Et Tu, Bill Maher?

Bill Maher is a comedian.  And a very successful, very good one.  One of my favorites.  But he sure stepped on is dick with a post that showed up on Facebook this afternoon.

And I hope he never plays another college campus, as much bad stuff as he said about Campus Police Officers.

I would have thought he was joking, until I read the comments.  So, either most of the other folks who pay attention to his stuff don't get it or I don't. But either way, I can't let him treat an officer involved shooting like Faux News.  By leaving a whole bunch of questions unanswered.  So here goes.

Last week, a Campus Police Officer at The University of South Alabama shot and killed an unarmed, naked freshman, at 01:28 hours in the morning after the young man was banging on (trying to break into?  Maher doesn't say) the police station windows.

According to the police report, the officer encountered a muscular, nude, man, acting erratically.

Being so stoned, or drunk that your think it's a good idea to bang on the windows of, oh, I don't know?  Let's try THE CAMPUS POLICE STATION!  There's a good idea.  I'd call that, "erratic" all right.

He, "repeatedly rushed the officer" according to the report.  Maher's question is, "With what?  His hard on?"  My answer would be, well, maybe that TOO!  But that's not the dangerous part of him.  It's his hands and feet.  He can't hurt you with his dick, unless you're a cherry pie.

According to Maher's post, this lead the Cop to shoot him.  For no good reason.  Accept, as the comedian assumes, the Cop felt, "vaguely threatened."

And this is where the unanswered questions just scream out for answers.  And least to THIS retired, LEO.

First off, just HOW muscular was this kid?  Was he on the schools football team?  A physical specimen that would have been a threat to even more than ONE Cop?

This is the situation where the guy tells all his new friends in jail, "It took six Cops to take me down!"  No, it didn't.  One is all it takes.  We usually used six so we didn't HAVE to shoot you.

The next question that needs to be answered is what is being left out of the part of the report that just says,  "He repeatedly rushed the officer"?

He's my guess, and I'll tell you why I think this.  Every Police Academy in the country teaches, The Force Continuum.  The first level is you presence as a Police Officer.  Secondly is voice commands.  Third is known as, "The laying on of hands".  Where you may have to grab a hold of someone to get them to comply with your commands.  This can involve a hold, a wrist lock, any number of things.  Something as simple as putting your hand on their elbow and guiding them into a chair is part of this.

Now, it gets interesting.  If the bad guy doesn't comply with your efforts, you can move to, "less lethal weapons."  Anything from pepper spray, to a baton, to a bean bag gun.  They are known as, "less lethal" because if you get hit in the head with a bean bag fired from a .12 shotgun?  Might kill you.

No where does any department allow it's officers to go right from feeling threatened by a naked guy, to shooting him.

So, Bill?  You're a great comedian.  But as a journalist?  You suck.

And as for your statement that the guy was probably just some drunk or stoned college student that thought it would be a good idea to and fuck with the Police?  In what world can that POSSIBLY work out for the best?