Police kill man after knocking on wrong door

[Deleted]

So, what do you think, were the police right to shoot him?
Discuss

http://www.wesh.com/news/central-flo...z/-/index.html

"LAKE COUNTY, Fla. -

Lake County Sheriff's Office deputies shot and killed a man they assumed was an attempted murder suspect on Sunday, but they now know they shot the wrong man.

In the early-morning hours, deputies knocked on 26-year-old Andrew Lee Scott's door without identifying themselves as law enforcement officers. Scott answered the door with a gun in his hand.

"When we knocked on the door, the door opened and the occupant of that apartment was pointing a gun at deputies, and that's when we opened fire and killed him," Lt. John Herrell said. "Even though this subject is not the one we were looking for when he opened the door. He was pointing the gun at the deputy and if you put yourselves in the deputy's shoes. They were there to pick up someone who was wanted for an attempted homicide."

Officials said the deputies did not identify themselves because of safety reasons.

Deputies thought they were confronting Jonathan Brown, a man accused of attempted murder. Brown was spotted at the Blueberry Hills Apartment complex and his motorcycle was parked across from Andrew Scott's front door.

"It's just a bizarre set of circumstances. The bottom line is, you point a gun at a deputy sheriff or police office, you're going to get shot," Herrell said.

Residents said the unannounced knock at the door at 1:30 a.m. may be the reason why the tragedy happened.

"He was the wrong guy and he got shot and killed anyway. There's fault on both sides. I think more so on the county," Ryan Perry said. "I can understand why he [the deputy] did it, but it should have never gone down like that," Perry said.

Scott's friend, LeMac Blount said he thinks law enforcement acted too quickly.

"I think because his motorcycle was parked in front of Andrew's door, it wasn't safe to assume that that was where he was at. I think they should of took other precautions," said Blout."




Another article, supplied by Gemsi from page 50:
http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/07/18/48483.htm

"LEESBURG, Fla. - A Lake County Sheriff's deputy or deputies shot a man to death in his own doorway Sunday in an incident that shocked neighbors of the dead man, who was not the man police were looking for.

Twenty-six-year-old Andrew Lee Scott was shot to death after deputies knocked on his door at the Blueberry Hill apartment complex at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
The Sheriff's Office said Scott answered the door holding a gun. The Sheriff's Office said at first that the deputies had announced themselves as law enforcement before or while knocking, but retracted that statement and called it a "minor detail" that the deputies "didn't announce and identify themselves," according to WFTV.com, an ABC station.
Sheriff's deputies said they were looking for "an attempted murder suspect," who eventually was found in a building next door.

Jonathan Brown, 31, of Leesburg,

Deputies found a motorcycle belonging to Brown in front of apartment No. 114 and knocked on the door. A Lake County Sheriff's spokesman said Scott opened the door holding a gun, pointed it at deputies, and they shot him to death.

After the Sheriff's Office retracted its statement that the deputies had identified themselves, sheriff's spokesman Lt. John Herrell told several media outlets that the deputies did not do so because it gave them a tactical advantage.

Brown, a former Groveland Police Officer, was arrested several hours later at apartment No. 124 in the next building, according to local news reports.

"I heard four shots back to back and we saw them escorting Andrew's girlfriend. She was crying hysterically," he said.

Evidence markers seen by Courthouse News Service on Sunday suggest that more than four shots may have been fired.
Blount said there did not seem to be any urgency to get Scott medical help. "We kept waiting for them to bring him out, but they never did," he said. Blount said the tragedy could have been avoided if deputies had contacted the apartment manager. "The deputies ride through here all the time. They know (the manager), they should have called her," he said."





And another post, different side of story, supplied by LocNess:
http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florid...in-central-Fla
"LEESBURG, Fla. (AP) - An armed man fatally shot by Lake County deputies wasn't the suspect they were looking for.

Early Monday Leesburg police asked Lake County deputies to help them search for a suspect in the beating of another man.

The Orlando Sentinel (http://bit.ly/Ls0iKY ) reports deputies say they spotted a man riding a motorcycle. They later saw the motorcycle parked outside an apartment complex and deputies knocked on a door. The man who answered the door was armed. Deputies shot him.

Sheriff's spokesman John Herrell says deputies did not announce who they were when they knocked.

Twenty-six-year-old Andrew Lee Scott was pronounced dead. Drugs and drug paraphernalia were found in the apartment.

Suspect 31-year-old Jonathan Brown was found in a nearby building and arrested. Deputies arrested 25-year-old Anthony Rodriguez was also arrested."

[fizzbob]

this happens 7 times a year in the USA according to stats from 2009

it's not uncommon when you consider that 4 people per year have died from snakebite in the US since 2000. people worry about snakes and you're nearly 2x as likely to be killed by authorities busting into your house in the middle of the night at the wrong address

[Wewlad]

Trigger-happy officers, nothing new.

[TEHPALLYTANK]

Random people knocking on my door at 1:30 am? I'm more confused as to why he answered.

[isuridedes]

With the situation you described yes; they were completely within their rights as police officers to use deadly force. The guy had a gun pointed at them- his being the wrong suspect is irrelevant. I understand why the police officers did not announce themselves when knocking - but this man could have asked from inside the door who it was. Instead he opens up with a gun.

