Police fatally shoot Univ. of S. Alabama student

MOBILE, Ala. A police officer at the University of South Alabama fatally shot a naked student whom authorities said repeatedly charged the officer.

University officials said the confrontation happened early Saturday morning when the officer went outside a police station to investigate a banging noise at a window.

Once outside, the officer was confronted by a naked man acting erratically.

Authorities said the man repeatedly charged the officer, who pulled his gun and retreated several times in an attempt to defuse the situation. When the man made a final charge, the officer shot him once in the chest.

The student has been identified as 18-year-old Gilbert Thomas Collar of Wetumpka.

Local prosecutors are investigating the shooting. The officer who fired the shot has been placed on paid administrative leave.

[wreckderbygirl]

Lesson of this rant, stop blaming the cops! Stop calling them pigs, stop degrading them, stop listening to this media hype about police brutality because there are two sides to every story, and you won't ever find it on a news station or in the paper. That police officer is suffering just as much as the family is, he had to take a life. Do you think cops enjoy having to kill? Hell no. There are bad apples in every bunch, but people you are too soon to judge the very folk that keep society safe. How about you thank a cop for giving you a ticket because they potentially saved your life as well as others. Give them the respect they deserve, and if this cop was wrong in his actions, condemn him and only him. He is not every cop, every cop is not bad, and all people be them an officer or a citizen deserve the benefit of the doubt.

[BWB2020]

It is almost funny how armed police officers in all civilized countries, when confronting an unarmed suspect, or chasing a fleeing suspect, can usually manage to disable the offending person, or stop the fleeing suspect with a shot to a non-vital area, such as a leg, while US cops always go for a kill shot.

If the officer only fired one shot, and killed the suspect, ten the cop was wrong for opting to kill rather than disable, and I hope he is properly sanctioned for at least manslaughter.

[marcie10000]

What a sad and heartbreaking story. The poor kid was just starting college and probably took, or was given, bath salts or PCP. Hopefully there will be follow ups which will identify the drug as well as what police policy is when confronted with a naked unarmed person, and having the ability to retreat into a building to get back up and a taser. The young man's "charging," after knocking on the window, seems more like he was experiencing extreme paranoia and was trying to get help. I feel so sad for his parents who just sent their child off to college.

[lonestar9000]

This officer responded to a banging on a window, which he probably interpreted as a call for some sort of assistance. Once outside, he was confronted with a bizarre situation, which may have given him no time to call for backup, nor do we know if he had a taser or pepper spray, or if he tried to use them if available. No police officer can afford to let a suspect get close and grapple with him when he is alone. If this story is accurate, then I doubt that the officer will be charged with any wrongdoing.

[dreamspan]

There is something really wrong when the first weapon of choice for a LEO is his gun regardless of the situation. As a former LEO I know that the first thing you should have done in an incident like this was to call for back up not go out by yourself. This LEO didn't know or didn't think that there could have been more than one suspect? Or maybe he knew it was only one guy with no witnesses and that's why he decided to use the firearm as the first use of force. Sad situation we find ourselves in that LEOs nowadays are not being trained properly. The old police expression that, "A dead man tells to tales".

[Rldvs]

So a unarmed man charges a cop and instead of punching him the cop shoots him ? REALLY? How big of a wuss is this cop that he had to murder a unarmed man?

[Think3Times]

The officer was intimidated by his "manhood" so he whipped out the big gun and put him in his place.

[winslowe1]

It doesn't really sound like much of a loss to society.

[elizabethlaw]

You have no idea what you are talking about. This boy was a good childand he was away at college and if you did go to college (which you probably did not, you tend to make some foolis mistakes. This young man was very smart and funny and cute and he will be missed more than you know. He was a good friend of my son's and was very well liked. Just made a bad choice. You are obviouly clueless as what a loss to society is you *******.

[chef_tim_w]

I'm guessing first off none of you work in law enforcement. Second, many jurisdictions don't issue Tasers. On top of that I've see a guy on PCP yank the barbs from a Taser out while laughing hysterically. Unless you were in this officers shoes you don't have any idea what his perception of the threat was. The last thing an officer wants is to have his weapon taken and used against him. Here's a weird idea, stop doing drugs and acting crazy, might save a life.

[lisawilson71]

FULL STATEMENT:

At 1:23 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6, University of South Alabama Police
responded to a loud banging noise on the west side window of the police
station. When an officer exited the station to investigate, he was
confronted by a muscular, nude man who was acting erratically. The man
repeatedly rushed and verbally challenged the officer in a fighting
stance.

The officer with weapon drawn ordered the individual to halt. The
officer retreated numerous times in an attempt to calm the situation.
The individual continued to press toward the officer in a threatening
manner. The assailant kneeled for a moment, and then he rose again,
rushing and chasing the officer, who continued to retreat away from the
building. When the individual continued to rush toward the officer in a
threatening manner and ignored the officer's repeated commands to
stop, the officer fired one shot with his police sidearm, which struck
the chest of the assailant. The individual fell to the ground, but he
got up once more and continued to challenge the officer further before
collapsing and expiring.

The deceased has been identified as Gilbert Thomas Collar, an
18-year-old freshman from Wetumpka, Ala.

Immediately after the incident, the USA Police Department contacted the
District Attorney's Office to request an external investigation.
Mobile County Sheriff's Department will assist. The officer has been
placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of internal and
external reviews.

The University extends its condolences to Mr. Collar's family.

[pile.o.junk]

I hope this officer is fired, he could have shot the young man's foot or leg. Was it really necessary to end his life? By the way, it sounds like the kid was on acid.