Reader comments
'Come get me,' firefighter told 911 before standoff
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Anonymous | 8:26 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008
Now the truth comes out....
uncannygunman | 8:45 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008
Note to police: Just because a suspect says "come get me,"
doesn't mean you have to do it.
Random | 9:07 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008
12 hours? He had 12 hours to surrender and chose not to. Was the neighborhood
evacuated? Were any schools in lockdown? If yes, and I don't remember, then
no, he wasn't a threat only to himself. It's a horrible situation all
the way around, but the police officers have families, too. If push comes to
shove, they are going to go home to their families.
Comments continue below
Anonymous | 9:21 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008
This sounds like "suicide by cop".
Think about it... | 9:21 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008
I wonder what would have happened if nobody showed up and someone called him in
for lunch or dinner a few/several hours later.
Often when we are in trouble we try to draw others into our drama. Any parent or teacher familiar with "Love and Logic" will understand that you don't let the person draw you into their problem. You give them time to think it out and make a decision.
It is their problem and you can offer help, but ultimately I feel Mr. Wood could have sorted things out with a little help or encouragement from family. He obviously wanted a showdown and the local authorities eventually obliged.
I really think that the methods currently used by law enforcement need to be rethought. What would have happened if nobody came. Give the wife and family time to leave and observe the person from a distance without them knowing it.
Surely a few text messages to his phone could have helped him think it out.
Often when we are in trouble we try to draw others into our drama. Any parent or teacher familiar with "Love and Logic" will understand that you don't let the person draw you into their problem. You give them time to think it out and make a decision.
It is their problem and you can offer help, but ultimately I feel Mr. Wood could have sorted things out with a little help or encouragement from family. He obviously wanted a showdown and the local authorities eventually obliged.
I really think that the methods currently used by law enforcement need to be rethought. What would have happened if nobody came. Give the wife and family time to leave and observe the person from a distance without them knowing it.
Surely a few text messages to his phone could have helped him think it out.
You Know... | 9:38 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008
You know it goes, if you give a Cop a Pistol...
WOW | 9:46 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008
I could have gone my entire lifetime not knowing those intimate details of a
dying man. Thanks, DNews for making the choice of letting me know, whether true
or not, that this man sexually and physically assaulted his family members. And
the rebuttal from an attorney. That makes it OK, I guess.
Yes, it was your choice to tell me this. It is, in my estimation, not news but pure sensationalism. Seriously, you could have left out prurient, inconsequential information that only inflames the grieving and adds nothing to the news value of this event.
Poor choice.
Yes, it was your choice to tell me this. It is, in my estimation, not news but pure sensationalism. Seriously, you could have left out prurient, inconsequential information that only inflames the grieving and adds nothing to the news value of this event.
Poor choice.
Anonymous | 10:02 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008
Garbage can or not, anyone firing a gun in a suburban neighborhood IS a threat.
Sorry he died, but his actions brought this sad event about. Of course his
family will minimize his actions and blame everybody else, but the reality is he
could have ended this peacefully. He started it and they finished it. Good for
the cops.
Give Me A Break | 10:23 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008
If you think this is sensationalistic journalism, you need to either get out
more or go back to college. What "inconsequential" information would
you have left out, I'd like to know.
Jake | 11:01 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008
@WOW: Did the Deseret News force you to click through and read the story?
Prude | 11:18 p.m. Oct. 14, 2008
If you didn't like it then why did you not only read it but comment on it
too.
LT | 12:05 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
We have several situations where police didn't come to a family dispute
where one person has a gun. It doesn't end pretty. But people are then
saying, "where were the police while this was happening." I know it is
hard for the family...it is a real shame when this happens, but a man -- not in
his right mind -- with a gun is a danger to all those around him. I feel the
police had to act. This could have turned out a lot worse. What if he went to
the neighbors or the local schools to get his point across. No Mr. Wood -- who
sounds like an outstanding man in other situations -- is the one who is
responsible for the situation...not the police. He is a good man who made some
bad choices...don't try to put the blame on others. I am sorry for his
death; I am sorry for his widow, and most of all I am sorry for his son.
If you don't want... | 5:33 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
...the cops to come to your house don't break the law and don't call
911.
Don't blame the cops for what happened. This guy was a danger to his family as evidenced by his increasingly hostile acts. How long should the cops have stayed away? Until he killed his wife and kids?
