Cop in America doing a bad job, again

[choiboyx012]

Understood, but it's clear that this is no means a 'normal' DUI, he was compliant and agreeable with the police and didn't deny having drinks.
At what point is getting an arrest more important than actually protecting the community and helping him find his way home in a safe manner?
It comes across like there was an incentive to arrest this man at all costs, and I'm struggling to see why.

There was no incentive, it’s just that DUIs are one of the few misdemeanors (not committed in an officers presence) that you must arrest for, along with domestic violence (w/no visible injuries). Even if they wanted to let him go with a warning they weren’t allowed to once they had evidence he was under the influence.
these types of DUIs are actually quite common. It just requires a bit more on the report to articulate why you believe defendant had been driving under the influence. Obviously it’s not a clear-cut DUI, so it might not even get filed by the DA or get plea bargained down to a “wet-reckless” driving charge. But officers are still obligated to go through with the arrest.

 

[afrocentricity]

Guys come on, like it was wrong to shoot him, that officer shouldn’t be policing on the street ever again but let’s not get ridiculous about things.
Trying to make a thing about the initial arrest is like trying to frame an already guilty man. The evidence is there, he shoots him in the back.

See this is the thing, what's with all the 'well actually' then? You agree but then you end up arguing with the people you agree with... Talking about irony and making out I'm an idiot for posing a rhetorical question in a relatively benign post. Things are getting so weird in here.

 

[Goalfather]

Umm he wasn't going anywhere, they were in a well lit parking lot. You keep using the word 'weapon' in your post, that shows your bias. He stole a taser, so what? You act as if he stole a gun and was about to go on a shooting spree. The cop that shot him had backup, it was not a one on one situation where he could reasonably fear for his life if he got incapacitated by the taser. So what if the guy got away? They bring in the dogs, the helicopters, and they'll get him before daybreak. While the situation was indeed different from Floyd because he offered more resistance, it was still widely condemned by officials and resulted in the immediate sacking of the officer.

A taser might not be considered a deadly weapon, but it is a weapon. I share George Floyd's height, weight and ethnicity, and if I were in America, I would have shared this guy's fear of the police.
It seems that some people expect police officers to have a preternatural calm, even in the most challenging situations. I understand they are humans doing a very tough job.

 

[McGrathsipan]

Umm he wasn't going anywhere, they were in a well lit parking lot. You keep using the word 'weapon' in your post, that shows your bias. He stole a taser, so what? You act as if he stole a gun and was about to go on a shooting spree. The cop that shot him had backup, it was not a one on one situation where he could reasonably fear for his life if he got incapacitated by the taser. So what if the guy got away? They bring in the dogs, the helicopters, and they'll get him before daybreak. While the situation was indeed different from Floyd because he offered more resistance, it was still widely condemned by officials and resulted in the immediate sacking of the officer.

Is a taser not a weapon?
Is resisting arrest, running away and pointing this taser at a cop not 1000 times more likely to result in worse results than not doing that. Especially a white American cop.

Regardless of race the man upped the ante. Did he deserve what he got, absolutely not. Is the cop a racist? Maybe he could be I don't know but his reaction was indefensible. He should've kept his aim to where it would not be fatal.

 

[adexkola]

Is a taser not a weapon?
Is resisting arrest, running away and pointing this taser at a cop not 1000 times more likely to result in worse results than not doing that. Especially a white American cop.

Regardless of race the man upped the ante. Did he deserve what he got, absolutely not. Is the cop a racist? Maybe he could be I don't know but his reaction was indefensible. He should've kept his aim to where it would not be fatal.

This isn't GTA3 you can't aim for the foot to immobilize the suspect. You're taught to aim to kill, by targeting the torso. Plus more chance of missing a foot shot and hitting someone else.

He should have never pulled out his gun. Give chase and tackle like a safety. If the suspect wins the race... You still have his car, and you have his description. Go to his house and wait for him to turn up. Would have been a complete non story at worst and a good episode of Cops at best.

 

[mu4c_20le]

A taser might not be considered a deadly weapon, but it is a weapon. I share George Floyd's height, weight and ethnicity, and if I were in America, I would have shared this guy's fear of the police.
It seems that some people expect police officers to have a preternatural calm, even in the most challenging situations. I understand they are humans doing a very tough job.

