I haven’t had much time to blog lately, but this case is just too disturbing to ignore.
By now you’ve probably seen the stories about how police in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, fatally shot Monroe Isadore:
http://pbcommercial.com/sections/news/local/107-year-old-man-killed-officer-involved-shooting.html
Now while I’m sure investigators will determine whether Mr. Isadore needed to be shot, several things jump out at me.
First, he’s 107 years old. According to the Census Bureau, in 2010 there were just over 4,000 Americans older than 104. That's a pretty small and distinguished crowd. Local media probably started writing about his birthdays when he made the century mark.
Second, he was shot to death in his bedroom. He had retreated there and returned fire when police gassed him and broke into the room. He had no hostages, just his handgun. The report does not say how long he lived there, but he apparently felt safe in his room.
Third, look at the timeline. From the time Pine Bluff responded to a disturbance call to the time Mr. Isadore was killed, is just three hours. In another hour, he may have taken a nap or offered to swap the gun for a bowl of pudding.
Incidents like this get a lot more attention because of the Internet. But I’d also like to see it get a lot more discussion.
RIP, Monroe. You saw a lot of changes in your time, but probably never expected to be gunned down in your bedroom.
- Dr. Gatling
By now you’ve probably seen the stories about how police in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, fatally shot Monroe Isadore:
http://pbcommercial.com/sections/news/local/107-year-old-man-killed-officer-involved-shooting.html
Now while I’m sure investigators will determine whether Mr. Isadore needed to be shot, several things jump out at me.
First, he’s 107 years old. According to the Census Bureau, in 2010 there were just over 4,000 Americans older than 104. That's a pretty small and distinguished crowd. Local media probably started writing about his birthdays when he made the century mark.
Second, he was shot to death in his bedroom. He had retreated there and returned fire when police gassed him and broke into the room. He had no hostages, just his handgun. The report does not say how long he lived there, but he apparently felt safe in his room.
Third, look at the timeline. From the time Pine Bluff responded to a disturbance call to the time Mr. Isadore was killed, is just three hours. In another hour, he may have taken a nap or offered to swap the gun for a bowl of pudding.
Incidents like this get a lot more attention because of the Internet. But I’d also like to see it get a lot more discussion.
RIP, Monroe. You saw a lot of changes in your time, but probably never expected to be gunned down in your bedroom.
- Dr. Gatling
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