Campus officer kills naked freshman

By Hum
in Real World News

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

Hum

Posted
Posted

(CNN) -- Authorities are investigating why a University of South Alabama officer fatally shot an 18-year-old freshman who they say was naked and acting erratically outside the campus police station early Saturday.

With few details of the shooting, the student's mother and one of his friends said they could not understand how a six-year varsity wrestler and good-natured teenager could have died under such strange and sad circumstances.

According to a statement from the school, the campus police officer heard a loud banging noise on a window at the station at 1:23 a.m. CT (2:23 a.m. ET) Saturday. When he left the station to investigate, the school said, "he was confronted by a muscular, nude man who was acting erratically."

The man, later identified as Gilbert Thomas Collar, of Wetumpka, Alabama, repeatedly rushed and verbally challenged the officer in a fighting stance, the school said.

The officer, whose name hasn't been released, drew his weapon and ordered Collar to stop, the school said. The officer retreated several times to try to calm the situation.

"When the individual continued to rush toward the officer in a threatening manner and ignored the officer's repeated commands to stop, the officer fired one shot with his police sidearm, which struck the chest of the assailant," the school statement said. "The individual fell to the ground, but he got up once more and continued to challenge the officer further before collapsing and expiring."

Collar's mother, Bonnie, said the two people who called her with the news of her son -- someone from the school and another involved in the investigation -- did not mention that her son was trying to attack anyone when he was shot.

"He was wearing no clothes and he was obviously not in his right mind," she told CNN. "No one said that he had attacked anybody, and obviously he was not armed. He was completely naked."

"The first thing on my mind is, freshman kids do stupid things, and campus police should be equipped to handle activity like that without having to use lethal force," Bonnie said.

Campus police immediately contacted the district attorney's office to request an external investigation, and the Mobile County Sheriff's Department will assist, the school said.

The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of internal and external investigations, according to the school, which enrolls about 15,000 students.

Investigators are looking at security camera tape of the shooting, Collar's mother said.

Earlier Saturday, Ayers called it a "campus tragedy" for the university family but offered no other details, citing the active investigation.

more

Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1110691-campus-officer-kills-naked-freshman/
Share on other sites
Grand Master

tiagosilva29

Posted
Posted
"The individual fell to the ground, but he got up once more and continued to challenge the officer further before collapsing and expiring."
I have no idea if the agent had a baton or a taser with him and I don't really like triggerhappiness, but the dude in question is a trained wrestling athlete and if he was high on PCP, a lot of people got lucky.
  • SoCalRox and WAQT
  • Like 2
Grand Master

xendrome

Posted
Posted
"When the individual continued to rush toward the officer in a threatening manner and ignored the officer's repeated commands to stop, the officer fired one shot with his police sidearm, which struck the chest of the assailant," the school statement said. "The individual fell to the ground, but he got up once more and continued to challenge the officer further before collapsing and expiring."

?I definitely would not have fired a taser at this guy knowing that if he got a hold of me he would likely bash my skull in... I mean if you guys want to take that risk, then that's fine, Hum would just be posting about you in a few days and we would all be posting comments of "Darwin award winner"..... so... yeah..

  • dead.cell, SoCalRox and jnelsoninjax
  • Like 3
Grand Master

ILikeTobacco

Posted
Posted

The officer, whose name hasn't been released, drew his weapon and ordered Collar to stop, the school said. The officer retreated several times to try to calm the situation.

Pulling a weapn is A. not retreating and B. not going to calm the situation. Guns are not made for calming a situation. They are made for ending them.
Mentor

MDboyz

Posted
Posted

Really? why don't you try to stop these kind of people high on drug w/o using force. What you do if you don't have anything besides gun at that time? You want to stop him with bare hand alone?

Sad that people are condoning this kind of behaviour.

Officers should never use lethal force on an unarmed man.

This is inexcusable and I hope he's charged with a criminal offence.

Grand Master

Ryoken

Posted
Posted

The officer retreated a few times to try and calm the situation, but it didn't work.. And because people are soo scared about Tazers that they don't want the police to have them, then the gun is the only real option.

You can't just let him run around, what if someone else unaware of the situation shows up and he goes after them..

