REPORT: Authorities: Hofstra student was killed by police. Some people are giving this an anti-cop spin, but I don’t see it. It’s a tough situation: “A Hofstra University student being held at gunpoint by an intruder was accidently shot and killed by a police officer who had responded to the home invasion at an off-campus home, police said Saturday. Junior public relations major Andrea Rebello was shot once in the head early Friday morning by an officer who opened fire after the masked intruder pointed a gun at the officer while holding the 21-year-old in a headlock, Nassau County homicide squad Lt. John Azzata said.”
UPDATE: More:
Police fired eight shots at the intruder, who authorities say was holding a gun to the head of 21-year-old Andrea Rebello during a home invasion robbery Friday at an off-campus house in Uniondale.
One of the shots hit Rebello in the head, killing her, police spokeswoman Maureen Roach said.
Also killed was the intruder, who authorities identified as Dalton Smith, 30, of Hempstead. He was struck seven times.
Authorities say Smith, who was wearing a mask, invaded the home Rebello shared with her twin sister and two others during the pre-dawn hours on Friday.
At some point, a female roommate of the twins was able to leave the home and call police, a police spokesman told CNN on Friday.
When a police officer arrived, Smith was holding a gun to Rebello’s head, Roach said.
He told the officer he was going to kill Rebello, and then turned the handgun toward the officer, she said.
The officer, fearing for his life, drew his gun and fired, Roach said.
Based on these facts, it doesn’t sound like the officer did anything wrong.
UPDATE: Prof. Joseph Olson writes:
Civilian “combat shooters” who participate in IPSC or IDPA competitions practice, practice, practice, head shots to the bad guy while missing the hostage. Sometimes they do it after 10 push-ups or a 50 yard run (designed to induce physical stress). 99% of the time they miss the hostage and get the bad guy.
Regular street cops are allowed to carry guns but don’t get this level of training.
The student was killed because the city is too cheap to provide adequate realistic training.
Well, possibly. And reader William Gasper writes: “I think this is simply a case of the police not getting enough tactical simulation practice. Likely due to the Obama administration trying to limit ammunition available to citizens. Obama has a lot of blood on his hands.”
Well, it’s no worse than blaming Bush for Benghazi.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Reader Stephen Hamori writes:
Plus; after all the recent gun owner bashing, a lot of us are holding law enforcement up to the standards we think we are held to by the usual suspects / MSM. If someone took a hostage in a public place and a civilian fired at them… because the other guy started aiming at a crowd… you can image the press. Untrained gun nut kills hostage by ‘mistake’. Changed with manslaughter by DA. Add in that few law enforcement people are speaking out against taking gun rights away from the general public…
I see the point, but I still don’t think the cop here deserves the blame.