Don't blame the cops for what happened. This guy was a danger to his family as evidenced by his increasingly hostile acts. How long should the cops have stayed away? Until he killed his wife and kids?
re: WOW | 5:43 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
You didn't have to read it. The newspaper police didn't point a gun at
you and say, "Read".
Abuse | 5:48 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
The man was abusive. He really didn't show the highest standard of a
husband, father, or firefighter. He would have done this again and again.
His wife obviously didn't have the strength to get away from him the FIRST time he did it. She put her blinders on and felt that things would get better and that nobody understands. Well, I know first hand that "things don't get better" but they DO get worse. The sooner you can get out of a situation the sooner you and your kids will start to recover and have a better, happier life.
His wife obviously didn't have the strength to get away from him the FIRST time he did it. She put her blinders on and felt that things would get better and that nobody understands. Well, I know first hand that "things don't get better" but they DO get worse. The sooner you can get out of a situation the sooner you and your kids will start to recover and have a better, happier life.
re: Wow and own thoughts | 6:16 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
How is this sensationalism? Those were the words directly out of his mouth. He
acted like a child making up stories about how he raped and beat his wife. That
was clear from his tone of voice in the call and the way he hung up the phone
directly afterwards. It is clear he just wanted to stir up trouble with the
police and was suicidal at that point.
I was at first angry at the police since they lied to us at the start saying he committed suicide, however after all the details are out. This guy wanted to die and he got his exact wish.
He brought this on himself. He had a history with the police and obviously never learned to control his actions. It doesn't mean he deserved to die, but it certainly clears the police from wrong doing.
Brian Wood started the fight. The police tried their best to act prudently. Brian Wood gave them no choice.
I was at first angry at the police since they lied to us at the start saying he committed suicide, however after all the details are out. This guy wanted to die and he got his exact wish.
He brought this on himself. He had a history with the police and obviously never learned to control his actions. It doesn't mean he deserved to die, but it certainly clears the police from wrong doing.
Brian Wood started the fight. The police tried their best to act prudently. Brian Wood gave them no choice.
Anonymous | 6:50 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
This wasn't his first time doing this, he obviously had a mental or
emotional deficiency. To bad he didn't get or was offered the help he
required.
WOW | 7:11 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
What a wonderful group of human beings you all are.
OK, the paper didn't FORCE me to read this article. My point, obviously lost, was that the newspaper CHOSE to highlight the sensational aspects of this "event", i.e., a verbatim, base confession of an assault, real or not. Could the reporter/editor not conveyed that message in a more subtle way?
To Give Me A Break: As a former victim of described assault, it struck me in a way that it did not, apparently, all of you claiming it was no big deal. Not inconsequential?
To Prude: And what is the purpose of this comment board if not to come on and offer opinion about a given article, reaction, other commentator's remarks, etc.?
But based on this thread, it seems nothing more than a public stoning:
"Of course his family will minimize his actions and blame everybody else," "You know it goes, if you give a Cop a Pistol." "This guy wanted to die and he got his exact wish. He brought this on himself." "His wife obviously didn't have the strength to get away from him the FIRST time he did it. She put her blinders..."
Well done.
OK, the paper didn't FORCE me to read this article. My point, obviously lost, was that the newspaper CHOSE to highlight the sensational aspects of this "event", i.e., a verbatim, base confession of an assault, real or not. Could the reporter/editor not conveyed that message in a more subtle way?
To Give Me A Break: As a former victim of described assault, it struck me in a way that it did not, apparently, all of you claiming it was no big deal. Not inconsequential?
To Prude: And what is the purpose of this comment board if not to come on and offer opinion about a given article, reaction, other commentator's remarks, etc.?
But based on this thread, it seems nothing more than a public stoning:
"Of course his family will minimize his actions and blame everybody else," "You know it goes, if you give a Cop a Pistol." "This guy wanted to die and he got his exact wish. He brought this on himself." "His wife obviously didn't have the strength to get away from him the FIRST time he did it. She put her blinders..."
Well done.
To "Think about it". | 7:58 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
I thought about it and "think" you're wrong.
The Police State Cometh | 8:14 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
If a man wants to commit suicide, let him commit suicide, but don't commit
it for him. I am grateful to the police for their efforts to ensure public
safety, but sometimes they ensure public safety by taking away people's
rights and agency. That is called police brutality and is a reflection of a
society existing in a police state. That is what we are becoming. Did the police
do the right thing here? Yes and no. If they were not present THEIR lives would
not be in danger. The woman said to stay away. The father was there. The
situation escalated WHEN THE POLICE ARRIVED. Did the police do their duty? Yes,
but they should have never been there. Was he abusive? Most likely, but not
definitively. A problem with our police today is a tendency to assume guilt.
