http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFywtLdjQvE&feature=related

Here’s the scene, via independent.co.uk: “The ex-doorman was sitting in Rothbury, Northumberland, with a sawn-off shotgun pointing at his temple when the Taser hit him. Moments later he fired, blowing a hole straight through his brain.” At the time, Raoul Moat had just murdered his wife’s boyfriend and blinded a police officer. The cops had him cornered. They were about 10m away. A policeman shot him with a TASER X-12 shotgun firing an XREP round–despite the fact that none of the officers involved had training in the weapon’s use. The incident has become the subject of much gruesome speculation . . .

The jury has heard although the XREP round hit his arm, it did not pierce the skin, and any electric shock was localised, if it happened at all. Dr Schofield produced a report for the coroner with the summary: “Mr Moat was struck by an XREP projectile on the left forearm. There is no definitive evidence to suggest that electrical discharge of any type was felt by Mr Moat.

“In the event that electrical discharge did occur, in my opinion, this would only precipitate an action for which there was a pre-existing, conscious intent.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbHyx9HY1bc&feature=related

Looking at the video above it’s clear recoil from the modified Mossie was not an issue—unless a shotgun savvy cop over-compensated for the lack of recoil. It’s the XREP round’s trajectory and its ability to pierce clothing and deliver its charge that’s now under fire. And the time it takes for that charge to have an incapacitating effect. If it does.

While there’s nothing like a field test to sort out the art and science of a shotgun TASER, you’d kinda hope the police would wait for a slightly less dramatic scenario. Or official qualifications. Still, dead men tell no tales. And police accountability for taking out a cop killer? You must be jokin’ mate.

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7 COMMENTS

  1. He killed 3 people and then turned the gun on himself. The police, though not trained on the system, tried to end the encounter in a less-than-lethal manner. He died. Pass the biscuits, please.

    Shame on the police for not training on the weapon. But reading closer, they had hand-held tasers that they were trained to use. The hand-held models did not have the range necessary in this encounter. They tried using a system that was available but no one had training to use. Admirable actually. But why was the weapon available yet no police officer had been trained to use it yet? That is really the only question.

    Dickhead blew his brains out with a shotgun after killing 3 people. The police had offered him the opportunity to turn himself in without incident or injury. He chose to end his life. I don’t see this as an indictment against the weapon or the police.

  2. “D&%$head blew his brains out with a shotgun after killing 3 people. The police had offered him the opportunity to turn himself in without incident or injury. He chose to end his life. I don’t see this as an indictment against the weapon or the police.”

    Word.

    I wouldn’t put it past the cops to have intentionally tried to get him to pull the trigger on himself. Could you blame them if they did? …”Oops, Gee golly, he shot himself…I guess that means its Miller time.”…or in this case, Guinness time.

  3. Honestly, I wouldn’t have blamed them at that point for just blowing his brains out with their own guns. He was armed, he had demonstrated intent and ability – could as easily have pointed the gun at them instead.

    But then, I feel that if someone wants to off themselves, the state shouldn’t work so hard to get in the way.

  4. Any chance of a fact check? Moat only killed 1 person, the boy friend of his ex-partner. He injured his Ex and blinded a police officer.
    Here

  5. Blinded a police officer? I think the police acted with restraint.
    If you point a shotgun at your head and something LE does makes that goes off, well, maybe the best answer is don’t point a shotgun at your head

    • “… The best answer is don’t point a shotgun at your head.”

      Please kindly remove your logic from my Internet. The two are not compatible.

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