And dealing with him one-on-one is just a no-go.. if an officer feels threatened, then the officer should never get within a few metres of the individual, because most dangerous place for police to be in, is in CQC.. Remember, most cops that get shot, get shot with their own gun. Once you are that close, anything that happen, regardless of training.. and if the man was on some sort of drugs, that made him ignore pain, then he's just that much more dangerous.

This isn't the ideal outcome. All can agree on that. But this campus officer didn't just show up waving a gun and shooting. He tried to calm down the situation, tried to back off, but to no avail.

  • remixedcat and Alwaysonacoffebreak
  • Like 2
Grand Master

Growled Member

Posted
  • Member
Posted

Did the officer forget that he could of shot the guy in the feet or arms or aimed for the shoulders. Eventually no matter what drugs hes on he won't have the ability to get up. Instead he went straight for the deadly shot......

I have never been in that situation but I can imagine that I would not be taking any chances either.

Mentor

JaredFrost

Posted
Posted

baton wouldn't help with drugs, taser would only help till the charge ran out... then the guard is dead.... he did the right thing and could have saved a couple innocent lives....

It's not a one or the other situation, a baton maybe not, but you can tase someone, if that doesn't work, tase again, if this mutant of a human happens

to be immune to electricity, THEN you use deadly force, this isn't the movies, someone with 50,000-100,000 volts pumped into their bodies will

be stopped in their tracks.

Sounds like the officer didn't really have a whole lot of choices.

Sure he did, he had lots of choices, but that's easy to say with hindsight and all.

Did the officer forget that he could of shot the guy in the feet or arms or aimed for the shoulders. Eventually no matter what drugs hes on he won't have the ability to get up. Instead he went straight for the deadly shot......

Again, this isn't the movies, hitting a moving target in the arms or legs is very hard, this isn't CoD this is something called real life.

--

Not having been there, or seen the situation, I still think the officer erred, if a less deadly option was available, that should have been used first

And if it wasn't available, why the hell not, this is a college, you'll get all kinds of drunk kids causing problems, and this man simply could have been

drunk, it doesn't have to be drugs.

Grand Master

Dot Matrix

Posted
Posted

sounds like this guy might of been high? Maybe a taser would be better to use in this situation.

Maybe, but depending on what was in his system, a taser might not have worked. Drugs have been known to enhance the body enough to reduce and nullify the electrical impulses the taser delivers.

Experienced

statm1

Posted
Posted

Again, this isn't the movies, hitting a moving target in the arms or legs is very hard, this isn't CoD this is something called real life.

Umm, so officers only have gun training in the movies? Of course this is real life and not some d**n game. He had the opportunity to shoot somewhere else besides the chest, period.

Mentor

JaredFrost

Posted
Posted

Umm, so officers only have gun training in the movies? Of course this is real life and not some d**n game. He had the opportunity to shoot somewhere else besides the chest, period.

Of course they have training, the training is to shoot for center mass, how different would the story be if he aimed for the leg, missed 5 times, finally hit him and meanwhile

5 other bullets ricocheted, maybe hitting someone else minding their own business in their dorm room.

Firearms are used for deadly force, period. I was also arguing he chose the wrong option, but he performed the wrong option correctly.

Grand Master

tiagosilva29

Posted
Posted
Not having been there, or seen the situation, I still think the officer erred, if a less deadly option was available, that should have been used first And if it wasn't available, why the hell not, this is a college, you'll get all kinds of drunk kids causing problems, and this man simply could have been drunk, it doesn't have to be drugs.

The article doesn't seem to imply that there was a less deadly option available. And secondly, I am not sure the kid was drunk. I don't know if you ever saw a drunk man being shot, but they do not ignore the pain and charge again at the shooter. If you think the officer did not properly do de-escalation... let's wait for the conclusion of the investigation.

Umm, so officers only have gun training in the movies?
A police officer's training (like any other combat training) asserts that a firearm must be used for defense only as it's the highest level of force: deadly. When you shoot, you shoot to kill. And a (more) guaranteed hit is the center of the body.
Grand Master

Ryoken

Posted
Posted

Did the officer forget that he could of shot the guy in the feet or arms or aimed for the shoulders. Eventually no matter what drugs hes on he won't have the ability to get up. Instead he went straight for the deadly shot......

