Armed security guard stops a mass shooting, is killed by cops.

Protesters rally for Jermel Roberson. WSJ/AP.

An armed security guard working at a bar stopped a mass shooting but was shot and killed by police responding to the attack. Wall Street Journal. Jemel Roberson, 26, was working as an armed security guard at a bar in Robbins, Illinois. An armed man came into the bar at 4:00 am, shot four people and was shot by someone and subdued by Roberson who was pointing his gun at hi. A Midlothian police officer than shot and killed Roberson. The police claimed that the officer told Roberson to drop his weapon and get on the ground several times and then shot him. It is unclear if Roberson was wearing a security uniform with witnesses saying he had a cap and a shirt that said security on it while police say he was wearing just a black shirt. The case has turned into a racial issue as the officer who shot Roberson was white while Roberson himself was black. 

My Comment:

Ugh, what a mess. It's very unclear what happened in this case and without bodycam footage, and even with it, we might never know who was at fault here. It is another nightmare scenario for CCW folks and security guards or anyone who goes out armed. Managing to help stop a mass shooting only to get shot by the police? A nightmare. Most of what follows will be speculation on my part, as until more information is released we can't be sure if there wasn't exculpatory evidence or something that clearly justified the shooting. 

I can see both sides of the argument here though. From Roberson's side, it's fairly clear that he was doing the right thing. It was his job to help protect the people at the bar and though it's very unclear if he had fired his weapon, it is clear that he was justified in pointing his gun at the suspect and subduing him, even if he was already injured. Just because someone is shot and down doesn't mean they are not still a threat. If he did hear the cop's commands to put down his gun and get on the ground, he should have complied and/or identified himself as a security guard, but it's very unclear if he did and even if the officer in question ordered him to. 

From the police side, it's very likely that the officer in question saw an armed guy standing over an injured man, who was the actual shooter, and just assumed that it was the shooter and fired. Even if the officer didn't demand that Roberson drop his weapon, and it is very unclear if the officer did or not, it's understandable that the officer would shoot. It does seem fairly trigger happy to me but it's possible that the officer thought Roberson was going to shoot the suspect. It's understandable but if that is how it played out then the cop was morally responsible even if it's not clear legally. Officers should take at least a little time to figure out if someone is a threat.

I don't know how Roberson avoids getting shot though. A more clear security uniform might have helped but it's also possible that the cop wouldn't have seen it anyways. I have worn several security uniforms over the years and not all of them would be easily identified as such at night. And even a uniform with clear markings might not have done much even if the officer had saw it.

I think the restrictive gun laws in Illinois may have something to do with it. Illinois was the last state to legalize CCW in 2013 and though it is now a shall issue state cops may not yet be used to the idea that non-cops can carry firearms in the state. The police may still assume that anyone that has a gun is a bad guy, especially in the Chicago suburbs. 

I've avoided talking about the racial issues in this case as I don't really think it is relevant. I doubt that if Roberson had been white he would not have been shot. Similarly, a black officer may have shot him as well. I think the focus on the respective races of the officer and Roberson is a needless distraction but one that will likely dominate the discussion. The usual suspects are out in force despite this case being more about gun rights than racial issues. I suspect more rational voices are going to be drowned out by the activists who don't have anyone's best interests in mind.