12-year-old girl fatally shot by police in Pennsylvania

A 12-year-old girl was fatally shot by police in Pennsylvania when an officer served an eviction warrant to her family.
Ciara Meyer was accidentally killed in her home on Monday after Constable Clarke Steele fired a single shot at her father Donald Meyer, 57, who was allegedly armed with a rifle, Pennsylvania State Police said according to Penn Live.
The bullet passed through Mr Meyer's arm, striking Ciara, and the young girl was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mr Meyer has been charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person in magisterial district court. He's scheduled to face a preliminary hearing on January 15.


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ciara-meyer-girl-aged-12-shot-dead-by-pennsylvania-police-officer-during-eviction-a6808741.html

all I can do is shake my head.....
America and it's guns

Was he trying to shoot the man's arm on purpose to make him drop the gun?

Never thought of that Raggs, although I was tought to shoot at the torso to stop a man if he needed to be stopped.

nicko wrote:Never thought of that Raggs,   although I was tought  to shoot at the torso to stop a man if he needed to be stopped.

Yes, I thought that's what they did. It's not clear if the officer knew the girl was standing behind the chap, so maybe he avoided shooting him in the torso in case the bullet hit the girl by mistake, or maybe he just had to act quickly and didn't have time to aim very well. Anyway, it doesn't sound as if any blame can be attached to the officer, it was just very unfortunate.

In a hostile situation when you are up against an armed man self preservation cuts in, instinct is to draw your weapon and fire at the enemy to save yourself, you think of nowt else.

Donald Meyer got his daughter killed, that's it.

What was he thinking, engaging in a gun battle with police with his daughter in the house?

Monster.

what does't make sense is how the cop that is supposed to have the rifle pointed at his chest from close range.
had time to draw his own firearm and shot before Meyers could pull the tirgger.