Teen Threatens Suicide, Cops Kill Him

[madfranks]

“Why would you shoot a child that is suicidal? You are there to save him, not finish him off.”

http://www.policestateusa.com/2014/christian-alberto-sierra/

PURCELLVILLE, VA — A community is devastated after a suicidal teenager was shot to death by police following a family’s call for help.

Christian Alberto Sierra, 17, was a popular student and athlete at Loudoun Valley High School. His friends noticed his good-natured demeanor begin to slip into a depression and ultimately toward the unthinkable. On May 24, 2014, he suffered a breakdown and threatened suicide.

While at a friend’s house on a Saturday afternoon, he began to act erratically and harmed himself with a knife. The Washington Post describes what happened:

Christian began cutting himself with a knife, his mother said, and a friend called 911 shortly after 2 p.m.

Sandra Sierra said the call worried her son, who fled the home in the 100 block of Frazer Drive by jumping off a balcony. A friend gave chase.

Kelly Sobel, a neighbor several doors down, was getting out of the shower when she heard her neighbor scream: “Stop! Stop!”

Sobel glanced out the window and saw the neighbor running down her front steps with a dish towel. Sandra Sierra said her son was bloody at that point.

Sobel said that a second later, she heard Christian Sierra and the friend chasing him barrel into her garage door with a loud boom.

The friend and her neighbor tried to calm Sierra, but he took off again, Sobel said. The friend and neighbor followed, she said. “They were flying down the street,” Sobel said.

Christian Sierra rounded a corner. Several witnesses said they heard a police officer yell “Freeze!” or “Stop!” and then heard shots. Sobel said she heard three or four pops.

Christian was shot an unknown number of times by a Purcellville police officer, who was responding to a suicide call. Christian died shortly thereafter.

His mom, Sandra Sierra, was beside herself when she heard the news.

“I banged on their car and I’m like, ‘You killed my kid. You killed my kid,’” Sandra yelled at the officer.

The officer claimed that Christian “lunged” at him, justifying the shoot. But others claim the officer was too quick to pull the trigger.

“Why would you shoot a child that is suicidal?” asked the teen’s mother. “You are there to save him, not finish him off.”

“They’re supposed to come to help and stop the suicide and they came and killed him,” said Natalie Moriarty, Christian’s aunt, to MyFoxDC.

His friends and family have had to learn a painful lesson that many others have faced; that inviting the government to resolve a crisis will often result in wanton violence and tragedy. Christian Sierra has become another victim on a growing list of folks who have been victimized by those who were supposed to come to help.

[Horn]

Calling a cop to a possible suicide scene, is equivalent to calling a chinese butcher to neuter your pet.

[Uncle Salty]

Sound like a perfectly executed suicide (pun intended).

[Hitch]

Sounds like the kid did commit suicide, suicide by cop.

[iOWNme]

Hey, Im just glad we have 'Cops' to protect us. Without them we would all be violoent animals.


(Its hard to even tyoe it without dying from laughter).


Flip the situation around: What if a 'Cop' was going to commit suicide, and a mere mortal individual decided to kill him before he could kill himslef. What would people think/say?

[Hitch]

Hey, Im just glad we have 'Cops' to protect us. Without them we would all be violoent animals.


(Its hard to even tyoe it without dying from laughter).


Flip the situation around: What if a 'Cop' was going to commit suicide, and a mere mortal individual decided to kill him before he could kill himslef. What would people think/say?

Haha, you are great at flipping a situation around, disregarding facts, to create an agenda.

Simple question: A bloody teenager with a knife charges you, would you shoot?

[madfranks]

Haha, you are great at flipping a situation around, disregarding facts, to create an agenda.

Simple question: A bloody teenager with a knife charges you, would you shoot?

Considering you're outside and the kid is clearly running away from his friends, no I wouldn't shoot him. Even the other cops said he shouldn't have done it. But, as iOWNme points out, they can do it and suffer no consequences. You or I shoot a kid under similar circumstances, we're done for.

[madfranks]

Sounds like the kid did commit suicide, suicide by cop.

Suicide by cop? So if someone else kills you, it's suicide? I don't think so. The kid didn't call the police, hell he probably didn't know they were coming until they started shooting him. He was a troubled kid running away from his friends. Would he have killed himself had he gotten away? Maybe, and it would be sad if he did. But he didn't kill himself, the cops did.

[Hitch]

Suicide by cop? So if someone else kills you, it's suicide? I don't think so. The kid didn't call the police, hell he probably didn't know they were coming until they started shooting him. He was a troubled kid running away from his friends. Would he have killed himself had he gotten away? Maybe, and it would be sad if he did. But he didn't kill himself, the cops did.

