3 police officers shot and killed in Pittsburgh

[HometownGal]

I have been following this very tragic story most of the day. The SOB was shot in the legs - I would have aimed for his freakin' head and blown him to smitherenes.

May these fallen officers forever RIP. : Thank you for your invaluble service to the City of Pittsburgh.

Prayers for the families of these courageous officers. My heart goes out to each and every one of you.

http://news.aol.com/article/pennsylv...oting%2F414264

3 Officers Killed in Pittsburgh Standoff

By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI, AP

PITTSBURGH (April 4) — Pittsburgh police say a man wearing a bulletproof vest opened fire on officers during a domestic disturbance call, killing three of them.
Police chief Nate Harper says the motive for Saturday's shooting isn't clear. Friends say the gunman recently had been upset about losing his job and that he feared the Obama administration was poised to ban guns.

The three dead officers are Eric Kelly, Stephen Mayhle and Paul Sciullo III. Kelly had been on the force for 14 years and the other two only two years each. Another officer was shot in the hand and a fifth broke his leg on a fence.

The gunman, 23-year-old Richard Poplawski, was arrested after a four-hour standoff.


THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE.

PITTSBURGH — A man opened fire on officers during a domestic disturbance call Saturday morning, killing three of them, a police official said. Friends said he recently had been upset about losing his job and that he feared the Obama administration was poised to ban guns.

Skip over this content Neighbors described how a quiet street in the city's Stanton Heights neighborhood turned into a battlefield with hundreds of rounds cracking through the morning air and fallen police officers lying bleeding in the street, their colleagues unable to reach them.

Three officers were killed, said a police official at the scene who spoke on condition of anonymity because was not authorized to talk to the media. Police spokeswoman Diane Richard would only say that at least five officers were wounded, but wouldn't give any other details.

Friends identified the suspect as Richard Poplawski, 23, but police would not immediately confirm his name. The gunman was arrested after a four-hour standoff, police said.

The shooting occurred just two weeks after four police officers were fatally shot March 21 in Oakland, Calif., in the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since Sept. 11, 2001. The officers were the first Pittsburgh city officers to die in the line of duty in 18 years.

Neighbors said the shooting began at about 7 a.m. and that two officers were shot almost immediately.

"When I looked down I saw two police officers laying in the street," said Don Sand, who lives across the street and was awoken by the sound of gunfire.

A short time later, more officers, SWAT teams and other law enforcement arrived and a third officer was shot, Sand said.

"They couldn't get the scene secure enough to get to them. They were just lying there bleeding," Sand said. "By the time they secured the scene enough to get to them it was way too late."

Gail Moschetti, who lives diagonally across the street from the Poplawski house, said she heard hundreds of shots as she and her husband took refuge in their basement. Tom Moffitt, 51, a city firefighter who lives two blocks away, said he came to the scene and heard "hundreds, just hundreds of shots."

Police planned to release more details at a mid-afternoon news conference Saturday.

Edward Perkovic said Poplawski, his best friend, feared "the Obama gun ban that's on the way" and "didn't like our rights being infringed upon." Another longtime friend, Aaron Vire, said Poplawski feared that President Barack Obama was going to take away his rights, though he said he "wasn't violently against Obama."

Perkovic, 22, said he got a call at work from him in which he said, "Eddie, I am going to die today. ... Tell your family I love them and I love you."

Perkovic said: "I heard gunshots and he hung up. ... He sounded like he was in pain, like he got shot."

Vire, 23, said Poplawski once had an Internet talk show but that it wasn't successful. Vire said Poplawski had an AK-47 rifle and several powerful handguns, including a .357 Magnum.

Another friend, Joe DiMarco, said Poplawski had been laid off from his job at a glass factory earlier this year. DiMarco said he didn't know the name of the company, but knew his friend had been upset about losing his job.

The last Pittsburgh police officers killed in the line of duty were Officers Thomas L. Herron and Joseph J. Grill, according to a Web site that tracks police killings. They died after their patrol car collided with another vehicle while chasing a stolen car on March 6, 1991.

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 133 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2008, a 27 percent decrease from year before and the lowest annual total since 1960.

Poplawski had often fought with neighbors and had even gotten into fistfights with a couple, Sand said.

"This is a relatively really quiet neighborhood except for him," Sand said. "He was just one of those kids that we knew to stay clear from."

Rob Gift, 45, who lives a block away, said the well-kept single-family houses with manicured lawns are home to many police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other city workers.

"It's just a very quiet neighborhood," Gift said.

[Godfather]

Originally Posted by tony hipchest

its a shame he was taken alive.

Better that way. I hate it when they escape earthly justice (like that POS in Binghamton).

[HometownGal]

Originally Posted by Godfather

Better that way. I hate it when they escape earthly justice (like that POS in Binghamton).

One bullet right between the eyes - $2.25

Taxpayer money housing, feeding, clothing and educating that douchebag in the pokey for the rest of his pathetic life - $1,000,000+

[SteelersinCA]

Plus he'll probably be glorified in prison for being a cop killer. Life will be good for him. But kudos to the cops for ending it without taking his life. Shows the caliber of those officers.

[fansince'76]

My thoughts and prayers to the families of the slain police officers.

[Preacher]

Originally Posted by HometownGal

One bullet right between the eyes - $2.25

Taxpayer money housing, feeding, clothing and educating that idiot in the pokey for the rest of his pathetic life - $1,000,000+

gotta admit. . . you make a lot of sense here!

Originally Posted by fansince'76

My thoughts and prayers to the families of the slain police officers.

Absolutely. .

[klick81]

In these kinds of cases, this kind of justice is acceptable (in my twisted opinion):

[YOUTUBE]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/R0CasxnKHoE&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/R0CasxnKHoE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]

[Godfather]

Originally Posted by SteelersinCA

Plus he'll probably be glorified in prison for being a cop killer.

Good point.

Hopefully he'll end up somewhere with sadistic guards.

[TSDMedic]

Originally Posted by HometownGal

One bullet right between the eyes - $2.25

Taxpayer money housing, feeding, clothing and educating that douchebag in the pokey for the rest of his pathetic life - $1,000,000+

This douche bag will rot in jail for the next million years, while we foot the bill of course, and he will be hailed in jail as an idol because he killed 3 cops. If we are lucky though maybe he'll end up a "human lollipop"......if you catch my drift!!!!!

This idiot is a coward, who was never good enough to serve his country! Thank the Lord that he got thrown out of the military because he doesn't deserve to walk among the heroes of this country!

I respect the cops for not blowing his head off, I don't think I would have had that much self control! I think I may have kicked his skull in with my boot and spit in his wounds!

And all because he was afraid that someone may take his guns.....*BOO HOO*....you won't have those guns now will you, you worthless piece of snail poop! HAPPY ROTTING!!!!!

[TSDMedic]

That reminds me.....they should so bring back public hangings!!!!!!! Or let the families of these fallen officers poke this dirt bag in the eyes with blunt spoons until he cries like the coward that he is!