I am having a hard time siding with Ersland on this one. I go back and forth often in the matter, from Doctor M's standpoint, to how Ice feels about it.
The soldier in me knows that I've squeezed off more rounds than were necessary to neutralize a threat in a hostile environment. But, at the same time, I just don't think an op. in OIF is even remotely close to what is happening here in this pharmacy. At least not as far as we can see in the video.
The civilian in me, and indeed the aspiring pharmacist, understands the empathy/compassion argument as well. The threat was obviously neutral. No movement is visible from the assailant and truth be told he was probably sputtering, voiding his bowels, and otherwise in the throes of death (not a pretty sight, movies do not ever get the portrayal of this quite right...) and generally just really dicked up.
I don't see how this is at all similar to the FL case Doctor M is bringing into this. If those FL cops had shot the guy prior to being shot, I could get it. But their assailant, unfortunately, was not otherwise disabled and certainly was able to retaliate. But, c'mon, watching that surveillance footage, this dude laying on the ground dying is not even the same thing as a dude who just got stopped at 2 AM for a traffic violation!
I believe that the guy Ersland shot wasn't even the one carrying the firearm. Please correct me if I'm wrong. If I am not wrong, Ersland should've seen that the assailant had no weapon. He instead returned to his arsenal, retrieved another firearm, and went at the guy nearly point blank range.
Feel for him? Absolutely. Does carrying a firearm, though, warrant you being held to a higher standard? Definitely! If you're willing to carry the power to take life in a holster you'd better damn well be able to handle the responsibility. Ersland certainly demonstrated a lack of that in this video.
The one thing grating most on me is how Ersland claimed PTSD and war-time trauma that caused his actions, yet he was never deployed to Desert Storm OR Shield, and instead spent his "overseas" time "in support" of the operations in Germany. Give. Me. A. Break.
but, like I said, I'm on the fence, because I certainly see it from all the sides. The guy holding the gun being shot at, the guy doing the shooting, the poor guy who had the wrong friends (As I believe it turned out the one that got AWAY was the real villain between the 2 of them...), and the jury that has to decide what to do with this guy.
But one thing is for sure. He's a liar. And jurors do not like that one bit particularly when the lying involves a possible motive (hey, he had a psychotic break right, he was in war, crazy crap happens in war, so you go nuts occasionally, right???)
JUST showing the video, it's an execution. But there might be other factors, off camera, going on that we can't see... like what's happening in the Messerley trial in L.A. right now (The ex-BART cop that shot a guy who was laying on the ground accidentally, killing him). The trial defense attorneys are all on record saying hey, if you show THE RAW VIDEO to 10 people at least 9 will say he's down right guilty of homicide... but there are other factors involved, unbeknownst to any ol' watcher of said video.
So, we just don't know all there is to know.
Dammit this really has me flustered.
