LAPD officers who stopped Hollywood gunman's rampage honored

[M3Bahn]

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Police Chief Charlie Beck on Friday showered praise on the three officers who confronted a gunman firing on people in Hollywood last week.

The officers “put themselves directly in harm’s way, face to face with this suspect. They absolutely saved the lives of an untold number of people, who unknowingly were headed toward the violence,” Villaraigosa said at a press conference to honor the officers.

The Dec. 9 shooting rampage was shocking for its random and brazen nature. Around 10:30 in the morning, 26-year-old Tyler Brehm walked into the middle of the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street, armed with a handgun, and opened fire at people as they drove by. Brehm fatally wounded one man and injured two other people.

Officer Kevin Cotter, who was off-duty, heard the shots from a nearby movie set where he was working a side job. Det. Craig Marquez and Officer Travon Dixon were at a coffee shop a few blocks away when frantic witnesses ran up to them with word of the gunfire. The three officers converged on the scene and found Brehm still shooting.

Brehm ignored orders from Cotter and Marquez to drop his weapon, witnesses said. When he pointed the gun at the officers, they shot and fatally wounded him.

Beck commended the officers for jumping into action in without hesitation despite the circumstances. Cotter was without his police radio and so had no idea what he was running into. The other officers were in plainclothes, had no protective vests and “were expecting a routine day of detective work,” Beck said.

“It’s one thing to go into a situation when you’re fully prepared, fully briefed, have all the information you need,” he said. “It’s another thing when a murderous rampage causes you … to go forth and directly challenge an armed gunman who has already taken someone’s life. That’s heroism.”

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...e-praised.html

[Comet]

ITT: cop does what cop is paid to do, and for once, not giving speeding tickets

good job

[MDyDinanM]

Originally Posted by Comet

ITT: cop does what cop is paid to do, and for once, not giving speeding tickets

good job

you mad?

[Comet]

Originally Posted by mdyaman

you mad?

just, this is what they are paid to do..

what's next? Doctor performs heimlich to man in Restaurant, gets medal?

[Templar]

One of them was off-duty. So he had the choice to get involved or be a regular joe for a bit, and it wouldn't have been considered a dereliction of his duty. Not to mention he didn't know what he was running into exactly...

Either way, it takes balls to run into a situation like that. Balls you don't know you have (or don't have) until you're put in a situation like that and either run away or man up and do the right thing.

[MDyDinanM]

Originally Posted by Comet

just, this is what they are paid to do..

what's next? Doctor performs heimlich to man in Restaurant, gets medal?

so we shouldn't have awards for heroism? What about the military? We get paid to go to combat and be in hazardous conditions, but sometimes people go above and beyond.

Or, if you working at a company, and get an award for doing your job really well?

Not saying that is the case here, b/c I don't know the full circumstances, but it seems the cop put himself at risk when he could have done other things.

In regards to your Doctors analogy, Doctors gets paid for services at their clinic/office/hopsital, etc, not what they do in their free time, or in your example, at a restaurant.

I don't know, just saying.

[NYCGP]

Off-Duty Cops carry weapons on them for this exact reason. I am glad they were there to take this guy down.

[M3Bahn]

Originally Posted by Comet

just, this is what they are paid to do..

what's next? Doctor performs heimlich to man in Restaurant, gets medal?

You are being pretty harsh.

Easy to say when you are not in that situation.

[RnmEvo9]

Originally Posted by Comet

just, this is what they are paid to do..

what's next? Doctor performs heimlich to man in Restaurant, gets medal?

I'm not going to lie, I LOL'd.

[chungdae]

Comet doesn't like cops.

[M3Bahn]

Originally Posted by chungdae

Comet doesn't like cops.

Are you out of the academy yet?