You may be right, but the video appears to show that the boy was reaching for his waist where the gun was placed. I have sympathy for any family who loses someone in this manner. But what might have happened if the police officer had waited to see what the boy was doing or to find out what type of weapon it was? When someone draws for a gun on a police officer, one of them is going to get hurt/killed. It's just a matter of who. Very sad situation.
I see the incident colored by the Bawlmer experience. 12 yr olds up here are already indoctrinated into the violence of gang life. So maybe he knew exactly what he was doing. Maybe he didnt. I will say that the one cop needs to work on his footwork, seeing as he falls right on his butt after shooting the kid. If he misses, and that was a real gun, he could have been dead.
Not any more. We could but unfortunately, times have changed. Time to go back to the water guns.
Once an officer pulls his weapon it's already over but the crying. The key is not getting to that point. I think you are living in a fantasy movie world with the non-lethal or shoot and miss scare tactics. That's how anyone gets themself killed. Ain't ever gonna happen ever....except in the movies.
Officers are taught to disarm the situation using lethal force only if necessary. Encountering a 12 YO is most likely not necessary. I'm sure there are situation Sounds like he was a inexperienced officer who handled the situation terribly.
that is easily the most misinformed viewpoint i have read in yrs.
Just go ahead and kiss those cops goodbye before they get killed. I don't believe the story for a second. I actually do know quite a few cops and none of them would ever shoot to scare or aim for anything but center of mass. Anyone who says different is lying.
Yes, they are taught to deescalate the situation when possible. IIRC, as soon as they pulled up the kids reached for the gun, which we now know is a toy, but the officer didn't have the luxury. He also didn't know the kids age. He also didn't know his gang affiliation or church membership. In a split second he had to consider he may die or shoot this young man. It is tragic. The cop isn't to blame. It would be helpful if the cops could meet more people so he would know his church membership and gang affiliation and who his momma is and the rest. That's not reality right now, though.
I agree with you. But the way the police pulled up the kid, if he so desired, could have killed the officer in the passenger seat before he ever got out of the car and maybe the driver too. Their positioning forced an immediate decision on their part. Are they really taught to pull up within 5-10 feet of an unknown subject with a "gun"?
if you had to deal with the lowest of the low every day, wouldnt you get trigger happySounds like a trigger happy bunch![/FONT][/COLOR]
