I highly doubt that any police officers out there today,
particularly any of them in these recent controversies, deliberately committed
murder because of race. Today, most cops are screened out and terminated when such
tendencies exist. Even in the heart of a cold racist, in a world filled with
cameras, it would be the height of foolishness to commit a murder, only to have
someone live streaming it.
First, stop calling these police shootings executions. This
was not an extrajudicial execution by a cop playing judge, jury, and
executioner. Call them bad shoots, call them fuckups, call it manslaughter or
even murder, but don’t call them executions. Those aren’t the facts.
There are probably zero cops on the street who are looking to
murder anyone. None of the recent high profile shootings were executions and
probably not murder. A potentially armed suspect is just as dangerous as an
actually armed suspect. That still doesn't excuse injudicious uses of force though.
I believe what we seeing are police officers who work in a
department where shootings are rarely or never seriously questioned. Some feel
that if there is an armed or possibly armed suspect and a fear of death or serious
bodily injury, it is permissible for them to shoot simply because it is legal.
That’s not so. Bare fear alone is not sufficient. Some are so locked-in to a mentality
of officer safety that they have mental and actual tunnel vision where all they
focus on is the possible presence of a weapon.
In days past, without contradictory evidence such as video, statements were all investigators and prosecutors had. There was probably more of a bias in favor of trusting police officers, especially when it came to killings of minorities, in the past. If the story met the legal requirements, there was no further examination. In some cases, an officer's fear was all that was used to justify the shooting. That's not today's world, but the mentality of an officer's statement being trusted first still prevails.
Police are more likely to shoot than an armed citizen
because a police officer knows that society, his department, prosecutors, and
local government is likely to give him the benefit of the doubt. Often, police
shootings are well justified. Officers also will usually have union-paid legal
representation and immunity from civil suit. While the same self-defense
guidelines about reasonable fear apply, police officers have a bit more
latitude under the law. Citizens do not have that same benefit and in some jurisdictions must be wary of prosecution.
‘Officer safety’ is sometimes unfortunately used as a
buzzword to justify a mentality that an officer should never take a chance to
allow a suspect to become armed or shoot. Furtive moments or “he was reaching
for a gun” have been used, rightly and wrongly, to justify shootings. In some
cases, it is reasonable to use lethal force on someone who is, or appears to
be, reaching for a gun. Under justifiable homicide laws, more than a bare fear
must exist, but unfortunately, in some areas and departments, if the bare facts
of the law are met, the shooting is declared ‘justified’ without any serious
scrutiny.
Video cameras are changing that, for good and bad. Some
officers acts are shown to be unreasonable in the totality of circumstances in
a way written reports or cross-examination can never show. Yes, the suspect was
armed with a knife and not complying, but was he an immediate threat to
life? Just because you can, doesn’t mean that you should.
Oscar
Grant, shot accidentally by a Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer
mistakenly reaching for his Taser, was a felony level fuck-up. There was
nothing in the video or in the officer’s testimony to indicate this was nothing
more than a massive mistake borne out of confusion and stress. This was not an
execution; this was someone too used to grabbing his pistol instead of his
Taser. From the video and the officer’s reaction, there is no reason to believe
that the officer, knowing he was under regular security camera surveillance,
surrounded by cops and citizens, would deliberately execute a prone suspect.
Tamir
Rice, who pointed a replica pistol at officers, was shoot when officer
literally pulled up right next to him, exited the vehicle, and immediately shot
him. This was horrible police procedure to a negligent degree. It is stupid and
inexcusable to pull up next to a potentially armed person, then jump out and
shoot with practically no warning. The officers theoretically inserted
themselves into a dangerous position which would immediately place them in harm’s
way rather than utilizing good police procedure and approaching for a distance
or cover where they could, again in theory, given Rice a chance to surrender.
Alton
Sterling was armed, he had a lengthy criminal history, and he was actively
resisting. At first appearances, if the officer was correct that Sterling was
reaching for the gun in his pocket, this was a legally justified shooting,
whether you agree with it or nor. Sterling had every opportunity to comply with
the officers. He chose to carry a gun illegally and he chose to continue to
fight. Sterling is responsible for his actions. He should have ended
In the Philando
Castile shooting, Castile was allegedly reaching for his wallet when he
was shot. From what we know, Castile was a licensed concealed carrier who was
armed. While the video does not show the actual shooting, in the immediate
aftermath you can see that the driver/girlfriend is calm, while the officer
is on the verge of hysterics. The officer’s voice is wavering on the edge of
panic. One seriously wonders what happened before the video and if the officer
was unjustifiably afraid. Because legal concealed carriers are typically
very law abiding and the driver’s calm reaction vs. the officer’s panicked
reaction, I feel that this may be a case of an officer who jumped at shadows.
Update: This article explains all might not be as it seems in this case.
Mistakes aside, many are too quick to condemn the vast majority of competent, law-abiding, trustworthy, and disciplined officers. Before one condemns law enforcement as a whole, one must remember that these are a minority of events given the size and scope of the country.
Update: This article explains all might not be as it seems in this case.
Police officers are human. They are subject to the same frailties
and fears that we all have. Just like in your job, there are officers who are
great at what they do and ones who would be considered incompetent by their
peers. Department practices, training, and culture has a lot to do with it. In
days past, racism or distain for criminals allowed cultures where shootings
were viewed with a ‘good riddance to bad garbage attitude.’ Times have also
changed that force is scrutinized far more than in the past. Even if justified
under law, or if used by two private citizens in a fight, society is less
tolerant of police use of force, lethal and non-lethal, than in the past.
Cameras also exposed bad shoots later justified by pencil
whipping. The sad thing is that racial tension, anti-police, and
anti-government hate is so strong right now that incomplete and unclear videos
set the tone for many of these controversies. Very few come to the table with
an open mind. We can’t afford to jump to conclusions or make rash statements.
There is a fuse burning on America and I fear we will devolve into nothing but
angry violence if we don’t take in all the facts and apply reasoning before
coming to a conclusion.
Don't even get me started on the false-flag conspiracy theory horseshit.
-GC
