20 Year old Irish man,shot dead by US police

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0703/hanlona.html

Irish man shot dead by US police

Thursday, 3 July 2008 09:19

The family of a 20-year-old Dublin man is trying to establish the circumstances surrounding his death in the US three days ago.
Andrew Hanlon, who is believed to be from Dundrum, was shot dead by a police officer in the small town of Silverton in the north western state of Oregon.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland, Andrew Hanlon's sister, Melanie Heise, who lives in Silverton, said the circumstances surrounding her brother's death were the subject of much hearsay.

She said police told the family on Tuesday that Andrew had been shot dead but they had not contacted the family directly since then.
Ms Heise said there was a lot of anger about his death in the town, which has not had a shooting for 20 years. She said local residents had held a protest. They were appalled and wanted to know why excessive force was used.

The funeral home had told the family that Andrew had suffered extensive injuries. She asked why a taser was not used instead of a gun.
Ms Heise said her brother had arrived in Oregan several months ago and stayed with her and her husband before moving out to live on his own.
She said it was at this point that she noticed he had psychological problems and had organised psychiatric treatment for him. She added that people who had seen him before the shooting said he appeared fine.

Ms Heise said her brother was not the kind of individual to keep a gun.

In the incident, it is believed the officer was responding to a reported burglary when he encountered Mr Hanlon and shot him. He died at the scene shortly after 11pm on Monday night.

An investigation is under way and the police officer involved has been placed on administrative leave.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it is offering consular assistance to Mr Hanlon's family.

drunkmonkey

That's why i've never visited or intend on visiting America....

Cops are shooting civillans everyday, I think the cops in this case as making out that he could have been escaping from a burgulary (which is utter rubbish).
Even if he was that's no reason to shoot a man dead...

Shame on America...

My heart goes out to his family and friends, this is a very sad case...

_blank_

Hang on.

The sister was on the rayjo this morning.

Apparently the dude was being treated for psychological problems.

Maybe he gave the policeman cause to shoot?

Glad the cop has been put on "administrative leave", seems like seriously excessive force was used. Unless the kid held a gun to the cops head there is no justification in shooting him. Escaping from a burglary is not cause to kill a man.

DesF

DesF wrote: »

Hang on.

The sister was on the rayjo this morning.

Apparently the dude was being treated for psychological problems.

Maybe he gave the policeman cause to shoot?

Maybe he did. It certainly sounds like he probably did from what I heard from the sister BUT shoot him in a non fatal - non life threatening area FFS....."extensive injuries" regardless of the circumstances is hugely excessive force.

_blank_

Deleted User wrote: »

seems like seriously excessive force was used.

No it doesn't.

It doesn't SEEM like anything.

We know ONE fact, a kid got shot by the police in a town where nobody has been shot for 20-odd years.

ejmaztec

DesF wrote: »

Hang on.

The sister was on the rayjo this morning.

Apparently the dude was being treated for psychological problems.

Maybe he gave the policeman cause to shoot?

Perhaps they thought that he was eyeing up their doughnuts, that would make them take the safety off.:eek:

MIN2511

Saw the news this morning... Shame!

We don't know the extent and the real story, knowing the American's they can fib the story as well and make it suit them

Ah ffs he was only 20!

Good the cop has been put on leave, i wonder if thats due to media coverage etc

whiskeyman

MIN2511 wrote: »

Good the cop has been put on leave, i wonder if thats due to media coverage etc

Any cop involved in such an incident is always put on paid leave.
The incident is investigated, and once the cops actions have been cleared, he'll be back to work.

DesF

DesF wrote: »

No it doesn't.

It doesn't SEEM like anything.

We know ONE fact, a kid got shot by the police in a town where nobody has been shot for 20-odd years.

And that doesnt seem odd to you?


Im not saying he definitely didnt do something to warrant force being used but A) cops are supposed to try and wound, not kill. and going by what we have heard, with the cop being put on admin leave, it definitely seems fishy. People dont protest in the victims defence if they were waving a gun around and threatening society. A blind man can see that something is up here. Now that said the guy had psychological problems and his sister was trying to put him into John of gods in Dublin but I still cant see how it warrented being shot, especially when the cops hav tasers.

whiskeyman

whiskeyman wrote: »

Any cop involved in such an incident is always put on paid leave.
The incident is investigated, and once the cops actions have been cleared, he'll be back to work.

Is that regardless of media attention or only in the cases where it garners a lot of media attention?

