USCG false rescue results in shooting

[AA3JY]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/boater-ar...151441256.html

[goboatingnow]

20 years in jail would be too short

[JPA Cate]

Attempted murder of the whole crew!

What a foollish, aggressive thing to have done! Shame on him.

Ann

[CaptTom]

This is one of those cases where we'll never hear the whole story.

I suspect there is more to it than what we've read. I'm glad everyone is OK and I hope there can be a good resolution.

[brazenarticle]

The "good resolution" would have been returning fire and taking out the threat to the aircraft and crew.

[CaptTom]

Aw, c'mon. We've all known sailors who are, shall we say, eccentric. Live alone on a sailboat somewhere, maybe have mental health issues, possibly addictions. Not real friendly with law enforcement. Somehow the EPIRB falls overboard unnoticed. Suddenly a law enforcement helicopter is hovering overhead and lowering something.

Tell me you've never met anyone who might panic in that situation.

I'm not saying it's right, or that returning fire would be wrong. Just that it would be better if everyone came out of it OK.

For the record, if it turns out the incident was intentionally provoked, I would be fine with making an example of the perp.

Unfortunately, we'll probably never know.

[goboatingnow]

Panic is one thing. Shooting is another thing entirely

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by brazenarticle

The "good resolution" would have been returning fire and taking out the threat to the aircraft and crew.

Kind of ironic. A response to an unreasonable use of lethal force is more unreasonable lethal force? No need to escalate the situation. The person perceived a risk of life or liberty, there is no reason to justify his suspicions.

Thankfully a non-violent resolution was achieved.