It's a non-lethal weapon. Resisting arrest should not automatically result in a death sentence. I don't know how it is in your country, but in order for a police officer to justify using deadly force against a fleeing suspect, they must have reason to believe the suspect would pose a threat to the public. I don't believe that threshold was met. I believe the cop got scared and lost control of the situation, chose the worst possible decision and resulted in a needless loss of life.

 

[Ludens the Red]

See this is the thing, what's with all the 'well actually' then? You agree but then you end up arguing with the people you agree with... Talking about irony and making out I'm an idiot for posing a rhetorical question in a relatively benign post. Things are getting so weird in here.

Yeah you’re right, it is getting weird. For some reason people seem to think and it’s the same in the BLM protest thread that you must be extreme when taking a ‘side’. The two things I’m talking about are separate. It isn’t excusing, it isn’t a well actually, it isn’t a but maybe. People should be arrested for drink driving end of story. Officers shouldn’t be shooting people in the back. There’s no need to try and mix the two to ‘get more evidence’ so to speak.

You ever heard of the term 'rhetorical question'?....

So instead of just reactively arguing, think about it. Either they don't get off and they are held to account (but unlike most police). Or they do get off, just like the police often do. Which would be pretty fecked up for the people on the receiving end of their 'mistakes'. We both know which one it is...

 

[Silva]

It's a non-lethal weapon. Resisting arrest should not automatically result in a death sentence. I don't know how it is in your country, but in order for a police officer to justify using deadly force against a fleeing suspect, they must have reason to believe the suspect would pose a threat to the public. I don't believe that threshold was met. I believe the cop got scared and lost control of the situation, chose the worst possible decision and resulted in a needless loss of life.

what this guy said

 

[RedPed]

This post is as bad the policing in America.

And you actually believe that putting the US police down makes you look any better?

 

[Anustart89]

Not to mention that a taser becomes less dangerous with increasing distance between the user and a potential target. Which means that if a guy's running away from you with a taser and you shoot him (non-lethally, if they know how to do that ) you actually make the guy with the taser more dangerous than just letting the guy put 20ft between you and him.

 

[Grinner]

Yes he was being a dick.
Enough to warrant pepper spray? No
In my honest opinion as a law enforcement officer, its your duty to de-escalate the situation

This is so important. Cops are surely taught that people are going to be nervous, jumpy, and say or do things that maybe they wouldn't normally do because the adrenaline is pumping during a stop. Cops are trained and so should be able to put people at ease rather than try and make things worse. This cop was on a power trip.

 

[Ludens the Red]

And you actually believe that putting the US police down makes you look any better?

Thanks for proving the point of my last post. Congratulations, you win the internet. You’re the good guy.

 

[Olly Gunnar Solskjær]

Seattle Police officers were recorded running into pedestrians with their bikes and arresting the victims for assault.

 

[calodo2003]

Seattle Police officers were recorded running into pedestrians with their bikes and arresting the victims for assault.

The impunity with which they do this shit is jawdropping, especially when the police know they will undoubtedly be caught on video.

 

[WI_Red]

The impunity with which they do this shit is jawdropping, especially when the police know they will undoubtedly be caught on video.

This x 1000. Back in the 90’s as a high schooler I was considering a potential career in law enforcement. My local pd had a police explorer program (a co-ed Boy Scouts affiliated program affiliated with specific careers) and I joined up to get a look at the job. In my view now as an adult the stuff I heard and saw while on ride alongs AS A MINOR was despicable . And I do not mean from “criminals”, but from the officers. They viewed everyone, and especially minorities, as the “other”. I met a few officers who were “good” and were great role models, but that was the few. Our adviser (a patrol officer) and sponsor (a sergeant) were two of the few. They both preached the ideals of service and duty. And within two years they were “reassigned” and replaced by an ex marine who preached domination and intimidation. We went from doing community service project to learning takedown techniques and going to the shooting range. I got the hell out. Most of the rest did not. Maybe that was the point.

 

[TheReligion]

Are some posters really trying to suggest a taser isn't lethal so it's okay to use one to resist arrest? and that it's fine to drive your car drunk providing you move to the passenger seat and go to sleep afterwards?

This place is weird. The guy is dead. He was shot in the back. That's the issue here incase you missed it. The rest of what happened is clear as day and had he been caught he'd of been going to prison for quite some time I imagine. It doesn't make the shooting right but let's not make things up when it's all on camera to see FFS.

 

[entropy]

The impunity with which they do this shit is jawdropping, especially when the police know they will undoubtedly be caught on video.

After seeing countless videos, I just assume that it’s because these idiots know they can get away with it and no one is actually going to charge then. Literally knowing laws don’t apply to them.

