The armed citizen, sad NH story yesterday

[tomoshenko]

FRANCONIA, N.H. -- A Franconia police officer was shot and killed during a routine motor vehicle stop on Friday.

The state attorney general's office says Cpl. Bruce McKay, 48, was shot four times and run over by the suspect's car on Route 116 in Franconia. McKay was a 12-year veteran of the Franconia Police Department.

The state attorney general's office says the incident began Friday night when McKay attempted to pull over Liko Kenney on Route 116. Kenney took off, leading McKay on a brief pursuit.

Investigators say when McKay stopped Kenney a second time a mile up the road, he used pepper spray to subdue him. According to police, that's when Kenney shot the officer four times and the proceeded to run the officer over with his car.

State Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said a passer-by, Gregory Floyd, 49, witnessed the incident and rushed to the officer's aid. Investigators say Floyd grabbed McKay's gun and ordered Kenney to drop his weapon. According to Senior Assistant Attorney General Jeff Strelzin, Floyd fatally shot Kenney when he tried to reload his gun.

Ayotte said the state has decided Floyd's actions were justified and he will not be facing any charges.

According to police, there was a previous incident involving McKay and Kenney. Back in 2003, Kenney was convicted of simple assault and resisting arrest for an incident involving McKay.

Family members said Kenney was ski champion Bode Miller's cousin. Back in September 2005, McKay pulled Bode Miller over on Route 116 for going 83 mph in a 40 mph zone.

As of Saturday afternoon, Miller did not return any calls to comment about the incident.

Friday night, Gov. John Lynch ordered all flags be lowered to half staff. He also visited with first responders in Franconia on Saturday who spent the night investigating McKay's death.

He said, "My thoughts and prayers, and those of my wife, Susan, are with the family of the New Hampshire police officer killed this evening while serving the people of our state."

The last police officer killed in the line of duty was Manchester Officer Michael Briggs, who was shot and killed in October 2006.

[Big Steve]

That's really sad. I don't know what proper police procedure is but I think I would have had that guy at gun point (not pepper spray point) after he had run from me the first time. I know that I was not there and may not know the whole deal. But the more you here of this kind of thing, the more the cops need to be extra cautious.
Steve

[Norton]

You won't read that in the Ney York Times or Washington Post.
If they do print the story they will leave out armed civilian part and focus on the cop killed with handgun part.

[Teyvareb]

Just when I start to think people in this state are starting to come back to their senses...

[rustypirate]

Well, Damn!

My knee jerk reaction to reading this is that the cop should have just pulled his gun and not even tried to use the less-lethal approach, but on further reflection, I was just as adamant that pulling a gun was unnecessary in the incident where the men were shot in their car outside a club a few months ago too.

It is frustrating that upholding the law is so unpredictable. What if this...... If only that.......

I cannot judge the officer in this incident..... his sentence has already been handed down.

I applaud the citizen who put his own life at risk to aid the fallen lawman. I condem with utmost distaste the one who shot the officer down.

It disturbs me very much to see people who so dismissively disregard the laws even to the extent of killing an officer of the law. This makes me wonder how trivial and lenient are the penalties for these crimes if the criminals are so willing to face them.

There is a saying about making something a "Federal case". The origination of this comes from elevating something from a petty crime, to to something with a much more serious penalty.

Criminals never used to want their situation to become a "federal case" because that meant their apprehention or death was nearly assured, and the penalty was unbearable.

The only cure for violent crime is to make the penalty for it

Unbearable
Unspeakable
Unending
Unrelenting
Unendurable

Whoever contemplates violent crime should fear the sentence of that act to their very bones, and those who feel the penalty for violent crime should never ever want to contemplate commiting such a crime again.

this is the only sure way to reduce violent crime. (you see that I say reduce, not eliminate, because there will always be someone who feels that they can get away with it)

[SteelCore]

"I applaud the citizen who put his own life at risk to aid the fallen lawman. I condem with utmost distaste the one who shot the officer down."

+1 to that. Good ont he citizen, sad for the LEO and his fam.