NY city cops are livid over a legislative proposal that could handcuff the brave officers involved in life-and-death confrontations every day -- requiring them to shoot gun-wielding suspects in the arm or leg rather than shoot to kill.

Details.

In certain situations, shooting in the arm could be OK - like if the suspect has his hands behind his head...

It could make annual firearms qualifying really interesting. "Sorry officer, you hit the target too many times - we need you to hit slightly outside (left, right, or below) the target, because that is where the legs / arms are. Or maybe they could replace the traditional round or torso shaped targets with targets shaped like arms or legs?

Whoops... missed.

Don't you just love New York? I can already see it - an officer is confronted by an armed suspect. Instead, of shooting to kill by aimimg at the chest, the officer is forced to aim at the suspect's outstretched arm. Because of understandable stress, the officer misses the arm by an inch. The bullet strikes an innocent bystander behind the suspect. The bystander dies. The armed suspect then shoots and kills the officer before he can get off another "wounding" shot. We have two preventable deaths because a misguided legislator wanted a kinder, gentler, and more "civilized" police force. That's called unintended consequences - a common occurrence with bad legislation.

Jack would say "DAMN IT!"

The New York legislators need to be put through a tactical scenario training session for peace officers and find out just how hard it is to actually hit their targete-period--in a high stress, rapidly changing situation. Maybe that would make them wake up and realize how absurd the idea is!

Janette A