Forget.. no.

They are trained NOT to do that.

When an Officer pulls a gun, unless they are SWAT or otherwise specially trained, their are to shoot center mass (chest), and normally in a burst of 2-3 shots.

It offers the best chance of rendering the target innert.

A gun is for deadly force, not for trying to hit feet and such.. Not to mention, shoot at the foot, miss, it deflects off the concret and hits someone, and the world goes nuts too.. No, you shoot at the target, in the place with the best chance to Hit the target.

Of course they have training, the training is to shoot for center mass, how different would the story be if he aimed for the leg, missed 5 times, finally hit him and meanwhile

5 other bullets ricocheted, maybe hitting someone else minding their own business in their dorm room.

Firearms are used for deadly force, period. I was also arguing he chose the wrong option, but he performed the wrong option correctly.

Not to mention the arteries, in your legs especially, will kill you just as well as a center mass shot..

You'd make it if you were next to a hospital maybe, but short of that you'll bleed out before an ambulance will even get turned in your direction.

*edit*

Oh and one last thing.. ever fired a handgun ?

They are not the most accurate weapon even in ideal conditions... add a heart rate, adrenaline, and any kind of distance at all, and hitting something like a foot becomes a very low-chance shot for most officers. Police, at least most, are far from the best shots. They CAN shoot at a range, and meet a minimum standard, but in most cases, they are outclassed by most hunters, hobbyist, etc. You don't want them taking that shot..

Now give them a rifle, a scope, and some more training, like SWAT gets, then ya, the risk might be worth it. But for beat cops with a sidearm, no..

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Posts

    • Firefox 152.0.3

      By James W. · Posted

      Glad I uninstalled this incredibly buggy browser. Looking at that changelog, they clearly don't test their updates at all.
    • UniGetUI 2026.2.2

      By Copernic · Posted

      UniGetUI 2026.2.2 by Razvan Serea UniGetUI is an application whose main goal is to create an intuitive GUI for the most common CLI package managers for Windows 10 and Windows 11, such as Winget, Scoop and Chocolatey. With UniGetUI, you'll be able to download, install, update and uninstall any software that's published on the supported package managers — and so much more. UniGetUI features Install, update and remove software from your system easily at one click: UniGetUI combines the packages from the most used package managers for windows: WinGet, Chocolatey, Scoop, Pip, Npm and .NET Tool. Discover new packages and filter them to easily find the package you want. View detailed metadata about any package before installing it. Get the direct download URL or the name of the publisher, as well as the size of the download. Easily bulk-install, update or uninstall multiple packages at once selecting multiple packages before performing an operation Automatically update packages, or be notified when updates become available. Skip versions or completely ignore updates in a per-package basis. Manage your available updates at the touch of a button from the Widgets pane or from Dev Home pane with UniGetUI Widgets. The system tray icon will also show the available updates and installed package, to efficiently update a program or remove a package from your system. Easily customize how and where packages are installed. Select different installation options and switches for each package. Install an older version or force to install a 32bit architecture. [But don't worry, those options will be saved for future updates for this package] Share packages with your friends to show them off that program you found. Here is an example: Hey @friend, Check out this program! Export custom lists of packages to then import them to another machine and install those packages with previously-specified, custom installation parameters. Setting up machines or configuring a specific software setup has never been easier. Backup your packages to a local file to easily recover your setup in a matter of seconds when migrating to a new machine Devolutions UniGetUI 2026.2.2 changelog: This release marks the completion of UniGetUI's migration from WinUI to Avalonia. With the remaining WinUI components and dependencies now removed, UniGetUI is fully powered by Avalonia. This update also brings Windows 11 Snap Layouts support, refined styling throughout the application, improved log viewing, new illustrations, and significantly smaller release packages. Highlights Further refined the Avalonia user interface to better match WinUI styling and behavior across package lists, navigation elements, dialogs, and controls. Added support for Windows 11 Snap Layouts when hovering the maximize button, matching the behavior of native Windows applications. Added illustrations for empty and loading package list states, improving visual feedback throughout the application. Improved the operation log window so automatic scrolling no longer interrupts users when reviewing previous log entries. Reduced installer and application package sizes, resulting in smaller downloads and a significantly leaner Windows distribution. User Interface Improvements Improved package list styling, column headers, backgrounds, hover states, and selection indicators for a more polished and consistent experience. Refined sidebar navigation and segmented controls to better align with modern Windows design patterns. Improved package tag badges and icon presentation throughout the application. Updated several labels, placeholders, and interface elements for improved clarity and consistency. Removed the remaining WinUI-specific styling dependencies, further consolidating the application around Avalonia. Windows Improvements Added native Windows 11 Snap Layouts integration for the maximize button. Improved maximize button hover and pressed visual states to more closely match native Windows behavior. Performance & Reliability Reduced the size of Windows release packages by removing unnecessary runtime dependencies and optimizing published builds. Reduced installer size through improved compression settings. Simplified application dependencies and reduced overall maintenance complexity. Fixes Fixed log output auto-scrolling behavior when manually reviewing previous entries. Resolved various UI inconsistencies and styling issues across the Avalonia interface. Addressed several minor issues and edge cases throughout the application. Other Changes Dependency cleanup and project maintenance. Internal code refactoring and infrastructure improvements. Additional test coverage and build pipeline optimizations. Download: UniGetUI 64-bit | Portable | ~90.0 MB (Open Source) Download: UniGetUI ARM64 | Portable Links: UniGetUI Home Page | GitHub | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • The best controller for XBOX and PC is down to the lowest price

