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Hopefully so. The current video does not look good, imo.
I hate how almost always, outside of Walter Scott, the video is never clear cut, so we'll never really know the truth, 100%.
He may have been flinching and moving because he was being restrained, or he may have been doing it to reach for his gun. We may never know.
I agree, the video doesn't look good, especially considering how his upper body really didn't move at all, so unless his hands were in his pocket, it can make it difficult to believe he was reaching for his gun.
To clarify I'll break it down in order based on the articles and video we currently have. I know we're into contrived narratives but I've watched the video a least a dozen times, here's my review of the situation feel free to add in yours.
Cops responded to a call about a man in red shirt pointing a gun at someone. That's pretty serious, I'm sure everyone can agree that if you'd be a cop in this situation you'd be on your guard going in.
So the cops arrive. The article states a witness said cops were aggressive. Vague statement and who is this witness? Wouldn't give too much credit to this statement.
Also if you're confronting a suspect who has threatened someone with a gun cops would go in in a way that would be perceived to aggressive: Ordering them to stand still, keep their hands where they can see them, and then finally to get on the ground. I'm sure it would seem aggressive but that's occupational safety and how you are supposed to approach a suspect with a gun.
Next thing we know is that cops tased him but he didn't go down. Assuming cops were following the use for force continuum, they wouldn't be using Taser unless the suspect didn't follow their orders.
In the video we hear the cops ordering Alton to get down, which he doesn't do.
Then they proceed to wrestle him down. They didn't pull their guns at this point, so it doesn't seem to me they were trigger happy power tripping pigs just looking for excuse to shoot a black man.
Once they go to the ground another cops finds the gun. Only at this point do the police draw their weapons which to me seems reasonable. They tell him not to move or else, and then shoot.
Impossible to see from the video what Alton did. Did his hands go for the gun? The store owner says no, and I don't see why we shouldn't believe this. If this is indeed how the event unfolded, then my opinion is that cops did everything right up until the point where they shot him.
My guess? When other officer heard the other one shouting "gun", he panicked and made a terrible mistake that cost a man his life. You could argue that Alton would still be alive had he followed the cops orders from the start (which most likely is true), but that doesn't mean the cops had any right to shoot him.
But I do not think they meant for it escalate like that.
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I mean the article that CNN posted neglects both times officer 1 stated he was reaching for the gun too. Horrible journalism but A+ job at creating the narrative you want.
It's what they do. Cnn is attempting to create a narrative, distort mislead ignore... If only the cops had been black or the perp white, a non story.
I listened to the audio again, sounds like the second cop yelled, "He's going for the gun", after he said he had a gun. Then that's when the first officer fired. So, if Sterling wasn't going for the gun, then is that more on the second officer and not the one who pulled the trigger?
I can't imagine why any sane person would try to reach for a weapon while being restrained by two men, and having a gun pointed at their head.
If he's in fact going for the gun, it's justified.
Still I think there was no need to shoot to kill.
One shot should be plenty to discourage someone from doing anything, especially when he was lying on his stomach on the ground.
Officer 1: he's going for his pocket! GUN he's got a gun!That's important. The gun was found because he was going for his pocket while being detained. Yet the police did not shoot. Until he went for a AGAIN. That's two times in a few seconds while being detained that the officers are reporting in real time he is attempting to get his gun.
Which is not the narrative we see being proffered here...that one guy screamed "GUN" and the other shot. He went for his gun TWICE
I mean the article that CNN posted neglects both times officer 1 stated he was reaching for the gun too. Horrible journalism but A+ job at creating the narrative you want.
With those cops having him on the ground and if he did reach for his gun, I would think they'd be able to grab it from him or knock it out of his hand. Instead they shoot him close range several times. That doesn't make any sense.
With those cops having him on the ground and if he did reach for his gun, I would think they'd be able to grab it from him or knock it out of his hand. Instead they shoot him close range several times. That doesn't make any sense.
IMHO, if they saw him going after his gun, even while they were on top of him, it's still justified.
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