barrels, not a single one. some have no bad apples at all. Some are completely full of them and some just have 1 or 2.

To compare a small town P.D. of 6-7 officers to a department like L.A. or N.Y. or S.F. or Dallas, it like comparing apples to oranges.

Well, there's the problem: storing oranges in apple barrels.

On the contrary -- the police are there to help you. However, they are not quite so accommodating to the dregs of society, abhorrent criminals who will not submit to authority even when handcuffed. Such people are incorrigible in their ways and should be dealt with by whatever means necessary to ensure their compliance. It is unthinkable that someone might be so devious and evil as to resist the police even after being apprehended. If such a person cannot be instilled with respect for the law even after being repeatedly shocked with a Taser, then they pose a grievous threat to society and should be expunged from it.

Oh, hi MeansToAnEnd.

Why did he TASER him SEVEN times?

overzelousness.
In the year since Winnfield police received Tasers, officers have used them 14 times, according to police records -- with 12 of the instances involving black suspects. Ten of the 14 incidents involved Nugent, who has no public disciplinary record.

perhaps Nugent thought tasers were 'safe' to be used with such fequency... kinda like a rubber truncheon. who knows.


Williams, who ruled Pikes' death a homicide in June after extensive study, said Nugent fired his Taser at Pikes six times in less than three minutes -- shots recorded by a computer chip in the weapon's handle. Then officers put Pikes in the back of a cruiser and drove him to their police station -- where Nugent fired a seventh shot, directly against Pikes' chest.
not gonna call it a hate crime, but there was no reason given as to why a seventh shot was fired while Pikes was in the cruser.

and the earlier 6 shots in the three minutes was excessive (to put it mildly.)

Oh and Redwulf? to answer your question about how the coroner knew Pikes stop twitching after seven shocks...
"After he was given that drive stun to the chest, he was pulled out of the car onto the concrete, " Williams told CNN. "He was electroshocked two more times, which two officers noted that he had no neuromuscular response to those last two 50,000-volt electroshocks."

also, one can assume that there would be post mortim evidence of shocks being administered after death.

as for why it took so long?
Williams said he had two nationally known forensic pathologists, including former New York city medical examiner Michael Baden, review the case before issuing his conclusions. He said it's possible Nugent was shocking a dead man the last two times he pulled the trigger.

at least they didn't just 'close the book' on this one.

oh and G3N13,
no. the last line you bolded is actually sad. especially since you cut out the preceding paragraphs that help but the line in perspective.

Winnfield has seen a spate of high-profile corruption cases in recent years. One of Nevils' predecessors as district attorney, Terry Reeves, killed himself amid allegations of embezzlement and extortion. The town's current police chief, Johnny Ray Carpenter, is a convicted drug offender who received a pardon from former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards who himself is now serving a federal prison term for racketeering.

And Carpenter's predecessor, Gleason Nugent -- the father of Pikes' arresting officer -- committed suicide in 2005, after allegations of fraud and vote buying in the race for police chief, an elected position in Winnfield.

Now Nevils is awaiting the state police report on Pikes' death, which will be presented to a grand jury for possible charges against Nugent -- a possibility Curry said would be a blow to the department.

"It's one of these no-win situations," he said. "No matter the outcome, nobody's going to win in this case."

with such a clean up in progress... it's gonna take a long time for those people to trust any form of authority. and that will be hard on the honest cops working in Winnfield.

More than anything, this dude seems to be one heck of a rotten cop.

and that will be hard on the honest cops working in Winnfield.
If there are any.

Curry said Pikes told officers he suffered from asthma and had been using PCP and crack cocaine. But Williams said he found no sign of drug use in the autopsy, and no record of asthma in Pikes' medical history.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/07/22/taser.death/index.html

I mean obviously, after a violent struggle and 5-6 50,000 blasts, its the first thing you'd come out with to the two cops involved......Maybe the electricity vapourised the coke and PCP traces in him......

If there are any.
of course there are. Look for the cops that are just this side of poverty. they're the honest ones.

of course there are. Look for the cops that are just this side of poverty. they're the honest ones.

Yeah, in poverty because they are honest. I know a few ex-officers personally, all say that the police force is one big business and very corrupt as well. That's both in a city police force and the state police force. Both departments run on the commission system too, which I think is sickening. They get a bonus from the taxpayers for writing the taxpayers more tickets...:confused:

Anyway, I'll stop ranting about cops.

You are looking at it wrong, there are hundreds, possibly thousands, of barrels, not a single one.

i'm not talking about individual police forces, i'm talking about the cops as an institution.

