Monday morning feel good story
UpNorth sends us a link to our story with which to joyously start our week, this time from Grand Rapids where a fellow was loading his pickup truck and two armed gentlemen introduced themselves to save him the trouble;
Police say a man was loading equipment into his pick-up truck when two people tried to rob him, both had guns. The intended victim was able to get into his truck and grab his own gun before shooting one of the suspects. The other suspect ran away but left his gun behind. The shot suspect ran a few doors down and collapsed in between some houses. Police say that shot suspect is in serious condition.
The suspects were able to get away with some of the man’s equipment.
Is it just me or are these local reporters taking too many liberties with the language, lately? “Shot suspect”?
Category: Feel Good Stories
“Shot suspect”,… It was obviously written by a graduate of some touchie-feely-cream puff liberal arts school of urinalism, taught by freeze-dried hippie professors!
At least he didn’t write “alleged suspect”.
As for the suspect, the only thing left to say is “Fo’ Shizzle”. Do we have a status on his medical condition? I need to know if I will be adding another t-shirt to my commemorative homie shirt collection.
Presumption of innocence. It works both for the shoot-er and for the shoot-ee.
Well, finally, some junior newsie wrote an article about a thief who got shot and didn’t call him a ‘victim’.
Hallelujah! Hot dog!
But ‘shot suspect’ is clearly a violation of the Rules of Engagement with the English language. Credit: 1 pt; demerit: -1 pt.
Yeah, still an even -0- there. 😉
Does anyone know how to do the slash-zero like they used to do on teletype?
In this case I think it’s just you. On my first Iraq tour I took a statement from a National Guard NCO who took down an out-of-control private (the guy was attacking his squad leader). His statement included the immortal phrase, “I executed a groin/throat grab technique on the suspect.” No prizes for guessing this guy’s civilian occupation…but anyway, calling him a “suspect” wasn’t taking a liberty with the language, at least no more than police-report prose does.
I suspect the reporters get into this habit as an extra precaution to avoid libel suits — in those cases where the facts turn out to be BS, and the suspect turns out to be a victim, it’s harder for a plaintiff to avoid a motion to dismiss if he was called a “suspect” instead of a “robber.” (Since these are private persons rather than public figures, they have an easier standard to meet than politicians or TV journalists do.)
Proof that the firearm must be carried on your person and not out-of-reach in a vehicle.
Additionally, one round kept in the chamber and the weapon carried in “Condition One”.
The victim was lucky.
P.S. – I don’t see a problem with using “shot” as an adjective either; and given that newspaper journalists, at least writing for print papers, are traditionally keen to save space, I don’t have an issue with that either. It even almost alliterates.
“Presumption of innocence. It works both for the shoot-er and for the shoot-ee.” Well, no, it doesn’t. That is a legal presumption and nothing more. Let’s say that a person is suspected of committing a crime. If he is presumed to be innocent, why is he arrested and not merely invited to respond to the charge? He is strip-searched and put in a jail cell. Depending upon the day of the week, the time of day, and the jurisdiction, he may sit in jail for days until bail review. Depending upon a number of factors, this person, presumed to be innocent, may be denied bail or bail may be set so high that it effectively is denied. When he is transported from, say, jail to court and back, he is in leg irons and cuffs. Remember, he is presumed to be innocent. He is not indigent and a good attorney will cost him, oh, $12,000. Regardless of the trial outcome, the money will not be refunded. His arrest made the local paper and, after a few months, he receives a letter from his employer severing their employment relationship. His life is in a shambles but, he’s told, he is presumed to be innocent. I could go on. My point is this: The presumption is a legal one that is applicable only in a legal forum. It establishes a burden, placed upon the prosecution, to produce evidence sufficient to defeat the presumption. If it is unable to do so at trial, the defendant is found not guilty, never innocent.
Somehow, the non-legal players adopted the legal presumption and applied it where, in my view, it doesn’t always fit and is, in fact, often wholly inappropriate.
Shot suspect? I prefer properly ventilated suspect.
@6: Yep, you won’t always have the chance to get to your firearm, so it’s best to be packing it locked and cocked, if you are authorized to do so.
“Shot suspect” is kind of clumsy. I think it would have been more accurate and clear to have said, “The mutant who had been shot…”.