A single bullet can kill someone. Yet, there are many documented cases in which a person had survived after being shot multiple times. Even after being shot as many as 20 or more times, people have survived. Rapper "50 Cent", as an example, survived 9 bullets. Another survived 19 bullets. And yet another person survived being shot 21 times. And as for head-shots? People have survived such wounds too. Look at Gabby Giffords, who was shot in her head at very close range. She not only survived (Thank God), but is very active on the speaking circuit.
Some hunters can tell you that great caution should be taken with a seemingly downed, and dead, wild animal. There have been times that the downed animal has jumped up and attacked the hunter.
Fact is, once the decision has been made to use deadly force, and assuming the deadly force is meant to STOP death or great bodily injury to another, then a continuous amount of lethal force should be delivered until all such threat is stopped.
It is my belief that ANY perceived movement of a person after being initially shot, gets met with a certain amount of disbelief, and therefore a certain amount of additional shooting happens until all movements have stopped. It could be (I am not an expert) that could be why some police shootings have 20, 30, 40 rounds or more rounds being fired at and/or into a suspect. (Panic fire?)
In such cases, it's often seen that the "attacker" was still posing some amount of threat, even after being shot. Anyone who has been in actual combat, can attest to having shot an enemy, and the enemy still kept coming (a dream I still don't like having, but do). Unloading a full mag on such a threat, can happen out of panic that the threat was not stopping!
Another side point. Police train to shoot "center mass" of their targets. "Center mass" provides for a greater potential to actually strike the suspect, and enter vital organs that will more readily incapacitate the suspect. I have heard people make comments about why the police didn't shoot a gun or knife out of someone's hand, or shoot to wound to person. Two main problems with that thought process. One - hands, arms, and even heads, are mush smaller targets to hit under stress. Two - wounding anyone, or a wild animal, does not guarantee they stop posing a threat. And NOT stopping the threat, opens up the real possibility that the threat could still cause additional injuries or losses of life.
I can also say from personal experience, that a large man was shot square in the chest wit a .38 round nose bullet, and survived. At first, he went down and was believed to be in real bad shape. He was airlifted out, but survived. As it turned out, this large man ... about 6'2" and 260 lbs ... survived, because the bullet never made it into the chest cavity. The bullet rode the rib-cage around the chest and had actually exited under his left arm, to be found resting in the fabric of his coat.
I bring all this up, because of the released information that a suspect who died as a result in multiple bullets being fired by police. The young man was found to have been shot 6 times. And, the media being who they are, seem to equate those 6 rounds as some kind of over-kill. If the young man still posed a perceived threat, even after 13 rounds, I'd reloaded and go for more!
Bottom line - IF deadly force must be used, then it must be used until the threat is neutralized.
I always welcome comments. But be respectful, or I will simply delete you.
Hunter
NOTICE: This post and my opinions and observations, are in no way to be seen as support for, or against, the Ferguson Missouri Police Officer shooting of Michael Brown. I have no independent knowledge of the shooting incident, and like everyone else, will wait until a full investigation has been completely to comment directly about that.
Also read: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=124569
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