Toronto van attack: How is the suspect not dead?

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The suspect pointed an object at the officer and shouted: “Kill me!” The officer told the man to “get down” and when the suspect said he had a gun, the officer repeated: “I don’t care. Get down.” The suspect was then seen lying down and the officer arrested him.
Let us pray for the souls of the 10 people who were killed.

Pray for healing and peace for the 15 injured.

Pray for the attacker’s repentance and conversion.

And pray in gratitude for the police officer’s ability to think clearly and act courageously.
 
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There may be solutions. How about we make automobile collision-avoidance systems mandatory? The idea needs work, but I’m just brainstorming here.

Similarly, airplanes could be programmed to avoid collisions with buildings to prevent 9/11-type attacks.
 
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To bring this back on topic, this morning FNC was running videos of the confrontation, in which Alek Minassian (the driver of the van) repeatedly went thru the motions of drawing his handgun and pointing it at a policeman. I cannot help but commend the coolness of the Toronto LEOs who were involved in the takedown. Well done!

To go slightly off-track again and talk about the motivation for the attack, that is still up in the air. “Minassian” is an Armenian surname, and while that nationality does have some association with terrorism, that terrorism is specifically directed against Turks. Minassian’s actions in confronting the police look, to my untrained eye, more like an attempted suicide by cop.

D
 
I’m glad this one worked out but I have mixed feelings about a LEO not responding when a gun is pointed directly at them in a threatening manner, just after the person has killed multiple people.
 
I concur with “attempted suicide by cop.” I looked up the video (with commentary at the link below). I am guessing that the officer noticed some peculiarities in Minassian’s behavior: making repeated drawing and pointing movements with his probably fake gun, and while pointing it straight at the officer, declaring “I have a gun in my pocket.”

Within seconds, the officer put his gun away, took out his baton, and approached Minassian. The officer appears to have been certain at that point that Minassian had no gun. Minassian then surrendered in great haste. Apparently he feared being struck with the baton more than being shot dead.

 
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I just noticed something else. After the suspect made those repeated gun-drawing movements, the officer returned to his car to get something which he then held in his left hand, probably a taser. I believe the officer at that point was almost certain that the suspect’s weapon was not a firearm.
 
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I suspect that part of the reason that cop didn’t kill him is because Canada has much more restricted gun laws than here in the US…cops here tend to shoot first because they don’t know who is armed and who isn’t…whereas in Canada they don’t have a gun rights culture like we do so are probably nowhere near as nervous as cops here in the US…be good to hear from some of Canadian friends here on CAF.
 
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