Off-Duty Cop Firearm Possession
- Details
- Category: Opinion
Alcohol, Police & Firearms
Police and law enforcement are paid with taxpayer dollars to keep the public safe, and make certain people are abiding by the law. However, every once in awhile a situation will occur that makes people wonder if police have too much power. This type of situation occurred Wednesday night in Murrieta at an establishment called Spelly's Bar & Grille where an off-duty police officer shot and killed another patron.
Although all of the details and specifics regarding the incident have yet to be released, what news agencies have reported from some witnesses is that a off-duty police officer came up to a small group of individuals playing darts. The people began exchanging competitive words about a dart game when the off-duty officer began to state that he worked for the Riverside County Sheriffs Department, and he could do whatever he wanted. Somewhere during the conversation things began to escalate, and the off-duty cop pulled out his concealed weapon, shooting a man in the group several times, killing him. The circumstances surrounding this horrible event are disturbing at that very least, especially now that a family will not get to have their son, brother or possibly father around for the Christmas holidays all because of stupid decision made by an officer who is paid by taxpayers to protect citizens, not harm them.
"It is important to control the immediate emotional response to the events that occurred at Spellys until all the facts are released, but one topic that should be brought to the forefront of conversation and debate is whether or not police should be allowed to carry a firearm if they consume alcohol", explained a GPS Tracker Shop expert who specializes in fleet tracking technology. "Police should be allowed to carry concealed weapons, but that privilege should be revoked the moment an officer consumes even one single alcoholic beverage. This is because studies have shown that alcohol consumption can result in people making poor and impulsive decisions, as alcohol is known to significantly impact judgement and cognitive skills."
The question that should be asked at this point in time is whether an officer who consumes alcohol and uses his firearm in a fashion that is deemed excessive should be charged with murder or manslaughter? A man who went out with friends to play some darts Wednesday night lost his life by the hands of an officer. This is a fact. All that can be done now is a full investigation into the killing, and the drafting of potential legislation that would take firearms out of the hands of police officers who consume alcohol while off-duty.
Do you believe off-duty police officers should be allowed to carry firearms while at a bar consuming alcohol?
If an off-duty officer who has alcohol over the legal limit in their system and shoots a person, should they be prosecuted differently?