If police approach a suspect and they have a hidden weapon (gun or knife) they put themselves in danger of getting hurt before they know the suspect has it. If someone is under suspicion there should be no problem with them following the standard instructions that are designed to keep everyone safe.
Don't know why the cop shot. Maybe he saw the suspect reaching for a gun. Maybe the suspect told him "I'm gonna get my gun". Who knows. What's definite is that riots were guaranteed to start before the full facts were revealed. This has been true for a while but in this climate just up it by a factor of fifty.
but the way you put it makes it impossible to every apprehend anyone
Not at all. But the way he put it makes it clear how vital it is for a functional justice system that people obey the instructions of officers, not only for the officer's safety, but for the suspect's safety as well. These shootings are only going to get more and more common as more and more cops fear for their lives, and more and more suspects feel brave enough to openly defy their instructions.
You can talk all day about how cops should be better trained, not as trigger happy, or you can agitate for the abolishment of all police, or even go full anarchist, whatever, it hardly matters what angle you come at this from. When a gun is pointed at you, all that shit flies out the window, and your primary concern should shift immediately to staying alive. When dealing with police in the US, you stay alive by following their instructions, no matter if you are guilty or innocent of whatever crime the suspect you of.
I didn't mean every interaction, more specifically situations like this where the person seems to be under suspicion of being involved in something dangerous. Typically they'll be told to kneel or lie down, interlace their hands or take other steps to show that they are not a threat. Officers then approach them and pat them down or cuff them till they know whats what. There's always risk but if someone isn't following first instructions the possibility of things going sideways go up exponentially. Every case is different though and we still have little idea what was actually going down here. Hopefully they move quick with releasing the bodycam (not the rioters are likely to care either way).
If police approach a suspect and they have a hidden weapon (gun or knife) they put themselves in danger of getting hurt before they know the suspect has it. If someone is under suspicion there should be no problem with them following the standard instructions that are designed to keep everyone safe.
Don't know why the cop shot. Maybe he saw the suspect reaching for a gun. Maybe the suspect told him "I'm gonna get my gun". Who knows. What's definite is that riots were guaranteed to start before the full facts were revealed. This has been true for a while but in this climate just up it by a factor of fifty.
Not at all. But the way he put it makes it clear how vital it is for a functional justice system that people obey the instructions of officers, not only for the officer's safety, but for the suspect's safety as well. These shootings are only going to get more and more common as more and more cops fear for their lives, and more and more suspects feel brave enough to openly defy their instructions.
You can talk all day about how cops should be better trained, not as trigger happy, or you can agitate for the abolishment of all police, or even go full anarchist, whatever, it hardly matters what angle you come at this from. When a gun is pointed at you, all that shit flies out the window, and your primary concern should shift immediately to staying alive. When dealing with police in the US, you stay alive by following their instructions, no matter if you are guilty or innocent of whatever crime the suspect you of.
I didn't mean every interaction, more specifically situations like this where the person seems to be under suspicion of being involved in something dangerous. Typically they'll be told to kneel or lie down, interlace their hands or take other steps to show that they are not a threat. Officers then approach them and pat them down or cuff them till they know whats what. There's always risk but if someone isn't following first instructions the possibility of things going sideways go up exponentially. Every case is different though and we still have little idea what was actually going down here. Hopefully they move quick with releasing the bodycam (not the rioters are likely to care either way).