WESH: Deputies shoot, kill man after knocking on wrong door

[China]

Deputies shoot, kill man after knocking on wrong door

FDLE looking into deputy-involved shooting

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. -

Lake County Sheriff's Office deputies shot and killed a man they assumed was an attempted murder suspect on Sunday, but they now know they shot the wrong man.

In the early-morning hours, deputies knocked on 26-year-old Andrew Lee Scott's door without identifying themselves as law enforcement officers. Scott answered the door with a gun in his hand.

"When we knocked on the door, the door opened and the occupant of that apartment was pointing a gun at deputies, and that's when we opened fire and killed him," Lt. John Herrell said. "Even though this subject is not the one we were looking for when he opened the door. He was pointing the gun at the deputy and if you put yourselves in the deputy's shoes. They were there to pick up someone who was wanted for an attempted homicide."

Officials said the deputies did not identify themselves because of safety reasons.

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[RVAbrendan]

Wow. So, this dude thinks strangers are at his door at 1:30 AM so he arms himself for protection. Shame the cops didn't identify themselves, this could have been avoided.

I understand their reasoning for not identifying themselves, but they acted way too fast. Hard to put much of the blame on the victim here.

[dreamshatterer]

If they didn't identify themselves, they should be in trouble. I thought that was part of normal procedure.

[Forehead]

I guess the thinking is they didn't because the guy was wanted for attempted homicide and they didn't want him shooting at them from the house. A smart course of action...predicated upon them actually getting the house right in the first place

[Koolblue13]

That's a shame. These days, I don't have much company. If somebody is knocking on my door at 1:21 am, I'm answering that door armed as well.

If you were going after somebody at that time of night, who has already tried to kill somebody, wouldn't you double check your info? Wrong door? Idiots.

[sideshow24]

Wow. So, this dude thinks strangers are at his door at 1:30 AM so he arms himself for protection. Shame the cops didn't identify themselves, this could have been avoided.

I understand their reasoning for not identifying themselves, but they acted way too fast. Hard to put much of the blame on the victim here.

Hard to put ANY of the blame on the victim.

[Teller]

Never aim a weapon in the direction of something you don't intend to destroy. Period.

Let's say the guy is clueless they're cops. (And apparently he was.) Is it standard procedure to open your door and make someone stare down your barrell before you ease up a little?

And spare me the "he thought someone was breaking in" routine. Someone up to know good isn't going to knock.

Sucks they knocked on the wrong door, but good shoot, IMO.

[Koolblue13]

Sucks they knocked on the wrong door, but good shoot, IMO.

Are you ****ing kidding me? If you live in a less than great apartment building and you get a knock on the door at 1:21am, are you answering the door unarmed? With your girls inside?

[Teller]

Are you ****ing kidding me? If you live in a less than great apartment building and you get a knock on the door at 1:21am, are you answering the door unarmed? With your girls inside?

Armed, and aiming the weapon at the person, are two different things. If you blindly answer your door, pointing a gun at someone, you're an idiot. Who's to say it's not a 10-year old girl running to your apartment because her's is on fire?

But hey, **** the police and all. They should have just gotten shot for doing something they have EVERY legal right to do.

[Forehead]

If it's me, I probably don't answer the door. If I do, I don't own a gun, but I have a bat nearby, and the storm door is always locked so it's an extra barrier someone would have to get through.

[dfitzo53]

And spare me the "he thought someone was breaking in" routine. Someone up to know good isn't going to knock.

Agree with everything you said except this. I wouldn't put anything past people.

There was a rash of crimes in Baltimore where a crew imitated police (including fake uniforms) knocked on the door, pushed their way in claiming some kind of search, and then robbed the homeowners at gunpoint. A few victims were even shot and killed. I don't recall whether the perpetrators were ever caught.

[Teller]

Agree with everything you said except this. I wouldn't put anything past people.

There was a rash of crimes in Baltimore where a crew imitated police (including fake uniforms) knocked on the door, pushed their way in claiming some kind of search, and then robbed the homeowners at gunpoint. A few victims were even shot and killed. I don't recall whether the perpetrators were ever caught.

I should have qualified that with "most of the time," certainly.

*edit* I also should KNOW how to spell the two-letter word "no."

And that sounds like a God-awful case. Wow.

[RVAbrendan]

Agree with everything you said except this. I wouldn't put anything past people.

There was a rash of crimes in Baltimore where a crew imitated police (including fake uniforms) knocked on the door, pushed their way in claiming some kind of search, and then robbed the homeowners at gunpoint. A few victims were even shot and killed. I don't recall whether the perpetrators were ever caught.

I can attest to this. I work for a property management company (apartments) and see incident reports every day of crimes. Although break-ins do occur, it's not uncommon for people to knock on resident's doors claiming they are somebody else, only to force their way in.

[sideshow24]

Armed, and aiming the weapon at the person, are two different things. If you blindly answer your door, pointing a gun at someone, you're an idiot. Who's to say it's not a 10-year old girl running to your apartment because her's is on fire?

But hey, **** the police and all. They should have just gotten shot for doing something they have EVERY legal right to do.

I am pro-police, but your loyalty is misguided. They shot an innocent man to death in his own home doing something that HE had every legal right to do.

[Teller]

I am pro-police, but your loyalty is misguided. They shot an innocent man to death in his own home doing something that HE had every legal right to do.

It's not "loyalty." It's an honest evaluation of the facts. I don't care if they're cops or not. If someone, again legally, knocks on someone else's door (cop or not) and finds a gun in their face, they have every right to defend themselves with deadly force.

---------- Post added July-17th-2012 at 11:07 AM ----------

What were they supposed to do? A suspected murderer's bike was parked in front of the apartment. They knock on the apartment door. They find a gun in their faces.

"Woops, pardon me, sir, but do you have any Grey Poupon?"

GTFO.