Coming at you shouting obscenities - holding .....

[ArmyCop]

Man coming at you in the dark shouting obscenities and carrying a chair leg like a club; What might you do?

Happened to a local LEO in my area. Here's the link \ story.
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http://blog.al.com/live/2007/11/depu...in_wilmer.html

A Mobile County Sheriff's deputy shot and killed 31-year-old Channing Riordan in Wilmer on Sunday night after Riordan ran screaming toward the deputy in the dark, wielding a wooden chair leg, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office said Monday.

It was the second time in four days that a Mobile County resident had been killed by a sheriff's deputy. On Thursday, Sgt. Paul Burch shot 18-year-old Robert Lucas in the Happy Hill community in north Mobile. Sheriff Sam Cochran said Lucas aimed a loaded gun at Burch, who was responding to a call about drug-related activity in Lucas' neighborhood.

Sheriff's Office representatives did not name the deputy involved in Sunday's shooting. The deputy has been placed on administrative assignment pending an investigation into the incident, spokeswoman Kate Johnson said.

At 9:26 p.m. Sunday, Riordan's wife, Regina, called authorities to their Wilmer residence. She said her husband had been drinking and doing drugs and was carrying a rifle and trying to put the couple's 7-year-old son, Zachary, in their truck and drive away, Johnson said.

Regina Riordan also said her husband had already damaged their property and a vehicle, Johnson said.


Talked to boy


Johnson said the deputy arrived at the Riordan's Waltman Road home at 9:32 p.m. The deputy saw Zachary in the driveway and started talking to the boy, Johnson said.

Channing Riordan then emerged from behind the house, Johnson said. He charged toward the deputy while shouting obscenities and holding the chair leg, she said.

The deputy fired two shots, she said. Riordan was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, Johnson said.

The deputy acted to defend both himself and the boy, Johnson said.

Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson Jr. visited the scene shortly after the shooting. The area was so dark that investigators had to turn on their car lights to see the scene, he said.

Tyson said the piece of wood was green, about 2 feet long and ½ inch thick.

He said that given the poor lighting and the fact that Riordan's wife had said her husband was carrying a rifle, the deputy could have mistaken the piece of wood for a firearm.

"It's in the dark, this guy is charging at the officer, shouting as he's coming toward the officer," Tyson said. "Yeah, you can bet your life that's a possibility."


Riordan's record


Riordan pleaded guilty in 1996 to carrying a pistol without a permit, according to court records. In 1998, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol.

He also was charged in 1996 with second degree assault and second degree receiving stolen property, but both charges were later dropped, according court records.

Cochran said Monday that the fact that two deputy-involved shootings occurred within a week of each other was a coincidence.

"Our deputies are trained for these types of incidents, and though no deputy wants to fire a deadly weapon, deputies in the field must react to the actions of those they encounter,"

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Thumper]

Hard to say for sure... I might try to retreat to cover but I think my instinct would be to draw my weapon.

[P95Carry]

He said that given the poor lighting and the fact that Riordan's wife had said her husband was carrying a rifle, the deputy could have mistaken the piece of wood for a firearm.

Add this to a guy charging and wielding 'something' - then the outcome is not over surprising. It is foolish for anyone to behave in a threatening manner, in low light - and particularly toward an LEO.

[MIKEV]

Hard to say for sure... I might try to retreat to cover but I think my instinct would be to draw my weapon.

As I read it the Deputy was interviewing the child when the BG charged at him. I think that had it not been for the presence of the child, the Deputy may have done just that. But with the child in the immediate A.O. and at risk of what could possibly turn into a hostage sit. if the Deputy did not take immediate action, I think the Dep. did the right thing.

Just my opinion.

MikeV

[pgrass101]

Bang Bang,

Deputy made the right choice, the hard one but the right one.

[vanilla_gorilla]

A club or chair leg is easily a lethal instrument.

Bang Bang........Bang.

[walvord]

IMHO the deputy did the right thing given the circumstance and the history of this guy. Just a darn shame the boy had to see his father die that way. He'll never forget that night.

[S3ymour]

The deputy did what is right. You'd be a huge fool to run at an officer, and a bigger fool to have anything in your hand.

[Black Oak]

He did it just right.

Double Tap

And Two Hits

[Der Alte]

I think the guy would be a huge fool to run at most of our forum members, screaming and carrying a weapon.

[Supertac45]

Absolutely the right choice. Any thing else would have been worse than stupid.

[mcp1810]

The child being there complicates things. If I was alone and the distance was ok I would try to get a vehicle or something between us as I drew. But the scneario as presented, I would yell stop as I drew and if he kept coming shoot to stop.

[QKShooter]

Not much difference bewteen a chair leg and a baseball bat as far as the human skull is concerned. Either can easily kill so it's a deadly weapon.

[f8lranger4x4]

He did what he was trained to do and I would have done the same given the situation.

[ccw9mm]

In the dark, screaming obscenities, wielding a weapon in a threatening manner, and coming right at me? Much the same thing as the LEO, above. I would almost certainly draw, demand he halt his assault, then, if he failed to immediately halt his attack, likely fire before the threat got too close to stop. I don't care how hot the chiles were that he ate, or what bummed him. Threatening the lives of others is not okay.