From what I've seen in my current location, police generally subdue potentially-dangerous suspects with a taser rather than shooting, whenever possible, even when it's risky to themselves.
There are times when an officer doesn't have time to completely think about what to do. Kalvin Mitnic, you take the place of an officer, get into the same exact situation that are talking about here and see how you would handle it. Thing is, do you want to go home after your shift or go to morgue? Officer's face challenges every single day that they are trained to handle, but when the real thing happens and (again) a person/suspect absolutely won't obey your commands and (again) reaches for something in their pocket..........what would you do? There are many, many times officer's have absolutely no choice, or time, they have to pull their weapon and shoot. There have been cases, and they are noted in Department files, where a taser gun didn't stop the person at all. When a person is really high on something, a taser won't stop them from attacking the officer.
I think we all agree that the police have a hard job and in some cases they have justification. The original video was the K9 department who would sick a dog on a person who was kneeling with his hands over his head or a person in handcuffs. This goes a little more than justice. I know times have changed now you hear police shooting a child that has a toy gun or another with a B B gun and they are wearing a bulletproof vest. Time have changed when I was young I could walk through town with my shot gun and a policeman could walk by and say hi and nothing more.
As long as you are seeing the absolute complete video. There are ranchers in Montana, Wyoming and states around them that carried a loaded 30-30 in a gun rack in a truck. There are folks in these states that their "gun range" is in one of their pastures/fields or baclyards. fathers even teach their wives and children how to shoot.
LAW ENFORCEMENT: Blah, blah, blah. Granted more power over the everyday guy, the more excessive force you may expect to see leveraged against that poor bastard. (sorry @Cody Fousnaugh , use of descriptive words is here, IMO, justified). I was always amused by the herald on the Highway Patrol cars in PHX , : "TO SERVE AND PROTECT". A crock of unadulterated B.S.. Frank
I use to work with law enforcment when I was in emergency medical in Southern California. Very nice officers that I worked around.
Think what you want, Frank. Thing is, have ever been a "ride along" or even an officer? Could you do their job better? I seriously doubt it.
If a law enforcement professional does not use their professional training, established protocols and with opportunity de escalate a situation, they are quite simply incompetent and likely should be dismissed or charged. Use all the 'what if's " you care to, doesn't change cases that stink to high heaven and show an abuse of authority. THOSE are the ones I speak of, not the thousands of day to day appropriate police actions and dedicated cops. A distinction which some uncompromising law enforcement supporters choose to ignore.
As a martial arts black belt and taught at a police collage also gave private lessons to police and game wardens. I taught control techniques and disarming of a person. Some students were very interested and some could care less and when I ask they said we have a gun. Even one said when I ask him what he would do, he said I would fall on the ground pull out my gun and kill the person. I told him to explain he said if I am down it means he put me down and now I am in a defensive position and can use my gun to protect me. I hope you never meet up with this guy. I know you cannot judge all police by the bad ones. I hope everyone who has connections with the police has the good ones. I have a lot of friends and family who are police and even them I would have them held to the standards of good policeman.
Please read what I just posted to Frank. There have been some bad officers out there, but all-in-all they are excellent at what they do. You or Frank don't cooperate with an officers commands...........well, good luck!
Janice.........come on, help me out with this. Take on these guys like I am. Don't leave me out there by myself!
Of course,. Most law enforcement officers never fire a gun. Policing in many areas ranks low in danger. Most problems for police are domestic and the danger of a job in many cities is when driving. Certainly some (US) cities can be dangerous as Chicago- Washington , but the average policeman faces mundane paper work and traffic duty. Now the dangerous patrols do have problems and threats and are specifically trained to deal with the situation and the citizens have every right to expect there police to act accordingly. Some are ignoring the point that it's the exception to good cops and policing that some are faulting, not the extreme,possibly justifiably question of a few that bring dishonor on their brothers and sisters and the blue line.
I'm aware that there are some officers who shouldn't be wearing a badge, and I've also noticed areas where the 'culture' is hell-bent on 'authority' often have even more problems of that nature, but for the most part law enforcement officials are professionals who are well-trained, do an excellent job, AND put their own safety and lives on the line every time they are on duty. I've also noticed (locally) it's the individuals who go around saying they 'hate cops,' disrespect cops, etc., that very quickly hit 911 every time they have the most minor difficulty.
You're taking on none and zilch to any supportable end as there's no need to.. No one is questioning good cops and good policing. None can deny there are a very few that are incompetent. Defending ALL police is as bad as condemning ALL police. Note the distinction. I know good cops. I've also seen where were cops charged, convicted and jailed justifiably for murder, fraud theft,sexual assault, ties to crime/bikers. That doesn't change the likelihood that the vast majority go about doing the job they are paid to do, but it does prove citizens and oversight agencies need have controls.