Saturday night is usually pretty wild for college students. Some drinks, some Animal Style-shenanigans – like, say, stealing a mascot or trying to get a peek at the sorority girls.
For one student, it meant running naked at a police officer and getting shot dead.
There was no indication that Gil Collar had a weapon when he was shot outside police headquarters in Mobile, Alabama. The University of South Alabama student, 18, had apparently been banging on the window of the police HQ at 1:30 in the morning. The conventional wisdom that I just made up is that perhaps he was upset that the bartender had announced last call and wanted the police to do something about it.
Police’s explanation for what went down has not been well-received.
A university spokesman issued a statement that Collar, who was a high school wrestler (shown above), got in a “fighting stance” and rushed at the police officer. While naked. The officer supposedly tried to retreat numerous times and defuse the situation until ultimately drawing his firearm and opening fire.
Officials do say that the confrontation was recorded on security cameras, and the district attorney and Sheriff will be receiving copies of the video for review. No explanation thus far has been given for his… uh, nakedness.
Many of Collar’s friends and relatives feel that an unarmed 18-year old college student, even running at a cop, doesn’t pose a threat of deadly force and believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that the officer had other nonlethal means at his disposal.
The officer is currently placed on paid leave pending an investigation.
