<p>“Why is the high school setting different?”</p>
<p>The school setting is different because schools have a level of control over students’ behavior that is not legal anywhere else. Take dress codes, for example…where else can someone dictate that you cannot wear a ball cap or tank tops with shoulder material that is less than “three fingers” width? The rules in school are very different from the “regular world,” and part of that involves (rightfully) students being unarmed (theoretically).</p>
<p>Resource officers, however, can pack guns, tasers, and clubs. Therefore, it seems logical to me that every effort should be made to ensure that the force brought against a violently offending student be no more lethal than the force s/he uses.</p>
<p>I am in no way defending the student’s attack on the resource officer (though the fully story has not emerged yet…only the one given by the school officials). I am as invested in the concept of safe schools to the same extent as any other concerned parent. However, the behavior and actions of the resource officers in our city’s school district cause me to question whether the fatal shooting was necessary. Where was the taser, which disables but does not generally kill? And why was it not used in this situation?</p>
<p>FWIW, the officer’s stab wounds were such that he was treated and released from the hospital. The kid, on the other hand, was released to the morgue by way of a body bag. Is it wrong to question this, cartera? Or are you satisfied with simply the school admin’s explanation?</p>
<p>A taser is not considered to be deadly force. When someone stabs you, it is natural to assume that they are trying to kill you, so deadly force would be warranted. A firearm is much more likely to stop someone trying to murder you than a taser is. </p>
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<p>Would you rather the officer be dead? Last I checked, knives were pretty lethal if put in the wrong hands. The school in question had a student stabbed to death just months ago in their very hallways. I’d imagine that knives would not be tolerated after such an incident, and if you stab a cop you’d better be prepared for the reprecussions, which could include death.</p>
<p>I would rather that neither one be dead, but I will say that I do not think the life of a law enforcement officer is worth any more–or less–than any other human being’s. And typically, the deck is very much stacked in their favor.</p>
<p>Looks like the entire story may never be told. Apparently the incident took place “behind closed doors,” and the only version of the events that will ever emerge is the police officer’s.</p>
<p>“Horry County Police Department Sgt. Robert Kegler said the junior asked to speak with the officer, Marcus Rhodes, at 8:25 a.m… Police said the student attacked and stabbed the officer behind closed doors and Rhodes shot back.”</p>
<p>Well, if I had to choose between the two I would hope that the person that chose to uphold and defend the law would end up ahead of the person that chose to break it.</p>
<p>Some police officers uphold and defend the law. Others make a mockery of it. The uniform doesn’t determine the character within or the integrity of the person wearing it. </p>
<p>It’s interesting to me that a few people on this thread who have defended every manner of criminal on other threads are now ok with a student’s being shot inside a school building with no questions asked. What happened may have been the best (or only) course of action to prevent further violence, but like so many in the Gates case (a “nothing” case compared to the damages here), I would like to have answers to some crucial questions.</p>
<p>And again, if the student were being served for an autistic condition, there may be even more questions that need to be answered.</p>
<p>I think that Officer Crowley is a stand up guy and by all accounts a great officer, but many disagree with me. </p>
<p>It may be true that this officer was a stand up guy, and I really hope that he was. However, I have been around enough school administrators and resource officers to know that what they are mostly concerned with is CYA.</p>
<p>BTW, not all resource officers are stand up guys:</p>
<p>Tragic situation, but what does it have to do with this story? I’m sure if the kid was killed in a car accident instead you wouldn’t post a story about a Chicago-area drunk driver killing someone?</p>
<p>All of the facts in the story thus far lead us to believe that the officer acted justifiably in self-defense. Given what has been reported, I’m not sure why anyone would assume otherwise.</p>
<p>The video I posted is relevant because it is evidence that confirms that not all resource officers are “stand up guys.” Also, both events, the one in the video and the one in the SC school, involved special ed kids. </p>
<p>In addition, you alluded to the fact that police officers uphold and defend the law, and that as such, their lives were worth more than someone who is a law breaker. What if it is the officer who breaks the law? Is he fair game then?</p>
<p>I found one thing that you linked very interesting Cuse: The accolades for the resource officer included the fact that the officer was very compassionate and involved and “knew” all of the students. IF he did, why did he agree to be enclosed in a room with an autistic male student? I don’t know if this kid showed any sort of violent behavior before, but it is not unusual for austistic kids to have aggressive and/or violent tendencies. He probably should never have been allowed to be in that position with the officer.</p>
