# How real is the threat of murderers being gunned down **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 2018, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-is-the-threat-of-murderers-being-gunned-down/817082 "2018-07-01T03:19:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-is-the-threat-of-murderers-being-gunned-down/817082/1 "2018-07-01T03:19:27Z")
We watch a lot of crime shows and invariably when murderers are transferred somewhere they are nattily attired in a bullet proof jacket. Example: [Chardon High School shooting: THIRD classmate dies as TJ Lane's online rantings are revealed | Daily Mail Online](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2107152/Chardon-High-School-shooting-THIRD-classmate-dies-TJ-Lanes-online-rantings-revealed.html) Is there a real threat of them getting shot? Oswald aside, has it ever happened? Is the Oswald incident where it started? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-is-the-threat-of-murderers-being-gunned-down/817082/2 "2018-07-01T03:36:06Z")
It wasn’t a murderer, but in 1984, Gary Plauche killed Jeff Doucet while Doucet was being transferred from California to Baton Rouge for trial. Doucet had sexually abused and kidnapped Plauche’s son (who was recovered unharmed). Plauche was tipped off to the time and date of the transfer by a television station employee. Plauche waited in the airport, and when police came by with Doucet, Plauche shot Doucet in the side of the head. > **[Gary Plauché](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Plauche)** > > Leon Gary Plauché (November 10, 1945 – October 23, 2014) was an American man known for publicly killing Jeff Doucet, who had kidnapped, raped, and molested Plauché's prepubescent son, Jody. The killing occurred on Friday, March 16, 1984, and was captured on camera by a local news crew. For the fatal shooting, Plauché was given a seven-year suspended sentence with five years' probation and 300 hours of community service and received no prison time. The case received wide publicity because some ... I remember seeing the news report at the time, and remembered just enough that I was able to find the details via google. Plauche was given a seven-year suspended sentence with five years’ probation and 300 hours of community service. He did not serve any time in jail. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-is-the-threat-of-murderers-being-gunned-down/817082/3 "2018-07-01T09:19:28Z")
Larry Flint was shot near the courthouse on his way to trial. There is definitely a risk to people accused of certain crimes. When in police custody, the government has a duty to protect them, thus the vests. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-is-the-threat-of-murderers-being-gunned-down/817082/4 "2018-07-01T09:53:49Z")
the mob will kill people (or try to kill them) who might testify against them. But that is not when the person is in police custody from what I recall. It has happened when the person was out on bail. ---
**Author:** ![yearofglad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b782af/32.png) [@yearofglad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yearofglad)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-is-the-threat-of-murderers-being-gunned-down/817082/5 "2018-07-01T10:25:48Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Doucet had sexually abused and kidnapped Plauche’s son (who was recovered unharmed). Wait, Plauche’s son was kidnapped and sexually abused and you say he was recovered _unharmed_? We may have a different definition of “harm.” ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-is-the-threat-of-murderers-being-gunned-down/817082/6 "2018-07-01T21:06:06Z")
Yeah, I thought the same thing. I’m guessing he meant still alive. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-real-is-the-threat-of-murderers-being-gunned-down/817082/7 "2018-07-01T23:43:41Z")
Yeah, unharmed in this case means alive and no bullet wounds, knife wounds, broken bones, etc. Doucet had been sexually abusing Plauche’s son for over a year, so obviously you have all of the psychological and physical trauma associated with that.