Lady in Costco Shot to Death by Police

Police Officer William Mosher

A woman who was at the end of her shift handing out samples at a Costco in Virginia was shot to death by police on Wednesday the 29th.  Apparently she started acting very oddly according to co-workers, so they called the police in to the store for to help.  The woman started walking towards the officers with a knife and scissors in hand, very incoherent and not responding to their demands.  OBVIOUSLY this woman was going through some sort of mental break down.  However instead of helping, subduing, tasering, or tackling her, they proceeded to shoot the woman 5 times.

Is this policy?  Are police even trained in how to deal with people with mental disorders?  If they aren't, should they even be allowed to respond to calls in which a mentally disturbed person is involved?  Can they not make a better judgment in cases like this?  Two armed men aren't able to subdue one frail lady?  They had to shoot her in order to keep themselves safe?

The woman was from the Philippines where her family is mourning this tragic death.  The following statement was submitted Thursday by the Philippine Embassy regarding the shooting:

"The Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines extends its deepest sympathy to the family of Mylene De Leon Scott, a member of the Filipino-American Community, who was shot dead by police officers responding to a reported disturbance inside the Costco Wholesale Store in Sterling, Virginia, on Wednesday, 29 May 2013."

Costco also released a statement: 

"We are extremely saddened by the situation that occurred at the Costco warehouse in Sterling, Va., earlier today. We are treating this with the utmost sensitivity and are cooperating fully with the authorities as they gather more details on the events leading up to the shooting of our CDS associate. In the meantime, our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who was affected by this event."

It horrifies me that so many immigrants are being murdered by police recently, it is terrible to have to hear tales of their family members half way around the world having to hear these stories though the news and as a side note.  "Police responded to a call at a Costco on Wednesday and oh BTW they killed your daughter". 

The rest of the world must be looking at America as a truly scary place to be, a country where you are  8 times more likely to be killed by a police officer than a terrorist.  It is one thing if you are scared to be killed by a terrorist bombing in Iraq, it is a completely other thing when you have to be scared that the people who are supposed to be protecting you are more likely to murder you than save you.  

Adam Kokesh reported this story yesterday on his podcast and made a very telling statement.  Unless you are ready to see an innocent person killed right in front of you, do not call the police unless it is ABSOLUTELY necessary.  

Read more about the story at NBC.

As I research this a bit more it ends up the officers are claiming she had a gun, of course that gun was never removed from it's holster, but I guess nowadays just having a gun on you is enough reason to be shot 5 times in the back.