<p>Still irrelevant. No evidence presented so far has led us to believe that this school resource officer was anything but caring for these kids. By all accounts so far, he cared immensely about the students at the school and would have never wanted to hurt any of them.</p>
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<p>How is this relevant? By all indications the deceased student was the only one who broke the law yesterday by repeatedly stabbing a police officer. </p>
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<p>Read the link I posted again. The officer kept the door open, but the student suddenly shut it and started stabbing the officer .</p>
<p>The link I posted and the following links are all relevant because police brutality can occur in both nonschool and school settings. That is why this event needs to be thoroughly investigated. As I said, the conclusion may be that the officer acted appropriately. I hope for the sake of all that this is the case. It won’t comfort the parents of the dead child, but it will ease the minds of those who may be concerned about the propriety of the officer’s actions. </p>
<p>On the other hand, it may be determined that there was some wrongdoing on the part of the officer or some procedural lapse that rendered him unnecessarily vulnerable. I’m not hoping that this is the case. I just want the questions to be answered in an unbiased way.</p>
<p>Right, police brutality does occur in rare cases, but all indications and eyewitness reports so far have led us to believe that the officer acted appropriately, in defense of his own life. The links you post have nothing at all to do with the situation that occurred in Myrtle Beach yesterday.</p>
<p>^^Yes, they do. It is often said that police officers do not know with whom they are dealing and so must be prepared to kill anyone they meet. By the same token, people who deal with police officers also do not know with whom they are dealing, and they must be wary in terms of the possibility of abuse or power or brutality. Abuse of police power is not rare–not at all.</p>
<p>At the very least, it is highly possible that the officer acted imprudently in being alone with this kid. This is from a site about aggression in autisic kids:</p>
<p>"One of the common symptoms in children with autism is aggressive behavior. Aggression can occur in many different ways.</p>
<p>Physical aggression can be directed toward you, other children, the child him or herself, or even toward inanimate objects. Furthermore, aggression in autistic children isn’t limited to physical behaviors but also extends to verbal aggression too.</p>
<p>Whether physical or verbal, aggression in an autistic child can be very upsetting and potentially dangerous. For this reason, autistic children who display aggressive symptoms require more supervision in order to prevent them from injuring others or themselves."</p>
<p>It is possible, though not probable, that this kid never showed agression before today. But if he did, the officer’s choice to meet in a private room alone with the kid was unwise and may have inadvertently contributed to the outcome of this tragic set of events.</p>
<p>“At the very least, it is highly possible that the officer acted imprudently in being alone with this kid. This is from a site about aggression in autisic kids:”</p>
<p>We don’t know that the officer knew the kid was autistic. All we know is that the kid asked to talk to him, and the officer decided to meet with the kid in a room with an open door.</p>
<p>No it is not wrong to question every detail of this incident. I would in no way assume the officer was right or wrong. I think incidents outside school settings should also be questioned thoroughly as well. When a 16 year old is shot and killed anywhere, I would like to think that people would have supported a non-deadly alternative whenever possible. When there is support for a man to track down a 15 year old and gun him down in the street, though, (recent NC case) I just wondered whether age is really a factor for many.</p>
<p>I’m very glad my kid, who has an autistic spectrum disorder, is out of our public school system. I’m of the opinion that the resource officer assigned to the high school my son attended should be fired; he’s had complaints filed against him, and for someone who’s supposed to be good with kids, other parents have witnessed incidents that say otherwise.</p>
<p>I hope this case is thoroughly investigated. This officer may have done the right thing; I think it’d be good for his own mental health and standing in the community if an investigation showed that. </p>
<p>My experience – which is very limited, to be sure – has taught me that some school officials are quite willing to lie, to kids, to parents, to other school personnel, to the school board, to the public.</p>
<p>“My experience – which is very limited, to be sure – has taught me that some school officials are quite willing to lie, to kids, to parents, to other school personnel, to the school board, to the public.”</p>
<p>This has been my experience as well, and that is why I’d like this to be thoroughly investigated by an outside agency. Unfortunately, I think that the real story may never be told because the only other witness to the events is now dead. If I were part of a school district that employed this officer, I’d be frightened. You can’t even suspend a child if the behavior exhibited is part of his handicapping condition. And the aggressive behavior he exhibited may well have been expected with his autism diagnosis. This could be very problematic for the school district.</p>