If News Photographers Could Get A Picture Of This Hostage Taker Why Couldn't A Police Marksman Have Got A ...

[sandyRoe]

...shot at him?

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/first-image-emerges-of-suspected-sydney-cafe-gunman/ar-BBgOw8I?ocid=mailsignout

[ludwig]

I'm sure they could. The trouble is it would probably trigger an immediate execution of all hostages by the remaining hostage takers.

[VHG]

You are an expert on sieges eh!

Suppose there is more than one terrorist in the building (they don't know that)?

You shoot this terrorist, so the others then go mad with machine guns and kills all the hostages.

Great result eh !

[DTCwordfan]

because he has a young girl as a body hostage and (ii) the bullet has to penetrate the glass and could deflect and take her or someone else out.

Why don't they just chuck in some instant knock out gas.....?

[wolf63]

I thought the same, but maybe he is wearing a bomb or there is something that we do not know about the situation (and don't need to know either).

I hope that there is a peaceful outcome but ........

[wolf63]

They could beam him out and leaving him up there

[DTCwordfan]

Isis were threatening to take a captive in Oz and behead someone in public in a street...though I suspect they would be plugged before they could even do that.

[DTCwordfan]

apart from the statements from those released, they'll have a spy camera and mike in place now - either from next door or from the offices above.

[Baldric]

There must be a very good reason for not doing so, as he is clearly visible from the waist up in the photograph!

[sandyRoe]

It must be that he's not acting alone.

[janbee]

It's possible he's wearing an explosive vest and shooting him may trigger that to go off.

[ToraToraTora]

I think you have been watching too much American cop show TV. It's a last resort to shoot through the glass.
1) there may be more than one terrorist
2) The glass may deflect the bullet
3) The terrorist(s) may have rigged up some sort of explosive device.

the fact is that the guys runing th o the ground are in possession of the facts, we and the media are not, silly to try and run the rescue from an armchair armed only with a box set of Kojak.

[DTCwordfan]

they could export him out of the country to Isisland and drop him off from 30000 feet, over where MH370 lies.

[lindapalmara]

My daughter lives in Sydney and fortunately is working in North Sydney today. Normally she would be in the Central Business District and nearly always stops for a coffee on her way to work. I'm pleased to say I read her email saying she was safer effort I looked at the news!

[jno]

as hostages have escaped, I presume they're able to say how many attackers there are?

Anyway, there's always a silver lining to clouds like these

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/15/uber-offers-free-rides-after-backlash-over-surge-pricing-during-sydney-siege

[New Judge]

And I suppose one very good reason is if the photographer makes a ba11s up all he gets is a fuzzy photo or a picture of his foot. However, if the marksman makes a similar error....

[sandyRoe]

Could a baton round/rubber bullet have been used to break the window followed immediately by a shot from a marksman? It seems the siege has ended with casualties among the hostages.

[bhg481]

I suspect the gunman would be happy to see a photographer - it's the publicity he's after. Seeing someone with a gun could trigger him to start executing people.

[andy-hughes]

There was an Australian talking on Radio Two today answering exactly this question - the police are reluctant to shoot as a matter of course because that will make a martyr of the terrorist.

A preferable outcome would be to take him alive, put him on trial and imprison him - to send out a message to others of the same mind.

Of course, the situation has moved on since then, so we will have to wait for confirmed reports and analysis about what has happened since lunchtime our time.

[sandyRoe]

If their reluctance to make a martyr of the terrorist has resulted in the deaths of innocent people they'll have questions to answer.
Getting an accurate shot through a plate glass window shouldn't have been an insurmountable problem. They could have used an armour piercing round.