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A Punishment That Doesn't Fit

By TChris, Section Misconduct
Posted on Fri Aug 05, 2005 at 08:00:02 PM EST
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by TChris

Unbelievable:

Denver Manager of Safety Alvin LaCabe announced Friday he is suspending the officer involved in the deadly shooting of Frank Lobato for 90 days without pay. LaCabe said the use of deadly force by Officer Ranjan Ford was not reasonable.

Ford shot and killed Lobato in his bed on July 11, 2004 because he thought Lobato was wielding a gun. It turned out to be a soda can.

Update (TL): My opinion on this is at 5280.

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    A Punishment That Doesn't Fit | 20 comments (20 topical)
    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#1)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:59 PM EST
    Officers, unaware he had left, used a ladder to enter a different second-story bedroom window, where Ford encountered Lobato, who was in ill health, in bed. Ford shot Lobato once in the chest after apparently mistaking the glint of the soda can he was holding for a gun, and Lobato died at the scene.
    Cops used a ladder to kill an unarmed innocent man. glint of the soda can How many times are cops going to be able to plead "a shiny object" as an excuse for murder. Especially after illegally entering the wrong apartment!?

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#2)
    by scarshapedstar on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:59 PM EST
    LaCabe added that while Ford's actions clearly constituted "a mistake," they were "neither reckless nor deliberate."
    What the hell happened, then? Did he spend a couple minutes examining the guy and reach the conclusion that he was holding a gun, and then decide to execute him on the spot? Sorry, I'm gonna go with reckless on this one.

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#3)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:59 PM EST
    At the very least.

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:59 PM EST
    Depraved indifference homicide. This is the very definition of murder 2. The cop needs to be locked up, if for no other reason deterring other cops from killing civilians for no reason other than their own cowardice.

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#5)
    by Rational on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:59 PM EST
    Just last week there was another case of a uniformed thug murdering in the name of the state and getting away with a slap on the wrist. that case had the victim in handcuffs. Fry the pig.

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#6)
    by Johnny on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:59 PM EST
    Patrick will sail to the rescue of this murderer of course... As will a lot of the wrong wingers... What they do not understand of course, is this: abuse of power is exactly what we decided to declare illegal war against Iraq for. Get bent coppers, if all it takes is for you to "think" I have gun to kill me, and all you get is 90 days... Well, Ooooopss!!!! Sorry sir, that PDA looked like a gun to me, sorry you are DEAD. Give me my 90 days and I will get out and murder someone else...

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:59 PM EST
    the soon to be new member of the SCOTUS is on record that the court can save a lot of time/effort by ceasing to hear appeals of death row inmates and inmate lawsuits. there's the "irony" of our alleged great country-- cops who blatantly and stupidly kill innocent people stay on the job and collect a taxpayer provided paycheck while innocent people who end up on death row (often at the hands of corrupt/racist cops) will no longer have access to appeal. what's wrong with this picture?

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#8)
    by DonS on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:59 PM EST
    There is no abuse of power, doestic or foreign, the wingers will not excuse, if it fits into their worldview. We are travelling in parallel universes, where the wingers are building fortress America in their minds and on the ground. I rarely read the comments here, or respond anymore, because I find myself so repulsed by the small mindedness behind most of these wingers; it is not worth my while to dignifiy such ignorance. As we know, we are living in dark times, and those whose response is the iron fist are having their day.

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:59 PM EST
    DonS: good points. IMHO. the ultimate "irony" and disconnect with the wingnuts is their so called concern with life at birth-- and then their TOTAL lack of concern or compassion as to what happens to the individual DURING their lives.

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#10)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:00 PM EST
    The cop needs to be locked up, if for no other reason deterring other cops from killing civilians for no reason other than their own cowardice. Instead this becomes a recruiting tool for every wacko with a power trip that got turned down by the Marines or Blackwater Security.

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:00 PM EST
    Much like the CIA torture case, the apologists have not yet shown up on this thread. Wonder why... Although if it was Pepsi he was holding the cop did the right thing. Pepsi is inexcusable.

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:00 PM EST
    Che, the scary thing about blackwater is that they could probably fight the Marines and, numbers being somewhere close to equal, win. As you know, these "independent contractors" are the cream of the crop who decided that making 250,000 a year was preferable to making 40-60,000. Anyone else think it's worrisome companies are developing private armies that are more skilled than the, uh, Army?

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#13)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:00 PM EST
    c-law writes:
    Much like the CIA torture case, the apologists have not yet shown up on this thread. Wonder why...
    Maybe because it isn't the same thing? Superpole - I read somewhere that the difference is that the Left wants equality of outcome, while the right wants equality of opportunity. I disagree with both.

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:00 PM EST
    PPJ, I didn't mean apologists only for torture; just brutality and abuse of power in general. It seems to be the same group of people.

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#15)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:00 PM EST
    what don't you understand about a third world police force? and a third world city? inside the usa, this kind of thing is normal, don't you get it?

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#16)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:00 PM EST
    by the way when most police ( gangs ) dept, are becoming third world people what do you think will happen when the cops and political people have control over you.

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#17)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:01 PM EST
    c-law - My answer stands.

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:01 PM EST
    Jimcee, I'm still counting 0 apologists on the thread. So it appears to be very similar in that it is in that category where wingers fear to tread.

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#19)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:01 PM EST
    sorry, sorry, PPJ. It's very early.

    Re: A Punishment That Doesn't Fit (none / 0) (#20)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:15 PM EST
    Police brutality seems to be a major problem in our country. This site has many stories on the subject.

    A Punishment That Doesn't Fit | 20 comments (20 topical)