MIN2511

whiskeyman wrote: »

Any cop involved in such an incident is always put on paid leave.
The incident is investigated, and once the cops actions have been cleared, he'll be back to work.

Thanks for clarity...

And it doesn't matter if no one has been shot in 20yrs, this young fella is dead and we need answers

whiskeyman

Deleted User wrote: »

Is that regardless of media attention or only in the cases where it garners a lot of media attention?

Media attention wouldn't affect it - it's a routine policy for most forces in the US:

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1214965531274590.xml&coll=7

The district attorney's office, in a statement, said Hanlon was shot by Officer Tony Gonzalez about 11:18 p.m. Monday after police responded to a report of a burglary in progress near Oak and Mill streets. Gonzalez has been put on paid administrative leave, a routine procedure, while the shooting is investigated.

ThE_IVIAcIVIAIV

the shame, what an ****in idiot cop i hope he dies.whats the world coming to? and maybe he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time... and didn't rob anybody. and having mental problems is no reason to be shot. and sure the cop wouldn't have known about his probs.... poor family.

jester77

I thought stun guns was all the rage with officers over there.
Shooting someone is not the answer.

DadaKopf

It'd ever so slightly amusing that The Oregonian newspaper thought this story more important than the shooting death of Hanlon. I mean, it's a pretty important story.

seamus

I don't know, there's something very odd about this.

On the Radio this morning, his sister said he started showing psychological problems, "which were typical of his age". Sounds like an odd remark to me. Psychological problems are not "typical", regardless of age.

Although it's rare for an unarmed man to be shot, it's not unheard of.

Who's to say the dead kid didn't ring the cops himself and say, "Yeah I think I saw a guy breaking into a house. He definitely had a gun." So the cops arrive, weapons drawn (they wouldn't take a tazer to a gunfight), and this kid arrives, hand behind his back saying he has a gun or something. Suicide by cop they call it.

Yes, I'm making up a whole possible scenario, but then so is everyone else. We don't know who, if anyone, was at fault here.

BKtje

Cops are shooting civillans everyday, I think the cops in this case as making out that he could have been escaping from a burgulary (which is utter rubbish).

Until (if we ever) we get the full story you can't say one way or another if it's utter rubbish or not. The fact that a shooting hasn't happened in over 20years should tell us that they don't usually go off shooting at everything but again we don't know enough to make that claim.

Of course i feel bad for the guy and his family but this automatically assuming the cops were in the wrong is absurd. Innocent until proven guilty and all that.
Now if it turns out the cop mishandled the situation then by all means throw the book at him.

_blank_

seamus wrote: »

On the Radio this morning, his sister said he started showing psychological problems, "which were typical of his age". Sounds like an odd remark to me. Psychological problems are not "typical", regardless of age.

I hate to be pedantic, but that isn't the actual quote.

She said he was experiencing psychological problems, and that he was at the age where they can manifest themselves.

NOT that they were typical.

Sherifu

Sounds like there's more going on here than meets the eye.

MIN2511

Sherifu wrote: »

Sounds like there's more going on here than meets the eye.

I agree...

And tbh i don't think we would ever know the truth

_blank_

Sherifu wrote: »

Sounds like there's more going on here than meets the eye.

No way.

drunkmonkey

B-K-DzR wrote: »

assuming the cops were in the wrong is absurd.

Bollix the cops shot a man dead they are wrong, end of story!!!

If they ever arm the Gardai I will start carrying a gun myself and will shoot first if one of them even looks funny at me....

I didn't hear of any cop being wounded or shot at in this instance.....

seamus

DesF wrote: »

I hate to be pedantic, but that isn't the actual quote.

She said he was experiencing psychological problems, and that he was at the age where they can manifest themselves.

NOT that they were typical.

On newstalk, that's *exactly* what she said. Perhaps she worded it badly.

If they ever arm the Gardai I will start carrying a gun myself and will shoot first if one of them even looks funny at me....

Check yourself in here with the rest of the animals and do us civilised people a favour.

SheroN

Anyone feel a bit sorry for the cop?

Dragan

SheroN wrote: »

Anyone feel a bit sorry for the cop?

Well in the public eye the whole guilty till proven innocent thing applies it seems.

Sherifu

DesF wrote: »

No way.

Uh huh.

_blank_

seamus wrote: »

On newstalk, that's *exactly* what she said. Perhaps she worded it badly.

Apologies, I heard her on Morning Ireland.

