Have Wondered If . . .

[Rainman]

Some of those people who are shot dead by police actually wanted to be killed by the police officer in the first place?

I stumbled into the article linked to below and much as the cop in this case didn't shoot the suspect, it appears like the suspect wanted to commit suicide by cop.

| US news | The Guardian

An Ohio police officer is being praised for holding his fire even as a suspect in a killing charged him, saying repeatedly, “shoot meâ€.

WLWT-TV in Cincinnati reported that the tense moments were captured on Thursday on a body camera worn by New Richmond officer Jesse Kidder.

Kidder says dispatchers told him Wilcox could try to force a “suicide by cop†after a chaotic, violent chase.

Wonder if he'd have shot the suspect if the dispatcher hadn't told him what to expect?

 

[lushlala]

Who knows what could have happened had Kidder had not been warned about the perp's intentions? But I do believe that some criminals would rather die than face the music, and ultimately serve their prison term. They'd rather take the coward's way out. I think in this case, they try everything under the sun to goad the officers and wind them up in a bid to get them to lose their cool, and take them out. I'm glad that the police officer kept it together and refused to give him what he wanted.

 

[Gabe]

I've heard of these stories because people want to die, but for insurance reasons they cannot commit suicide so they try to stage an incident where they will get shot. It may sound drastic, but it's often the case when insurance is involved as many don't pay out for suicide. That's why even if it looks like suicide, they need an inquest to prove it as a lot of money can ride on it.

 

[Rainman]

If someone wants desperately to die and to force the cops to kill him decides to actually shoot or cause some grievous bodily harm to cops or some innocent bystander that person is no better than the savages beheading people in Syria. They, instead of trying to get police to kill them, should piss off hell's angels or some other gang. They'll put him out of his misery and his family gets the insurance money.

 

[oraclemay]

This is really sick. Just when I think nothing can surprise me I find that human nature does something astounding again.They say we are the most intelligent of all creatures, I have my doubts.

 

[Rainman]

This is really sick. Just when I think nothing can surprise me I find that human nature does something astounding again.

Maybe those who'd rather be dead than go to prison have enemies there who would make their live in prison hell? Or they'd just rather not be tortured by cops since occasionally cops actually do overstep at times?

 

[bala]

This is really sick. Just when I think nothing can surprise me I find that human nature does something astounding again.They say we are the most intelligent of all creatures, I have my doubts.

Of course when wacky actions like these happen we start to feel,are we really that intelligent.?
They could just get killed by some gang or whatever and as someone said,at least you get the insurance money.
Is death by the gun of a cop a proud thing or something that can be boasted off or what.?

 

[Rosyrain]

I've heard of these stories because people want to die, but for insurance reasons they cannot commit suicide so they try to stage an incident where they will get shot. It may sound drastic, but it's often the case when insurance is involved as many don't pay out for suicide. That's why even if it looks like suicide, they need an inquest to prove it as a lot of money can ride on it.

This makes sense because I never understood why someone would want to be shot by a police officer. If they killed themselves, I guess their family would not be entitled to any money of there was an insurance claim, but if they were killed then The family would get the benefits? Seems pretty sick and twisted to me, but I guess there are people like that in this world.

 

[Gabe]

This makes sense because I never understood why someone would want to be shot by a police officer. If they killed themselves, I guess their family would not be entitled to any money of there was an insurance claim, but if they were killed then The family would get the benefits? Seems pretty sick and twisted to me, but I guess there are people like that in this world.

Maybe also desperate or suicidal too. It's sad and we shouldn't judge, because they know that if the police fire in the line of duty they are fine, but if anyone else shoots or kills them, then they could be arrested. Therefore the best option is to be shot by a cop on duty so the cop doesn't get arrested and the family get the insurance money.

 

[JoanMcWench]

Given the heavy coverage of police being, to put it mildly, a tad aggressive with people I'm sure districts are having lengthy discussions with their officers about use of force. Would the officer have shot the man if the dispatcher didn't give the heads up? Good question. Wish it didn't need to be asked.

 

[mrsbright]

If this is the sickest thing you've heard, you haven't been paying attention, oraclemay.

But to respond to the general idea: it could be the adrenaline, the panic. People react in strange intense ways when they are in life-or-death, fight-or-flight, heavy pressure situations. It could be that the suspect did not want to go to jail (and it's not cowardly -- the American jail system is beyond screwed up and deficient, has nothing to really redeem it and has failed the goals and values it boasted to begin with). But I don't believe it would be so much that someone who wants to commit suicide just ask a cop to do it. I mean, if he wanted to commit suicide, he'd probably throw himself under a car or run (and then get shot). I don't know, it just does not seem this likely from a psychological point of view.

 

[IshieVonDyson]

I have heard of the suicide-by-cop method as a theory, but I’ve never really known if it’s common in practice. I wouldn’t like to think so, as interesting as it may be from an academic standpoint. As previously stated, there are certainly plausible reasons to choose such a method but wow, way to put a burden on someone else. Does make me wonder how much incidents such as these factor into officer training?