Police seem to discharge weapons, even in big crowds? (Pittsburgh: neighborhood, fence)

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

What do you think about that video Evergrey? I find it pretty disturbing to be honest. What would be the reason for firing into that stopped vehicle? I have a feeling there is going to be a bunch of videos posted and they will be able to see the whole thing from beginning to end. Heck lets face it, the entire South Side is full of cameras. I don't think we will be lucky enough to see all that footage though.

I am reserving judgment until a clearer picture of the night's events emerges, h_curtis.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

I am reserving judgment until a clearer picture of the night's events emerges, h_curtis.

But, but, but.... that would be logical and not as much fun.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by Drover

Or, on can proffer an informed opinion, or form their opinions based on the available evidence or information available at the time

Well, that is what I try to do, and I think that's pretty much what most everyone posting something in here has done.

I don't really think anyone is truly jumping to conclusions in here. If you want to have a low bar for something being a conclusion, then everything in here is a conclusion, unless it says something like Evergrey's "I am reserving judgment until a clearer picture of the night's events emerges".

My current opinion, based on what I've seen so far, is that the cops acted rather wildly in shooting at this car. This is notwithstanding what the driver of the car did in running from them. Two separate issues there in my book.

[4thGenerationPGH]

Some of the comments in this thread are downright scary...

I don't know how anyone can think it was ok to discharge those weapons in that situation. Yes, the police did a good job during the chase and protecting citizens. No, it is not ok to start shooting into that vehicle in a busy South Side when the vehicle is stopped. What if that was you and your mother on a life threatening emergency? You don't know who or why they are running!

I was in a police chase like that when I was 14-years-old, in a 1967 Firebird in 1983 on a Saturday night in the summertime, with two 14-year-old girls, and a 16-year-old driver. Just 4 normal kids coming home from the roller skating rink. The chase started in Moon Twp, with speeds in excess of 120 MPH, and ended in Coraopolis. The chase lasted 20 minutes, with 15 police cars involved, through peoples back yards, over railroad tracks, 4 flat tires, and ripped off the exhaust system. The chase ended because the car died. My friend was driving like a lunatic because he was scared, because he was being chased, and because his drunken father would beat him if he came home with a ticket. When we came to a stop on the busy Main St of Coraopolis, with pedestrians everywhere, the police surrounded the car and drew their weapons. Once they "annualized the situation" and understood what was happening, they pulled the driver out of the car so hard it ripped the Polo shirt off his back. Should the police have started shooting at me and my friends that day?

The only time it is ok to fire those weapons is if the occupants in the car started firing any type of weapon of their own. Sadly, this excessive use of force is becoming all too common across the USA on a regular basis to anyone paying attention. The behavior of these trigger happy thugs is criminal.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by 4thGenerationPGH

I was in a police chase like that when I was 14-years-old, in a 1967 Firebird in 1983 on a Saturday night in the summertime, with two 14-year-old girls, and a 16-year-old driver. Just 4 normal kids coming home from the roller skating rink. The chase started in Moon Twp, with speeds in excess of 120 MPH, and ended in Coraopolis. The chase lasted 20 minutes, with 15 police cars involved, through peoples back yards, over railroad tracks, 4 flat tires, and ripped off the exhaust system. The chase ended because the car died. My friend was driving like a lunatic because he was scared, because he was being chased, and because his drunken father would beat him if he came home with a ticket. When we came to a stop on the busy Main St of Coraopolis, with pedestrians everywhere, the police surrounded the car and drew their weapons. Once they "annualized the situation" and understood what was happening, they pulled the driver out of the car so hard it ripped the Polo shirt off his back. Should the police have started shooting at me and my friends that day?

Sounds like your friend was a jerk. What prompted him to take off when the police wanted to pull him over? Did he really think he could out run them? As to being pulled out of the car, did the police know it was just some stupid teenagers in the car? I know I would assume the occupants were armed and would act accordingly.

People are so quick to jump on police. I wonder how many situations they take care of without drawing a weapon, never hear about those.

[4thGenerationPGH]

Originally Posted by copanut

what prompted him to take off when the police wanted to pull him over?

Read.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by 4thGenerationPGH

Read.

Next at 11, feel sympathy for a guy that kills a dozen pedestrians because he's afraid his father will beat him over a speeding ticket

[4thGenerationPGH]

I'll make this simple...

Is is NOT ok for police to start shooting at people unnecessarily.

I look forward to returning to this discussion when the investigation is complete.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by 4thGenerationPGH

Read.

What am I missing? You don't state what started the chase.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by 4thGenerationPGH

I'll make this simple...

Is is NOT ok for police to start shooting at people unnecessarily.
I look forward to returning to this discussion when the investigation is complete.

That's the point, no one knows what was or was not necessary in this situation but when you start from the viewpoint that there is no possible justification for the police actions (or almost a general f*ck the police attitude) then I'm certain even if an investigation exonerates them the narrative just changes too, 'of course the investigation covered everything up'.

I choose to believe that the police generally try to do the right thing & that investigations lead to correct outcomes. In this situation they may or may not have been acting out of bounds, though I saw nothing that leads me to believe otherwise on its face, I most definitely could be completely wrong, and I trust a throrough investigation will reveal the truth of the matter; the only thing that is certain at this point is someone with no regard for others decided to attempt to flee police and endanger thousands of innocent people with their vehicle as a weapon.