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Santa Maria police shoot and kill suicidal man, video

July 21, 2016

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UPDATE: The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department has identified the man killed by Santa Maria police as 31-year-old Javier Gaona.

ORIGINAL: In an apparent suicide by cop, Santa Maria police officers shot and killed a man Wednesday who charged at them with a knife. However, the shooting occurred before a crowd of onlookers who began screaming and cursing at the police for using excessive force.

At 8:44 a.m., officers responded to a report of a man who was said to have walked into a bank with a knife. Officers found the man in front of FoodsCo at 1465 S. Broadway.

Police attempted to talk with the man, but the negotiations failed, and the suspect continued to hold the knife in a threatening manner, according to police.

Officers fired several rounds of less lethal munitions but did not succeed in subduing the man. The suspect then started stabbing himself, after which he charged at officers with the knife.

As the man was running with the knife, officers filed multiple bullets at him. The man fell to the ground after he was shot.

Video footage captured by a witness shows the officers were positioned behind patrol vehicles at the time they shot the man.

An ambulance arrived at the scene and transported the man to the hospital where he died from his injuries.

During the standoff, a crowd of onlookers was watching from across the street. After the officers shot the man, witnesses reacted angrily, accusing the officers of using excessive force. Some said the officers should have used tasers to subdue the man.

“You guys are a bunch of murderers,” one man repeatedly screamed.

Others yelled “fuck you” at the police.

One witness, though, said the man was going crazy even after officers fired less lethal munitions at him. Then he charged at the police, the witness said.


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Santa Maria, the worst crimes in the area, one violent injustice after another. I so admire the work environment these police officers endure on a daily basis. I read recently that cities are having a hard time recruiting police officers:

http://www.abqjournal.com/783197/police-shortages-a-nationwide-issue.html


Scenes like this video says a lot about why would anyone would want to become a police officers. We are a Country of law and order. Laws are not made to punish people but to protect people. When we become a lawless society, we are no longer a caring/loving society as every person becomes one for themselves.


Yes, we definitely have problems and issues in some of these incidents. We also have some of the same problems and issues with our politicians, judicial system, medical profession, education system, and people of all walks of life. We need to work through these issues and work hard to resolve and correct them legally and properly as a civil society. We do not live in a perfect society but the best in the world.


When a police officer says hands up, put them up. When they say stay in your car, stay in your car. When they say put the gun/knife/etc. down, put it down. I do not understand why anyone in today’s troubled times would not obey a police officer command. You have to read the crimes that are occurring around us everyday and the circumstances that our legal system is dealing with.. drugs, mental illness, raged individuals, etc.


Me, I will continue to 100% support Blue Lives Matter – All Lives Matter but I will also do my part to participate in society as a law abiding citizen supporting the injustices done to any of its citizens in a legal civilized manner.


May your spiritual being watch and protect each and every one of our Law Enforcement Personnel.


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Well said Slobird I too BACK THE BLUE and thank them for protecting me.


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Did anyone hear/see that 2 seconds before the suspect charged he was shot with either a bean bag or 40mm dowel gun? No Effect, didn’t even register! It should have dropped him the a sack of bricks! You have to be in a psychotic state for that to happen.


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I noticed that none of those virtuous and conscientious “bystanders” offered to step in and disarm the suicidal guy with the knife, but they sure as Hell were ready to immediately criticize the police for ending the incident.


“Makes ‘ya wanna go hmmmmm?”


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I say to the Monday Morning Q.B.s and the crowd of people there, what if he had charged the crowd and knifed a child or someone else? You would then be mad at the cops because they didn’t stop him.


Common people!!!! Use your brain (and I may be giving credit for something that isn’t in the cranium). The cops priority in this situation when someone is a threat is to, protect the person from themselves but MORE SO protect the public from him. They negotiated. They used less lethal to start and he started stabbing himself. Now go BACK to what I said, he is now threat to self. THEN he starts charging. They had no choices. Should they do the typical liberal thing and see if we get them milk and cookies and talk nicely the bad people won’t hurt us?


If you can’t understand or get that you are seriously lacking in any form of reason or understanding and should leave lives harder lessons to the adults.


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Running at police with a knife…


Murderers? Really?


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People who have never been through LE training or been LE have no idea what they are talking about. If less lethal weapons didn’t work, then why would you think a taser would work on such a psychotic individual? What are the supposed to do, wait until he got close enough to stab one of them? You people have no idea and the guy screaming “murderer” can go screw himself.


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It’s the “LE training” that’s suspect in my book.


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Well Done Officers, Well done! Thank you for controlling the crazies. You are appreciated for the job you do and the risks you face. The obnoxious bystanders would be shouting a different narrative if this nut charged at them with the knife.


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Just let them do their jobs! Let’s see what those by-standers yell when THEY need police assistance.


And, who would be stupid enough to stand around and watch a scene where guns are being used? I am disgusted with some of our society.


I SUPPORT OUR POLICE…BLUE LIVES MATTER


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Close enough to use a taser instead of a gun on would think.


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Sorry to see that large minus number in your “votes” area standup. But as you can see, people thirst for violence that ends in death. (Why do you think they posted the video?) It used to be that people had some compassion or there was some wiggle room-other than being gunned down in the street-but no.


On the bright side, Stephan Hawkings is banking on human extinction within a hundred years. Things like this make me wish it were sooner.


http://www.iflscience.com/space/stephen-hawking-warns-humanity-could-destroy-itself-next-100-years/


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