Politics And Current Events

[dodint]

That's why police unions suck so bad, NAN. If police effectively self-regulated this wouldn't be a problem. But a police union does the opposite, defends all actions regardless of their egregiousness. It's a shame really. The police have all the tools to do it right, but, won't.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

Imagine if a citizen panics and accidentally shoots a cop during a no-knock raid. A citizen with no LEO training or even awareness of the situation. They're arrested, if not killed, immediately.

I mean, we don't have to imagine. This happened with Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend. Police no knock raided the wrong house, her boyfriend shot at them, she died and he got arrested

[Freddy Rumsen]

Public sector unions should be illegal.

[nocera]

Source of the post I guess what I'm saying is, what is your definition of incompentency for an officer, because just from the small sample size from this board, that definition has a broad range.

My definition is shooting people who don't need to be shot, which definitely includes thinking you're holding a taser when you're actually holding a gun. Yes, things happen quickly and yes they are put in tense situations, but their training needs to be better and the gun can't be the first thing they reach for when pulling up to a stopped vehicle. I've had a cop approach me after a traffic stop with his hand on his gun. Why? That expired inspection tag make ya nervous?

[NAN]

That's why police unions suck so bad, NAN. If police effectively self-regulated this wouldn't be a problem. But a police union does the opposite, defends all actions regardless of their egregiousness. It's a shame really. The police have all the tools to do it right, but, won't.

Agree.

[NAN]

Source of the post I guess what I'm saying is, what is your definition of incompentency for an officer, because just from the small sample size from this board, that definition has a broad range.

My definition is shooting people who don't need to be shot, which definitely includes thinking you're holding a taser when you're actually holding a gun. Yes, things happen quickly and yes they are put in tense situations, but their training needs to be better and the gun can't be the first thing they reach for when pulling up to a stopped vehicle. I've had a cop approach me after a traffic stop with his hand on his gun. Why? That expired inspection tag make ya nervous?

But who doesn't need shot? Again, Jacob Blake, some think he should have never been shot, others think it was ok as he already was tazed, tackled, had a violent criminal history, and was going to his car and reaching for something. The officer had to react and used all non-lethal tactics up to that point.

How many videos do you see an officer walking up to a vehicle for speeding, or an expired tag or something, and next thing you know some dude pulls out a gun and starts firing. YOU know you don't have a weapon. But the officer does not know that and they have seen others lose their life over that. So I don't blame them if they walk up with their hand on their gun "just in case". If you are no threat, that gun never comes out.

[DigitalGypsy66]

Bye bye Bernie

[CBear3]

I'd RATHER her be nailed in a civil trial and have her pay restitution to the family for the rest of her life. That would be both helpful to the family, and a permanent reminder of her act. But the doors to the court house are closed, so, Prosecute.

how do civil cases like this work? the restitution will likely be more money than she has so does the police department or city have to foot the bill?

If they were named defendants in the suit. Otherwise, no.

Her wages would be garnished and she'd effectively pay a stipend for the rest of her life. They'd work out a payment plan with the court and she'd pay some above-nominal but not crippling amount until the restitution is satisfied or she dies. I wouldn't be in favor of selling off all of her assets (like OJ and his civil suit) but that's also a potential outcome.

This is still where I'm at. I don't understand how you make that mistake, but I believe it was a mistake.
I believe that texting and driving, or drinking and driving are poor analogies. Those aren't decisions made under pressure in a fleeting moment, those are patterns of behavior and conscious decisions to take that risk.

[Morkle]

Had me for the first two sentences. Then lost me after that. Talks about discrediting J&J but then goes after Pfizer with a conspiracy theory.

So glad we all learned from 1/6 and allowing this stuff to run rampant.

[Dickie Dunn]

Bye bye Bernie

Shame he couldn’t spend more time in prison before dying.

[shmenguin]

Way to present without comment, blue check mark lady. Maybe he has a point? Who’s to say? I mean this woman works at an alleged office where journalism takes place but just go ahead and copy/paste in a completely neutral way.

Politico and National Review are almost indistinguishable. Has it always been this way?

[nocera]

Source of the post I guess what I'm saying is, what is your definition of incompentency for an officer, because just from the small sample size from this board, that definition has a broad range.

My definition is shooting people who don't need to be shot, which definitely includes thinking you're holding a taser when you're actually holding a gun. Yes, things happen quickly and yes they are put in tense situations, but their training needs to be better and the gun can't be the first thing they reach for when pulling up to a stopped vehicle. I've had a cop approach me after a traffic stop with his hand on his gun. Why? That expired inspection tag make ya nervous?

But who doesn't need shot? Again, Jacob Blake, some think he should have never been shot, others think it was ok as he already was tazed, tackled, had a violent criminal history, and was going to his car and reaching for something. The officer had to react and used all non-lethal tactics up to that point.

How many videos do you see an officer walking up to a vehicle for speeding, or an expired tag or something, and next thing you know some dude pulls out a gun and starts firing. YOU know you don't have a weapon. But the officer does not know that and they have seen others lose their life over that. So I don't blame them if they walk up with their hand on their gun "just in case". If you are no threat, that gun never comes out.

I guess in the case of Jacob Blake I'm not sure why he wasn't properly cuffed and restrained. I know at one point he was on the ground, I know that the cop tried to tase before shooting, but I don't know how it got to the point where he was able to calmly walk to the driver side. I also haven't watched that video since it happened and would prefer not to revisit. At the point where he's going into his car, yes I would agree that there were no other options. Ideally it never gets to that point. There were multiple officers on site, only one tried to use the taser, he wasn't restrained, and they let him get to his car.

