Questions persist after 107-year-old man dies in confrontation with SWAT team

[Prunepicker]

This is sick.

From CBS News
When the time came to move 107-year-old Monroe Isadore to a new
home, police say he resisted and barricaded himself inside.
Authorities tried using a camera to monitor him, along with
negotiating tactics, and finally gas to get him to come out. None of
it worked.

So, a SWAT team went inside and was greeted by gunfire,
authorities say. The team fired back, and Isadore died.

The weekend confrontation raised a flurry of questions Monday
as residents struggled to make sense of how someone known as
a pleasant, churchgoing man who was hard of hearing and
sometimes carried a cane had died in an explosive confrontation.
Did authorities know how old he was? Did they follow proper
procedure? Could they have done anything differently?
...
"I believe if somebody had told them that he was a 107-year-old
man in that house, even with a gun, I don't believe they would
have laid down fire on him," Robert Perry said.

And Grant said the violence seemed very out of character for
Isadore.

"I couldn't believe it myself," he said. "The guy, he was 107 years
old. I mean, come on."

[WilliamTell]

Yes it is extremely sickening.

What's also sickening is that people who aren't as old and of different demographics are routinely killed by overzealous paramilitary police that then try to cover their tracks after the.murder.

[kelroy55]

Pine Bluff police say Monroe Isadore was shot dead after repeatedly firing at officers through a home's closed bedroom door and refusing negotiations to surrender.

Officers reported hearing gunfire when they arrived at the home, prompting the safe evacuation of the other residents.

More officers were called, including a Special Weapons and Tactics unit that inserted a camera into the bedroom and confirmed Isadore had a handgun.

When the centenarian continued to refuse to relinquish his weapon, gas was pumped into the room through a window, prompting Isadore to return gunfire once more, police said.

"Shortly afterwards a S.W.A.T. entry team, inside the residence, breached the door to the bedroom and threw a distraction device into the bedroom," according to a police statement obtained by CBS. "Isadore then began to fire on the entry team and the entry team engaged Isadore, killing him."

***************************************

I don't blame the officers at all. He was shooting at them and they returned fire.

[adaniel]

This is a tragedy. But he fired first at the cops, correct? And didn't his own family call the police on him? I'm not even going to touch the fact that a legally blind and nearly deaf 107 year old had a gun.

Way too much to this story, lets not start up the the outrage train just yet.

[venture]

This is a tragedy. But he fired first at the cops, correct? And didn't his own family call the police on him? I'm not even going to touch the fact that a legally blind and nearly deaf 107 year old had a gun.

Way too much to this story, lets not start up the the outrage train just yet.

But...but...but...isn't that what is suppose to happen?

If he did fire first on police and they shot back, so be it. The fact the person was 107 should have nothing to do with this except to play with emotions of people reading the story.

[Achilleslastand]

By "distraction device" do they mean a flash-bang grenade?
Was he fully aware it was a SWAT team he was firing on after the flash-bang went off?

Either way it truly is sickening and if anything happened other then reported I hope heads will roll.

[zookeeper]

Pine Bluff police say Monroe Isadore was shot dead after repeatedly firing at officers through a home's closed bedroom door and refusing negotiations to surrender.

Officers reported hearing gunfire when they arrived at the home, prompting the safe evacuation of the other residents.

More officers were called, including a Special Weapons and Tactics unit that inserted a camera into the bedroom and confirmed Isadore had a handgun.

When the centenarian continued to refuse to relinquish his weapon, gas was pumped into the room through a window, prompting Isadore to return gunfire once more, police said.

"Shortly afterwards a S.W.A.T. entry team, inside the residence, breached the door to the bedroom and threw a distraction device into the bedroom," according to a police statement obtained by CBS. "Isadore then began to fire on the entry team and the entry team engaged Isadore, killing him."

***************************************

I don't blame the officers at all. He was shooting at them and they returned fire.

He was in his home.
He was 107 years old.
They already had a camera dropped into his bedroom.
Nobody else was in the home or in danger.

So...

Why the need to "negotiate" anything?
Why didn't they wait until the 107-year-old man fell asleep?
Didn't they realize a 107-year-old man was probably confused?
Why escalate this into a need for a paramilitary SWAT situation?
Why could the Pine Bluff Police, and all other LEA involved, not wait him out?

The whole point here is that there was no need to engage him with the militarized actions that resulted in his "returning fire."

They then could have waited until the old man (one of the oldest men alive in the Unites States according to the AP) fell asleep, taken him to his doctor and find out what's going on. There are some who even believe this warrants murder charges against the individuals responsible for turning that into such a major event. To live to be 107 to only die by a SWAT raid on your home, probably for no other reason than they had the gear and were itching to use it, is a travesty.

[kelroy55]

I wasn't there so I don't know.... evidently he was a danger and the decision was made to go in, he was shooting at the police before they went in. They could have waited until the old man killed somebody firing wildly too but I'm glad they didn't.

[zookeeper]

I wasn't there so I don't know.... evidently he was a danger and the decision was made to go in, he was shooting at the police before they went in. They could have waited until the old man killed somebody firing wildly too but I'm glad they didn't.