Suicide by cop occurs when 1) you want to kill yourself, and 2) you attack a cop so he shoots you instead of pulling the trigger yourself.

Happens all the time.

[Hitch]

Considering you're outside and the kid is clearly running away from his friends, no I wouldn't shoot him. Even the other cops said he shouldn't have done it. But, as iOWNme points out, they can do it and suffer no consequences. You or I shoot a kid under similar circumstances, we're done for.

You didn't answer my question. You changed the question, and answered that instead. I will ask this question again.

A bloody teenager with a knife attacks you, would you shoot him?

[Hitch]

Considering you're outside and the kid is clearly running away from his friends, no I wouldn't shoot him. Even the other cops said he shouldn't have done it. But, as iOWNme points out, they can do it and suffer no consequences. You or I shoot a kid under similar circumstances, we're done for.

You didn't answer my question. You changed the question, and answered that instead. I will ask this question again.

A bloody teenager with a knife attacks you, would you shoot him?

[Santa]

The officer claimed that Christian “lunged” at him, justifying the shoot.

Case closed... now give the hero his paid vacation.

[zap]

Well it sucks either way, Guess they are just thinning the herd.

[iOWNme]

Haha, you are great at flipping a situation around, disregarding facts, to create an agenda.

Simple question: A bloody teenager with a knife charges you, would you shoot?


Depends, was I the INVADER of his house as the aggressor with a gun to begin with?

In your scenario, you act as if 2 guys are walking down the street, and one tried to stab the other. You IMAGINE in your mind this is the exact same thing as one man INVADING another mans home and then MURDERING him.


You STILL cant see the difference in morality. There really is nothing i can do.

[Hitch]

Depends, was I the INVADER of his house as the aggressor with a gun to begin with?

In your scenario, you act as if 2 guys are walking down the street, and one tried to stab the other. You IMAGINE in your mind this is the exact same thing as one man INVADING another mans home and then MURDERING him.


You STILL cant see the difference in morality. There really is nothing i can do.

This situation happened out in the street. Not in anyone's house. A teenager with a knife attacked a cop with a gun out in public. The cop responded with deadly force in self defense.

Focus on the facts, don't cloud reality by making things up to push your opinion.

[Horn]

The cop responded with deadly force in self defense.

Or the suicidee was defending a right to take his own life,

the cop offending with willful intent in pursuit to do something/anything preventing him.

[Cebu_4_2]

A teenager with a knife attacked a cop with a gun out in public. The cop responded with deadly force in self defense.


Oh really? Where is this? Prove it piglover.

[7th trump]

This situation happened out in the street. Not in anyone's house. A teenager with a knife attacked a cop with a gun out in public. The cop responded with deadly force in self defense.

Focus on the facts, don't cloud reality by making things up to push your opinion.

I love this question because it clears any and all clouded bullshit about using deadly force.

This question brings out the true agenda of most people....you'll find out they just simple don't like cops. It isn't about self defense or lethal force...to them its about just hating authority and cops....most of the time they refuse to answer because it exposes them for what they are and that is impartial and being biased....they are racist towards cops!

[Celtic Rogue]

Yes and there is good reason to hate cops! I dont believe it is an agenda.
agenda noun \ə-ˈjen-də\ : a list of things to be considered or done
: a plan or goal that guides someone's behavior and that is often kept secret





This question brings out the true agenda of most people....you'll find out they just simple don't like cops. It isn't about self defense or lethal force...to them its about just hating authority and cops....most of the time they refuse to answer because it exposes them for what they are and that is impartial and being biased....they are racist towards cops!

First of all I didnt know that cops were a race? LOL Racist! What agenda are you referring to? What is its goal? Who is behind it? Cops today will shoot first and ask questions later just on the whim that they were in fear of their lives... A very subjective parameter! Do citizens get the same respect for their fear? No If a citizen shoots a cop even in self defense all of his doughnut munching buddies will kill them and ask questions later. The police themselves are responsible for the peoples hatred. They come at you with no respect because they have a badge and a gun and are weak in mind. They use intimidation and subterfuge to try and make you incriminate yourself... or give them a chance to use their weapons! When other less lethal means are available... why do they always shoot people and animals first? So until the cops of today clean the force of the psychopathic thugs that are protected by the blue wall of silence... Then they are all aiding and abetting those rouge police and their thuggish actions and are equally guilty!.