I have also seen videos of an officer walking up to a vehicle and suddenly the dude starts shooting, but I've seen way more of a cop shooting first. We're always told that the police don't know who they're walking up to but I wonder what the actual statistics are for that. I know it's a dangerous job. I know it can be extremely high stress. But they have to be held to a higher standard.

[count2infinity]

Had me for the first two sentences. Then lost me after that. Talks about discrediting J&J but then goes after Pfizer with a conspiracy theory.

So glad we all learned from 1/6 and allowing this stuff to run rampant.

I agree they shouldn't have completely halted the J&J, especially for unaffected demographics (men and olds), but I don't think they did it for political reasons. I don't believe any reasonable person would think that.

[nocera]

That's classic Trump. "Perhaps it's something that I have absolutely no proof that it is but I also don't have proof that it ISN'T."

[DigitalGypsy66]

I really wish they wouldn't share his statements, especially when they are full of bullshit and lies. You know, the same reason he was banned from social media.

I also wish they would precede his title with "twice impeached, two-time popular vote loser" President Donald J. Trump.

[NAN]

Bye bye Bernie

Couldn't even make it to the end of his term. Quitter.

[Ad@m]

Teenager killed in armed stand-off with Maryland police officer

A 16-year-old boy with a replica gun and a knife was killed following an armed stand-off with a Maryland state trooper.

It followed two anonymous 911 calls to police with reports of the teenager, who has been named as Peyton Ham, “acting suspicious” and “with a gun” in Leonardtown, Maryland, on Tuesday afternoon.

According to preliminary investigations, the first caller failed to give a location before disconnecting, police said.

Shortly after, a second caller described the teenager as being in the driveway of an address in Hollywood Road, again “acting suspicious” and with what appeared, at first, to be a gun.

When a state trooper arrived at the scene, Mr Ham was found with a replica gun, which witnesses told investigators looked authentic.

The state trooper then shot the teenager with a firearm after Mr Ham allegedly took a “shooting stance”, according to a witness, “pointing a gun at the trooper”.

Mr Ham, who was wounded, then removed a knife from his pocket. A second witness said the state trooper shot the teenager for a second time.

He was transported from the scene to MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

“Any loss of life is a tragedy; this especially is a tragedy,” said Maryland state police superintendent Jerry Jones to reports on Tuesday, as NBC Washington reported.

“We take these very seriously,” added Mr Jones. “I certainly empathise with the family of this young man and what they’re feeling right now. I can’t even comprehend how sad this has got to be, and tragic, and we feel that. The investigators feel that.”

A knife and a replica handgun, which Maryland police described as a “close representation of an actual gun”, were recovered from the scene.

The trooper, who was uninjured, is on administrative leave while an investigation is carried out, said Maryland police.

[NAN]

I guess in the case of Jacob Blake I'm not sure why he wasn't properly cuffed and restrained. I know at one point he was on the ground, I know that the cop tried to tase before shooting, but I don't know how it got to the point where he was able to calmly walk to the driver side. I also haven't watched that video since it happened and would prefer not to revisit. At the point where he's going into his car, yes I would agree that there were no other options. Ideally it never gets to that point. There were multiple officers on site, only one tried to use the taser, he wasn't restrained, and they let him get to his car.

I have also seen videos of an officer walking up to a vehicle and suddenly the dude starts shooting, but I've seen way more of a cop shooting first. We're always told that the police don't know who they're walking up to but I wonder what the actual statistics are for that. I know it's a dangerous job. I know it can be extremely high stress. But they have to be held to a higher standard.

They should be held to higher standards. But I think some people hold them to impossible standards.

[dodint]

Peyton Ham. Kid never had a chance.

[nocera]

Source of the post They should be held to higher standards. But I think some people hold them to impossible standards.

Maybe I have an impossible standard. I know it's easy for me to sit back at my computer chair and say they need to be better. I think it would take a lot of work, training, hard decisions, people getting fired, etc. for them to live up to these standards. Right now it feels like occasional public outrage before returning to status quo until another person gets killed. I don't know what they need to do to ensure less people get shot, but they need to do it.

[Morkle]

I really want to know what appears as "acting suspicious" and then I want to see the person that was concerned and called the cops. I fault the person who called the cops just as much because people can't leave well enough alone.

/me saying this before any further details come out, but neighbors really need to stop being major dodints.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

interesting how the kid's race is left out...

[Ad@m]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 217967002/

The teenager was white, as is the trooper who shot him, according to Maryland State Police spokesman Greg Shipley.

[NAN]

interesting how the kid's race is left out...

Yep, this will get no national attention outside of these articles. If he was black, Maryland would be burning.

PS - this is a situation where if the kid really did have a real looking gun and when the officer arrived he stood in a shooting stance as the witnesses say, I don't blame the officer for shooting him. And if he was pulling out an an additional weapon after he was shot the first time, I don't think it is wrong to shot him again because the officer does not know if he is pulling out another firearm or not.

[tifosi77]

How many videos do you see an officer walking up to a vehicle for speeding, or an expired tag or something, and next thing you know some dude pulls out a gun and starts firing.

To me, this is the cause of greater concern from the Brooklyn Center incident. Pending any contrary information that may come out, I view the officer's specific negligent conduct as a one-off incident (compared to Chauvin, who had 17 use-of-force complaints filed against him in 18 years), which is why I don't regard her as a threat to civil society going forward. What's more troubling is how a traffic stop for expired plates/registration escalated in relatively short order to the point that a fatal shooting occurred. And that's also why I view the Virginia incident with the Army medic as more troubling in terms of what the future has in store.