80 Year Old Man shot by Undercover Police

[KenFSU]

http://www.reason.com/news/show/131131.html

At around 6pm on January 27 of last year, 80-year-old Isaac Singletary spotted a couple of drug dealers attempting to do business on his front lawn. It wasn’t the first time. Singletary, described by relatives as territorial and a bit crotchety, did what he’d done in the past. He grabbed his gun, and walked out on to his lawn to scare them off. Problem is, this time the men weren’t drug dealers. They were undercover Jacksonville, Florida police posing as drug dealers. They had come on to Singletary’s property to bait possible drug offenders. When he brandished his gun, the police shot Singletary four times, once in the back. He died a short time later. A subsequent investigation by Florida’s attorney general cleared the officers who shot Singletary of any wrongdoing.

Singletary wasn’t a drug dealer. Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford described him as “an honest citizen trying to do good.” Florida Governor Charlie Crist visited Jacksonville a few days later. When asked by a reporter about Singletary’s death, Crist euphemistically called it one of the “challenges in fighting crime.”

I must have either been living in a cave when this happened, or my memory is going out on me far younger than I would have hoped. What an absolutely appalling story.

[jbm32206]

It is indeed, a sad incident and an innocent man lost his life. However, it was reported that the officers did identify themselves as police, and the elderly man did fire at them first...and they returned fire. It's a shame when a good man, trying to protect himself/property results in his death.

The family has started a law suit in Federal court, saying that his civil rights were violated.

[Joe]

Oh yes, I remember when this happened. It was pretty big news. Vigilante justice is illegal for a reason. This is a pretty good one.

It's a horrible shame because he was, in his mind, trying to do the right thing and protect his property. Although it really highlights our massive cultural failure that certain people simply never call the police. Normally people are ignoring the crime rather than confronting it, so this was a bit unusual. But it's still the same issue. If you suspect a crime, always call the police to report it.

Think how much tragedy in our society would be solved if everyone simply called in suspected crime when they saw it.