      By TarasBuria · Posted

      The best controller for XBOX and PC is down to the lowest price by Taras Buria Image via Neowin The GameSir G7 Pro is a fantastic controller for XBOX and PC. Officially certified, it works with Microsoft's consoles, mobile devices, and PCs, giving you a universal controller for any kind of gaming machine. And right now, you can save 20% on it, thanks to the latest deal during Prime Day 2026 (purchase link below). The G7 Pro has the classic XBOX layout, complemented by a couple of extra elements, such as the M button for changing various settings and four additional remappable buttons. It also has trigger locks and TMR sticks that eliminate drifting issues, giving you a reliable, long-lasting gamepad. The controller is powered by a built-in battery, which charges via a USB Type-C cable or the bundled dock station. The G7 Pro supports wireless (XBOX Wireless, proprietary dongle, or Bluetooth) and wired connectivity. In addition to software customization (you can remap multiple buttons to different actions), it lets you personalize the look by swapping the faceplate or grips, enabling multiple design combinations. Other features include a 1,000Hz polling rate, an audio jack for your headphones, Hall Effect triggers, and a swappable D-pad (two extra are included). The controller is also available in four color variants, and all of them are now discounted. Thanks to quality materials, reliable components, rich customization, universal compatibility, and an affordable price tag, the G7 Pro received very high praise in our review. It is certainly among the best controllers you can buy. GameSir G7 Pro - $63.99 | 20% off with Prime Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Politically funny images of the World