 

[villain]

Mate. A drink drive is a drink drive. Are you actually suggesting there are circumstances where police should take people home and do nothing when they’ve been caught drink driving ? You also have to take them back to a police station where they provide a breath reading on a proper machine.

Guys come on, like it was wrong to shoot him, that officer shouldn’t be policing on the street ever again but let’s not get ridiculous about things.
Trying to make a thing about the initial arrest is like trying to frame an already guilty man. The evidence is there, he shoots him in the back.

And you’re suggesting that there’s no circumstances in which people are given warnings or fines, despite breaking the law.
It was a question about the incentive of arrests, if you think thats ridiculous - that’s fine, but there’s a hint of condescension in your posts which isn’t necessary.

He was ‘in control’ of the vehicle and blew a 0.1 with the limit being 0.08, not to mention having to wake him up. It was straightforward and there was nothing untoward happening here until after the cuffs came out.

The first mistake was probably the green officer who was the shooter going straight for the taser instead of helping his partner subdue the suspect on the ground (could be wrong on that one?), allowing the situation to get out of control.

Yeah I agree, it’s clear the guy was startled and probably nervous - things didn’t turn until the possibility of an arrest became real, which is another whole ordeal in the US so I can see why he reacted badly. It’s a terrible situation all around.

There was no incentive, it’s just that DUIs are one of the few misdemeanors (not committed in an officers presence) that you must arrest for, along with domestic violence (w/no visible injuries). Even if they wanted to let him go with a warning they weren’t allowed to once they had evidence he was under the influence.
these types of DUIs are actually quite common. It just requires a bit more on the report to articulate why you believe defendant had been driving under the influence. Obviously it’s not a clear-cut DUI, so it might not even get filed by the DA or get plea bargained down to a “wet-reckless” driving charge. But officers are still obligated to go through with the arrest.

Thanks for explaining, makes it a lot easier to understand now.

 

[roseguy64]

 

[Ludens the Red]

And you’re suggesting that there’s no circumstances in which people are given warnings or fines, despite breaking the law.
It was a question about the incentive of arrests, if you think thats ridiculous - that’s fine, but there’s a hint of condescension in your posts which isn’t necessary.

Apologise. I guess because it seems so strange from my point of view but obviously it wouldn’t necessarily be from yours. But yeah officers can and do use discretion but you never would in a drink drive situation. Even if it was one of these slightly odd ones. You’re better off eliminating any sort of immediate risk if said driver potentially drove off later.

 

[calodo2003]

After seeing countless videos, I just assume that it’s because these idiots know they can get away with it and no one is actually going to charge then. Literally knowing laws don’t apply to them.

Has to be this. There definitely is a psychosis that is systemic to these ammosexual MMA dork idiots, but their certainty if not being held to account greases their skids for this behavior.

 

[Walrus]

What would be going through your head as a black man being arrested in America at the moment? I'm sure that situation doesn't result in calm, sensible thinking for most.

This is the crux of it, and the point where law and order breaks down, as we have seen.

 

[RedPed]

This is a 13-year-old peoples. Imagine watching your 13-year old child being treated like this?



No doubt the cops on here or sympathisers will come out with the usual bullshit like we don't know the full story, the kid could have been being obstructive etc., etc.

Just burn the fecking whole lot down.

 

[Rado_N]

Can’t be too careful with these jaywalkers.

 

[shamans]

I think this situation is very different from that of George Floyd. Whether the initial offence merited an arrest is neither here nor there, in my opinion. The guy not only resisted arrest but he disarmed the police officer and attempted to discharge the weapon in the direction of the officer and then decided to flee the scene of the arrest. I don't know if training is different in the US, but law enforcement officials in my country are taught to aim for centre mass, not moving limbs. Allowing the guy to flee the scene is also not a smart option, particularly in the dark, because the guy may get the tactical advantage of cover.

On the flip side of the coin, as a black man in the States, the prospect of being detained by the police must be a terrifying thing, even if one is guilty of a relatively minor infraction. In his impaired state, his reaction is quite understandable. He was pretty cool until he was about to be detained and maybe at that point he panicked.
It is an unfortunate situation but I find it hard to condemn the officers in this instance.

Thanks for bringing some sanity to the discussion.

As someone who thinks the police force in America need a full structural change it is unfortunate to see how clueless some are labelling this as a cop power trip because he "got his ass whooped"

I also cant believe someone on here said they had no proof and should have let him go without arresting him? They should have let him drive back home, drunk?

