Oh, it’s just another unnecessary police shooting.
We do have a problem here, and it’s a systemic problem, but I don’t see it the way other commentators see it.
When the Bitemaster makes a mistake, he just says, “Sorry, let me get those fries for you.” When a cop makes a mistake, someone goes to jail, gets arrested, or maybe gets shot.
I don’t see how cops can do their jobs without getting more leeway than you and I get. Their job puts them constantly in situations where people are drunk, violent, pissed, suicidal, or mentally ill. The police will make mistakes — lots of mistakes. The problem is that we’ve never formally defined how much leeway they’re to get and how it is to be dispensed.
Instead, we have an informal system where prosecutors will intentionally undermine their case against a policeman or refuse to indict even when the grand jury finds probable cause.
For the protection our police and the protection of our rights, we need to define the real standard of behavior that we expect of our police. One that imperfect human beings can live up to.
Unarmed Virginia man shot by cop had his hands in the air, fellow officers told investigators.
MrMild says: You make a valid point, but I would add that it also shows the need for better less-than-lethal weapons for the police. If the police could safely disable someone without killing them, there would probably be fewer killings. Of course, they would probably use that weapon more often.
The Bitemaster replies: No argument from me.