Could go either way...
You have some control over which way...
I know that what happened is terrible, and the family is understandably extremely distraught, and the policeman will probably be a wreck for the rest of his life, however.
I was raised in Texas in the 60’s and 70’s. I remember driving courses and weapons ranges. I remember the policeman visiting the school. And I remember my dad and mom both giving me the talk.
If a cop approaches the vehicle, both hands on steering wheel, do not move till he tells you to move.
If you drink and play with guns, you will probably have a short and painful life. BB guns are guns, not toys, treat them with respect.
Stupid games deserve stupid prizes.
Policemen have guns, do not argue with them. Better to argue with the judge and a lawyer.
No, Daniel Shaver did not deserve to die, but the girl walking down a dark alley at two in the morning as the bars were emptying did not deserve to be raped either.
But stupid games earn stupid prizes.
There are many,many,many,*many* bad and dangerous people in this country...most of them males.Cops,not being mind readers,can never be sure if a particular individual is gonna attack them.
As a result it's always good a idea when interacting with a cop to not resist,not to mouth off,not to make gestures or say things that could be interpreted as threatening.This is doubly true for guys.
In the three police encounters I've had in my 70 years (yes,I've led a *dull* life) I've followed those very rules and,as a result,the worst thing that ever came from these three encounters was one ticket for $100 (which I fought in court and won).
The solution is to remove LEO immunity to civil suit.and require, as a condition of employment, that LEOs must purchase malpractice insurance...JUST LIKE DOCTORS, NURSES, AND LAWYERS. If they cost the insurer more than the actuaries deem reasonable, they will be unemployable in law enforcement.
the video strongly suggests it was murder. The evidence not allowed concerning police record suggest the police jury of peers was in error. I would normally defer to the police -but what has been presented in this case —I cannot accept the results. I hope the civil suit results in conviction/justice.
In all fairness, these officers got a call of a gunmen, perhaps a nightmare scenario, much like the deadly Texas tower shootings. At best a rifle assassin against an unknown or random target or targets.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Joseph_Whitman
This meant that time was of the essence, that they were entering a very dangerous situation where there was a good chance that they were outgunned, where there might even be booby traps. Utterly terrifying to a cop.
Ironically, this is a situation where an ordinary person could find themselves plunged as well, the only armed person able to stop a crazed gunman or terrorist. The only difference being that they could only react once the shooting had begun. The officers didn’t have that grace.
The rest of it was the fault of the decedent, that when faced off against a brandishing police officer, your actions must be very slow and methodical as you do exactly what you are told.
The one exception is if the officer tells you to do something that you think might look like a threat to him, or immediately threatens you.
The axiom to this is when two officers are both shouting conflicting orders at you from two different angles. Which is extremely bad.
After watching the video, this was an execution, pure and simple. That cop should be facing life imprisonment at the very least,if not the death penalty.
The cop told him 3 times "Don't pull it out".
In the Slager case he fought with the guy for minutes before the shooting.
All different scenarios.
In the Shaver case the shooting was absolutely inexcusable.
Did anybody ever say what the victim was reaching for? He was so determined to reach behind his back he must have had something.
Could go either way...
You have some control over which way...
Scared Cops Are Scary
Any one that does not feel fear is a fool!
I was in the sandbox in the eighties during the “Tanker Wars”
Our Rules of Engagement during that deployment was a defensive posture. This meant that we could only defend ourselves against actual aggression - we could only fire if someone shot at us or we had a *verified* threat. In other words, we were required to assess and guarantee the threat before opening fire.
Later, during Desert Storm and the endless garbage that followed, the ROE was a combat posture: Shoot at the enemy, or anyone who seems to threaten you. The latter because lots of enemy fighters chose to wear civilian clothes. Or were women. Or kids. You were expected to exercise judgment, but if you truly felt that you were in danger, you were cleared to shoot.
What the police and their apologists want is combat posture ROE. And if that’s their ROE, then who is the enemy?
Us. Everyone who isn’t a cop. It has to be - there isn’t anyone else...
And we could be anyone - because we don’t wear uniforms. We could be a man, a woman, a child...
Even scarier is that this is pretty much what the courts, other cops and their apologists have given them. After any shoot, the thin blue line forms a protective wall around the shooter. And if they do happen to go to trial, all they have to do is say they were afraid and even the juries are instructed to give them leeway.
Cops should be on “defensive” ROE. They should only be allowed to fire if fired upon, or there is a genuine threat assessed and verified. If they fail to do this and shoot an innocent person they should go to jail - forever.
Why? First of all because they *asked* for the job - no one forced them to become a police officer. Secondly, they’re *supposed* to be better than everyone else - at least that’s what we’re told. They’re “heroes” for doing nothing more than putting on a uniform and wearing a badge. Finally, they’re supposedly very well-trained - which is why they get to walk around in tacti-cool gear wearing shooting glasses and carrying loaded Glocks and AR-15’s.
Shooting when you’re in *fear* of losing life or limb is a defense for a civilian - not a trained police officer.
The reality is that being a cop is *dangerous* - which means that sometimes (often depending on where you’re a cop) you will be afraid. If you can’t control your fear and remain calm enough to assess and verify an actual threat to your life prior to opening fire, you shouldn’t be a cop.
Go wash cars or something.
Do not Screw with cops with guns.
Their lives are on the line