A coroner's jury ruled Friday that officers were justified in using deadly force on Johnny Lee Wicks, the psycho who shot up the federal courthouse and killed security officer Stanley Cooper. These so-called "coroner's inquests" are necessary whenever an officer-involved shooting ends in a death. The doctor who performed Wicks' autopsy testified that out of the 81 shots fired by officers, Wicks was struck 14 times. Police and the FBI have said Wicks, 66, acted alone and was angry about losing a government lawsuit challenging a cut in his monthly Social Security benefits.
The LV Sun has some good pictures of the inquest, including a still of the video surveillance. Scary stuff, but it should serve as a reminder as to why security is so important.
(LV Sun)
having been in combat, I am a little concerned about the 16.5% accuracy rating in the officers' shooting. What if there had been civilians around? This is a public arena, collateral damage is unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteI know they were brave heros, but shouldn't they be required to hit the target? I can't get a concealed carry permit with shooting scores that bad.
Howard Awand and Noel Gage on trial today. Why Noel Gage? If the Feds wanted the Medical Mafia shut down, why not go after the lawyers who were more deeply involved? The discogram doctors? More surgeons?
ReplyDeleteGage? Seems silly.
Will anyone be tweeting/blogging from the Gage/Awand trial?
ReplyDeleteI cannot attend, but want a running update.
Wild Law staff...sounds like a good job for Bruiser.
Is Kabins going to testify?
ReplyDeleteKabins can't take the 5th, he has immunity. But after so manyyears of lying on the stand and in depositions, haw much value could his testimony really have?
ReplyDeleteI could really use a raise about now. I've been busy as hell lately.
ReplyDeleteWicks was taken down in the flower bed of the Las Vegas Music Academy, located on the west side of Las Vegas Blvd, across the street from the courthouse.
ReplyDeleteAlthough a 16.5% accuracy rating isn't great, they weren't exactly shooting at him with sniper rifles. They were using pistols, shooting across a four lane road (plus median and two wide sidewalks).
As I recall, the longest distance fired on a CCW permit test is something like 25ft, and the shooter isn't in a stressful, adrenaline fueled situation on the gun range.
Even at 16.5%, I give the responders a good rating, situation handled, psychopath neutralized.
Actually, under the circumstances they were shooting 16.5% is an outstanding hit ratio. Had you actually been in a combat firefight you would have known that. I was a machine gunner with the 5th Marines in Vietnam and was in many combat operations and even with an M-60 it was difficult to hit a target under stress. The marshals and CSO's were running down the front concrete steps of the federal courthouse while firing and were being shot at at the same time. Think you could do better? After WW II the army did a study that showed it took something 100,000 rounds to kill one enemy soldier.
ReplyDelete@2:09, well put. Thanks for saving me the time.
ReplyDeleteAs long as 16.5% accuracy = 100% dead, I commend them. Saved the feds a six-figure trial and twenty years of pro per appeals.
None of the 60+ missed shots hit civilians. That MUST be figured into the equation.
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ReplyDeleteI'm 10:45, i spent enough time in county to know that when I'm humping my ammo for three days in the mountains, that I'm not going to waste 85% of it hitting nothing,UNLESS, i'm doing suppression fire. But that is irrelevant. When chasing down runners, you don't shoot willynilly, especially when you have the shooter out gunned.
My point was that even running across the street, down the steps, and in a high stress situation, the hit ratio should be better. If not, then the county and feds will have a difficult time defending a lawsuit from an innocent bystander that gets hit by a stray bullet. And if you looked at the school house wall, some of the shots were not even close.
Last time I checked they still taught double-tap to center mass. I'd be interested to see the hit pattern.
There is not going to be an Awand/Gage trial. The government will allow them both to plead guilty to some felony, and no jail time. Five years of time, and millions of dollars, and not one single day in jail. Hey, 10:49 am, you talk big, but where is your evidence of all this big conspiracy by the medical mafia. If the federal government with unlimited resources cannot manufacture a case, what makes you think you could have? What are you going to charge the discogram doctors with? Do you have any credible evidence that they did something wrong? You are probably some new law grad, with 2 or 3 years of experience, listening to Niels Pierson>
ReplyDeleteErr, umm, check out the Eglet wedding video. Check out the Bob Vannah wiretap.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how much fire they were under. He only had 5 shots. Im pretty sure he fired at least two in lobby. I'll admit the marshalls were in a very different situation then qualifying for a CCW, but still, they were on Las Vegas Blvd letting off shots recklessly. Had someone been hit, you guys would be singing a different tune. I'm not saying what they did was easy or that I would have done a better job than any of them. But it may be time for them to practice more real life scenarios.
ReplyDeleteI don't have the Eglet wedding video. So, what is in the video that indicates a crime was committed? I find your comments strange. Also, Bob Vannah was never "wiretapped," but there was a tape recording. What about that tape recording evidences a crime. I did read the transcript, and I could not find a crime. What am I missing. Please don't just be cute and say "check out this or that." If you have something, please tell us what it is.
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