Like I said earlier its an unfortunate situation. He was drunk and messed up but he messed up. This cop will get a big sum after he sues for unlawful termination.

 

[afrocentricity]

For those that think that a guy who is sleeping intoxicated in his car is a risk and should be arrested (or even shot dead). How about this, wake him up, breathalyse him, upon finding out he is too drunk to be driving but finding out that he had possibly chosen to sleep it off (as can happen).

How about this:

Have a word with him, write it up and take his keys (or some variations of that),
Sort it out with him once he comes to pick up his keys and is in a more coherent state.

At least one less death by cop.

 

[caid]

Thanks for bringing some sanity to the discussion.

As someone who thinks the police force in America need a full structural change it is unfortunate to see how clueless some are labelling this as a cop power trip because he "got his ass whooped"

I also cant believe someone on here said they had no proof and should have let him go without arresting him? They should have let him drive back home, drunk?

Like I said earlier its an unfortunate situation. He was drunk and messed up but he messed up. This cop will get a big sum after he sues for unlawful termination.

I think he might be lucky to avoid a prison sentence, really can't see that happening.

 

[WI_Red]

Thanks for bringing some sanity to the discussion.

As someone who thinks the police force in America need a full structural change it is unfortunate to see how clueless some are labelling this as a cop power trip because he "got his ass whooped"

I also cant believe someone on here said they had no proof and should have let him go without arresting him? They should have let him drive back home, drunk?

Like I said earlier its an unfortunate situation. He was drunk and messed up but he messed up. This cop will get a big sum after he sues for unlawful termination.

Which will then hopefully be direct deposited into the bank account of the victim's family.

The callousness of some people on here is shocking. This man is dead. This is not a video game where he is going to respawn somewhere. The nonchalance with which we accept those sworn to protect us gunning civilians down is just...I don't have words for it.

Was the guy drunk and stupid. Yes. Should he have gone to prison for striking the police officer and taking his taser? Yes. Should he have been shot in the back while running away? If your answer is yes I worry about you.

Finally, I think someone made a point up top that "you think a taser is not a lethal weapon?". Remember this next time someone dies from being tased and the outcry is "What a horrible accident, this is a non-lethal tool!".

 

[Fosu-Mens]

https://www.nber.org/papers/w22399

Based on data from NY. No difference between races regarding lethal use of force from the police, but Afro-Americans and Hispanics more likely to be put in handcuffs or walled without an arrest being made.

I think there is no actual data to support that American cops are more likely to kill a black man compared to a white man. So, on average I think the police killings are not in themselves racially motivated. What they are, are symptoms of an incompetent/untrained police and a "terror balance" with a high density of weapons in the population due to lax weapon regulations.

What can be said is a symptom of racism, is the use of non-lethal force. Here, there is data to support a claim of racism/racial bias.

 

[TheReligion]

For those that think that a guy who is sleeping intoxicated in his car is a risk and should be arrested (or even shot dead). How about this, wake him up, breathalyse him, upon finding out he is too drunk to be driving but finding out that he had possibly chosen to sleep it off (as can happen).

How about this:

Have a word with him, write it up and take his keys (or some variations of that),
Sort it out with him once he comes to pick up his keys and is in a more coherent state.

At least one less death by cop.

I'm sure the suggestion was he'd drove there in that state so he'd already been drink driving no? In any sense he was drunk in charge of the vehicle.

Having seen many people's lives ruined by those who choose to drink drive I don't think it's fair to now criticise the cops for actually doing the right thing.

As I said previously the issue is they shot the guy dead. Let's to start trying to find fault with everything else as for me there's no need to.

 

[TheReligion]

This is a 13-year-old peoples. Imagine watching your 13-year old child being treated like this?



No doubt the cops on here or sympathisers will come out with the usual bullshit like we don't know the full story, the kid could have been being obstructive etc., etc.

Just burn the fecking whole lot down.

You're an angry man.

Everyone gets the point that you hate the cops and hate all the cops on here. Well done. ACAB badge in the post.

 

[Maagge]

https://www.nber.org/papers/w22399

Based on data from NY. No difference between races regarding lethal use of force from the police, but Afro-Americans and Hispanics more likely to be put in handcuffs or walled without an arrest being made.

I think there is no actual data to support that American cops are more likely to kill a black man compared to a white man. So, on average I think the police killings are not in themselves racially motivated. What they are, are symptoms of an incompetent/untrained police and a "terror balance" with a high density of weapons in the population due to lax weapon regulations.

