GoFuckYourself.com - Adult Webmaster Forum - Cops Shoot Wrong Man...Soda Can Mistaken As Weapon

http://www.denverpost.com/cda/articl...268722,00.html
Police kill man in bed
Suspect's uncle slain after cop apparently mistakes soda can for gun
By Sean Kelly
George Merritt and Howard Pankratz
Denver Post Staff Writers

Tuesday, July 13, 2004 -

A Denver police officer likely mistook a soda can for a weapon before shooting and killing a 63-year-old man in his bed, Police Chief Gerry Whitman said Monday.

Frank Lobato was shot once in the chest Sunday night during a police search for a domestic-violence suspect. Lobato, a career criminal and formerly homeless man whom neighbors said was disabled, was not involved in the domestic dispute.

Instead, officers were searching the home at 1234 W. 10th Ave. for Lobato's nephew Vincent Martinez, who was wanted on suspicion of domestic violence, assault and false imprisonment. Martinez, 42, was captured Monday evening.

Some neighbors and community members called the shooting questionable - and worse.

"I think it is disgraceful," neighbor Rose Salaz said. "I don't see how they can just go into people's houses shooting people. ... They are supposed to protect us."

The shooting comes weeks after the city and police announced reforms to the department's use-of-force policy in the wake of controversy surrounding police shootings.

Whitman and District Attorney Bill Ritter took the unusual step of calling a news conference to lay out some of the facts about the incident, the third fatal police shooting this year. But they answered few questions.

"It has now been determined that the party who was shot was not armed at the time of the shooting," a subdued Whitman said, reading from a prepared statement. "The officer stated that after he fired the shot, he heard an object fall to the floor on the other side of the bed. A beverage can was recovered from the floor in the area of the bedroom."
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Okay, normally I would be questioning this but the story says the dude who got shot was a career criminal. I could see if he was just 'Nascar Dad' sippin' beer and watching cars drive fast in a circle for 6 hours but this guy just might have placed himself in a position for some shit like this to happen. Now, the city of Denver is gonna have to fork over MILLIONS to his family who are also career criminals.

Guess crime does pay but at a very high price.