Police cleared in botched drug sting killing of Baptist Pastor

Assuming that everything is as stated in the article, I would say the big mistake the pastor made was giving cash to someone he knew had a drug problem. It would have been much better to make out a check or go to the landlord directly and pay her rent for her. I have found on many occasions people who ask for money for something (food, gas, etc) don’t want you to go with him or her and buy the item, they just want the cash. I never just give them cash.

The police acted precipitously. They could have run Mr. Ayers’ plates, confirmed his identity, and continued to follow him while they gathered information and decided on a time and place to question him. I’ve forwarded these articles to police/former police officers, and they agree- based on the information and video footage available, there was no compelling reason for them to confront him as they did or use deadly force.

We were watching an old b/w Lone Ranger episode last night. A guy who looked suspicious decided to run down the main thoroughfare of a ramshackle western town, and the sheriff and his deputy opened fire without knowing who he was or if he had, in fact, done anything. There ya go. It would seem this behavior is in re-runs…only in full color this time.

even if an officer ‘identifies’ himself, if I was approached by a couple of men shouting at me and waving badges, I would RUN kicking and screaming. If I had my kids with me, I would definitely be inclined to run them over with my car. I can’t see if a badge is legitimate, especially if I am scared out of my wits. If I’ve done nothing wrong, I would have no reason to think that the men chasing me were police.

The media fascination with serial killers/assassins/mass murderers has created a citizenry that is aware of some of their characteristics and behavior. Many violent criminals are fascinated with the authority wielded by law enforcement, and have either attempted to enter into law enforcement themselves (but were rejected), work as security guards, or serve in the military. They often drive dark four door police-type cars, hang out in bars that police tend to frequent (think Kemper) and own German Shepherds. Gacy, Buono, and Bundy (among others) have disguised themselves as police to gain access to their victims. Hello!?!

The police need to understand that citizens can’t know whether or not they are legitimate merely by driving a dark car and waving a badge. It is their job to know who they are confronting. If they had run Mr. Ayers plates and seen that he was a pastor with no criminal record, if they had waited and followed him until he went home or to his church, and they approached him calmly, the outcome would have been completely different. They simply had no reason to accost him as if he were Al Capone Jr.

I’d be interested in getting a policeman’s point-of-view on this, but I don’t understand the protocol that says when someone flees a police officer, the police officer is allowed to shoot. It is one thing if it clear that the one fleeing is posing a danger (making threats, brandishing a gun, but how is running and jumping in a car a clear danger? It seems that in Georgia the police are allowed to shoot first and ask questions later. Had they approached this pastor without guns drawn saying something like, “We are the police and would like to ask you some questions” maybe this man would still be alive.

I think there is a lot of information they aren’t telling us. The whole thing seems strange to me.

I don’t understand why $20 is even worth running from someone wanting to rob us…don’t they tell us to always have “mugger money” ready, (like a $20) just to hand them if they try to rob us. (maybe that is just for women?) If it was $1000, however.

But I absolutely fail to understand why they had to shoot at him.

Giving a known drug dealer money, however…hmmm. Guess he didn’t study at the school that tells us, “NEVER give people money directly.” Guess we had to come up with that rule on our own, however. We do help people out, but always just pay the bill ourselves—don’t trust them with money. :(

I guess I also don’t understand why a pastor would give money to a woman in her car in a gas station parking lot (or wherever it was). Even if I was just trying to help her pay her rent, shouldn’t a pastor be concerned about his reputation as well? Couldn’t the woman accuse him of paying for sex or whatever, even if it weren’t true?

The first filing as listed above states it a little differently, that the shots were fired as he drove toward the second officer - after striking the first one. I can see why the officer fired - he thought the guy was going to run over him.

Shirley said, outside the Shell station, the plain-clothes officers identified themselves with a badge. The officers said that Ayers put his car in reverse and struck an agent. They said they opened fire on Ayers when he drove toward the second officer. Two shots were fired in the car, one hit Ayers. The officers said Ayers sped away and crashed about a half mile from the Shell station. They said they found him conscious and alert, but he died a short time later.

However, either way, when I commented similarly on the previous thread about this, I was reminded:

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From the Comment Policy- 3.5 Do not post criticism, analysis or speculation in death-related news threads or obituary threads.

Let’s just be in prayer that God comforts the family and the truth comes out.

Thanks.

Does that apply here as well?