The Police Brutality Thread

[Eddie]

I have to admit, I'm curious as to the rest of the story.

What exactly was he talking to the guy about before the guy turned and ran?

What is that dark object that they seem to have dropped between them as he turned to run and the cop drew his gun?

How did this entire interaction between the 2 even begin?

I think it's safe to say that no one (here) believes it is OK to shoot someone for simply not complying to a police order or for running from the police. I think it gets a little more gray when you start talking about a physical confrontation between individuals and police officers, or armed individuals running.

That big dude was obviously NOT going to get very far very fast. And the cop seemed to have some help in the area. So - what's the story?

[imanihonjin]

I have to admit, I'm curious as to the rest of the story.

What exactly was he talking to the guy about before the guy turned and ran?

What is that dark object that they seem to have dropped between them as he turned to run and the cop drew his gun?

How did this entire interaction between the 2 even begin?

I think it's safe to say that no one (here) believes it is OK to shoot someone for simply not complying to a police order or for running from the police. I think it gets a little more gray when you start talking about a physical confrontation between individuals and police officers, or armed individuals running.

That big dude was obviously NOT going to get very far very fast. And the cop seemed to have some help in the area. So - what's the story?

Some of the reports I have seen state that the cop tried to tase the individual and that the black thing that drops is the taser. These reports also state that in the video, after the cop shoots the individual and handcuffs him he then walks back to where the original confrontation happened to grab the black thing and then drop it by the body of the guy who got shot.

The cop looks dirty.

[Jeff Lebowski]

The cop has been fired and charged with murder.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/08/us/sou...d-with-murder/

[Eddie]

So this whole thing was a traffic stop due to a broken tail light and a guy who ran from the cops because he wasn't paying child support and didn't want to get taken to jail again over it. Apparently.

That's about as dumb as it gets.

Don't shoot a dude when he's running from you and all you've got is a broken tail light and warrants for failure to pay child support.

Don't run from the cops because you failed to pay child support and are afraid of going to jail. (Which could be combined with just pay your child support, and/or don't have kids if you don't want to pay child support.)

Obviously shooting the guy is the bigger problem, don't think I'm saying that the victim is responsible for this. I'm just saying any number of things could've stopped this before it ever got there, and it's sad to see when everything that can go bad does and it results in an outcome like this one.

[Commando]

So this whole thing was a traffic stop due to a broken tail light and a guy who ran from the cops because he wasn't paying child support and didn't want to get taken to jail again over it. Apparently.

That's about as dumb as it gets.

Don't shoot a dude when he's running from you and all you've got is a broken tail light and warrants for failure to pay child support.

Don't run from the cops because you failed to pay child support and are afraid of going to jail. (Which could be combined with just pay your child support, and/or don't have kids if you don't want to pay child support.)

Obviously shooting the guy is the bigger problem, don't think I'm saying that the victim is responsible for this. I'm just saying any number of things could've stopped this before it ever got there, and it's sad to see when everything that can go bad does and it results in an outcome like this one.

I'm starting to become convinced we don't need that many cops with guns. Start em out with a nerf bat and then move up from there if they can prove themselves to not be total neanderthals.

[PaloAltoCougar]

The simple (not to mention outrageous and stupid) act of going back to pick up the Taser and drop it near the victim is enough, in my mind at least, to elevate the crime from a manslaughter charge to murder. I would assume this will be a second degree murder charge, as there probably wasn't premeditation or deliberation, and yet the coldly calculated act of trying to set up a self-defense claim would drive me to push for a first degree charge if possible.

[imanihonjin]

The simple (not to mention outrageous and stupid) act of going back to pick up the Taser and drop it near the victim is enough, in my mind at least, to elevate the crime from a manslaughter charge to murder. I would assume this will be a second degree murder charge, as there probably wasn't premeditation or deliberation, and yet the coldly calculated act of trying to set up a self-defense claim would drive me to push for a first degree charge if possible.

No kidding. How cold hearted would have to be to not be in complete shock after gunning someone down. This dude's first thought, was I better handcuff him and grab the taser to set up my self-defense claim.

[old_gregg]

i think handcuffing the guy is sop

[Commando]

I was genuinely concerned for the well-being of the cameraman until the second cop showed up on the scene.

[Omaha 680]

This is another good case for body cameras. Ballistic evidence would testify pretty strongly against self-defense. But could this guy be charged with murder without the video evidence?

[imanihonjin]

This is another good case for body cameras. Ballistic evidence would testify pretty strongly against self-defense. But could this guy be charged with murder without the video evidence?

Body cameras should be mandatory. I think police officers will come around to realize that it is in their best interest as well to utilize body cameras. Even if they don't....too bad....to many bad cops out there to worry about.

[Katy Lied]

I say it every time. The penalty for running from the cops should not be death.

There was a case in Utah where the victim (a white man) refused to listen to a cop and turned to walk away during a traffic stop. The cop tased him and because he had a weak heart or something, it killed him. He was no danger to the cop-- the cop was just pissed that he wouldn't obey him. Cops need to learn to control their impulses and if they cannot, then they shouldn't be policemen.

In this latest case, the cop just looked mad because the perp was running away. He could have run after him, or called in backup. Wasnt there a fence right there to prevent the older, heavyset guy from running very far? We're not talking a 17 year old.

[cougjunkie]

Meh, no big deal. Another criminal off the streets.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

No kidding. How cold hearted would have to be to not be in complete shock after gunning someone down. This dude's first thought, was I better handcuff him and grab the taser to set up my self-defense claim.

What blows my mind a bit is how the officer either doesn't notice or care at any point in the video about the guy filming on the other side of the fence. It doesn't seem that the person was making any attempts at being inconspicuous about it either.

[Commando]

Meh, no big deal. Another criminal off the streets.

Yep. Thank goodness the crime was captured on film or he might still be on the force!