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Why was the other officer leaning inside the car across a passenger, no less? That was not too smart.
If Potter had actually pulled her taser, the outcome would have probably turned out ok. But she got flustered and made a mistake. I think she deserves probation and to be prevented from being a police officer ever again.
I still can't blame the victim for being shot. It was Potter's fault.
Criminal attempting to flee, risking the lives of a couple of law enforcement officers gets killed and he is the “victim”?
Why was the other officer leaning inside the car across a passenger, no less? That was not too smart.
If Potter had actually pulled her taser, the outcome would have probably turned out ok. But she got flustered and made a mistake. I think she deserves probation and to be prevented from being a police officer ever again.
I still can't blame the victim for being shot. It was Potter's fault.
"If"
I wish peopl would stop with If, maybe, could, every time something happens.
It’s a sad situation AND their are no winners in this case.
Yes, one is dead and the other is on trial for her life.
IMHO, I don’t believe that this officer’s intent was to shoot this young man with her duty firearm, but in the moment of stress, she screwed up. As for the young man, who attempted to flee from the police, he bares some some responsibility for his own death and no, he shouldn’t have died, but he did for not fully complying with the lawful orders of the police.
If people would simply stop being stupid and resisting arrest AND peacefully submit to the arrest, two thing will happen, A) you won’t get shot and B) most likely be released within minutes or a few hours. Yes, I’m a person of Color and I grew up in an urban center, what was a high crime area. Yes, I’ve been stopped and detained by the police several times and every time, I was respectful and their answered basic questions honestly. Always, within 3-5 minutes, I was released and several times thanked for understanding that they were looking for some bad dudes that hurt some innocent people. Heck, once I was stopped again and within a minute, another cop drove by and said “I know this kid, he’s good” and they left to find whoever screwed up.
Yes, I ran into a couple of cops who were d!cks, but I remembered more of cool cops who were just doing their jobs.
All I know is that cops are now quitting in record numbers and in many cities, there is a reduction in police availability, due to not have enough cops working. Seriously, imagine any major city in this country WITHOUT a police force… I’m 6 feet tall, 250lbs and legally carry a 9mm pistol, so I can pretty much handle my business, Even with that said, I STILL want cops to handle the stupid BS that always pops up. The truth is that there are far more people who can’t protect themselves, for whatever reason and truly rely on the police for a level of protection.
With that said, I think people need to understand that cops are only human and without them, things would really suck. I just came back for a ten day family visit to NYC and Newark, NJ and things are now slipping back to the way they were back in the late 1970s and up into the mid 1990s, which suck, since now, being a victim of a violent crime is much higher than just a few years ago.
Why was the other officer leaning inside the car across a passenger, no less? That was not too smart.
If Potter had actually pulled her taser, the outcome would have probably turned out ok. But she got flustered and made a mistake. I think she deserves probation and to be prevented from being a police officer ever again.
I still can't blame the victim for being shot. It was Potter's fault.
They were trying to arrest him for a warrant he was trying to shift the car in Drive the officer was reaching over trying to stop him from putting it in drive. If an officer can stop a high speed chase before it gets started wouldn't that be the better option?
All the police knew at the time was he had a warrant for a gun charge related to a car jacking 3 weeks prior he also has an order of protection. They didn't know what the situation was who the girl you can't argue it wasn't reasonable to stop him. The prosecutor is claiming it wasn't even reasonable to stop him. If it was they should not have arrested him. If they find that was reasonable then the other officers were not in danger when you could clearly see in the still pictures from the body cam their feet are in line with the tires.
In fact I think when she yelled "Taser Taser Taser" The officers jumped back which saved them from being dragged by the car. There was no way the an officer leaning over someone will have the same arm force as someone sitting in the drivers seat puling the shifter back to drive. If she hadn't done anything he would have drove off dragging those two officers.
This situation has a couple elements to it that conflict me a bit. Wright was resisting arrest. He had a warrant on him relating to illegal weapons charges. He also had a rap sheet as long as the path to the North 40. I don't feel the world is going to miss the punk. He was a dangerous varmint that had already proven his complete willing ness to do harm unto others and he would have again. He may well already have done so and just didn't get caught. His career choice didn't involve a college degree or trade school. He was already a career criminal.
That being said that's not really the point. Potter was a career police officer. 26 years on the job?! Yet she "confused her sidearm and her Taser?" Perhaps this can be blamed then on police training and qualification standards. IDK how things work where she was on duty but here officers/deputies have to be trained and certified in use of a Taser just like they do with their sidearm.
The Taser is worn on "weak side". The OPPOSITE side of the body from the sidearm. The deputies here in Cartoon City use a thigh rig on their non firearm side. Confusing the sidearm for the Taser is a bit of a stretch. That transit officer in Frisco some time back used that same defense of confusion between his firearm and Taser. OK, IDK how Potters duty belt was rigged. But even if it was being worn strong side it would still have to be in a thigh rig well below the level of her sidearm.
Pardon me for asking but, is there no such thing as maintenance of proficiency with the tools of the trade in LE anymore? Training and qualification? A 26 year veteran confused her firearm for her Taser? So, therein is my confliction here. Wright was a varmint. He certainly deserved killing. But he didn't need killing in this instance. Oh,I'm sure even if he had been subdued via LTL means and arrested he would have been right back on the street within 24 hours looking to do more criminal acts. But that is neither here nor there. When he was shot lethal force wasn't called for.
It can be argued that if he had succeeded in driving away that lives could easily have been lost in a vehicle chase thus lethal force MAY have been prudent. But that's not Potters defense. nor does Wrights violent history and record factor in or the warrant. The defense is all based on human error. No more no less. A mistake. And one I'm having trouble accepting.
Police work is never going to be 100% perfect. I'm willing to accept mistakes made and accidental shootings to achieve civil society. I have a problem when excessive use of force was intentional like the George Floyd case we can argue about why the guy died there is no question the excessive force was intentional. This case the force was not intentional, and likely was not even excessive. The defense did make the case that it was not excessive I expect it to be made in the closing argument. The Prosecution is making the claim that stopping him wasn't even reasonable, or arresting him on the warrant. That is crazy to me that a prosecutor even makes those claims. Shows you how far prosecutors will go to win a case even when they are wrong.
It's easy for us to sit back and judge police after the fact watching a body camera the only reason we are able to drive to the store and not worry about being robbed or killed is because of police are on the job. I don't want to live in a society where I have to carry guns always looking over my shoulder that is what they have in some 3rd world countries.
#1-He shouldn't have tried to flee
#2-No one can say what exactly they would do in that moment if you were in it
#3-It was an honest mistake on her part
Earl Gray is absolutely killing it in the final arguement.
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OK, IDK how Potters duty belt was rigged. But even if it was being worn strong side it would still have to be in a thigh rig well below the level of her sidearm.