      By +primortal · Posted

    • Microsoft further improving Windows 11 Taskbar with latest builds

      By hellowalkman · Posted

      Microsoft further improving Windows 11 Taskbar with latest builds by Sayan Sen Microsoft has released new Windows 11 builds for users flighting the Experimental channels. The new builds are 26300.8758 for Windows 11 26H2, 28120.2374 for 26H1, and 29617.1000 for future platforms. There are improvements related to the Taskbar, File Explorer and more with the new update. The full changelogs are given below: First we have the build 26300.8758: Changes and improvements gradually being rolled out [Taskbar] Taskbar customization just got easier. As we continue to make improvements to the Taskbar experience mentioned last month, we've introduced a dedicated Taskbar Size setting, making it simpler to find, understand, and personalize your ideal taskbar experience. UI showing the new Taskbar Size setting in Settings. We've also made refinements to the transitions between taskbar sizes for a smoother overall experience. [File Explorer] We've improved the reliability of thumbnail previews for cloud files in the Details pane. The pane has also been reorganized so file properties are easier to find and review at a glance. Fixed an issue where the OneDrive shortcut in File Explorer stops working when File Explorer is run in administrative mode. Fixed an issue where the confirmation dialog might display an internal Recycle Bin file name instead of the original file name when permanently deleting a file. [Sounds] Improved system sounds when using Windows in dark mode. Up next we have build 28120.2374: Changes and improvements gradually being rolled out This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes [Mobile Device Settings] You can add and manage your mobile devices in Settings under Bluetooth & Devices > Mobile Devices. On this page, you can manage features such as using your device as a connected camera or accessing your device's files in File Explorer. [Remote Recovery Management] Added a recovery remote management plug-in to extend WinRE management capabilities for MDM providers. [Input] The emoji panel (Windows key + period (.)) now uses GIPHY as the GIF provider, delivering a smoother GIF browsing and sharing experience following the deprecation of the Tenor API. Finally we have the changelog for Windows 11 build 29617.1000: Changes and improvements gradually being rolled out [Windows Update] As announced in the Windows Update announce blog, we are now bringing a new unified update experience to reduce the number of reboots you see per month. We are starting by coordinating driver, .NET, and firmware updates to align with the monthly quality update, reducing the update experience to a single monthly restart. See the blog for more information. [Windows Magnifier] Magnifier now gives you more control over how you zoom. You can type an exact zoom percentage directly in the magnifier toolbar to land on precisely the level you need. We've also added preset step increments (5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 100%, 150%, 200%, and 400%) to the Settings dropdown, so you can jump to common levels in a single click. Whether you need a subtle boost or a dramatic close-up, Magnifier adapts to how you want to zoom. Enter an exact percentage or jump to preset steps —5% up to 400%. Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Accessibility > Magnifier. [Accessibility] We're introducing screen tint, a new accessibility setting that applies a color overlay across your entire display, softening its intensity so it's easier on your eyes throughout the day. If bright, saturated screens leave you with tired or sensitive eyes by the end of a long session, screen tint can help. Screenshot showing UI for screen tint in Accessibility, with color presets and a strength slider. To get started, open Settings > Accessibility (or press WIN + U) and look for screen tint under the Vision section. From there, you can: Pick from six preset colors or choose a custom color of your own. Adjust the tint strength slider from a subtle wash to full intensity. Night light warms your display to reduce blue light that can interfere with sleep. Screen tint reduces overall screen intensity to ease eye fatigue and light sensitivity during the day. They tackle different problems and you can use both at the same time, one working on warmth and the other on intensity. Note that turning on screen tint will disable color filters, and vice versa. If you currently rely on color filters, you might need to keep screen tint turned off. Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Accessibility > Narrator. [Voice Access] Voice Access now supports Portuguese (Portugal), Portuguese (Brazil), and Korean (South Korea). [Audio] Continuing our work on improving Sound Settings, we've made a few more updates in this build: We've adjusted the description text for the Allow option in properties for audio devices to include the current state of the device, to improve the clarity of the text and the purpose of the button actions. "Listen to this device" is now available in properties for audio devices, so you don't need to enter Control Panel for this functionality. [Multiple Desktops] Improved explorer reliability when switching between multiple desktops. [Storage] We've updated the dialog when creating a Dev Drive to now support specifying the size in GB instead of only MB. This has also been added when changing the size of volumes under Settings > System > Storage. [Personalization] This update improves color selection accuracy when adjusting your accent color to match your wallpaper when automatic accent color selection is enabled in Personalization settings. This update improves wallpaper persistence reliability across restarts and upgrades, including better support for large-resolution wallpapers and other scenarios to prevent solid color wallpaper fallback. [Display and Graphics] Improves the reliability and persistence of applying color profiles. You can view the official blog posts here (link1, link2, link3) on Microsoft's site.

  • Recent Achievements

    • One Year In
      bernmeister earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Week One Done
      Scoobystu earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      tuben earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • First Post
      OffsetAbs earned a badge
      First Post
    • Reacting Well
      OffsetAbs earned a badge
      Reacting Well

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      442
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      197
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      156
    4. 4
      FloatingFatMan
      71
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      67
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!