News Chase,Taser,Shoot - Page 8

Mr. Laz · 03-25-2015, 09:24 AM

Cop Arrested After Video Shows Her Shoot Unarmed Man in Back Lying Face Down in the Snow
By Cassandra Fairbanks on March 25, 2015

image:

Harrisburg, PA– Hummelstown police Officer, Lisa J. Mearkle was charged with criminal homicide on Tuesday in the shooting death of 59-year-old David Kassick on February 2.

Mearkle shot Kassick as he laid face down on the ground in the snow, unarmed, during a routine traffic stop gone awry.

Mearkle had attempted to pull Kassick over for an expired inspection sticker, but the situation escalated when Kassick attempted to flee from the officer.

Eventually Mearkle caught up to the motorist close to his sister’s home where he was staying, but Kassick got out of the vehicle and fled on foot. As he was attempting to run away, he was incapacitated by the officer’s taser which she held in her left hand. With her right hand, she unnecessarily pulled out her service gun and shot the unarmed man twice in the back as he lay face-down on the ground.

The 36-year-old officer claims that she shot the unarmed man because he would not show his hands and she was concerned he may have been reaching in his jacket for a weapon, but the recording from the deployed taser paints a different picture.

District Attorney Ed Marsico has stated that it appeared from the recording that Kassick was simply trying to remove the stun gun probes from his back before his life was taken.

“At the time Officer Mearkle fires both rounds from her pistol, the video clearly depicts Kassick lying on the snow covered lawn with his face toward the ground, furthermore, at the time the rounds are fired nothing can be seen in either of Kassick’s hands, nor does he point or direct anything toward Officer Mearkle,” the arrest affidavit reads.

A syringe was found near his body, and there were unspecified drugs as well as alcohol in his system when he died. His family has admitted that he has struggled with addiction, a personal problem which should not have cost him his life.

“Mr. Kassick is now dead as a result of a traffic stop, a routine traffic stop,” one of the family’s attorneys, Christopher Slusser, told the press. “He should not be dead. He should not have died as a result of that traffic stop. And the manner in which he was shot — you can infer from that what you will.”

Mearkle is currently free on $250,000 bail. She faces potential charges ranging from misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter to felony first-degree murder depending on what the prosecution decides when she is formally arraigned.

Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/pa-...v0jtryAGBAF.99

**The Franchise** · 03-25-2015, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radar Chief

No you don't.
Some municipalities have that as a local regulation but there is no law saying you don't chase someone that runs.

I was being sarcastic.

**Dartgod** · 03-25-2015, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish

I just don't think he deserved to be shot at for that. I'd rather law enforcement watch a shitty but otherwise harmless lowlife run off into the night than take the change of accidentally killing him over a stupid vehicle emissions sticker.

JFC, nobody is saying he deserved it.

FACT: Had he not run, he would probably be alive.

Mutually exclusive.

Radar Chief · 03-25-2015, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dicky McElephant

I was being sarcastic.

My bad.

**BigMeatballDave** · 03-25-2015, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish

I just don't think he deserved to be shot at for that. I'd rather law enforcement watch a shitty but otherwise harmless lowlife run off into the night than take the change of accidentally killing him over a stupid vehicle emissions sticker.

Again, no one said he deserved to be shot.

Fact is, he took off, so isn't that probable cause for the officer to chase?

unlurking · 03-25-2015, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sully

It's so silly to say, "The guy has some responsibility, too." IMO.

If I walk out of the door, and a bird flies into my face, causing me to fall down the stairs, at the bottom of which I try to get up, slip on a banana peel, slide down the driveway into traffic, dodge all the cars, only to fall over the curb across the street into a hot dog cart, falling face first into the scalding hot water, which eventually infects a razor cut I had, which kills me, I only have slightly less responsibility for my death than this guy.

Unless you argue that we should reasonably expect that all cops are violent animals who will shoot at anything running, then (while a moron) this guy should have had no expectation that by running he would be shot.

Now... I would argue that all cops aren't violent animals, who are going to fire their guns at anyone who is running. I would argue that this guy, who was (according to the story) showing no aggression, had every reason to believe he would be caught and arrested. But that he had some responsibility for his shooting? I don't think that he did, to any significant level.

I may walk out my front door every day, but I don't flee the cops every day. A bit disingenuous trying to compare the two.

Brock · 03-25-2015, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigMeatballDave

She absolutely did overreact by shooting him, and no one is trying to exonerate her. She should get a manslaughter charge. She should never be a cop again.

If he stays in his car, he is still alive.

If they'd never given this unhinged bitch a badge and a gun, he'd probably still be alive too. He's zero percent at fault for this chain of events. Cops are held to a higher standard than a lowlife junkie, although I'm beginning to question whether that's really true.

**Bugeater** · 03-25-2015, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish

I just don't think he deserved to be shot at for that. I'd rather law enforcement watch a shitty but otherwise harmless lowlife run off into the night than take the change of accidentally killing him over a stupid vehicle emissions sticker.

I'm not saying he deserved it by any means, but I have no sympathy for him nor will I be outraged if the cop doesn't do life in prison over this.

Sully · 03-25-2015, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unlurking

I may walk out my front door every day, but I don't flee the cops every day. A bit disingenuous trying to compare the two.

