# Bomber suspect in boat was unarmed **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 25, 2013, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651 "2013-04-25T09:11:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/61 "2013-04-26T20:23:11Z")
I’d love to see the correlation between those who think the police did the right thing shooting first and asking questions later, and those who are anti-gun. That’s the sort of ironic correlation that I bet would be true. There are also second-hand anecdotes like this: “A couple of shootings were started when one idiot (cop) accidentally discharged his firearm, spooking others into a “blue on blue” shoot out (oddly, no one was hurt), when asked why they kept shooting if they didn’t see any rivals anywhere, they simply said they didn’t know.” I would imagine tensions were very high, but it was best to take this guy alive and they’re lucky they did. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/62 "2013-04-26T20:57:33Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > This is kind of ridiculous. This isn’t a case of hot pursuit and a cop finds himself alone in a dark alley with a dangerous suspect. > > This a case of a combined local and federal force, with massive resources on hand, having to deal with one injured and isolated suspect. Right: it’s a single suspect who’d killed several people and who may have had bombs and guns, and whose injuries may have been unknown (or their severity may have been unknown). Although that may get right back to the original issue because perhaps they shouldn’t have fired until they knew more about his status. This is going to take time to figure out. It’s possible some police really blew it, but I’m more than willing to wait and find out. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/63 "2013-04-26T21:07:49Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > During the boat stake-out we commented that it’s value would skyrocket after all this was over. Holes or not, it’ll be interesting to see what comes of it. Well, it needs a little work now… ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/64 "2013-04-26T22:13:00Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Right: it’s a single suspect who’d killed several people and who may have had bombs and guns, and whose injuries may have been unknown (or their severity may have been unknown). Although that may get right back to the original issue because perhaps they shouldn’t have fired until they knew more about his status. This is going to take time to figure out. It’s possible some police really blew it, but I’m more than willing to wait and find out. But…but..that’s not the American way today. We want to know _before_ all the information is in. Instant answers are needed. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/65 "2013-04-26T23:07:53Z")
Lol, this board is drowning in speculation, on hundreds of topics. I guess emotions run high when the newly-sainted “first responders” are called into question. They, of course, are above reproach. Now that I’ve seen better pictures of the boat, clearly it was an attempted execution. Just dumb luck Tsarnaev survived. Not that I have any sympathy for the guy, nor would I have cared if he had died, but I wrongly assumed they wanted alive (if possible) in order to get information. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/66 "2013-04-26T23:09:16Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Surely the boat has been impounded for evidence until after the statute of limitations passes for the inevitable lawsuit that his delusional mother will file against the city. You know, cause we Americans didn’t protect her sons from violence. > > As far as replacing the boat, I wonder if homeowner’s insurance will cover it. I feel kind of sorry for the poor underwriter who has to handle this case. I doubt there’s a line for “terrorist holes up in your boat, after which law enforcement riddles it with bullets.” Actually most insurance policies include exclusions to the effect of, “not responsible for any loss or damage caused by acts of war or terrorism” so his boat may not be covered by his insurance policy. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/67 "2013-04-26T23:10:30Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Now that I’ve seen better pictures of the boat, clearly it was an attempted execution. Just dumb luck Tsarnaev survived. I struggle to imagine how a picture of the boat makes a difference. For that matter if it was an attempted execution, why did they stop shooting? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/68 "2013-04-26T23:24:02Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I struggle to imagine how a picture of the boat makes a difference. For that matter if it was an attempted execution, why did they stop shooting? Clip was empty? ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/69 "2013-04-26T23:27:11Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’m beginning to think he was semiconscious from blood loss. I was following the internet scanner feed that night and the cops were debating if he was alive or dead. The three flash bang grenades probably got him moving again and not long after he climbed out of the boat. If you were following the internet scanner feed, then you heard the cop with a partial view into the boat being asked at regular intervals whether he saw any movement, and him replying at least once that the suspect was sitting up and making a “flailing” motion. This was before the flash bangs, so I’d say they were making a reasonable assumption that he was conscious. