Pulaski

This story was fairly big news yesterday, another story of senseless violence, three gang members robbing a bank in Stockton, CA, (roughly 60 miles east of SF) taking hostages and making a run for it in a stolen SUV. I generally lean towards supporting the police, but what on earth were they doing chasing bank robbers along public roads and engaging in a gun battle with the robbers? Two of three hostages survived, but one was killed, and found after the police fire multiple bullets into the robbers' vehicle where she was being held. WTF?

There were something like 50 cars involved in the chase, and IIRC 19 were damaged by gun fire! It is a miracle that none of the police, or other random members of the public on or near the roads they chased along, were killed. ..... And yet they had deployed a police helicopter which was monitoring the chase, so why didn't they back off until the hostages had all been released?

BTW Two of the three robbers got what they deserved, the other is still wasting perfectly good oxygen.

AmerLisa

Whoa!

The only thing I ever heard about yesterday was the Malaysia Airlines crash.

thinbrit

Not the first time CA police have been out of control. Two women who were delivering newspapers in Torrance, CA were shot by police last year.
Women shot by cops were just delivering papers - U.S. News

Not sure how this robbery and subsequent gun battle happened in the first place. Isn't CA a gun free state?

Pulaski

Someone forgot to tell the gangs!

markonline1

I truly believe a lot of the police forces in this state are totally clueless!!! I put the CHP as the most clueless of the lot!!!!

kimilseung

Completely unrelated except it is local US news, but the other day one of our neighbours decided to kill a spider with a spray can and lighter, not sure about the spider but the house burnt down.

Update: House fire in Arbor Heights blamed on spider-killing attempt

Sally Redux

No.

Bluegrass Lass

I saw that story. He almost won a Darwin award.

kimilseung

I was standing next to him when he made the phone call to his mum, oh boy what a call to make.
"Mom. you better come home, the house is on fire, its toast!"

Pulaski

Perhaps he's a James Bond fan?

AmerLisa

I wondered if that was in your redneck of the woods...

Jerseygirl

Situations like that support the right to bear arms. If they had killed the spider by peppering the place with bullets there wouldn't have been a fire. May have killed a few people...but a fire would have been avoided.

Sally Redux

This documentary show seems pretty similar to the CA police force.

kimilseung

The rumour at first was that there was ammunition in the house, the fire brigade were staying outside as there were reports of "loud pops" which were assumed to be ammunition being set off.

scrubbedexpat099

More South than West, Mexican Gang Bangers.