President Trump was roundly criticized for telling reporters on Thursday that anyone throwing rocks at military or police will be treated as if they are armed with a firearm, but one case from earlier this year suggests the president’s words might be warranted.
“Anybody throwing stones, rocks, like they did to Mexico and the Mexican military, Mexican police, where they badly hurt police and soldiers of Mexico, we will consider that a firearm,” Trump said Thursday, a quote he has since clarified by insisting that while he “didn’t say shoot,” perpetrators would be “arrested for a long time.” (RELATED: Trump Clarifies Position On Retaliation For Rock Throwing Migrants)
A Palestinian protestor throws a rock towards Israeli forces during clashes near the Huwara checkpoint, south of Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on December 13, 2017, as protests continue in the region amid anger over US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as its capital. / AFP PHOTO / JAAFAR ASHTIYEH (Photo credit should read JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP/Getty Images)
The case of one Massachusetts police officer who was killed in July is an example of police being fatally injured by rock-throwing assailants.
Responding to an erratic driver report, five-year police veteran Michael Chesna encountered 20-year-old Emanuel Lopes vandalizing a home.
NECN reported what happened next:
Chesna approached Lopes with his gun drawn and attempted to arrest him, Norfolk County Assistant District Attorney Greg Connor said at a press conference Sunday.
“Lopes then attacked Officer Chesna, it is believed, with a large stone, striking him in the head, and Officer Chesna fell to the ground,” Connor said.
According to authorities, Lopes grabbed Chesna’s gun and shot him multiple times in the head and chest. Chesna was taken to South Shore Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
During the ensuing chase, Lopes fired Chesna’s weapon into a home, killing a woman. He was eventually shot in the leg by police and apprehended.