People are INNOCENT until PROVEN guilty.
I agree | 8:23 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
Amen, WOW.
To Wow | 8:34 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
Why is it the cops fault that this guy broke the law?
Ken | 8:43 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
This Wow person seems a bit judgemental.
piper2 | 8:44 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
To Wow-very, very well put!!
washcomom | 9:10 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
Police are there to serve and protect. Mr. Wood said, "Come and get
me." The wife said to back off. Well, problem was - this was a lose-lose
situation in regards to the police responding. She loses, he wins when they
come; He loses, she wins when they don't. 12 hours is quite a bit of time
to talk. It's not that the police need different training, the police need
a phychiatrist or psychologist on had to help evaluate the mentally ill mind. So
- for a new possible job descript: Wanted: Police officer with degree in
psychology. On the job training.
Grateful for police | 9:16 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
This story is tragic - but could have been worse. Was Trolley Square so long
ago that we have all forgotten what one out of control, crazy person can do with
a gun? All of us are looking at this with hindsight as a gift. The officers on
duty did not have that luxury. What a funny nation we are. Sept. 11, 2001
happens, and we sue the government and scream "Don't Let This Happen
Again!" Trolley Square devastates our community, and we (myself included)
hail as a hero the off duty officer that stepped in the line of fire that night.
I think that those of you questioning the policemen on duty that night in
Farmington need to make a decision - do you or do you not want the police to
stand and protect our communities from crazy people with guns? If the story had
ended with this guy shooting up the nearby elementary school, or taking out the
district offices for Davis County Schools just across the street, we all would
cry in outrage "Why didn't the police do anything?" Well, they
did something to prevent a bigger tragedy, and I am grateful!
JJ | 9:38 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
With TWO sons serving as policemen, I truly resent your implication..."If
you give a cop a pistol." I know my sons are constantly haunted with the
'suicide by cop' problem. They have NO desire to have to shoot
someone. I have no desire for them to have to either. But please keep in mind
that they rightly have the desire to go home to their families after each shift,
and the decision to shoot at all is a heavy one. What would you do if
you're given a split second to make a decision that could end his life or
your own? Our police officers can't fix everything. We all need to clean up
our lives from the bottom up and help where we can. I'm so sorry this
family is having to suffer from this terrible incident. Those who live close to
them - gather around and don't judge.
Agree | 10:42 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
Grateful for Police, These were exactly my thoughts. What would all the
comments be today if he had been left alone and went on a shooting spree, or
back into the house and escalated the attacke there? Then we all would be
saying why did the police not do something.
Lane Meyer | 11:06 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
It seems that caution is at times thrown to the wind in cases where assumption
takes a front row seat.
Unfortunatley speculation seems once again the rule of the day in lew of facts, both from the DN and a few of the comments here. Wouldn't it be nice to explicitly seperate the two?
Alas it seems against human nature.
Unfortunatley speculation seems once again the rule of the day in lew of facts, both from the DN and a few of the comments here. Wouldn't it be nice to explicitly seperate the two?
Alas it seems against human nature.
To "Grateful:" | 11:39 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008
I don't want police to protect me from crazy people with guns because
that's my job. I have the ability, the right, and the responsibility to
protect myself and my family from such people. I want the police to investigate
and gather evidence for the conviction of criminals. Cops are great at
investigating crimes and gathering evidence because that's their job. Cops
suck at preventing crime because they can't be everywhere at the same time.
In the tragedy in Farmington, based on the info we have, the correct strategy
would be to set up a perimeter and wait, whether it took 12 hours or 100 hours.
It's just time | 12:00 p.m. Oct. 15, 2008
What would be so wrong to wait him out? Did the officers need to be some where
else? I don't care if it takes another day, eventually he will get hungry,
time heals everything. If you were to ask me, I believe Mr. Woods was murdered
period. I hope the Woods family win a wrongful death suit.
Time Heals | 1:07 p.m. Oct. 15, 2008
12 hours is nothing. Would it have been so wrong to wait him out? An extra
hour, day, or even week. It was a human life. I pray that the wood family will
win their wrongful death case.
Bad Situation | 1:48 p.m. Oct. 15, 2008
Cops just can't win.
What if this poor man finally realized that he didn't want the cops to come. So he points the gun at the temple of his wife's head and has her say what she did.
The cops were obligated to check things out.