On the contrary -- the police are there to help you. However, they are not quite so accommodating to the dregs of society, abhorrent criminals who will not submit to authority even when handcuffed. Such people are incorrigible in their ways and should be dealt with by whatever means necessary to ensure their compliance. It is unthinkable that someone might be so devious and evil as to resist the police even after being apprehended. If such a person cannot be instilled with respect for the law even after being repeatedly shocked with a Taser, then they pose a grievous threat to society and should be expunged from it.

but but but that IS me :(

If you hit a guy with a taser 6 times and he's still resisting, it might be a good idea to switch to a nightstick or some other weapon instead of tasering him again.

Alternatively, continue to resist arrest after being tasered 6 times, and you should know the cops are going to be pissed at you and are going to keep pulling the trigger. Since this guy had no sign of drug use in his autopsy, I'm going to have to say: He was a complete idiot.
If it took seven zaps to kill him I can't see him being in much of a state to resist after six. Though that could be due to some gap in my admittedly limited knowledge of how tasers affect the human body.

Wait, the CORONER knows when he stopped twitching? Was the coroner there WATCHING?

Yeah, what was that all about?

Why did he TASER him SEVEN times?

GET DOWN! GET DOWN! THIS IS THE POLICE!

bzzzzzzzt

HOLD STILL! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!

bzzzzzzzt

STOP TWITCHING AND HOLD STILL!!!

bzzzzzzzt

HOLD STILL, DAMMIT! YOU'RE PISSING ME OFF HERE!

bzzzzzzzt

DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? HOLD STILL!

bzzzzzzzt

OK, THAT'S IT, PUNK!

bzzzzzzzt-bzzzzzzzt

That's better! But just to show you who's boss here, bzzzzzzztbzzzzzzzt

^ at least, that's my guess as to what happened. I've seen video of tazerings, and the victim twitches like crazy. An idiot copper could assume the involuntary spasms constitute attempted resistance.

of course there are. Look for the cops that are just this side of poverty. they're the honest ones.
IN THAT TOWN? That was the question. It is not yet apparent that there are any honest police there.

GET DOWN! GET DOWN! THIS IS THE POLICE!

bzzzzzzzt

HOLD STILL! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!

bzzzzzzzt

STOP TWITCHING AND HOLD STILL!!!

bzzzzzzzt

HOLD STILL, DAMMIT! YOU'RE PISSING ME OFF HERE!

bzzzzzzzt

DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? HOLD STILL!

bzzzzzzzt

OK, THAT'S IT, PUNK!

bzzzzzzzt-bzzzzzzzt

That's better! But just to show you who's boss here, bzzzzzzztbzzzzzzzt

^ at least, that's my guess as to what happened. I've seen video of tazerings, and the victim twitches like crazy. An idiot copper could assume the involuntary spasms constitute attempted resistance.

Or pretend he thought that.

IN THAT TOWN? That was the question. It is not yet apparent that there are any honest police there.

well, you got two who said that Pikes did not have any Neuo musculature reaction to taser #6 and 7. :p

Obviously it's a gross hate crime. There's no reason to taser a man because he's in handcuffs and isn't getting up fast enough.

"But Williams said Pikes was already handcuffed and on the ground when first hit with the Taser, after the 247-pound suspect was slow to follow police orders to get up."

Just another sign that police aren't really there to help you.
No, it's a sign that we need to seriously redo the standards for allowing new police officers in.

Police officers are constantly put in positions of power over a lot of people, and quite a number of people try to become police officers for the sake of using that power for their own interests. We need to ferret out those who do that better, because there are plenty of good cops. Just ask Lunatic Goofballs, for instance.

Obviously it's a gross hate crime. There's no reason to taser a man because he's in handcuffs and isn't getting up fast enough.

"But Williams said Pikes was already handcuffed and on the ground when first hit with the Taser, after the 247-pound suspect was slow to follow police orders to get up."

Just another sign that police aren't really there to help you.


You are painting a broad brush with statements like that. This is a single officer not every police officer, and yes many police officers are there to help.

It is like saying teachers aren't really there to teach you, or white children all like to smoke marijuana and imitate rap stars.

In any case, this was a bad cop, but since we don't hear about the thousands of good police officers that don't pull this crap, we just hear about the bad police officers...thus people like One Eyed Weasel assume all police are like this.

Only other thing I want to point out is that the city he was working in was predominately black...so wouldn't the number of taserings reflect that? I do think that it was rather suspicious most taserings were done by one cop....but it goes to show you that the number of taserings done by other officers were low and the other officers were not going crazy like this guy was.

Finally, once or twice I can understand...+7 times? WTH? of course he was out of line. Hell I was tasered as a joke by a security guard friend and I wasn't in any condition to move, let alone resist cops after getting hit once by that taser.

