For many of us in the Tactical Community, whether it be LEO, Military, PMC, Veteran or Training; we all know how fast a gun fight can occur.
Caught in a terrible situation, you have a split second to make a decision. You or them.
This case is a tragic one yes, but the Officers did no wrong here. From a distance, it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between a BB Gun and a real pistol. A person, whether under the influence of narcotics like this man or not, starts charging toward Officers with a pistol pointed at them, screaming and showing open hostility… Yeah. I would have shot him too.
On average, a gun fight happens within 3-7 feet and there are 3.5 shots fired in around 1.7 seconds as I was instructed in NRA Pistol Instructors course. In real life, it may even be faster than that. At the end of the day, the Officer is going to do what it takes to go home at the end of the day.
This case clearly feels like “Suicide by Cop”, and it is very sad. The Officers had to take a life, and the subject clearly needed to sober up and get psychiatric help. But it’s too late for that now, and the suspect made the choice to point a weapon at Police.
No officers will be charged in the killing of a man who confronted police with a BB gun in Washington last June.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced Tuesday that its review of the shooting of Sherman Evans Sr. found that evidence supports the officers’ account that they fired in self-defense.
Prosecutors say Evans himself called 911 to report an armed man in front of a building. When police arrived, they found Evans outside holding a weapon that turned out to be a BB gun.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s statement says the officers repeatedly ordered Evans to “drop the gun.” It says they fired when Evans pointed his weapon at officers and started to move in their direction.