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Subscribe to RSSBIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A campus police officer at the University of South Alabama on Saturday shot and killed a naked freshman who repeatedly chased, threatened and rushed him, a university spokesman said.
Gilbert Thomas Collar, 18, died from a single bullet wound to the chest, spokesman Keith Ayres said.
Collar was ordered several times to halt and continued to challenge the officer even after being shot, Ayres said. He died at the scene.
The incident began shortly before 1:30 a.m. when the officer heard loud banging on the window of the campus police station. He drew his gun after finding the student in a fighting stance, according to Ayres.
The officer tried to calm Collar and retreated several times before shooting him, he said.
The spokesman declined to speculate on whether Collar was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. An autopsy is likely, he said.
The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave, Ayres added.
The University of South Alabama is in Mobile and serves 15,000 students.
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Don't you just hate when that happens.
No winners in this situatioin. So sorry mom and dad, your son is dead and a man has to live with the image "burnt" into his memory for life. Every time he looks at his 18 year old son, he'll recall this moment.
Dont judge this Campus Police Officer, and I am sure he has attended an accredited Police Academy as all Campus officers in Alabama do, As a former Police Chief I can tell you that most Campus Officers are very much less Aggressive than Regular Police Officers as they are usually dealing with young Students, This Young man apparently had some drug that was contributing to his behavior, and it is a sad sad thing to happen , But from experience I can say that if i had a naked man chasing me and I had no back up , and he was trying to assault me I would do what i had to do to stop him, And all Officers are trained to "Stop" the persons actions, not trained to just kill or wound, it is hard to just aim and shoot a person in the foot or leg or a part of their body , especially at night, God Bless this young man and God Bless the Officer , you really dont know what he is going through after having to take a life, he will live with it the rest of his life.
I'm a Police Officer in a small town, I also work part time on a college campus.
To answer a few questions.
1. Most armed officer's on a college campus has been to the police academy, all have been to lethal weapons training classes, as well as continuous updates, so no we're not rent a cops.
2. No, no taser. Quite a few college's, not all, don't allow pepper spray. They give you a baton and a gun, not too many options, not much of a choice.
3. This student was on drugs of some sort, because it clearly states in the article he "continued to challenge the officer even after being shot."
Tragic? Yes, for both the student and the officer. Why did he shoot him? I don't know. I wasn't there. I don't have all of the details, and neither do you. Contrary to what some think, we don't go around just itching to shoot somebody.
Perhaps YOU do not itch to shoot someone...
Do you possess information that ANY officer is just itching to shoot someone? Or are you just speculating?
Be reasonable, is it true that an officer's holster is different in that it has a certain way in which the gun has to be pulled and a person trying to grab an officer's holstered gun would have a difficult time in doing so? I heard it somewhere and can't remember who said it, but a prior comment on here made me think of it...just curious.
Officers normally have a level 2 or 3 holster, which do take some manipulation to draw. They can be ripped from a holster with force. The holster just gives you an advantage to not being disarmed as quickly, but not impossible. As for tasers, pepper sprays, batons, fists, whatever... once you use them you still must subdue the person and they only give you an edge. The first thing an officer would do upon confronting a person as the one described is usually draw their weapon. You don't have time to draw after the confortation. The officer retreated, at this point a person still approaching an officer with a gun drawn is obviously a big threat. The results will normally end as this one did.
Must of been smokin one of them marajwana cigarettes.
Sad part is...a shot to the leg would have been just as effective in halting the threatening behavior, but this guy shot to kill. wonderful word we live, the kid's family will probably be sent a bill for the bullet.
I think you're watching too much television. There's no such thing as shoot to wound. Under stress accuracy drops to about 40%.
Collar was ordered several times to halt and continued to challenge the officer even after being shot, Ayres said. He died at the scene.
Read the article Denova, he was already shot and still challenged the officer. Now what, shoot him a few more times and hope the blood loss stops him. Read the entire article!!
A bullet to the leg would certainly have stopped him. Instead, he puts one in the chest. And it's not like he had a sense of emergency because the guy was freaking unarmed. The cop could have took his sweet time with his aim and shot him in the shin.
Did you read the article where it said he was already shot and still advancing...
Is there a problem with reading comprehension, did some of you not read the article, or are you just on here to bash police? You can go work a shift with the drug crazed people and try to shoot a leg. Then after they eat your face off or break your neck you can tell us how you wanted to just stop them. Get a clue.