You are painting a broad brush with statements like that. This is a single officer not every police officer, and yes many police officers are there to help.


Yes, I'm painting with a broad brush. BUT every experience I've had with an officer was bad. I SEVERELY needed help but the officer told me to call 911 and not be involved in a certain situation while he is sitting right there in his cruiser. Shortly thereafter he proceeds to drive off after telling me to go home. You can take that as you may. Things like this have not only happened to me either.

I'll stand behind my opinion that police are basically there to farm more money out of the tax payers.


In any case, this was a bad cop, but since we don't hear about the thousands of good police officers that don't pull this crap, we just hear about the bad police officers...thus people like One Eyed Weasel assume all police are like this.

No, I don't assume. I know from experience. I'm sorry that you assume that I assume.

And plus, read my second post in this thread.

Yes, I'm painting with a broad brush. BUT every experience I've had with an officer was bad. I SEVERELY needed help but the officer told me to call 911 and not be involved in a certain situation while he is sitting right there in his cruiser. Shortly thereafter he proceeds to drive off after telling me to go home. You can take that as you may. Things like this have not only happened to me either. well, all my experiences with cops (yes, even when I was getting a ticket) were good ones. even when I misplaced my registration for my car, they were understanding and didn't hassle me.

can I ask for details of your experience with the officer who told you to call 911?

I'll stand behind my opinion that police are basically there to farm more money out of the tax payers. and that seems like an honest opinion (since some cities still have ticket quotas) but look at who get's the tickets...

No, I don't assume. I know from experience. I'm sorry that you assume that I assume. you know from your experience. and did you experience this attitude from EVERY SINGLE cop in your city?

oh and btw... did you notice your contridiction on your second post?

No, I don't assume. I know from experience.

No you don't. You do not know every police officer. I seriously doubt you even know a statistically significant number of police officers.

can I ask for details of your experience with the officer who told you to call 911?


House was shot at, and hit. I gave chase in my car and what do you know? There was a cop, so I locked up my brakes and started beeping. He did a 180* and pulled me over. I got out of the car saying officer my house was just shot. When I told him what happened, he didn't seem to care and proceeded to run my license, etc. Told me to go home and call 911. I guess he figured I was lying?

There's a hell of a lot more to that story obviously, and no, I never got to find out who did it through the cops. I found out through other means, but I couldn't do anything because there was no real proof.

Yes, I went up and down the ladder about the cop, I never got his badge number though. I'm pretty sure people were covering for his ass too. It's a small town as they say.

you know from your experience. and did you experience this attitude from EVERY SINGLE cop in your city?

No, but I'm very fucking biased and I have no shame admitting it. I live in a rural area that's covered by the state troopers by the way.

oh and btw... did you notice your contridiction on your second post?

No, fill me in please?

But yes I will be a bigger man and admit that I cannot say that about all officers. From what I've experienced though, I think I'd be much better off without them. This is a forum for opinions, no?

I think there may be more to this story than he simply tasered him 9 times for shits & giggles. If the guy was high on cocaine he may have indeed been resisting the whole time. I've watched on COPS people go down after one shot but sometimes still fight. Nine times, well I can't personally speak for the effects of cocaine but I can see it as feasible that the "superman" effect took over and he fought the cop more. There's always more to any story of a death involving a policeman than the media say because it's all about public reaction. I am still a fan of tasers though. They aren't totally non-lethal as was stressed earlier. Someone with a heart condition can instantly be killed by one even after one shot. The probability of surviving relatively unharmed after a taser shot is astronomically higher than after being shot with a standard issue pistol. Again though, if the guy was still fighting after six taser shots, it's nightstick time!

oh and G3N13,
no. the last line you bolded is actually sad. especially since you cut out the preceding paragraphs that help but the line in perspective.
I think those just add to the comedy.

The contrast between Lt. Curry's apparent - printed - concerns, response and, well, reality is just so damn funny.

The situation in Winfield law enforcement seems to be just too WTF to be percieved as sad in general. Sure the human fates of most - if not all - participants are not, and will not be, rosy but overall the situation is simply too damn hilarious from my point of view.

