Never Call the Cops Unless You Want Someone Killed: Iowa Man Reports Truck His Teen Son Took as Stolen, Police Kill Teen Son

Never, never call the cops unless you are ready for the
situation to end with someone shot to death: a bitter lesson
learned by James Comstock, whose teen son Tyler was shot to death
Monday on the campus of Iowa State University.

The
details from Des Moines Register:

James Comstock refused to buy a pack of cigarettes for his
19-year-old son, Tyler, and now he’s planning his son’s
funeral.

“He took off with my truck. I call the police, and they kill
him,” James Comstock told The Des Moines Register on Tuesday. “It
was over a damn pack of cigarettes. I wouldn’t buy him none.

“And I lose my son for that.”

Comstock said he’s outraged police shot and killed his son
Monday morning on Iowa State University’s campus.

Police began pursuing Tyler Comstock of Boone after his father
reported the truck stolen. The truck belonged to a lawn care
company.

Ames Police Officer Adam McPherson pursued Comstock into the
heart of ISU’s campus. During the chase, Comstock rammed
McPherson’s car. The truck eventually stopped, but Comstock revved
the engine and refused orders to turn it off.

McPherson fired six shots into the truck. Comstock died from two
gunshot wounds, according to the Iowa state medical examiner’s
office.

James Comstock said his son was not carrying a weapon.

During the chase, an unidentified Ames police staffer twice
suggested that police back off their pursuit, according to dispatch
audio obtained by the Register through a third-party
service. Audio: Listen
to dispatchers and officers during the pursuit

The audio linked to above is illuminating; the police
knew from their own audio that it was a family
dispute leading to a kid grabbing dad’s truck, not a car theft
desperado on the loose.

Undoubtedly, a more sensible person would not have done what
Comstock did — assuming the officers story is true, he does say it
on police audio, claimed Comstock “backed up into my vehicle.”

A voice of reason on the police channel points out, hey, if
Comstock is being that reckless in regard to police attempts to
stop him, maybe the safest thing to do is back off. “We know the
suspect,” the voice points out. “We can probably back it off.”

Regardless, the use of lethal force on someone for cop-defiance
and traffic violations should, to put it mildly, happen less
often.