[turlyonlost to tirion wtf]

Sticking a gun at a cop the guys a fucking genius

[Deleted]

Surely they should be shooting to wound rather than kill someone? It baffles me that potent tranquilisers aren't used to deal with potential and actual criminals instead of bullets. Not to mention, the western world already has the technology to kit out police officers in full bullet proof gear to drastically reduce the risk of being killed by a bullet during a confrontration. Perhaps I'm just too idealistic, though. In a world where certain celebrities are paid more money than some poor countries make in a year, you'd think we'd see more cash spent on kitting out the emergency services.

[Anthoren]

Trigger-happy officers, nothing new.

Did you read the OP at all, it was not like the man who they thought was the attempted homicide suspect was unarmed. Now this was a terrible accident and I would wish this would not happen to anyone, but to blame this on the just trigger happy cops is to be delusional.

[Chrysia]

Surely they should be shooting to wound rather than kill someone? It baffles me that potent tranquilisers aren't used to deal with potential and actual criminals instead of bullets. Not to mention, the western world already has the technology to kit out police officers in full bullet proof gear to drastically reduce the risk of being killed by a bullet during a confrontration.

Because even the most powerful sedatives aren't instantaneous, so a determined gunman can squeeze off a shot or three before he goes out.

Same reason they don't use stun guns on gunman, because the convulsions can actually cause the hand to clench, discharging the firearm.

[cFortyfive]

Not identifying yourself as law enforcement, knocking at a door in the middle of the night and wondering why somebody may be inclined to bring a gun to the door.

[Deleted]

The majority of cops (like 95%) are dirty scumbags and pretty much pieces of shit.
But this man wins a Darwin award for pointing a gun directly in their faces....

Sounds like "suicide-by-cop" to me.

Not identifying yourself as law enforcement, knocking at a door in the middle of the night and wondering why somebody may be inclined to bring a gun to the door.

He might want to check the peephole or look through a window before aiming his gun.
He was way too trigger happy. Live by the gun, die by the gun.

[Jtbrig7390]

There was wrongs on both saids it was 1am and there was knocking on the guys door depending the type of place he lived in he could have been scared.

The cops should have told whos at the the door because they did not do this the guy had a gun when the door was opened *what would you do if someone was banging hard on your door at 2am and the person on the other said says nothing*


*im sorry if i lived where i used to *call it the getto if u want to get a idea of it* and you branged on my door at 1am and didn't ID yourself as a cop ill be bringing something to the door as well*

[Chrysia]

Not identifying yourself as law enforcement, knocking at a door in the middle of the night and wondering why somebody may be inclined to bring a gun to the door.

There is a difference between bringing a gun to the door, and opening the door with the gun pointed through the crack directly at the officer.

[Deleted]

With the situation you described yes; they were completely within their rights as police officers to use deadly force. The guy had a gun pointed at them- his being the wrong suspect is irrelevant. I understand why the police officers did not announce themselves when knocking - but this man could have asked from inside the door who it was. Instead he opens up with a gun.

I see, so someone knocks at your door at 1.30 in the morning, yelling loudly to open but not saying who they are. Obviously they can't be friendly, so, get a gun/bat/something since they might break the door down before you even manage to call the police (lol). So then you go, open door and you're blinded by a light, you raise your arm to make shade and see who it is... but ... you're dead because some police shot you. And you were just a random person who has done nothing wrong their entire life, you were on your property and trying to defend it from unknown people trying to get in.

The police officers were right? Give me a break.

[Porcell]

Surely they should be shooting to wound rather than kill someone?

You don't shoot to wound. It's one of the primary "rules" of owning a gun. 1) Treat every gun as if it were loaded. 2) Do not point a gun at anything you don't intend to destroy or kill.

Now, not exactly sure why the homeowner would lead with a gun, that's stupid. Did he not check who it was through a peephole or a window? Or just don't answer the door at 1:30 in the morning? Opening the door with a gun raised is stupid.

[worprz]

Surely they should be shooting to wound rather than kill someone? It baffles me that potent tranquilisers aren't used to deal with potential and actual criminals instead of bullets. Not to mention, the western world already has the technology to kit out police officers in full bullet proof gear to drastically reduce the risk of being killed by a bullet during a confrontration. Perhaps I'm just too idealistic, though. In a world where certain celebrities are paid more money than some poor countries make in a year, you'd think we'd see more cash spent on kitting out the emergency services.

I agree, when my grandpa was a police officer they weren't even aloud to carry guns. He told me stories of how they had to strategically disarm someone with a baton even if the person had a gun.

[Deleted]

Sounds like "suicide-by-cop" to me.

Except they didn't identify themselves and it was at 1.30 in the night.

Those cops are idiots, shouldn't they know how the attempted murderer looked like?

[highlandr]

I suppose it would depend on if the cop was in uniform if not. I can see why he answer the door with a gun. Plus if this guys live in a place where there is a lot of crime such as robberies and such makes since to me.

[blackblade]

this happens 7 times a year in the USA according to stats from 2009

it's not uncommon when you consider that 4 people per year have died from snakebite in the US since 2000. people worry about snakes and you're nearly 2x as likely to be killed by authorities busting into your house in the middle of the night at the wrong address

I see your statistics and raise you a better one:

[cFortyfive]

There is a difference between bringing a gun to the door, and opening the door with the gun pointed through the crack directly at the officer.

Again - not knowing who is actually there.