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/70 "2013-04-26T23:30:40Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I struggle to imagine how a picture of the boat makes a difference. For that matter if it was an attempted execution, why did they stop shooting? Stop struggling dude! It was the remarkable number of holes not visible in the lower resolution pic. Why stop? Gee, I’m struggling to figure that out. Maybe they thought a couple hundred rounds would do the job? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/71 "2013-04-26T23:36:08Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Why stop? Gee, I’m struggling to figure that out. Maybe they thought a couple hundred rounds would do the job? Cops would know better than you or I that it’s hard to kill someone that way. I am not sure they hit him at all. If you’ve heard the audio, you know they did fire a lot of shots but that it happened in a few seconds. That’s how these things work. If they had just decided to execute him the way you’re now assuming, they probably would not have just stopped at random. It’s more likely they got spooked. ---
**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:** [April 26, 2013, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/72 "2013-04-26T23:38:00Z")
Given the situation I doubt there will ever be any answers. The police are heroes for capturing the bomber suspect. They even brought him in alive. I can’t see any investigation happening. It took two unnamed officials to even admit that the suspect was unarmed. Whatever happened in that backyard won’t be disclosed. Mainly because there isn’t any public outcry. The bomber suspect was a public menace. > [@samclem](#): > > But…but..that’s not the American way today. We want to know _before_ all the information is in. Instant answers are needed. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/73 "2013-04-26T23:40:04Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I can’t see any investigation happening. It will. I’m pretty sure the police are required to investigate these kinds of things, and the FBI will want to know, too. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/74 "2013-04-27T12:29:51Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I can’t see any investigation happening. Every last inch of this case will be investigated, every single bullet will be accounted for before it’s all over. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/75 "2013-04-27T16:23:48Z")
It amazes me (or maybe not, considering the tone of many of the posts on this board) that so many people, after this thug and his accomplice set off a bomb within feet of an eight year old boy, killed two other innocents, crippled many more, and then have just been in a running gunfight with the police, should now be saying “Oh those nasty police, they shouldn’t have been so mean to those boys”. Jesus Christ on a crutch, what did you expect to happen? And I know that those same people are going to be just as compassionate when the death penalty comes up, which it will since this is a Federal case. I’d better stop now - I’m beginning to froth at the mouth. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/76 "2013-04-27T16:33:35Z")
Maybe you should get medical help. You’re hallucinating posts that don’t exist, too. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/77 "2013-04-27T16:37:47Z")
Oh? Here’s just one example. Took me about ten seconds to find it. > [@](#): > > Join Date: Apr 2008 > The cops who shot up the boat need to justify the shooting, just like any other “officer discharges his or her weapon” event. > > If the suspect was motionless in the boat, then the cops need to be fired. It’s not complicated. Just because there was a terrorist bombing, it doesn’t mean that suddenly all cops are infallible heroes. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/78 "2013-04-27T17:14:13Z")
> [@](#): > > It amazes me (or maybe not, considering the tone of many of the posts on this board) that so many people, after this thug and his accomplice set off a bomb within feet of an eight year old boy, killed two other innocents, crippled many more, and then have just been in a running gunfight with the police, should now be saying “Oh those nasty police, they shouldn’t have been so mean to those boys”. Jesus Christ on a crutch, what did you expect to happen? Forgot to mention in the above - they had also shot and killed a police officer during their escape. To bad they didn’t do all this out here in Seattle. The SPD knows how to handle cop killers, efficiently and terminally. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/79 "2013-04-27T17:32:55Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > Oh? Here’s just one example. Took me about ten seconds to find it. > [@Daylate](#): > > …should now be saying “Oh those nasty police, they shouldn’t have been so mean to those boys”… Cute strawman, but hardly the same thing. It was desirable to take Tsarnaev alive, for obvious reasons. There needs to be justification for shooting up the boat. Maybe there was, maybe there wasn’t. I leave emotion out of it. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651/80 "2013-04-27T23:55:34Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > To bad they didn’t do all this out here in Seattle. The SPD knows how to handle cop killers, efficiently and terminally. Hey. You left out _legally_. I’m sure you meant to include that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bomber-suspect-in-boat-was-unarmed/656651.md?page=5)