I'd argue that's irrevalent. An irrational person might assume at the sight of guns pointed at him that he's going to be shot. An irrational person is not going to process 'following orders'. He's mentally on a ledge. I really wish I had a better audio isolation, but the 'shoot me now' initially comes across to me as a statement made in anger - as one would make to a firing squad in defiance - he wasn't begging to be shot - in his mental state I'd bet that's all the verbalization he could physically muster.
I've read too many stories about 'shoot me now' irrationals being accommodated. One size fits all policing is just not working anymore in a society where it seems 20 percent of the population is medicated, off their meds or in sore need of meds. And it's not fair to the officer on the street that the only tool he has to deal with irrationals is a gun.
So, I wonder how this situation could have been defused? Is there a less than lethal approach for the mentally ill? Do we need a crisis management approach, with law enforcement providing area containment only while a team talks the guy down? Is there a time limit? I'm just real bothered with the 90seconds and you're dead end result.
We spend hours talking a man off the edge of a bridge who's yelling I want to die, we can even get their loved ones on the phone, so why can't we do the same on the ground?
You are correct that his words were irrelevant.... I was merely stating what I saw and heard from the video that weren’t mentioned at all by the previous post.
I am open to the idea of having a better way to diffuse such a situation. Talking someone off a ledge is a bit different because they are contained and not coming at you with a weapon.
We do not do a very good job of handling those who are mentally ill. Once we quit hospitalizing and confining those who are a danger to themselves and others the society ends up with these types of situations. In his delusion this man could have (did not say would) injured someone else-—even perhaps killing them. Then we would be screaming about why the police didn’t do something.
I look at ‘the knockout game’ thugs who attack with no indication that they are coming at you and that worries me more. Those are not fair comparisons. I do not have a best solution for these situations. I am wondering if rubber bullets and stun guns are enough for most situations....better training.
“he wasn’t begging to be shot”
Oh yes he was. I watched & listened to that part many times. He was fast approaching the cops with knife drawn, screaming “SHOOT ME”, after doing something to attract them (he carefully set the shoplifted items on the ground as though caring for something he knew wasn’t his). He even took bystanders into account and relocated his attack position so they didn’t get shot.
Straight up “suicide by cop”.
“why can’t we do the same on the ground?”
Because he was actively approaching with lethal force, intent, and opportunity. If he wasn’t shot a cop would have died.