# 107 year old killed by SWAT team **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 8, 2013, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323 "2013-09-08T13:00:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/1 "2013-09-08T13:00:24Z")
[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201\_162-57601870/swat-team-kills-107-year-old-arkansas-man-in-shootout/](http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57601870/swat-team-kills-107-year-old-arkansas-man-in-shootout/) I’m guessing there aren’t many 100+ year olds making the news for stories not solely due to their age. I know police have their training and stuff, but somehow this seems a little extreme. Maybe if they just waited for him to take a nap. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/2 "2013-09-08T13:06:47Z")
To be fair, according to the story for once the guy they killed was actually shooting at them. That’s actually a lot better than what I expected, which was yet another “cops kill guy for no particular reason” incident. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/3 "2013-09-08T13:11:02Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > To be fair, according to the story for once the guy they killed was actually shooting at them. That’s actually a lot better than what I expected, which was yet another “cops kill guy for no particular reason” incident. Yes - very true - not saying he didn’t have it coming, and they could have returned fire immediately. Perhaps they did make lots of attempts to solve it non-violently. They did the whole video camera under the door thing. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/4 "2013-09-08T13:24:26Z")
Talk about burying the lead. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/5 "2013-09-08T14:14:12Z")
Tragic, and yet funny. But it is refreshing to know that action movie stars should be able to get work well into their 90s playing old men in shootouts with police. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/6 "2013-09-08T14:26:38Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > To be fair, according to the story for once the guy they killed was actually shooting at them. That’s actually a lot better than what I expected, which was yet another “cops kill guy for no particular reason” incident. Just curious, can you link to a few of those _cop kills guy for no reason_ incidents? I must have missed those. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/7 "2013-09-08T14:30:30Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Just curious, can you link to a few of those _cop kills guy for no reason_ incidents? > I must have missed those. You have got to be kidding, right? You really want to stir up this shitstorm? Really? ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/8 "2013-09-08T14:47:02Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Just curious, can you link to a few of those _cop kills guy for no reason_ incidents? > I must have missed those. It depends on if you’re going to stick hard and fast to “for _no_ reason”, or if you’ll admit to knowing **Der Trihs** meant “for no _good_ reason”. If it’s the former, well then, you got him. Sure, there have been some complete psychopaths in blue who straight-up murdered people, but that’s an exceptional rarity, If it’s the latter, then [let me Google that for you](https://www.google.com/#q=cop+shoots+unarmed+man). ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/9 "2013-09-08T15:00:22Z")
Even as a young boy, he knew that he was destined to die in a hail of musket balls. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/10 "2013-09-08T15:08:27Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Just curious, can you link to a few of those _cop kills guy for no reason_ incidents? > I must have missed those. This one is older, but got a LOT of press and then was featured in the book Blink and a Bruce Springsteen song was written about it > **[Killing of Amadou Diallo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadou_Diallo_shooting)** > > In the early hours of February 4, 1999, an unarmed 23-year-old Guinean student named Amadou Diallo (born September 2, 1975) was fired upon with 41 rounds and shot a total of 19 times by four New York City Police Department plainclothes officers: Sean Carroll, Richard Murphy, Edward McMellon, and Kenneth Boss. Carroll later claimed to have mistaken Diallo for a rape suspect from one year earlier. > The four officers, who were part of the Street Crime Unit, which had expanded in size under mayor R... ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/11 "2013-09-08T15:18:47Z")
People, could we stay on topic here? This is not the thread to debate police/SWAT/shootouts/psychos with guns/whatever the hell hijacks y’all want to got haring off on. Keep it to this incident with this particular centenarian, please, and go start another thread elsewhere for ancillary issues. Thanks, **twickster** , MPSIMS moderator ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/12 "2013-09-08T16:08:56Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > People, could we stay on topic here? This is not the thread to debate police/SWAT/shootouts/psychos with guns/whatever the hell hijacks y’all want to got haring off on. > > … Okay. I’m game. Old fart gets shot for shooting at cops. I’ll jog on now because I really have no problem with that outcome. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/13 "2013-09-08T16:13:56Z")
> [@DataX](#): > > Perhaps they did make lots of attempts to solve it non-violently. They did the whole video camera under the door thing. Plus, per the article, after negotiations failed they used tear gas, he shot at them, they broke in and used a flashbang or something similar, and he shot at them again. Considering the article says he’d committed “aggravated assault” on two people which is what started the whole standoff/shootout, this doesn’t sound anything like an innocent man minding his own business. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/14 "2013-09-08T16:26:14Z")
after the tear gas and flashbang failed they should have had human resources show up with a job application and have him be part of the training team. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/15 "2013-09-08T16:34:35Z")
This incident makes me wonder why the cops couldn’t back off and let things cool off. The old guy would have eventually calmed down and then he could be taken to a hospital. I’d guess he had dementia? Or maybe just a cranky old bastard. There was no need to execute him. He wasn’t going to terrorize the streets carrying his walker and gun. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/16 "2013-09-08T16:53:55Z")
:dubious: He was shooting at cops. How do you know he wouldn’t have tried to terrorize the streets, or manage to kill a cop even if they backed off a bit? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/17 "2013-09-08T16:59:33Z")
He was shooting at cops rushing his room. I’m not sure he would have escalated to shooting if they backed off for a few hours. The cops could quietly stay in the house, but move the police crusiers out of sight. The old guy would probably be watching tv and napping within an hour. What else is he going to do at 107? Now, if he comes out of the room waving a gun… The cops need to shoot his ass dead. ASAP ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/18 "2013-09-08T16:59:49Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > This incident makes me wonder why the cops couldn’t back off and let things cool off. The old guy would have eventually calmed down and then he could be taken to a hospital. I’d guess he had dementia? Or maybe just a cranky old bastard. > > There was no need to execute him. He wasn’t going to terrorize the streets carrying his walker and gun. The longer report says he was firing at the cops from the window. So there was probably a decent reason to worry he might keep firing and a get lucky and hit a cop, or a stray bullet would hit someone else in the neighborhood. Plus, while in retrospect it wasn’t so easy, I can imagine the cops probably figured chances were pretty good that a flashbang would be enough to disable a 107 year-old long enough so that they could get to him without being shot at. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/19 "2013-09-08T17:03:40Z")
My granddad used to get cranky when I was a kid. Mild dementia. We’d just leave him alone and let him calm down. Saying anything just escalated the problem. He eventually went to a nursing home. Thankfully, he never whipped out a gun. He wasn’t that cranky or crazy. He was a character. One time in the nursing home he told my 11 year cousin to pull his nurse into a closet and F her. That was the dementia talking. He said a lot of crazy stuff. No filter at all. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323/20 "2013-09-08T17:37:09Z")
Well, he wanted those kids off his lawn. Now he’s under it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/107-year-old-killed-by-swat-team/668323.md?page=2)