MovieChat Forums > The Frighteners (1996) Discussion > Cops shooting at Frank?

Cops shooting at Frank?

posted 12 years ago by panemique
17 replies | jump to latest

In the Egyptian museum, when Frank starts to get away, the 2 cops don't hesitate firing their guns on him repeatedly, and they continue in the street, where there were many other people fleeing from the museum.

This seemed really odd, as Frank was hardly a suspect at that time, and they didn't have any evidence against him, just the fact that he was apparently in the toilet at the restaurant when the guy had a heart attack (plus the fact that he met Ray few hours before his death), which only made him a potential key witness. Had they killed him, they would have potentially killed an innocent man, and they would have never known the truth (plus the murders would have kept happening, but they couldn't know that).

This doesn't seem to have been discussed here, am I the only one bothered by this?

[–] SteveM-1 12 years ago

Just watched it over again (nice thing about having the DVD, you can pop it in anytime).

Anyway, when the deputies walked in, their guns were holstered. As they were walking in, Magda Reese-Jones (the newspaper lady) was screaming that Bannister was "Threatening to Kill Me!". This was the point where the deputies drew their guns. Probably overreacting, but they did have reason to believe that Bannister was dangerous even if only because that woman was screaming that he was threatening to kill her.

They didn't start firing until Bannister threw a small casket at them from the Egyptian exhibit. So, he did technically attack them first. As they were firing, they may have just been trying to wound him to slow him down. I doubt they had any intention of killing him.

Whether or not they were overreacting by firing so much is up to the viewer to decide. However, from some of the small things that happened, they were justified in a sense.

[–] panemique 12 years ago

Thanks for your answer! I'll have to check it out again!

[–] ejc15 12 years ago

Not that movie police would not act differently than real life, but Police never shoot to wound. Against training, once you resort to the firearm, it is for deadly force only. I did agree, completely unjustified. It would never hold up as a good shoot.

[–] panemique 12 years ago

Yeah I just checked it, and actually, I agree. The cops took their guns out as soon as they entered the museum. The object Frank threw at the cops was clearly meant for them to catch it, to get their hands busy, not to harm them. Then they started shooting very aimlessly, and could have get Frank or anyone else killed.

I can't help but think of The X-Files, where Mulder & Scully very often chase people they KNOW to be the bad guys, yet they never "shoot to wound", only in self defense.

[–] Be_Bad_Boy 12 years ago

Cops shooting at frank in museum because frank was refusing to be arrested when they think that he killed steve bayliss in the art/sculpture museum

they shoot at frank because frank did not stand still, and even run around. but I am happy that Michael J Fox is so great in shape, and so handsome.

[–] worthythorn24 11 years ago

Let me preface my next statement by saying I enjoyed this film, but there was a lot of it that made no sense.

I've made a huge mistake.

[–] T_Winterhalter 11 years ago

I think you need to keep in mind that over the course of 3 years, 30 or so people had died. The police were under the impression that Frank was responsible for some, or maybe all the murders. I would imagine that local police would kind of freak at the prospect of confronting an actual serial murder.

[–] whitehorse88 11 years ago

That scene was ridiculous. Cops would never be that quick to draw fire to an unarmed suspect.

Don't let the scene ruin the movie for you though. It's a fun ride

[–] buddyboy28 11 years ago

They did act too quickly but it's a small town with no criminals,so these deputies aren't used to dealing with killers.They've been told Frank is the prime suspect because he ran out of the restaurant where the last victim had died and when they enter the museum Magda is shouting "he's threatening to kill me".It fit within the context of the film.

- - -
Fill your hand you son of a bitch!

[–] king_of_bob 9 years ago

I'm sorry, what? What world do you live in?

The new home of Welcome to Planet Bob: http://kingofbob.blogspot.ca/

[–] UncleRuckis (2558) 3 years ago

"Cops would never be that quick to draw fire to an unarmed suspect."

Lol if anything, these guys were slower than current US cops. Especially if the suspect is black.

[–] Galilguy (2332) 3 years ago

People who don't fuck around with cops don't get shot. It has nothing to do with skin color..

[–] tdl797 10 years ago

Seemed excessive to me. Police should not fire on an unarmed man who is not putting them in danger, right? They destroyed the museum artifacts as well.

[–] w1cht3l 10 years ago

they shot at frank because he moved. tehy told him dont move. he moved.

police can shot the person if he tried to escape or not obey police orders.

[–] ftremblay379 9 years ago

Not in civilized countries they can't. The guy wasn't running that fast either. Well-trained cops would have been able to catch him in no time. But the cops in this movie were extremely dumb. All of them. So we better just roll with it.

[–] king_of_bob 9 years ago

police can shot the person if he tried to escape or not obey police orders.

Legally, no, they can't. They do it sometimes, but that isn't proper procedure.

The new home of Welcome to Planet Bob: http://kingofbob.blogspot.ca/

[–] ejc15 8 years ago

Agreed you can only shoot someone who is fleeing if you can show they are an imminent deadly threat to yourself or others. That does not mean you think they are a threat, you know they are a threat.

Obviously if they are fleeing they are not a threat to you. I suppose there is a situation that you can show a threat to others, but it is going to be a very unique situation, and I do not believe this situation would constitute one.

But then again......sometimes the police over react.