[rey]

“I’m not sure you intend this, but you just built the foundation of an argument for NOT hiring combat veterans to be public servants in the police department. “

Certainly not. My point is this deputy had way more experience than most and saw a threat. If a combat vet felt threatened it is probably safe to say there was a threat.

I remember a fire fghter at a party where people were burnng stuff in the fireplace. The fire fighter felt concerned and expressed concern. He encouraged people to leave the building. He was right. It wasn’t paranoia. The fire got out of control and he likely saved everyone.

[NorthMountain]

I thought you intended otherwise, but your argument is essentially that the combat veteran is more likely to perceive a threat, whether it's real or not. In fact, unlike your firefighter example, this public servant was MISTAKEN in his perception of the threat. He was WRONG. The individual he shot may well have been a junior grade thug (certainly looks like one), but he was NOT armed with a deadly weapon.

Also see my comments in #38. This situation "went wrong" before it even started.