[iOWNme]

This situation happened out in the street. Not in anyone's house. A teenager with a knife attacked a cop with a gun out in public. The cop responded with deadly force in self defense.

Focus on the facts, don't cloud reality by making things up to push your opinion.

I went back and re-read it and you are correct, it did not happen in the mans home.

So a man with a hired gun is called out, and you still think this is the exact same thing as two individuals walking down the street? Really?

[Hatha Sunahara]

I remember reading about Death Squads in Nicaragua and El Salvador and Guatemala in the 1980s. And then I remember reading about Death Squads in Iraq. And now I am suspecting that in America, the local police have become Death Squads, and they need practice before they are given orders to fully deploy. I'd bet after an incident like this, they all high five each other and brag about the 'points' they're getting. Human life has become really cheap in America.


Hatha

[madfranks]

You didn't answer my question. You changed the question, and answered that instead. I will ask this question again.

A bloody teenager with a knife attacks you, would you shoot him?

If a bloody teenager with a knife attacked me, yes I would defend myself, with deadly force if necessary. BUT - that is not what happened in this story. The teenager was suicidal and running away from his friends. The cop CLAIMED the teen lunged at him - what does that even mean? If you think this troubled kid was attacking the police officer, I think you're completely wrong. It is much, much more likely the cop was used to full and complete submission by his victims, and since this kid was not easy to control, it was easier just to kill him. In America today, if a cop orders you to freeze, and you don't immediately fully submit and prostrate yourself at his feet (for ANY reason: you're deaf, you didn't hear him, you're a troubled kid), they WILL KILL YOU and get away with it. They have full and unlimited licenses to kill anyone they want, any time, and no jury in America today will convict a "hero cop" for doing his duty.

[Horn]

Its a clear case of prime directive neglect. Had his partner shot any offender while the attacker was "lunging" towards another officer the prime directive would have been served well. What is unclear from the story is if the knife was even still on the teenager, all that is claimed is a bloody towel, I was on the street last week with a bloody towel around my hand I was not stopping for anyone while going to the pharmacy for bandages. The cop has no grounds to claim self defense, in such a situation with a gun at a knife (or bloody towel) fight. He simply could've stepped back in his vehicle and rolled the window up, no foul.

Force must be met with equal force between combatants, anything else is just being a crazy pussy.

[Hitch]

So a man with a hired gun is called out, and you still think this is the exact same thing as two individuals walking down the street? Really?

Yes and No. Yes, in the context that as soon as a cop's life is threatened, he has a the same rights as you or any human being. The right to self defense.

No, in the context of duty. You have no duty to act. He does. You can stand by and do nothing. He can't. There could easily be a thread on this forum called "Cop does nothing while teenager kills himself." What would you think of that cop if he allowed the kid to harm himself? Right....it would be bash cop.

Personally, this is my biggest problem with LE. What I like to call lose-lose situations. You constantly get put in them, and no matter what happens, the blame falls upon you.

[Hitch]

If a bloody teenager with a knife attacked me, yes I would defend myself, with deadly force if necessary. BUT - that is not what happened in this story. The teenager was suicidal and running away from his friends. The cop CLAIMED the teen lunged at him - what does that even mean? If you think this troubled kid was attacking the police officer, I think you're completely wrong. It is much, much more likely the cop was used to full and complete submission by his victims, and since this kid was not easy to control, it was easier just to kill him. In America today, if a cop orders you to freeze, and you don't immediately fully submit and prostrate yourself at his feet (for ANY reason: you're deaf, you didn't hear him, you're a troubled kid), they WILL KILL YOU and get away with it. They have full and unlimited licenses to kill anyone they want, any time, and no jury in America today will convict a "hero cop" for doing his duty.

You may very well be right, Madfranks. Likely though, I think this kid wanted to die, heck he was cutting himself with a knife...

I could see a cop showing up, seeing the knife, and drawing his gun instantly. Then it all went downhill after that.

Cops do not run or back down. That's how they are trained.

[mick silver]

Too often as time wears on the police officer has forgotten their oath ....I do solemnly declare upon my honour and conscience that i will act at all times to the best of my ability and knowledge in a manner befitting a police officer

i will preserve the dignity and will respect the rights of all individuals

i will discharge my duties with integrity and will promote understanding and conciliation

i will exercise my authority as a police officer in the manner intended by the law

i will faithfully obey the orders of my superiors and will be ready to confront danger in the line of duty

i will act with honesty, courtesy and regard for the welfare of others, and will endeavour to develop the esprit de corps

i will act justly and impartially and with propriety towards my fellow officers

i will constantly strive to honour this oath in my service as a police officer