What can be said is a symptom of racism, is the use of non-lethal force. Here, there is data to support a claim of racism/racial bias.

Does the use of lethal force data take severity of the alleged crime into account?

 

[WI_Red]

https://www.nber.org/papers/w22399

Based on data from NY. No difference between races regarding lethal use of force from the police, but Afro-Americans and Hispanics more likely to be put in handcuffs or walled without an arrest being made.

I think there is no actual data to support that American cops are more likely to kill a black man compared to a white man. So, on average I think the police killings are not in themselves racially motivated. What they are, are symptoms of an incompetent/untrained police and a "terror balance" with a high density of weapons in the population due to lax weapon regulations.

What can be said is a symptom of racism, is the use of non-lethal force. Here, there is data to support a claim of racism/racial bias.

I remember the furor when this paper came out a few years ago.

Taking a quick look at the paper I am struck by a few things.

-The paper is completely reliant on police reports with no interviews of witnesses. Considering the documented examples of police "exaggerating" reports to frame a narrative, I am suspect of reliability of the data,
-The CI bars on the lethal use of force graph (figure 4) are huge meaning there is large variability in the sample data set. This data is also only from one city, Houston.
-The data for the rest of the paper is from only 10 cities in 3 states. This is not necessarily a representative data set.
-The basis of their lethal use of force analysis is if the victim was carrying a weapon, which ignores the face that the issue we are discussing is the shooting of UNARMED black men.
-The paper also only looks at police interactions, it does not investigate the frequency of interactions by race, nor the cause of the interaction to begin with.
-My above observations are based on a 5 min skimming of the article, so please take them with all the grains of salt.

Also, this is the first part of the papers conclusion. I am just going to leave this here:

"The importance of our results for racial inequality in America is unclear. It is plausible that racial differences in lower level uses of force are simply a distraction and movements such as Black Lives Matter should seek solutions within their own communities rather than changing the behaviors of police and other external forces."

p.s.: The author of this paper was placed on a two year suspension from Harvard for sexual harassment. Tenure is a "wonderful" thing.

 

[WI_Red]

Does the use of lethal force data take severity of the alleged crime into account?

For the analysis of the lethal force in houston they do a random sampling of specific crime classifications (assaulting officer, brandishing weapon, etc.).

 

[adexkola]

I'm sure the suggestion was he'd drove there in that state so he'd already been drink driving no? In any sense he was drunk in charge of the vehicle.

Having seen many people's lives ruined by those who choose to drink drive I don't think it's fair to now criticise the cops for actually doing the right thing.

As I said previously the issue is they shot the guy dead. Let's to start trying to find fault with everything else as for me there's no need to.

Cops are not supposed to act as jury and executioner. If there is evidence of a crime issue a summons and book the suspect for a court date. Emotions of seeing people's lives ruined shouldn't come into it.

If he was caught actively driving on the road then sure bring him in. He's sleeping in a car. At the moment he poses no threat to public safety.

Again, if the current system mandates that a sleeping man in his car be goaded like this in the interest of "public safety", you see why many municipalities are now slashing police budgets or deliberating a complete disbandment.

I know you want to limit the discussion to the gunshot pretending as if everything captured in this encounter was fine. It wasn't.

 

[adexkola]

"The importance of our results for racial inequality in America is unclear. It is plausible that racial differences in lower level uses of force are simply a distraction and movements such as Black Lives Matter should seek solutions within their own communities rather than changing the behaviors of police and other external forces."

p.s.: The author of this paper was placed on a two year suspension from Harvard for sexual harassment. Tenure is a "wonderful" thing.

No agenda there chief. Move along, nothing to see here. Just telling these uppity negroes to behave better, pull their pants up and "sir yes sir" their way into better conditions with the police.

 

[WI_Red]

No agenda there chief. Move along, nothing to see here. Just telling these uppity negroes to behave better, pull their pants up and "sir yes sir" their way into better conditions with the police.

Yep.

As a scientist this type of thing drives me crazy. You can literally fail to disprove any null hypothesis (in this case that there is no racial bias in police use of lethal force) by cherry picking your data. I am not saying this is what was done here, but the variability I see in the graphs, coupled with the LACK of variability in the composition of the data set is frustrating. Good data can lead to bad conclusions based on poor analysis design.

