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I understand what you're saying. My thing is common sense should tell you that if you are running down the street with a gun no one is going to automatically think "he's a cop" and keep it moving. I also don't know why (if the story is accurate) he didn't just drop the gun when told. Why turn around to face the cop with the gun in your hand? I'm not trying to say he caused his own death, but the media is trying to paint this huge racial picture and that's not what I got out of that article. I just see a series of events that led to a senseless death.
I mean I've been black all my life - by now I know there are just some things you just don't do. You would think a black male would have been aware of some of these as well, especially being a cop.
Either way it's sad and I hope that instead of becoming a huge racial thing, they come up with some sort of procedure to avoid incidents like this. When I was in college an officer shot another at a football game.
The only thing he could have done is yell police until his lungs blew and he should've dropped the gun when instructed but it's all speculation until all the facts came out.
The only thing he could have done is yell police until his lungs blew and he should've dropped the gun when instructed but it's all speculation until all the facts came out.
Yeah that's why I said if the article is accurate. Now if it comes out that he identified himself and he wasn't holding the gun when he was shot then maybe the media will have something but with the current information I don't see anything racial, just bad judgment.
Reading the posts of people saying that he should have dropped his gun as instructed makes me think of something. Tell me if this sounds valid to you:
You're a cop. You are chasing someone who has committed a crime right in front of you. Other cops are behind you yelling at you, but, in cop mode, you assume that they are yelling at the guy you are chasing, not you. You turn around to address the other officers, and they see your gun and shoot you.
Reading the posts of people saying that he should have dropped his gun as instructed makes me think of something. Tell me if this sounds valid to you:
You're a cop. You are chasing someone who has committed a crime right in front of you. Other cops are behind you yelling at you, but, in cop mode, you assume that they are yelling at the guy you are chasing, not you. You turn around to address the other officers, and they see your gun and shoot you.
Does that sound plausible to anyone else?
No it doesn't because in "cop mode" you should be able to asses the situation. remember you are not uniformed and your badge is not visible and assume they may not realize you're a cop. Especially if they are yelling "drop the gun" since it wasn't mentioned if the guy he was chasing even had a gun. I mean at the end of the day it was a split second decision and unfortunately it cost him his life.
Sad as this is, I believe the outcome would have been the same had the off duty officer been white, brown or green with pointy ears. The officer who fired the fatal rounds saw a person with a gun turning to face him, I highly doubt that the race of the individual was top on his mind at that point. He will now carry the burden of this action forever, and this is tragic beyond compare, but what can be done about it now? Perhaps there needs to be some changes in how an off duty LEO can identify themselves? I don't know, but it would seem that something needs to be done to keep this type of thing from happening. My total compassion goes out to the slain officer, the officer who fired the rounds that killed him, and to the whole department.
Reading the posts of people saying that he should have dropped his gun as instructed makes me think of something. Tell me if this sounds valid to you:
You're a cop. You are chasing someone who has committed a crime right in front of you. Other cops are behind you yelling at you, but, in cop mode, you assume that they are yelling at the guy you are chasing, not you. You turn around to address the other officers, and they see your gun and shoot you.
Does that sound plausible to anyone else?
It's very plausible. Plain clothes officers are always at risk. Cops are trained for these situations but they still happen. If the uniformed cop hesitates and he's wrong then he could die, just a shet sandwhich.
Either way, if you're addressing a threat, you never turn and point your weapon at uniformed police who are clearly giving commands. This whole thing is fishy.
Sad as this is, I believe the outcome would have been the same had the off duty officer been white, brown or green with pointy ears. The officer who fired the fatal rounds saw a person with a gun turning to face him, I highly doubt that the race of the individual was top on his mind at that point. He will now carry the burden of this action forever, and this is tragic beyond compare, but what can be done about it now? Perhaps there needs to be some changes in how an off duty LEO can identify themselves? I don't know, but it would seem that something needs to be done to keep this type of thing from happening. My total compassion goes out to the slain officer, the officer who fired the rounds that killed him, and to the whole department.
I agree. If the off duty cop had been white this article would have been written from a completely different angle.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tank1906
Either way, if you're addressing a threat, you never turn and point your weapon at uniformed police who are clearly giving commands. This whole thing is fishy.
That's what I was trying to say in my earlier post - but you said it so much better.
It's very plausible. Plain clothes officers are always at risk. Cops are trained for these situations but they still happen. If the uniformed cop hesitates and he's wrong then he could die, just a shet sandwhich.
Either way, if you're addressing a threat, you never turn and point your weapon at uniformed police who are clearly giving commands. This whole thing is fishy.
Didn't the article say he turned with the gun in his hand, not that he pointed it at them? Anyway, he obviously made the wrong split-second decision; I was just theorizing how his though process might have gone. More like "they're here backing me up" than "they think I'm a criminal".
No it doesn't because in "cop mode" you should be able to asses the situation. remember you are not uniformed and your badge is not visible and assume they may not realize you're a cop. Especially if they are yelling "drop the gun" since it wasn't mentioned if the guy he was chasing even had a gun. I mean at the end of the day it was a split second decision and unfortunately it cost him his life.
He should have been able to assess, but that doesn't mean that he didn't make a mistake; he obviously did. I'm just theorizing his state of mind at the time.
Sad as this is, I believe the outcome would have been the same had the off duty officer been white, brown or green with pointy ears. The officer who fired the fatal rounds saw a person with a gun turning to face him, I highly doubt that the race of the individual was top on his mind at that point. He will now carry the burden of this action forever, and this is tragic beyond compare, but what can be done about it now? Perhaps there needs to be some changes in how an off duty LEO can identify themselves? I don't know, but it would seem that something needs to be done to keep this type of thing from happening. My total compassion goes out to the slain officer, the officer who fired the rounds that killed him, and to the whole department.
I agree..Despite the tragic outcome of this, I hope and pray that violence does not erupt across the city as a result. My thoughts and prayers go out to both the dead officer and the officer who fired. He will have to shoulder this burden forever.
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