Police in Utah gun down black cosplayer

[ksen]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/10/29/utah-police-shooting/18102775/

A black man who was shot by Utah police while armed with a samurai-style sword as part of a Japanese anime costume died of multiple gunshot wounds, including several in the back of his body, according to an autopsy released Tuesday.

The state autopsy documents six gunshot wounds on the body of 22-year-old Darrien Hunt and finds at least four of the shots entered his body from behind.

10...9...8...

 

[Nice Squirrel]

I'll get the ball rolling: Obviously a thug robbing the Purple Dank Store.

I really can't. There isn't any evidence of what happened and he was armed.

 

[PyramidHead]

Predictably, the cops say he was brandishing the weapon and charging at them, although eyewitnesses and apparently a photo disagree.

Another one bites the dust, shot while running away.

 

[Trausti]

http://www.sltrib.com/news/1758399-155/hunt-sword-schauerhamer-affidavit-officers-darrien

"Corporal Schauerhamer asked Mr. Hunt to place the sword on the hood of the patrol car," Utah County Attorney’s Office investigator Mark Dell’Ergo wrote in the affidavit. "Mr. Hunt refused, saying, ‘I can’t do that.’"

When Schauerhamer asked why he couldn’t put the sword down, Hunt allegedly replied, "It’s my sword."

Dell’Ergo wrote that once Hunt was told he could not have the sword in the patrol car, Hunt unsheathed the sword and "moved toward Corporal Schauerhamer, swinging it."

One woman said that from her vehicle, she saw Hunt swing the sword "very hard" at the officer before the two officers pulled their weapons and began firing. Another man gave a similar account.

The sword — which family members have described as a toy "katana" sword – belonged to his brother, according to the affidavit. That brother allegedly told investigators that Hunt had a drug problem, and had been making and using Dimethyltyptamine, a hallucinogen also known as DMT.

Susan Hunt, the 22-year-old’s mother, allegedly told investigators that her son used DMT to cope with "his issues," and that he had once woke her up in the middle of the night while on drugs and told her he was God.

The mother also reported that on the day of the shooting, she received a phone call from her daughter’s boyfriend. The boyfriend allegedly told Susan Hunt about a Facebook message written by Darrien Hunt that read, "I have a sword and I’m going to get shot."

Suicide by cop?

 

[PyramidHead]

Looks like it, with that information.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

http://www.sltrib.com/news/1758399-155/hunt-sword-schauerhamer-affidavit-officers-darrien

The mother also reported that on the day of the shooting, she received a phone call from her daughter’s boyfriend. The boyfriend allegedly told Susan Hunt about a Facebook message written by Darrien Hunt that read, "I have a sword and I’m going to get shot."

Suicide by cop?

Yeah, that certainly looks like a suicide by cop.

 

[Mumbles]

Yes, "Suicide by cop" certainly explains why he was shot in the back, while cosplaying as Mugen from Samurai Champloo.

That doesn't make any damn sense. I'd prefer to see much more evidence to believe it.

 

[Sarpedon]

He was charging backwards! He must have been crazy!

 

[PyramidHead]

Maybe suicide by cop was his original idea, then he had a change of heart, panicked, and ran. By then he had already established himself as a person who swings a katana at police officers, unfortunately.

 

[ksen]

The mother also reported that on the day of the shooting, she received a phone call from her daughter’s boyfriend. The boyfriend allegedly told Susan Hunt about a Facebook message written by Darrien Hunt that read, "I have a sword and I’m going to get shot."

Suicide by cop?

Or just the jaded realization that if a black man can get gunned down at a wal-mart for holding a toy rifle that it's probably likely that the cops would also not hesitate to gun down a black man holding a replica sword.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Yes, "Suicide by cop" certainly explains why he was shot in the back, while cosplaying as Mugen from Samurai Champloo.

That doesn't make any damn sense. I'd prefer to see much more evidence to believe it.

He had a sword. A cop will shoot to protect bystanders, not just himself.

And what about that social media post?? That's pretty hard to be anything but an intent to commit suicide by cop.

- - - Updated - - -

Maybe suicide by cop was his original idea, then he had a change of heart, panicked, and ran. By then he had already established himself as a person who swings a katana at police officers, unfortunately.

A reasonable hypothesis.

 

[ZiprHead]

Agreed, Loren.

Maybe after being shot from the front, he thought "Damn! This shit just got real!". Then tried to run away.

 

[Mumbles]

He had a sword. A cop will shoot to protect bystanders, not just himself.

Okay. Show that they did this. Show that it's illegal for him to have had a sword, or to swing it at nothing.

Good luck!

 

[ksen]

And what about that social media post?? That's pretty hard to be anything but an intent to commit suicide by cop.

*ahem*

Suicide by cop?

Or just the jaded realization that if a black man can get gunned down at a wal-mart for holding a toy rifle that it's probably likely that the cops would also not hesitate to gun down a black man holding a replica sword.

yw

 

[Loren Pechtel]

He had a sword. A cop will shoot to protect bystanders, not just himself.

Okay. Show that they did this. Show that it's illegal for him to have had a sword, or to swing it at nothing.

Good luck!

I've seen no reasonable explanation of his post other than as an indication of suicide by cop.

- - - Updated - - -

*ahem*

Suicide by cop?

Or just the jaded realization that if a black man can get gunned down at a wal-mart for holding a toy rifle that it's probably likely that the cops would also not hesitate to gun down a black man holding a replica sword.

yw

This belongs in humor, not PD.

 

[laughing dog]

One would think that a trained police officer would be able to distinguish between fear of potential threat and an actual threat. If the victim was not within swords length, then the shooting was "premature".

 

[Keith&Co.]

He had a sword. A cop will shoot to protect bystanders, not just himself.

When lesser means have failed. Lesser means being anything short of 'deadly force.'
Did anyone try "put down that sword or we'll shoot you?"

And what about that social media post?? That's pretty hard to be anything but an intent to commit suicide by cop.

Really?
Many times, after i make a horrible pun or a joke with religious theme, i'll say 'Oh, I'm going to burn in hell for that.' Saying that does not mean i believe in sin, Hell or damnation, nor that i'm intending to adopt any faith in such matters. The statement is not made without some degree of humor.

I could see any number of people dressing in cosplay joking that 'the straights' will see him as an actual threat, not someone out to have fun. Same as we used to joke in the SCA.

I think it's easy to see it as something other than a suicide note.

 

[ksen]

Okay. Show that they did this. Show that it's illegal for him to have had a sword, or to swing it at nothing.

Good luck!

I've seen no reasonable explanation of his post other than as an indication of suicide by cop.

- - - Updated - - -

*ahem*

Suicide by cop?

Or just the jaded realization that if a black man can get gunned down at a wal-mart for holding a toy rifle that it's probably likely that the cops would also not hesitate to gun down a black man holding a replica sword.

yw

This belongs in humor, not PD.

ur mom belongs in humor

 

[Toni]

He had a sword. A cop will shoot to protect bystanders, not just himself.

.

Plus, he was black. That's the important part.

 

[Mumbles]

Okay. Show that they did this. Show that it's illegal for him to have had a sword, or to swing it at nothing.

Good luck!

I've seen no reasonable explanation of his post other than as an indication of suicide by cop.

A joke. There, done. After a summer of us seeing videos of cops strangling black guys for supposedly selling looseys, beating women for walking down the street, pepperspraying a black guy because a shirtless white guy yelled slurs at him, shooting Levar Jones for moving too fast and John Crawford for moving too slow, and on and on and on, amazingly, people are starting to make jokes about how violently out of control the police are in the US.