To illustrate the no-win situation in which police find themselves in these troubled times, the organizers of the riots in Charlotte, NC (and be in no doubt that they were organized - this was not just a 'spontaneous outburst'), claimed (and repeated ad nauseam) that the deceased man, Keith Scott, was carrying a book, not a gun.
Oh, really? Not according to WSOC TV in Charlotte. Here are still images of Mr. Scott's body from a video released by the station. The handgun is circled in red.
Furthermore, according to Blue Lives Matter:
Chief of Police Kerr Putney released a statement today saying a gun was found on scene, a book was not found on scene, and the officers warned Scott several times to drop the weapon before they fired on him. Chief Putney even stated that witnesses saw Scott with the gun.
What's more, it seems that Mr. Scott wasn't the icon of peaceful, non-criminal purity some are portraying him to have been. Funny how no-one's paying any attention to that . . .
As I said earlier this morning, I continue to believe that a firearm may well not be the best answer to such mob violence. However, with all that's coming out about this shooting, if I had no other choice, I'd feel a whole lot less reluctant to open fire on any rioters trying to drag me into the mess they've cooked up. I'll be damned if I die for their lies. Black Lives Matter was founded on the lie of "Hands up! Don't shoot!" Looks like nothing's changed, and they're still lying; so to hell with them! I wouldn't blame the police if they decided to target BLM organizers and give them an object lesson or two. They deserve it.
Peter
A lie circles the world before the truth can get it's pants on...sigh...
ReplyDeleteMost states have a statute about "inciting to riot" or some such law that makes some behaviors illegal. However, finding prosecutors willing to prosecute such crimes is another story altogether. The thugs in Charlotte picked a totally unsympathetic guy to symbolize whatever it is they want to symbolize.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the tide is turning and that good people are getting a gut-full of these meaningless protests that only serve to increase the amount of sneakers that are looted from a given area.
Prior records are pointless when you're talking about an incident that happens within 2-3 minutes.
ReplyDeleteTerence Crutcher's record is being brought up here in OK, but there's no indication that the officer who shot him had identified him at that point, so it's unlikely she would have known about his record or his warrants. There's nothing in the video from that shooting that suggests she or the other three officers were in danger.
I read an interesting thought earlier todat about protest vs riot.
Protestors are more often than not -- rational people with a goal.
Rioters are not rational and are simply there to destroy, loot, and cause havoc. They have no purpose and no desire to do anything of value.
Something to consider.
@bob, the video has issues with obstructed view, but what killed that guy was his 'failure to comply.' Modern policing is taught that above all else, the subject must comply. He didn't and he died for it.
ReplyDeleteHe kept walking away from them, returning to his vehicle (to in their minds retrieve a weapon), and in the dash cam video, at the last moment before the shots he seems to lower his arms.
I don't know if he lowered them due to being tased. I can't tell. But if all I had was that video, there is at least a doubt.
I hate the focus on compliance, and the way the training emphasizes it, and the way non-compliance results in an automatic increase in the use of force continuum. Compliance is a terrible characteristic to use as a 'gate' for increased force. Many people are incapable of compliance due to disability, impairment, or mental state. Others just vapor lock when yelled at. We've seen examples of use of force problems (and people being killed) for each of these.
I think we citizens have been 'asleep at the switch' to a certain degree as police agencies have shifted their doctrine to 'officer safety above all else' and the focus on compliance. We let the agencies write their own policies. We let them define the rules of engagement. We let them define when they will escalate along the use of force continuum. We allowed civil asset forfeiture.
All I can say is there are probably citizen-police interaction programs in your area. PIP, COPS, CPA are all programs that have some national components. Join one, take a class, and you will likely be shocked by what you see as normal policy of the agencies. This is especially true if you haven't had much contact with law enforcement since high school(for example.) Even if you are a 'law and order' guy, the amount of power they've given themselves is stunning.
n
I can understand why cops would be nervous from noncompliance. The following video is shown to nearly every cop in the nation as an example of what happens when a person is noncompliant and allowed to access their vehicle.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6z8q4lOrDU
Zer0 promised the world would turn to peace, the oceans would stop rising, the US would recover it's respect in the world, and we would have racial healing. Isn't racial healing wonderful?
ReplyDeleteThat the US voter put Zer0 in, twice, is cause to regard the US electorate as insane.
Or decide the game is rigged.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDzsE5heUuA
ReplyDelete