3158

look, when a cop starts shooting you for literally no reason, you have to stand still.

3159

Kind of funny, when seeing there a multiple dozens of new posts on a P&R thread it’s always 50/50 whether it is due to major, shocking news or this. Maybe closer to 20/80 actually.

3160

It’s easiest for everyone if you just lay back and let it happen.

3161

Yet one more thing: in theory the “underlying crime” here the police officer was investigating was auto theft but I see no indication that, although the car with sitting there in plain view with its license plates displayed, he made any effort at all to check the license plates and verify it was stolen, or to verify the identity of the car, or to scout the driver in any way, at all. He just walked right up and opened the car door with no warning and ordered the young man out of the car with no explanation. And, as far as I can tell, with no preparation, verification or investigation.

By itself, that justifies the firing of the officer being fired. As far as criminal charges against the officer go, that’s a separate issue but I don’t see any justification for the firing of the first group of five shots and even less justification for the second group of five shots. I believe he should be charged with attempted murder.

3162

A cop doesn’t have time to do boring shit like check a license plate - he was disrespected! Someone evaded him and it was time for payback.

Agreed on the attempted murder - what a fucking loon. Lock him up.

By the way, watch the longer clip in that article I linked. He literally says that there’s a car in the parking lot that fled from him the other night. He just somehow knows it’s the car. The fucknut gives the license plate over his radio then walks up and the rest of the video happens. He couldn’t even fucking wait to find out about the plate. He had to get this prick.

3163

OK, so here’s the deal. A lot of us are taking Timex to task for being out of line in this and I have to say, that although I often agree and or sympathize with you Matt_W, that this statement is out of line.

You made a flat unqualified statement that “police” are a cancer, and that they should be defunded, again without any limitation or qualification. That’s going way too far and I don’t agree with it, as a matter of substance and policy.

But it’s also punching your own nuts politically. Please don’t take that stance. There’s an argument that some police funds should be reallocated and that partial defunding makes sense. There’s also an argument that some officers and even some departments (I’m thinking of the LA Sheriffs) are cancerous and need major administrative surgery. But blanket statements like what you made are both wrong substantively IMO and also poison politically.

And just to be clear, under the normal definitions of words, when you say “defund” without the “partial” you include the meaning of “reduce police funding to zero”. It’s terrible phrasing, a bad slogan, crappy use of the English language and I wish people would stop using it. If you mean “partial defunding” then say that.

3164

I honestly don’t know how you fix the police without tearing it down and starting over from scratch. Without some oversight, it’s just a wide road to totalitarianism, corruption, grift, fear, and violence. Every day we see a story like this and every day it’s the same script: blame and charge the victims, lie and obfuscate, bury evidence, erect the blue wall of silence, protect the unworthy.

There’s no line to be out of. There’s just rage and despair. I probably should mute this thread.

3165

police are an out of control publicly funded gang

3166

It is inaccurate to call cops cancer. We don’t have an effective and targeted way of administering radiation to try and keep them from killing people.

3167

and lol at that cop yelling shots fired and chasing the kids car on foot

completely incompetent from top to bottom

fucking worthless buffoon. throw him in jail.

3168

If the kid hadn’t been able to drive away then I’m pretty sure he (and possibly other occupants of the car, if any) would be dead right now. That seems like the only thing that prevented the cop from finishing him off. I mean he ran after the car, firing into it for absolutely no reason. That’s just so disturbing on every level.

3169

Is there any reason this cop can’t be charged for attempted murder? Seems pretty cut and dry from the video.

3170

Because of the completely made-up concept of Qualified Immunity.

3171

I believe we have to start with a blue state getting enough sand to actually change the law and disestablish police unions in that state. And also disestablish qualified immunity at the state level. And then also thoroughly rebuild the police, without union interference, with an emphasis on civilian control, professionalism, and the integration of other services like social and mental health services, and coordination with the appropriate agencies. AND on top of that, civilian review boards, and an end to any special treatment of police in regard to investigations, record keeping, etc.

There’s a road map here but the problem is none of the states seem to have the political will to grasp the nettle.

3172

Especially with the GOP and Fox News going hellbent on “crime is out of control” narrative to scare voters.

3173

I can see Timex’s point of view. The cop was clearly on some kind of hunt when he yanked that door open, but I also don’t understand why the kid just put the car in reverse and tried to run. I think it’s fine to call that out as odd, although that absolutely did not warrant an execution by cop.

On a separate note, isn’t a “shots fired” call when shots have been heard but not when the cop is the one doing the shooting? Maybe someone can shed some light here, because calling “shots fired” when the suspect is armed with a cheeseburger seems to be one way of getting the suspect shot by other cops.

3174

Eh, they faint over being in the same room as fentanyl, I’m sure his brain processed his own shots as being fired upon. Not saying I would do better, but cops are just as prone to panic in the moment as anyone else, it seems.

3175

He checks in the plate at 0:36 in the video. They muted the video at that point potentially for privacy reasons, perhaps there was a response from despatch on the owner’s particulars.

3176

Other sources report the car was NOT stolen so either the officer disregarded a response or there was no response.

3177

He called it in and didn’t wait for a response. It was maybe a few seconds between his reading of the plate and opening the door. There’s no way he got a reply in that time unless it was somehow instantaneous. I think dispatch starts to reply as he begins trying to murder the kids though. The gunshots drown it out.