U.S. Marines opened fire on a vehicle that failed to stop when approaching a checkpoint southeast of Ubaydi:
DefenseLink—The night of May 9, at a vehicle checkpoint five kilometers southeast of Ubaydi, the scene of the initial fighting and in the area where terrorists launched the suicide-vehicle attacks against a convoy, Marines fired on a car that continued toward the checkpoint despite warnings to stop. The driver was unharmed, but a woman and child in the vehicle died as a result of the incident, officials said.
The driver approaching the checkpoint ignored the posted warning signs to stop and, bypassing an obstacle barrier, continued toward the post. At 200 meters from the checkpoint, Marines used hand and arm signals, and then fired a warning flare toward the vehicle. The Marines next fired warning shots in front of the vehicle when the driver didn’t stop.
The driver then jumped out of his moving car and fled away on foot, leaving his car and its passengers, to continue toward the checkpoint. The Marines then fired at the vehicle’s engine block to disable it. The vehicle rolled to a stop in front of the checkpoint. At the time the vehicle was heading toward the checkpoint, the Marines were unaware of the gender of the passenger or that there was a child in the vehicle. The Marines said they believed the vehicle was a suicide car bomb, officials reported. The driver was apprehended and is being held for questioning in a nearby detention facility. …
No guilt should be felt here; The driver of the vehicle bears full responsibility. After warnings were given, he bailed out of the car and fled leaving the woman and child in the still moving car to face Marine defensive fire. The Marines acted appropriately; The same can’t be said for the male driver of the car that jumped out to save his own skin.
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