I think there may be more to this story than he simply tasered him 9 times for shits & giggles. If the guy was high on cocaine he may have indeed been resisting the whole time. I've watched on COPS people go down after one shot but sometimes still fight. Nine times, well I can't personally speak for the effects of cocaine but I can see it as feasible that the "superman" effect took over and he fought the cop more. There's always more to any story of a death involving a policeman than the media say because it's all about public reaction. I am still a fan of tasers though. They aren't totally non-lethal as was stressed earlier. Someone with a heart condition can instantly be killed by one even after one shot. The probability of surviving relatively unharmed after a taser shot is astronomically higher than after being shot with a standard issue pistol. Again though, if the guy was still fighting after six taser shots, it's nightstick time!
A quote from the CNN article:
[Winnfield police Lt. Chuck] Curry said Pikes told officers he suffered from asthma and had been using PCP and crack cocaine. But [Dr. Randolph Williams, the Winn Parish coroner] said he found no sign of drug use in the autopsy, and no record of asthma in Pikes' medical history.

I think this finally shows that tasers are WAY overused. It satrted with the Indonesian fellow at the college a few years back...no actually that guy in Florida. After that, "Don't tase me bro!" And now this. HOw much longer till action is taken?

House was shot at, and hit. I gave chase in my car and what do you know? There was a cop, so I locked up my brakes and started beeping. He did a 180* and pulled me over. I got out of the car saying officer my house was just shot. When I told him what happened, he didn't seem to care and proceeded to run my license, etc. Told me to go home and call 911. I guess he figured I was lying?
think about it. you drive up to a cop, (fast since you said you were giving chase...) beeping your horn and you said your house was shot at. did you give a description of the car or shooters since you 'gave chase'?

if not, then there really ISN'T anything a patrol officer can do. did you report anyone hurt? was anyone hurt? (I hope not.)

Yes, I went up and down the ladder about the cop, I never got his badge number though. I'm pretty sure people were covering for his ass too. It's a small town as they say. yep. no badge number, did you at least get the car number? no?

No, fill me in please? you stated that you don't trust the cops yet you present as your proof testimony from cops (ex cops, but still cops).

But yes I will be a bigger man and admit that I cannot say that about all officers. From what I've experienced though, I think I'd be much better off without them. This is a forum for opinions, no? I said nothing about anyone not posting their opinion. but as you admitted, you didn't encounter every cop yet because of your small sampling, you are willing to lambast every officer in every town, state, and country as being crooks.

and trust me, you don't want to have a community without the police. This is my opinion.

Ex-cop may be charged in case of man Tasered to death

Hahahahaha… suspended with pay, maybe.

Edit: Oh, he's an ex-cop. Well, maybe he'll face retroactive suspension with pay, then.

House was shot at, and hit. I gave chase in my car and what do you know? There was a cop, so I locked up my brakes and started beeping. He did a 180* and pulled me over. I got out of the car saying officer my house was just shot. When I told him what happened, he didn't seem to care and proceeded to run my license, etc. Told me to go home and call 911. I guess he figured I was lying?

After that story, I'm surprised he didn't breathalyse you.

WINNFIELD, Louisiana (CNN) -- A police officer shocked a handcuffed Baron "Scooter" Pikes nine times with a Taser after arresting him on a cocaine charge.

He stopped twitching after seven, according to a coroner's report. Soon afterward, Pikes was dead.



I'd charge the cop with desecration of a corpse, too. :p
(also why the fuck did he have to shock a handcuffed guy into submission? some people just aren't able to do their job... charge him with criminal incompetence, too)

well, you got two who said that Pikes did not have any Neuo musculature reaction to taser #6 and 7. :p

The nerves were already fried (or, to say that better, totally polarized - the anions went one way and the cations the other -and thus unable to act as conductors anymore).

Why did he TASER him SEVEN times?

Because he was a ninja and it was the only way to stop him.

what civilian in their right mind, after their house had just been shot at, would jump into their vehicle (unarmed I am thinking) and attempt to run down/chase the ARMED criminals that just shot at a person's home?

Now as a cop I would at least have another unit check it out if I wasn't going to, however I would have breathalyzed the guy. I'm surprised he didn't lock your ass up. What give you the right to endanger other people by racing after the criminals? Someone shot at your home so you have the right to race at high speed through the city/town after the criminals; pedestrians and other drivers be damned? Just because you became a victim doesn't give you the right to break the law in response. You call the police and let them handle it.

what civilian in their right mind, after their house had just been shot at, would jump into their vehicle (unarmed I am thinking) and attempt to run down/chase the ARMED criminals that just shot at a person's home?

Now as a cop I would at least have another unit check it out if I wasn't going to, however I would have breathalyzed the guy. I'm surprised he didn't lock your ass up. What give you the right to endanger other people by racing after the criminals? Someone shot at your home so you have the right to race at high speed through the city/town after the criminals; pedestrians and other drivers be damned? Just because you became a victim doesn't give you the right to break the law in response. You call the police and let them handle it.

If you read my full post, I live in a rural area.


And I would be the only chance for identifying the vehicle, eh?