Consequences of Prohibition
Drug War Issues
An undercover Dallas narcotics officer shot and killed a man who allegedly pulled a gun on him as he and other officers swept an idling Amtrak train for drugs. Stephen Ray Malone Jr., 32, of Waterford, Michigan, becomes the 47th person to die in US domestic drug law enforcement operations so far this year.
But the original police assertion that the man first fired on the officers was quickly proven incorrect. A later AP story reported that investigators believe Malone never fired a shot.
Police Chief David Brown told reporters the narcs doing "routine surveillance" of the train station approached Malone and a female companion and asked to search their bags. The woman consented, but Malone refused.
"As he expressed that he would not, he reached for a gun that was in his waistband, stepped across his companion's seat and into the aisle, and pointed a weapon at one of the officers. That was within several inches of the officer's face," Brown said. Another officer then yelled 'Gun!' and drew his weapon, then fired at the suspect. The other two officers also fired, Brown said.
Oddly enough, there has been no mention of what has been found in Malone's bags.
A passenger seated five rows behind the dead man said there was little warning before shooting broke out. "I was looking down at my phone and all of the sudden I heard, 'Get off me; get off me,' and then 'pop, pop, pop, pop,'" Jonathan Beaubien told WFAA-TV of Dallas and Fort Worth. "I hit the ground and then ran off the train."
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Comments
Amtrak shooting
Has anyone learned yet what was in the man's baggage? (I may not believe that there was anything, even if, days later, they say that there was.) My wife and daughter were in the same car, lower deck, as the shooting, on the upper deck. I know that marijuana is lethal, because pot smokers will bore me to death, but so much deadly force in the hands of the police, given so many more openings upon the general population, can not be assumed to end well. This reminder just brought that fact much closer to me.
In reply to Amtrak shooting by Michael Adams (not verified)
Dallas Amtrak Shooting
Just another example of the Feds in their misguided attempt to carry out the "war on drugs." However, the Feds made this war. The guy was minding his own business. So what if he was carrying marijuana? Big Deal! And for that the poor guy gets killed by a bully Fed.
In reply to Amtrak shooting by Michael Adams (not verified)
Dallas Amtrak Shooting
The poor guy gets killed by a bully Fed. And over what? The fact that he may or may not have had marijuana in his possession?
Dallas Amtrak shootin
The individual shot got shot because he pointed a gun at
a Law Enforcement Officer. This is always a bad manuver
whether you deal drugs, rob banks or murder children.
LEOs tolerate very little resistance and that applied to
passive resistance as the Occupy San Francisco situation
showed when a man walking away from the confrontation
was handcuffed and thrown to the ground, hit and otherwise
brutalized by the officers who arrested him.
Law enforcement officers are very paranoid of many
encounters, drug use in front of them, or drag queens
can bring on an attack so try to maintain the peace.
Never draw a gun unless you are seeking ¨suicide by
police officers¨.
bliss
It wasn't a Fed: It was a Dallas PD Officer
Just noticed that a few posters incorrectly said it was a Federal Officer...but it was a local Dallas PD.
Still WAY wrong...
Why were undercover officers asking to search bags? Just another situation where officers of the supposed "law" are violating citizen's rights by searching without consent or a search warrant...all courtesty of the FAILED War on Drugs.
The Gun
Surely this type of Police activity would have aroused the attention of the passengers in the locations that it concerned. How many witnesses saw the man produce a gun ? Maybe he just made a " furtive " movement and was then gunned down while still in his seat . Who created the violence and death that happened here ? Who created a violent confrontation ? Who set the stage for this to happen ? If I had been a passenger and was injured by narc foolishness , I would take their dept. on a trip thru Lawsuit City .
He was my cousin
The victim was my cousin. His home was abusive and I remember he seemed to be sad all of the time as a child. As he grew up he became more hardened. Once at a holiday gathering he held another relative at knife point. I snuck up behind and disarmed him. He was 10 or 11 at the time. I didn't know it was a sign of things to come. He led a life of crime, mostly around drugs and theft. He was frankly a scary and very physically strong person. I can see why the officers felt threatened. His dad was a cocaine smuggler and his mom a pill popping insane woman who doled out the abuse. I saw her throw a puppy half way across the yard, then beat the hell out of my cousin for crying about it. Oddly, his dad was somewhat caring but showed it by showering him with toys like atvs. I asked my mom never to leave me with them again after staying with them for a week. His death and his life were tragic. Please do not lay blame on the officers who were doing their job. Even if the bag was not full of drugs, he pointed a gun and could have fired on them. I'm thankful they appear to be safe. I feel a deep sadness but I seek not to blame anyone. Life in the Detroit area is no joke. That was his home and his story is sadly not all unusual.
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