 

[MadDogg]

For those that think that a guy who is sleeping intoxicated in his car is a risk and should be arrested (or even shot dead). How about this, wake him up, breathalyse him, upon finding out he is too drunk to be driving but finding out that he had possibly chosen to sleep it off (as can happen).

How about this:

Have a word with him, write it up and take his keys (or some variations of that),
Sort it out with him once he comes to pick up his keys and is in a more coherent state.

At least one less death by cop.

If there was reasonable doubt about whether he'd been driving or whether he'd gotten in his parked car and was sleeping it off, I'd agree with you. But the fact that the car was parked across a drive-through (some have said the motor was still running as well, but I haven't read confirmation of that) means it's pretty much certain that he had been driving while he was drunk. Which is very dangerous for the public and is apparently a guaranteed arrest with no room for the police to make a judgement call.

Was the guy drunk and stupid. Yes. Should he have gone to prison for striking the police officer and taking his taser? Yes. Should he have been shot in the back while running away? If your answer is yes I worry about you.

Finally, I think someone made a point up top that "you think a taser is not a lethal weapon?". Remember this next time someone dies from being tased and the outcry is "What a horrible accident, this is a non-lethal tool!".

He wasn't just running away though was he? As he was running away he turned and attempted to shoot the police officer with the taser. That's what makes this one a difficult one. If he hadn't done that I (and I presume most) would consider this a straight up murder. But then, if he hadn't done that then it's very unlikely that the cop would have shot him (from what we've seen in the videos the cop didn't seem to be an over-the-top prick who was eager to put the black man down). Once he does turn and start to use the taser it stops being a black and white case and goes into the grey where there is no obvious answer. I tend to think the cop still shouldn't have shot him but I also think this isn't anywhere near as bad as all these other instances we're seeing, and doesn't deserve to be in the same discussion as them.

On the other hand I don't completely blame the victim either. With everything that is going on in the USA (both throughout his entire life but especially at the moment with it coming to a head) he was scared and panicked, and proceeded to make a stupid decision.

 

[choiboyx012]

I think he might be lucky to avoid a prison sentence, really can't see that happening.

Not completely sure how it works, but he does have a strong case to sue. He was terminated overnight, which means his Peace Officer Bill is Rights and due process was definitely violated. No internal investigation or interrogation lasts just a couple hours.

The chief also resigned but is still “employed by the city” in some official non-police capacity. my guess is she’s trying to Michael Jackson her way out of the spotlight and shitstorm but still get paid handsomely either through retirement or whatever position she’s holding now.

 

[adexkola]

If there was reasonable doubt about whether he'd been driving or whether he'd gotten in his parked car and was sleeping it off, I'd agree with you. But the fact that the car was parked across a drive-through (some have said the motor was still running as well, but I haven't read confirmation of that) means it's pretty much certain that he had been driving while he was drunk. Which is very dangerous for the public and is apparently a guaranteed arrest with no room for the police to make a judgement call.

That's a problem. "No room for judgement call" has ended with a death. And it ends with many more needless interactions between unarmed civilians and armed police.

He wasn't just running away though was he? As he was running away he turned and attempted to shoot the police officer with the taser. That's what makes this one a difficult one. If he hadn't done that I (and I presume most) would consider this a straight up murder. But then, if he hadn't done that then it's very unlikely that the cop would have shot him (from what we've seen in the videos the cop didn't seem to be an over-the-top prick who was eager to put the black man down). Once he does turn and start to use the taser it stops being a black and white case and goes into the grey where there is no obvious answer. I tend to think the cop still shouldn't have shot him but I also think this isn't anywhere near as bad as all these other instances we're seeing, and doesn't deserve to be in the same discussion as them.

On the other hand I don't completely blame the victim either. With everything that is going on in the USA (both throughout his entire life but especially at the moment with it coming to a head) he was scared and panicked, and proceeded to make a stupid decision.

It's a taser. Some police cadets get shocked with tasers as part of training.

https://www.caller.com/story/news/l...ing-tased-during-training-exercise/983141001/

If it's a lethal weapon, why are police allowed to use it on civilians to subdue them? If it's not, then this is asinine as justifying a shooting because the suspect was about to turn around with a stick in his hand. We all make stupid decisions. None deserve death unless those decisions immediately threaten to take the life of someone else, who then defends him/herself with lethal force.

As for the bolded, this may seem to be less blatant but it's all part of the same tree of an overreach of police authority, disproportionate towards black people. It fits. A black person doesn't need to be perfect to be treated much better.