So I had the occasion to talk about the "SWAT" shooting (that I posted about here) with an ex cop.
His take: "Dude didn't obey orders, so the shooting is justified".
I pointed out that dude had no idea what was going on, and WAS ON HIS FRONT PORCH..... that some folks he couldn't identify (maybe) shouted at him from across the street....that he was at least 30 yards (more like 60) away from the cops that had cover.
His take: If a cop tells you to do something, you'd better do it so you don't get shot".
I pointed out that it wasn't like a cop was, you know, on the porch...in uniform, giving the orders.
His response: "I don't know, I haven't seen the video".
I then asked, if he hadn't seen the video, how could he judge?
"Doesn't matter, it just matters what the cop on the scene thought. If he thought the dude was a threat, then the shooting was justified."
I pretty much pulled back from the conversation at that point, 'cause it wasn't gonna go anywhere.....
His parting shot? "If you see a cop at 2 am in your bedroom, you'd better do what he says or you could get shot....and that is justified too."
I refrained from pointing out that ANYONE in my bedroom uninvited at 2 AM is probably also gonna get shot...I also refrained from asking him who he, or any cop, was that they thought they were justified in giving me orders?
But if cops really think this way, or even a significant fraction (by "significant", I mean like more than 2%) of them do, how can we be safe around them? If all they need to be "justified" (at least in their minds) to use deadly force is that they think anyone is a threat, then how can we let them interact with the rest of us? I, as a concealed carry holder have much more stringent rules than that for using deadly force, shouldn't the "trained professionals" have at least as stringent rules of engagement?
More importantly, should we allow officers with that mindset to, you know, police the rest of us?
His take: "Dude didn't obey orders, so the shooting is justified".
I pointed out that dude had no idea what was going on, and WAS ON HIS FRONT PORCH..... that some folks he couldn't identify (maybe) shouted at him from across the street....that he was at least 30 yards (more like 60) away from the cops that had cover.
His take: If a cop tells you to do something, you'd better do it so you don't get shot".
I pointed out that it wasn't like a cop was, you know, on the porch...in uniform, giving the orders.
His response: "I don't know, I haven't seen the video".
I then asked, if he hadn't seen the video, how could he judge?
"Doesn't matter, it just matters what the cop on the scene thought. If he thought the dude was a threat, then the shooting was justified."
I pretty much pulled back from the conversation at that point, 'cause it wasn't gonna go anywhere.....
His parting shot? "If you see a cop at 2 am in your bedroom, you'd better do what he says or you could get shot....and that is justified too."
I refrained from pointing out that ANYONE in my bedroom uninvited at 2 AM is probably also gonna get shot...I also refrained from asking him who he, or any cop, was that they thought they were justified in giving me orders?
But if cops really think this way, or even a significant fraction (by "significant", I mean like more than 2%) of them do, how can we be safe around them? If all they need to be "justified" (at least in their minds) to use deadly force is that they think anyone is a threat, then how can we let them interact with the rest of us? I, as a concealed carry holder have much more stringent rules than that for using deadly force, shouldn't the "trained professionals" have at least as stringent rules of engagement?
More importantly, should we allow officers with that mindset to, you know, police the rest of us?
2 comments:
That's scary...
I attribute it to militarization of the police and the fact they operate knowing they will never get prosecuted for laws they break.
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