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From: js2j@mhuxt.UUCP (sonntag)
Newsgroups: net.legal,net.politics
Subject: Re: NYC subway "hero"
Message-ID: <532@mhuxt.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 21-Jan-85 12:53:22 EST
Article-I.D.: mhuxt.532
Posted: Mon Jan 21 12:53:22 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 22-Jan-85 05:27:00 EST
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Xref: watmath net.legal:1340 net.politics:7027

> 	(4) Some of his bullets of the dum-dum variety, indicating
> 	    that the infliction of pain was as much on his mind as
> 	    self-defense.

   While I personally feel that Goetz used much more force than was necessary
to defend himself, I can't help but wonder about statements like this.
   Bullets come in two flavors:  those which are fully jacketed, and those
which are not.  The non-fully jacketed ones are used for hunting, and expand
when they hit, which (usually) keeps the animal from running on for a few
miles and dying back in the brush somewhere, which would be a useless waste
of meat.  The fully jacketed ones are used by armies and cops, and usually
do less damage.
   When a bullet is used on a person, the press apparently checks to see which
kind was used.  If it's the common variety used for hunting, they call it a 
dum-dum.  If it's the kind used by cops, they call it an 'armour piercing'
type, since the fully jacketed variety is more capable of penetration than
the other kind.
   Either way, to the average non-gun using person, it ends up sounding as
though whoever shot the bullet went to great lengths to get special killer
type bullets, and apparently the press encourages this, as it makes the
event more sensational.
-- 
Jeff Sonntag
ihnp4!mhuxt!js2j
    "You see, we KNEW he'd lost control
     when he built a fire on Main Street
     and shot it full of holes." - Dylan