Old Article - Ongoing Opinion.

 

Pictured is Sean O’Meara, 36, the man shot by police near a village pub in Kent 

A plumber who was shot by armed police has been pictured.

The Telegraph can reveal Sean O’Meara, 36, was shot in the abdomen after a stand-off with officers at his parents’ house in Hollingbourne, near Maidstone, Kent.

He confronted police officers wearing a gas mask and clutching a chainsaw when they tried to arrest him on suspicion of assault.

He is believed to have suffered “life-changing injuries” after dropping the chainsaw on his arm and is now understood to be in an induced coma at King’s College Hospital.

Blogger: I support the police. I support armed police in crisis situations and especially when their target has a firearm. 'Shoot to kill' is the correct approach.

I do think that in this incident, however - the demand that the officer shooting is required to aim at the body is over the top. (Convince me otherwise.)

I have not read that any people were endangered by being too close to this individual who may well have been suffering some sort of mental breakdown. The police were armed and could protect themselves.

My question is why would a shot to the thigh not have been appropriate in this situation? It is hardly a difficult shot.

If officers were in imminent danger - I shall of course remove my question.

I have not forgotten the A63 case below in which a gentle young man lost his mind:

 This article is more than 20 years old.

Police shoot man dead after car chase.

Officers say dead man had 'sword-type weapons'

Martin Wainwright