The poor guy needed medication and that need was never recognized by those around him. This stuff happens and the cops always get caught when they are risking their own lives.
What if this poor man finally realized that he didn't want the cops to come. So he points the gun at the temple of his wife's head and has her say what she did.
The cops were obligated to check things out.
The poor guy needed medication and that need was never recognized by those around him. This stuff happens and the cops always get caught when they are risking their own lives.
Justice | 3:03 p.m. Oct. 15, 2008
Just another reason to vote for Obama, he will right all our social
wrongs...NOT!
Really? | 3:34 p.m. Oct. 15, 2008
How about the people who were evacuated from their homes and businesses due to
the nutbag with the gun. Do you think it's ok to keep them out of their
homes and businesses for 100 hours? Do you really think that the police should
not have responded because a woman who was just raped and beaten says everything
is ok? He didn't just make that up on the phone, listen to her voice, she
is obviously traumatized.
He never had any intention of surrendering and the police went ABOVE AND BEYOND in their efforts to take him into custody without hurting him. Don't you think that if they really WANTED to shoot him,they couldn't have come up with a reason much earlier?
Thanks to the police. They did the right thing.
He never had any intention of surrendering and the police went ABOVE AND BEYOND in their efforts to take him into custody without hurting him. Don't you think that if they really WANTED to shoot him,they couldn't have come up with a reason much earlier?
Thanks to the police. They did the right thing.
Re: Really? | 4:24 p.m. Oct. 15, 2008
You got it in one and stated it well. Why can't the rest of these posters
see the obvious?
Anonymous | 4:50 p.m. Oct. 15, 2008
If the family would be HONEST and not money hungry they would thank the police
for getting rid of the nightmare and terror they had to deal with quite often.
Good thing the law suit won't bring your son/husband back because the cops
would have to be there weekly!
Typical man? | 4:59 p.m. Oct. 15, 2008
His dad said he was a typical man? Yeah, like the Columbine kids were really
good kids that just need some help.
Typical men don't behave this way. Sorry he left a wife and a son, but it sounds like they didn't have much with him around since there had been previous DV calls to the house. Typical men don't do this kind of behavior.
Typical men don't behave this way. Sorry he left a wife and a son, but it sounds like they didn't have much with him around since there had been previous DV calls to the house. Typical men don't do this kind of behavior.
THE OBVIOUS FOR THE REST OF US | 7:39 p.m. Oct. 15, 2008
Why would you call the police ON YOUR SELF and not surrender (FOR TWELVE HOURS!)
is it any wonder that this would happen.
I'm glad the psycopath is dead not an enforcer of the law.
I'm glad the psycopath is dead not an enforcer of the law.
Too Bad | 9:13 p.m. Oct. 15, 2008
Where is the justice in all of this. People comment as if there were there. A
person is dead. The family has been hurt.
My concern as a citizen is did the police do their job in a correct manner or did someone jump the gun. I have known many police officers during my career as a firefighter and for the vast majority of them, they would never want to take a life.
My hope is that the investigation by the state determines the truth and if an officer was wrong they are held accountable for it.
My other concern is everything is swept under the rug and the truth is hidden which will undermine the publics trust in law enforcement which in the long term endangers us all.
Lets hope Lady Justice isn't blind to the truth and those doing the investigation will have the strength to find the truth and then do the right thing, period.
My concern as a citizen is did the police do their job in a correct manner or did someone jump the gun. I have known many police officers during my career as a firefighter and for the vast majority of them, they would never want to take a life.
My hope is that the investigation by the state determines the truth and if an officer was wrong they are held accountable for it.
My other concern is everything is swept under the rug and the truth is hidden which will undermine the publics trust in law enforcement which in the long term endangers us all.
Lets hope Lady Justice isn't blind to the truth and those doing the investigation will have the strength to find the truth and then do the right thing, period.
Give the cops a break... | 11:55 p.m. Oct. 15, 2008
First of all...this wasn't the first time this man posed a problem. The
cops had prior dealings with him. Secondly...had the cops listened to the wife
and not shown up, what would have happened if he had gone nuts and shot either
himself or someone else. People would have been wondering "where were the
cops". It's HIND SIGHT BIAS. If ya don't know what it is...look
it up. The cops had no idea what was going to happen. Their job is to protect
the citizens; which was what they were trying to do. He made threats, and he
fired his weapon. That is clearly a sign of danger. They did what they felt was
right. All of you who think the cops made poor decisons...why don't you try
being a cop and make a decision in that situation. It can't be an easy one.
Give the cops a break.
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