Volpa dies in shootout. Police criticized...

[caddmannq]

I don't know how much national publicity this story has received, but the "Punishment Warranted" thread prompted me to post this horror story. (I've recounted all this from articles in our local paper, and local news.)


On April 29, Mrs. Stroud called the Clovis Police Department to pick up her son, 21-year-old Mark Charles Volpa Jr. , who had been staying at her house. She said he was banging his head against cabinets in her kitchen and threatening suicide. He was taken to the county's psychiatric assessment facility... Volpa was housed until May 3 in Four West, a psychiatric ward at Community Medical Center-Fresno. Volpa did not want to stay...At a hearing that day, a "county-contracted referee" ordered Volpa released...even though his psychiatrist wanted him to stay longer. Sixteen days later, Volpa shot and killed a sheriff's deputy on a lonely stretch of road north of Fresno County.

Volpa was reported that night, firing a gun at a street sweeper in a local parking lot. Deputy Phelps, 47, stopped a weaving car shortly thereafter, not knowing that the gun toting Volpa was the driver. Volpa shot Phelps in the face, point blank. The killer took the deputy's pistol, automatic rifle, ammunition, and patrol car.

He was spotted about 12:30 a.m. Monday by another deputy...The deputy pursued but was forced to break off the chase when Volpa slid the stolen patrol car across a mountain road, and crouched behind the vehicle as he sprayed bullets through the windshield of the oncomming deputy's car, wounding the deputy.

Later, Phelps' patrol car was found overturned off Highway 168...sparking a search for the killer over a wide area...The manhunt went on for almost a week, through the rugged foothills. On Tuesday...shots were fired at deputies on the ground and a sheriff's helicopter was hit by a bullet that was found lodged in a rotor blade. Days later, Volpa was discovered hiding in a camper near his girl friend's house. He would not surender.

SWAT officers shot and killed Volpa as Volpa bolted from his hideout spraying gunfire from Deputy Phelps's stolen weapon. Officers returned fire and killed Volpa. He died of "multiple gunshot wounds" that pierced several vital organs. Volpa's family criticized police for not trying hard enough to get Volpa to surrender.

Here is a case where some hired breaucrat dumped a lunatic loose on the streets, costing the life of a deputy, injuries to another, and costing megabux to hunt down and ultimately kill. Who was ultimately responsible? Volpa, certainly, but the people who released this guy must certainly share the blame.

[geekgrl]

I definitely think the person who ordered him released is to blame, too.

[Mead]

I dont think the police are the ones to be condemned in that situation. I understand the family is upset that their son is dead. But what kind of morons are they? He killed a cop almost killed another. Was taking pot shots at a street sweeper driving by. The fact that they didnt kill him in the first place when he was shooting at the helicopter and other police cars shows restraint.

[Epidemic]

here is where a police bullet valued at approximately 19 cents saved the tax payers lots of money.

[Warthog]

If he was hospitalized in teh first place, none of this would've happened.

[Epidemic]

To prove your belief that a psyco should be released form the ward. You should have to house them for a year with your family.

This goes for reformed murderers, rapists...

If you want them out prove that you do not think they are a threat.

This goes for the professional witnesses for the defense(so called experts), and parole board members. If they are willing to do this I think I will believe them.

[Warthog]

Some can be "reformed", some can't.

Question is, how do we distinguish?

Warthog

[caddmannq]

Err on the side of caution. Consider society before the individual. When in doubt, lock them up.

[capybara]

i tried to defend the guy in the
"punishment warranted?"
thread, but in this case......
there was no choice to shooting the guy.
he should have never been released.
he was probably released because of the so-called
civil right to refuse treatment. What a fscked-up system.

[caddmannq]

Nah...
He was released because he was a bum with no money, and the county didn't want to foot the bill.

The bill they eventually did foot would have kept him in a hospital for 100 years.

He!!, it would have kept him at Club Med for 100 years.