Amazing the sense of power a gun provides...and how it takes away more appropriate options. I hate attorneys, but I hope the family owns U or A soon. Inbreeding is no excuse here.
Really do you have any idea what you are talking about. Yea, lets take his gun away and let the criminal have at it. Really?
The student was naked and unarmed.
The student was shot and still advancing and still challenging the officer...
Shot in the chest? He as dying. You believe this "officer"? I doubt the coroner will agree. Sounds like a Zimmerman to me.
Seriously...lol. So the sense of power they get high on drugs that make them able to still come after you after being shot in the chest isn't kind of equal to holding a gun? yes, I believe him unless evidence comes out to prove otherwise. You weren't there and you are spouting off talking points. Inbreeding? Ohh, you are making it soo easy to comment here, but I won't take your bait.
Of course it does Kam, because somewhere along the line you believed all the crap from the media that all cops are bad. You will never have your own thought, just those that the media tell you to have. If anyone comes forward with any facts that poiunt out the cop lied, then I will be fully on the side of justice. But the facts presented do not indicate anything other than a cop doing his job. And I will state this without even knowing you...whatever the police and coroner come back with, if it doesn't fit your deluded conspiracy theory, you will call them liars. Am I right?
It's a shame the young kid died. What was he doing out at that hour of night. I think if they do a drug test he will fail. Any off campus frat house that has under age kids should not be allowed to have any beer or hard liquor. Do a drug search of all campus dorms and see what they find. He wasn't armed so why shoot someone in the chest that is always deadly.
Might just be suicide by cop.
What the freak is wrong with ALL these police "incidents". We had the police shoot and kill a parapalegic in a wheel chair in Houston, and then this. I am sure there are others that didn't make the news cycle. Why is it that they shoot to kill, when they certainly can shoot to immobilize just as easily. Ah, human nature, isn't it great? The human race is vastly ill equiped mentally to deal with any adversity. Humans are just imbecilic and way over rated. Mankind will not be happy untill it causes its own extinction. We are speeding to the day. You think humankind would have advanced beyond their neanderthalic state, but it hasn't.
Read, please. He kept coming after a shot to the CHEST. What do you think a little shot in the leg would have done to stop him?
Hey God Speed. The story does not indicate that the officer had access to a stun gun or baton. It was the 12am to 8a shift. I am sure that this incident took all but 60 seconds to unwind. In that time the officer did not close on the idiot. He may of called for back up, the story does not indicate this. It is easy to guess what the officer should of done ect. The officer did not murder this goof. He stopped a suspect from attacking him. One last thing. Have you ever fought a fool on PCP? I have. It is amazing how a average person can become immune to pain. While a tazer would of worked this department may not carry them. This is not the officers fault. I love people who tell you what should of been done when they have never been in a close quarter attack. It is apparent that this poor soul was high. No kidding....
By the way. The police departments teach you shoot to stop the threat. There is no Hollywood just wing him. You are taught to shoot at the center of mass. That means the torso area. He was shot in the chest. That is how the officer was trained I am sure.
How about officer "all I have is no brain but a gun" stay inside and call for backup? Requires thought. Who needs it when the NRA has made reaching for or gun as easy as your phone.
et cetera is etc. Obey coud have stayed inside and called for backup. The article says the student was banging on the window. Why think when you can kill. The new American way. Thank you NRA and concealed carry
Take it easy Kamaaina, the cop had a gun because HE IS A COP... nothing to do with NRA or concealed carry laws. Stay on topic
You are missing the point. Guns have been so over promoted by the NRA and so widely available, they have become the solution of first choice by law a growing number of law enforcement and citizens.
Come on Kam, that's like trying to blame this on Obama like some of the silly posters here. You seem much more intelligent than that
Thank you. You as well. Most of the shootings reported daily could have and would have been avoided 20 years ago before we became "habituated" to gun use. Angry at your spouse or coworker/boss? No need for anger management. just blow them away. Hear a noise outside? no need to stay safely inside, go out and kill your son.
See a naked student banging on the window of your security office while your are safe inside. Heck, no need to think this is avery strange and volatile situation, better call for help. Nope, you are safe knowing your gun is in hand--blow away someones son attending college for a month.
