Posted: 7/30/2007 10:17:16 AM EDT
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Sagging Pants May Have Contributed To Fatal Shooting The Indy Channel ^ | 07/30/07 GARY, Ind. -- A teenager shot to death by an officer as he fled a burglary scene may have tried to pull up his sagging pants, causing the officer to mistake the movement for a reach for a weapon, according to newly filed court documents. In a motion to dismiss a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Vincent Smith Jr.'s father, the city of Gary suggests the 16-year-old was shot as he was reaching down to hoist up his drooping pants and sprint away from Officer Levi Randolph. "Police officers have to make a lot of split-second decisions," said city attorney Donald Levinson. "The law does not say you have to wait until someone shoots at you (to act)." The city's motion includes photographs of Smith's body, his underwear clearly riding above his jean's sagging waist, laying in the alley behind a house he was apparently burglarizing. Randolph, who was indicted in March for the Jan. 15 shooting, faces up to eight years in prison if convicted in the killing. The officer claims he thought Smith was reaching to pull a gun as the teen walked out the back door of the house. Randolph said he fired at Smith but missed when the teen reached toward his pants before sprinting through the backyard. Randolph said that after Smith scaled an 8-foot fence and dropped to the ground, he turned toward the pursuing officer and again reached into his pants. Randolph fired again and struck Smith behind the left ear, killing him instantly. In both cases, Levinson suggests in his filing that Smith was gathering up his sagging pants in anticipation of sprinting away. Low-hanging pants that wearers must frequently hoist have become a hip-hop fashion statement popularized by rappers. Sagging pants are said to have their roots in prison culture, where inmates were often issued ill-fitting pants and belts were banned. Douglas Hobson, an attorney for Vincent Smith Sr., said police training should better prepare officers to make split-second judgments to prevent shooting suspects who pose no threat. "You've got to know there is a gun or something that is going to hurt someone. If these kinds of excuses justify something like that, then we've got a long way to go," he said.  |
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Yeah, I read the news story and fail to see the problem as well. When I first read the headline, I was picturing a kid running away from the police trying to pull up his pants, but still with his back to the police. In that case, I was prepared to say that it may not have been a clean shoot since there might not have been an immediate threat. However, jumping over a fence (after having already made a gesture to grab your pants) and then turning to face the officer while pulling on your pants could very easily be an attempt to grab a gun. The officer acted appropriately. |
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All I have to hear is one incident where a baggy pants wearing punk was grabbing at his pants, and it turned out that he was really trying to pull a gun out of his pocket. But, his gun got snagged and he couldn't get it out. Now explain how this and the action of pulling up your baggy pants are all that dissimilar. Good shoot. edit: All your page 2 belong to me. HAHAHAHAHAAHA! |
| On another note, there is a really nice Mexican restaurant not too far from where I live, but still in an urban area. There is a huge sign posted in the front entrance to this restaurant that reads something to the effect of "No Sagging Pants" or "No Pants that hang below the waist". Now THAT, I like. But, its only a matter of time before somebody finds that to be "racist" because it generally applies to a certain demographic. Can't wait! |