I'm only comparing the two in order to illustrate that your responsibility only goes so far as your expectations of cause/effect. You can reasonably expect things to follow other things...

Do drugs= You may OD
Flunk out of school= Poor job
Ask for directions in East St Louis= No tires
Eat Asparagus= stinky pee

But I don't think you do (or reasonably should) expect Flee from the cops= Shot to death. I don't think it should even come close to being an expectation.

So yeah, in a broad sense, every decision we make is responsible for everything that happens, as in my story you quoted. But I don't think it's a terribly meaningful or interesting thing to bring up in this particular case, unless you are trying to (in the tiniest of ways) claim that the cop wasn't completely wrong.

Sully · 03-25-2015, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brock

If they'd never given this unhinged bitch a badge and a gun, he'd probably still be alive too. He's zero percent at fault for this chain of events. Cops should be held to a higher standard than a lowlife junkie, although I'm beginning to question whether that's really true.

FIFY

Changed the word "are" to "should be."

**BigMeatballDave** · 03-25-2015, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baconeater

I'm not saying he deserved it by any means, but I have no sympathy for him nor will I be outraged if the cop doesn't do life in prison over this.

Yep

Strongside · 03-25-2015, 02:58 PM

All you have to do is look at the statistics to see that there's a problem in this country.

**The Franchise** · 03-25-2015, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strongside

All you have to do is look at the statistics to see that there's a problem in this country.

Thanks Captain Obvious.

**mdchiefsfan** · 03-25-2015, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

So if you break any law then you deserve to die?

Just hand cops bazookas and been done with it then.

Jaywalking ....... BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

no need for tickets or courts for anything then ... save the country some money

Well, I'm sure reloading said bazooka could get quite costly.

**mdchiefsfan** · 03-25-2015, 03:12 PM

I mean, the damn United States Army can't shoot an opposing soldier in the back; wtf is it viewed as acceptable in this situation?

jerryforeverrice80 · 03-25-2015, 03:32 PM

make sure you don't have an expired inspection sticker on your car when traveling through Harrisburg,PA

03-25-2015, 09:24 AM
Mr. Laz Don't Tease Me Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: KS Casino cash: $11047037	Chase,Taser,Shoot Cop Arrested After Video Shows Her Shoot Unarmed Man in Back Lying Face Down in the Snow By Cassandra Fairbanks on March 25, 2015 image: Harrisburg, PA– Hummelstown police Officer, Lisa J. Mearkle was charged with criminal homicide on Tuesday in the shooting death of 59-year-old David Kassick on February 2. Mearkle shot Kassick as he laid face down on the ground in the snow, unarmed, during a routine traffic stop gone awry. Mearkle had attempted to pull Kassick over for an expired inspection sticker, but the situation escalated when Kassick attempted to flee from the officer. Eventually Mearkle caught up to the motorist close to his sister’s home where he was staying, but Kassick got out of the vehicle and fled on foot. As he was attempting to run away, he was incapacitated by the officer’s taser which she held in her left hand. With her right hand, she unnecessarily pulled out her service gun and shot the unarmed man twice in the back as he lay face-down on the ground. The 36-year-old officer claims that she shot the unarmed man because he would not show his hands and she was concerned he may have been reaching in his jacket for a weapon, but the recording from the deployed taser paints a different picture. District Attorney Ed Marsico has stated that it appeared from the recording that Kassick was simply trying to remove the stun gun probes from his back before his life was taken. “At the time Officer Mearkle fires both rounds from her pistol, the video clearly depicts Kassick lying on the snow covered lawn with his face toward the ground, furthermore, at the time the rounds are fired nothing can be seen in either of Kassick’s hands, nor does he point or direct anything toward Officer Mearkle,” the arrest affidavit reads. A syringe was found near his body, and there were unspecified drugs as well as alcohol in his system when he died. His family has admitted that he has struggled with addiction, a personal problem which should not have cost him his life. “Mr. Kassick is now dead as a result of a traffic stop, a routine traffic stop,” one of the family’s attorneys, Christopher Slusser, told the press. “He should not be dead. He should not have died as a result of that traffic stop. And the manner in which he was shot — you can infer from that what you will.” Mearkle is currently free on $250,000 bail. She faces potential charges ranging from misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter to felony first-degree murder depending on what the prosecution decides when she is formally arraigned. Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/pa-...v0jtryAGBAF.99
Posts: 95,626

03-25-2015, 02:58 PM	#116
Strongside Mahomes or GTFO Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: KC Casino cash: $5984282	All you have to do is look at the statistics to see that there's a problem in this country.
Posts: 13,198

03-25-2015, 03:12 PM	#119
mdchiefsfan Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Casino cash: $3333904	I mean, the damn United States Army can't shoot an opposing soldier in the back; wtf is it viewed as acceptable in this situation? __________________ 2017 Adopt-A-Chief:TYREEK HILL
Posts: 10,760

03-25-2015, 03:32 PM	#120
jerryforeverrice80 Starter Join Date: Aug 2013 Casino cash: $10011292	make sure you don't have an expired inspection sticker on your car when traveling through Harrisburg,PA
Posts: 645