We have a serious problem with use of excessive force and weapon availability that rivals iphones. Heck, weapons are used BEFORE iphones. Yes, I credit the NRA lobby with this.
That's crazy, Kam! I would blame the violence we see everyday on TV, in the news, in movies and music, video games, etc. before I blame the NRA. I am a gun owner, not a NRA member, but they do practice safe gun ownership, that can't be denied. Don't you think that the above mentioned have a lot to do with our messed up society?
Look, I'm not a fan of the NRA and I don't like guns. BUT this sounds like a legit shoot at this point. Even I would shoot a cray guy coming at me if he wouldn't stop and I tried to back off, but he kept coming and was obviously high on something. I have seen too many people hurt by nuts like that, and add bath salts to the mix and I like to go home with a face, thanks. You have no clue what you are talking about. He might have thought the guy needed help banging on the window and gone out to help him.
If he had let that guy run off into the night he might have ended up in the nearest dorm attacking students. This officer was responsible for their safety, too. Your argument about guns has some points, but this time it isn't and NRA issue and it sounds as if he had no choice. We've had rapes and assaults several times recently on the campus right near me, and if security had to shoot someone to protect the rest of the community then I say do it. You get high and try to attack cops and you probably will get shot...it isn't brain surgery to figure that out.
Unless he was well hung and using it as a weapon, I don't know why he had to get shot in the chest. There is no excuse to shoot an unarmed man. How about a stun gun or pop a cap into his leg instead? That would have taken him down long enough for help to arrive to further subdue and arrest him.
Does anyone read the entire article. He was already shot and still advancing...read the entire article!!!@!
Why did he have to kill him?? Was he armed??? He could have done something else.
Were you there, did you read anything but the headline and do you know what procedure is??
Were YOU there????
Just a guess - but the naked guy is probably unarmed.
Police are armed for their protection, not the public's. Think about it.
Well, no, not really. If someone is trying to kill me, won't stop, and the officer has a clear shot he isn't most likely going to tell him go ahead and let him kill me. And why shouldn't they protect themselves when needed?
If a naked person that obviously has no weapon did the same thing to a regular citizen would deadly force be justified in most parts of the US? The answer is no, the DA would charge the citizen for the death, but since it is a cop they will more than likely say "justified".
No, if someone is threatening you, challenges you, does not back down, you shoot him, he still advances and challenges, pretty sure every jury in the country is laughing at the case if it even ever got to trial. Read the article and put your prejudices against cops aside
He likely could have gone back in his secure station.
That's not his job though. If you were in trouble, would you want the answering officer to retreat to his car and wait for help. This person obviously was a threat, if the officer retreats and the criminal went and came across an unarmed citizen, who knows what could happen
Police don't show up until most people are the victim anyway so I would never expect one to help me in the first place. How was he a threat? Advancing toward someone does not equal a threat. Our military do not even have permission to fire on someone unless they have a weapon or are shooting. Why didn't he call for backup? You can watch the tv show Cops and see cops take down huge men armed or not. If a normal person shot this man the DA would probably charge them.
You can also read about drugged out people who can be shot and still advance and threaten, correct?
Can you read??? He was coming after the officer, didn't stop, and was apparently high on something. Yes, you will get hurt if you charge at an officer and don't stop. This wasn't on tv...how funny you belive that is how things work in real life.
Again, our military can not legally do what this cop did. The ROE are very clear that the person must present a threat. Some people will defend cops no matter what until it happens to them or one of their family members. A naked man on drugs or not can be dealt with in numerous ways. One get backup, two use non-lethal, three walk back into the station get backup or call for backup. Would anyone that agrees with the killing of an unarmed man on this board also agree that cops killing innocent people during a high speed chase was okay. The cop could have defused the situation in multiple ways. They are supposed to be trained at a high standard. My point is simple, a citizen would be held to a higher standard. In a lot of states a citizen has an obligation to retreat first and they must prove their life was in danger.
Military definetly could have shot him as well, completely within their ROE. If they feel their life or that of a fellow soldier is in danger they have every right to use lethal force. Which was exactly what the campus police officer responded to. The student advanced on him in a threatening manner after being told repeatedly to stop.
Why aren't we blaming the student who was completely in the wrong. He was high/drunk on something and chose to act like an idiot. He paid the consequences. Its called personal responsibility. Which has completely disappeared from our society. Stop blaming the cops that have to deal with those that violate the laws.
