LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Ashton Packe served in law enforcement for more than two decades, retiring from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department four and a half years ago. Despite the years of experience, watching the bodycam video of a Feb. 3 deadly shooting is a struggle.
Las Vegas police: Father, not officers, killed 3-year-old son in hostage situation, video shows
“It’s just a horrific situation. My heart breaks for that child, and the terror that child was feeling in the last moments of his life,” Packe said. “That father, to do that, he holds 100% of the responsibility.”
When watching the video, Packe mentions ‘sympathetic reflex’ on the child’s father, a term used for muscle spasms after being shot, resulting in pulling a gun’s trigger.
“We’ve seen people being able to squeeze off multiple rounds in the last seconds of the brain being active, still having enough oxygen and blood in it,” Packe said.
He said that unless an officer’s shot is perfectly placed, a sympathetic reflex is highly likely. Packe believes the officers had no other choice besides deadly force.
“This man met every single element. He had the ability, he had the opportunity, it was imminent jeopardy, and the preclusion was checked,” He said. “There’s really nothing else they could have done; all four of those boxes are your elements to deadly force.”…