Amazotheamazing

I dunno, the fact that no-one has been shot there in 20 years indicates something must have happened to make the cop fire at him.

Btw, this notion of all cops being highly trained expert marksmen who will shoot the guy in the knee or thigh and render him unable to flee is based on what exactly? Do people know hard such a shot would be to discharge?

Has it even been announced where he had been shot? (on the body, before anyone says Oregon)

Dyr

Deleted User wrote: »

And that doesnt seem odd to you?


Im not saying he definitely didnt do something to warrant force being used but A) cops are supposed to try and wound, not kill.

No, they're not but please continue talking out of yer swiss on the subject, this is AH after all :pac:

_blank_

Deleted User wrote: »

Has it even been announced where he had been shot? (on the body, before anyone says Oregon)

Little toe.

ejmaztec

Dragan wrote: »

Well in the public eye the whole guilty till proven innocent thing applies it seems.

Well, at least the cop will get the opportunity of proving it either way, but Hanlon won't.

Steve

There is a lot of urban myth surfacing in this thread:

Deleted User wrote: »

Im not saying he definitely didnt do something to warrant force being used but A) cops are supposed to try and wound, not kill. and going by what we have heard, with the cop being put on admin leave, it definitely seems fishy.

A) If an officer decides to shoot, they are trained to aim for centre body mass which is the most effective way to disable to disable the suspect. Basically if they shoot, they shoot to kill. They also cannot shoot unless they believe the suspect has a lethal weapon and is about to use it. A lot of kids get shot waving imitation firearms

The officer is suspended with pay after any firearms incident involving death or injury. By shooting, the officer is risking his career, livelihood and even liberty so they don't take the decision lightly.

I have some friends in Oregon and have been to a few of the shooting ranges that the cops use and got to know a few of them as well. Thats what I'm basing this on.

The whole 'shoot to injure' or 'shoot him in the leg' or 'shoot the gun from his hand' thing is a load of codswallop as well and only happens in the movies. Untill you've actually tried to shoot something for real with a handgun, you can't understand how inaccurate they are, that's why they aim for centre body mass.
In the shooting range at 25yds, you're doing well to hit the target (about the size of an A4 page), let alone get a bullseye.

Kintarō Hattori

ThE_IVIAcIVIAIV wrote: »

the shame, what an ****in idiot cop i hope he dies.whats the world coming to? and maybe he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time... and didn't rob anybody. and having mental problems is no reason to be shot. and sure the cop wouldn't have known about his probs.... poor family.

I'd recommend following the advice you give in your sig.

skywalker

ThE_IVIAcIVIAIV wrote: »

the shame, what an ****in idiot cop i hope he dies.whats the world coming to? and maybe he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time... and didn't rob anybody. and having mental problems is no reason to be shot. and sure the cop wouldn't have known about his probs.... poor family.

AS has been said already, no one here knows the circumstances of the case, and you "hope the cop dies" are you serious?

DadaKopf

Yeah, feck sake. The kneejerkism in this thread is insane.

What we know:

• An Irish man has been shot dead
• A police officer shot him
• There was an allegation of a robbery
• It happened in Silverton, Orgeon

What we don't know

• Anything about Hanlon or his mental state
• What he was doing
• What provocation led to the shooting
• Firearm policy and training of the Oregonian police service

We know nothing, yet so many people will jump to conclusions based on teary-eyed feelings of nationalism and anti-Americanism. Oh, no, a son of mother Ireland could never do anything wrong, it must be those nasty, gun totin' Americans. Total Irish exceptionalist narccissism.

R0ot

DesF wrote: »

Hang on.

The sister was on the rayjo this morning.

Apparently the dude was being treated for psychological problems.

Maybe he gave the policeman cause to shoot?

Well short of pulling a knife/crowbar/gun on the police officer there would not have been cause to shoot no matter how "freaky" he may have been acting, it's the reason the police carry tazers(sp?), pepper spray and batons.

Wompa1

I watch alot of CSI so I think I can solve this groovy mystery..The young man in question frequented an Ice Cream parlour not 5 minutes from the scene of the shooting, That night he had himself some punch and pie before walking back to his house. When walking home he came upon a burglary, he called the cops and asked for assistance, as the cops arrived he realised he was an illegal alien and decided to run, the cops shouted at him to stop but he didn't hear them due to an inner ear problem he developed at the age of 9 when he banged his head falling off a see-saw, he kept running giving the cop no alternative but to shoot. Don't thank me just pay it forward!

joejoem

drunkmonkey wrote: »

That's why i've never visited or intend on visiting America....