You don't have to be armed with a knife or some weapon to be a threat. Ever heard of trained boxers/martial artists getting assault with a deadly weapon when they use their training.
The media needs to release all the details including what the officer had on his belt that night. If he only had a gun then he must be the only cop in the US that does not carry a batman belt full of options. As an officer he should have been well trained above any civilian level and thus should be held to a higher standard. My point is simple to understand, the cop had other options. If a regular citizen killed a naked unarmed man then there would be a charge but since it is a cop it will more than likely be seen as justified. Cops are held to a lower standard than the public when it comes to using deadly force. They should be held to a higher standard because they are trained. What is the point of training if they are just going to blow everyone away. As for the ROE for the military they are very strict these days to the point we can't even drop bombs because of worry of wrongfully killing someone. How could the US justify to a foreign government the killing of an unarmed naked man when our guys are so highly trained. That is the key word here "training". Anyone can just blow someone away. From reading the posts on here it seems that those who think just shoot him are in the minority. Of course, you guys could just say it's just those liberals. I am pro gun and believe cops have the right to justly defend themselves with lethal force but in this case I think it was an overreaction.
RAM- an officer is trained to deal with people that are on drugs. There is no reason why the cop could not have exercised restraint and called for backup. I thought cops were a level higher than your average citizen because of their training. As for on TV, anyone can watch tv or look up on the net and see cops in worse situations defuse the situation without ever pulling a weapon. If coming at someone is a valid excuse for shooting them then every citizen should have the same ability to just shoot anyone that seems to be a possible threat the minute they take a step toward them. As a regular citizen try to shoot someone that is unarmed and naked and claim self defense in most of the country and then enjoy your prison sentence.
This is a tragedy for everyone involved. Somewhere, I family who had sent their son off to college with hopes of a bright future are being told their son is dead.
And the police officer who shot him is going to have to live with it for the rest of his life. Taking the life of another human being is a terrible burden to live with.
Whatever happened to just using a tazer great now we have campus police murdering unarmed students.
I liken College Cops to security-guards.
Why do campus cops have lethal weapons? 99.99% of the time, they are dealing with a student. WTF!
Well, we have had several rapes and armed robberies on the campus down the street from me. I am very glad the officers there are armed. I hope they catch the creeps doing these things, and if they get shot because they don't follow orders to stop or they are hurting people it's too bad for them.
They carry guns in the event that something like this were to happen.
If Brick Obumma wasn't president this never would have happened.
naked man??? This cop (renta) should be trialed for murder!!! After all if it were your house with the same situation you would be!!!! Who hires a guard that isn't trained in batons or tasers!! Hope the parents sues, sues, sues these days all that speaks is money!!!
All that speaks is people like you who have no facts and think that the only way to make money is to sue because you are to lazy to earn it
Chill out Scott! I hope your not a cop...............
Nah, too dangerous a job and to many Monday morning QB's. Just tired of people who have obvious prejudices against the cops and want to condemn them immediately without any facts. Also tired of reading comments from people who don't even bother to read the article, just look at the headline. I have posted 4 different times to 4 different people who said that the cop could have shot him in the leg or something, even though the article clearly says he was shot and still advanced and challenged, then the cop shot to kill. Come on, at least read the article before you post for crying out loud!!! Thanks Pep for letting me rant and vent!
No problem.....
Scott in no way did I say to sue for profit. I said sue because that is all that speaks loud in this country anymore. If you think in anyway this security guard (NOT policeman) was justified in shooting this kid well frankly YOU are part of the problem facing this country today. There are alot of other options that could have been used here instead of deadly force!!
This kid did not have a weapon, this officer should be charged with murder.He could have put a bullet in both legs. There's no reason to have killed this kid. The officers that think they are above the law, need to be stopped.
Nope - 14,999.
Don't go naked? Don't go naked in Alabama in the middle of the night? Don't menace cops? Don't continue to menace cops when they are pointing a gun at you?
These are all fairly simple little things to remember.
This sounds like a reasonably straightforward case of natural de-selection. We do have to start culling the herd somewhere, after all, don't we?
Good. Well, now that we have that all settled...
Are you referring to the officer or the kid?
These shootings by police are getting out of control. What ever happened to the days when law enforcement used tasers instead of deadly force? I don't understand why a person would take the life of another, unless it was absolutely necessary.