Campus Fatality May Have Been Avoidable

Classmates and friends are questioning why a police officer fatally shot a University of South Alabama freshman who was naked and had been banging on a window at police headquarters.

Campus officials didn't give any indication that Gil Collar, 18, of Wetumpka had a weapon when he was shot. A university spokesman said he was fatally wounded about 1:30 a.m. Saturday after an officer heard a bang on a window and went outside to investigate.

A statement issued by university spokesman Keith Ayers said Collar, who wrestled at Wetumpka High School before enrolling at South Alabama, assumed a "fighting stance" and chased an officer before being shot. The officer tried to retreat numerous times to defuse the situation before opening fire, the school said.

But sophomore Tyler Kendrick said campus authorities haven't provided any satisfying answers about why Collar was killed.

"Really, it just upsets me that there's no other way to apprehend an unarmed student rather than shooting him. I don't understand that," Kendrick said.

I don't understand, either.  Police are resorting to kill shots before trying non-lethal measures.  In this case I do understand why it was unnerving for the officer.  But before he went outside, one would think a trained officer would have armed himself with a variety of tools.

This kid could have been on bath salts, or he may have just gotten really drunk for the first time.  It's hard to know until the autopsy report is complete, but it doesn't look like anything besides retreating was done before killing a young man.

Expect updates as they come. There is plenty of room for us to learn what caused this tragedy and maybe how to avoid future ones.