Cops are shooting civillans everyday, I think the cops in this case as making out that he could have been escaping from a burgulary (which is utter rubbish).
Even if he was that's no reason to shoot a man dead...

*makes mongo face*


America isn't all gun wielding maniacs. From reading that article it would seem the fella had phsycological problems, I find it hard to believe that the cop was just using him as target practice inbetween swigging moonshine.

Yes its a sad case, I'm sure if I was a cop / garda putting my life on the line is different situations I would choose my safety over someone suspicious. It would depend on the circumstance of course.

ejmaztec

joejoem wrote: »

*makes mongo face*


America isn't all gun wielding maniacs. From reading that article it would seem the fella had phsycological problems, I find it hard to believe that the cop was just using him as target practice inbetween swigging moonshine.

.

You forgot the doughnuts

Tasers can kill as well. And if the person died from this, then people will ask, "why were tasers used?"

MIN2511

Wompa1 wrote: »

I watch alot of CSI so I think I can solve this groovy mystery..The young man in question frequented an Ice Cream parlour not 5 minutes from the scene of the shooting, That night he had himself some punch and pie before walking back to his house. When walking home he came upon a burglary, he called the cops and asked for assistance, as the cops arrived he realised he was an illegal alien and decided to run, the cops shouted at him to stop but he didn't hear them due to an inner ear problem he developed at the age of 9 when he banged his head falling off a see-saw, he kept running giving the cop no alternative but to shoot. Don't thank me just pay it forward!

hehehee

R0ot

Deleted User wrote: »

Tasers can kill as well. And if the person died from this, then people will ask, "why were tasers used?"

Yeah well a baton can kill too. I'd rather have the chance of a tazer hit not killing me over someone shooting me and i'm sure others are the same.

Manic Moran

The ignorance is strong in this thread...

Dadakopf has it right. We know basically nothing upon which to base a decision either condemning or praising the cop.

It should also be noted that not all departments carry Tasers. They're something of a 'loaded' weapon, in that if they're used and someone dies, people holler "Why did they use a Taser on him!? Police Brutality!" or "There was no call to use a Taser on me! Police brutality!" and some departments simply couldn't be arsed to deal with it.

NTM

DadaKopf

Wompa1 wrote: »

I watch alot of CSI so I think I can solve this groovy mystery..The young man in question frequented an Ice Cream parlour not 5 minutes from the scene of the shooting, That night he had himself some punch and pie before walking back to his house. When walking home he came upon a burglary, he called the cops and asked for assistance, as the cops arrived he realised he was an illegal alien and decided to run, the cops shouted at him to stop but he didn't hear them due to an inner ear problem he developed at the age of 9 when he banged his head falling off a see-saw, he kept running giving the cop no alternative but to shoot. Don't thank me just pay it forward!

I'll wait 'till it's on Cold Case.

Canis Lupus

So many people jumping to conclusions on this thread that I had to check we weren't talking about Eastern Europeans.

run_Forrest_run

The mother of the victim is on Live Line right now.

Wompa1

DadaKopf wrote: »

I'll wait 'till it's on Cold Case.

Did you not see the earlier thread!? People will demand answers! It won't go on long enough to reach cold case. Maybe since he's Irish the priority will be raised and they can get all the fictional detectives working on it, Grisham for his pithy one liners, Caruzo for his stupid one liners and sun glasses and Mac for his....I guess police work seeing as though the others are more joke characters...ohh and throw in House aswell just in case it wasn't the shot that killed him

yayamark

Jesus yer mad here in AH ye should be on the olympics for long jumps:rolleyes:

FruitLover

Deleted User wrote: »

BUT shoot him in a non fatal - non life threatening area FFS

Not an option for police. It's either shoot to the center mass or don't shoot at all. (Just realized this point has already been addressed)

stevec wrote: »

Basically if they shoot, they shoot to kill.

Not exactly - they shoot to incapacitate. Naturally, death is often a side-effect of a couple of bullets in the chest.

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Bollix the cops shot a man dead they are wrong, end of story!!!

Ah, we didn't realize you were there at the time of the shooting. Can you give us your eyewitness report please?

drunkmonkey wrote: »

If they ever arm the Gardai I will start carrying a gun myself and will shoot first if one of them even looks funny at me....

I doubt it. Trying to look like a hard man on the internet is really sad.