You need to read some of the other coverage of this event. He wasn't in any danger, of what? Killing himself? He was 107! The cops could have all pulled out and left one guy watching the monitored camera of him sitting in a corner of the bedroom, and that's really all that was needed - if that. There were no threats to police until they caused them, and then escalated it into a SWAT event. This is just ridiculous.

[kelroy55]

Again I wasn't there so I don't know exactly what happened and I try not to rely on 'other reports'. I'll wait for the facts to come out before I jump to any conclusions.

[Prunepicker]

You need to read some of the other coverage of this event. He wasn't
in any danger, of what? Killing himself? He was 107! The cops could
have all pulled out and left one guy watching the monitored camera of
him sitting in a corner of the bedroom, and that's really all that was
needed - if that. There were no threats to police until they caused
them, and then escalated it into a SWAT event. This is just ridiculous.

One can't help but wonder why they wouldn't have known how old
he was. His wife, grand daughter and a helper were all there. I looks
like the police were to blame on this one. A SWAT team sent to
take out a 107 year old man.

[RadicalModerate]

Obviously, the deceased was Guilty:
Of being a black man (in the true sense of that phrase) who managed to make it to the ripe old age of 107 before encountering one of the Modern CyberPoliceSkwadZ of today . . . in friggin' ARKANSAS (fer cryin' out loud).

(even my own grandad . . . deceased of natural causes in his 80's, back in the 80's . . . used to make Arkansas jokes.)

I think one pundit quipped (and/or titled their contribution to the cause): "No Country For Old Men" . . .
If the Coen Brothers choose not to sue, I think the pundit had it about right.

[Prunepicker]

I wonder what's going through the mind of the cop that shot that
107 year old man?

[RadicalModerate]

Between the imitation sparks and wisps of smoke, probably something along the lines of . . . "This does not compute . . . (danger will robinson) . . . I need a lawyer . . . so I can sue the Training Provider . . .

In any case, I sure wish someone could email him (or her) a link to this thread.
(not that Vin Diesel wannbees, in Arkansas, with a badge, should be expected to read with comprehension.)

Wow . . . you don't suppose that the former Piedmont officer . . . (nah . . . that would be impossible)

(sorry . . . this is how i sublimate what would be my anger/rage at this sort of societal insanity. it helps keep the blood pressure at passable levels. again, my apologies.)

[kelroy55]

I wonder what's going through the mind of the cop that shot that
107 year old man?

Probably somebody is shooting at me and I'm going to return fire.

[Prunepicker]

I wonder what's going through the mind of the cop that shot that
107 year old man?

He's probably thinking, "I screwed up." "Why didn't anyone tell us he
was 107?" "I feel like crap. Why were we called?"

[ljbab728]

And someone probably told them they were called because of a disturbance and "aggravated assault" which occurred at the home. Is assaulting someone OK when you're 107 even if you might be frail? I'm not saying it couldn't have been handled better but the police were absolutely correct to be there.

[okcboomer]

Interesting. I was unaware it is ok to endanger people if you were a certain age. When and if I ever get to 107, I'm going off on a lot of people.

[Prunepicker]

Interesting. I was unaware it is ok to endanger people if you were a
certain age. When and if I ever get to 107, I'm going off on a lot of
people.

Who's supporting endangering people? I mean besides nobody.

[ljbab728]

Who's supporting endangering people? I mean besides nobody.

Seems to me that if you're against the police going there that's exactly what you're supporting.

[Prunepicker]

Seems to me that if you're against the police going there that's
exactly what you're supporting.

Since I've not said anything about being against the police going there,
who's supporting endangering people?

[zookeeper]

To answer one question about age. Yes, I do believe that you handle a 107-year-old differently than you would a 35 year old. The chances are probably 99.99999% that the "assault" actions of a 107 year old man are related to his age due to confusion or dementia. Yes, you can even ASSUME that. To conduct a SWAT raid on this man is inexcusable. Nobody here has said there shouldn't have been a police response. Plenty have agreed that a SWAT team was over-the-top and ended, because of their agressive tactics, in the shooting death of one of the oldest living men in the United States. I fear for what our country is becoming. Violent answers seem to be the only answers and we ask questions later. That's not the America I grew up in.

[Prunepicker]

To answer one question about age. Yes, I do believe that you handle
a 107-year-old differently than you would a 35 year old. The chances
are probably 99.99999% that the "assault" actions of a 107 year old
man are related to his age due to confusion or dementia. Yes, you
can even ASSUME that.

Exactly. Common sense and a calm demeanor on behalf of the
police should have been in order. He could have been diverted by
a number of non lethal tactics. How about a tranquilizer dart?
What would they have done if a 6 year old had the gun and
was shooting it?

To conduct a SWAT raid on this man is inexcusable.

Stupid is also a good description. Down right stupid.

I hope some heads roll.

[ljbab728]

Since I've not said anything about being against the police going there,
who's supporting endangering people?

That's basically what you were in inferring in post #16. If that wasn't you meant by that, please say why you thought the police might think they shouldn't have been called.

[Prunepicker]

That's basically what you were in inferring in post #16. If that wasn't
you meant by that, please say why you thought the police might think
they shouldn't have been called.

I was talking about the SWAT team, post 11. There was no reason
whatsoever to call them to take out a 107 year old man shooting a
gun than it would have been to call them to take out a 6 year old
kid shooting a gun.