Discussion for article #231478
I might be wrong and will not hesitate to retract if this is not the case, but I believe the mayor.
I feel sad that a young kid died tonight but I don’t think there was malice on the part of the police officer. I also don’t believe one can compare this to the other highly charged cases before this.
I hope the city can heal from this tragic incident.
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That’s pretty much the same feeling I get as well. The mayor’s statements seem very genuine, like a guy who very much understands that police killing unarmed black folks is a very real problem. Every cop that shoots a black person isn’t necessarily a racist nor are they all using excessive force. We live in Gun-Murica where every other person is armed to the teeth whether or not they’re equipped to even think about owning a gun, and situations like this one are one of the endless consequences of our idiotic gun culture.
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Don’t take your guns to town son
Leave your guns at home Bill
Don’t take your guns to town
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Ditto !
Wel said Plucky but each case should be judged on the facts and not lopsided on the side of police. I believe that is all that most black folks want - fairness, justice and not to be presumed the guilty one just because of the color of their skin,
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This is another example of the importance of having and USING body/dash cams. They don’t just protect citizens, they protect cops. Fortunately, there was a security cam within range that gave an (apparently) reasonable picture of what happened.
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The only issue I have thus far-- is the cop not wearing the department-issued body-cam.
These are exactly the episodes that let everyone know precisely what the circumstances were-- when lethal force was employed.
If all went down as described? This officer was incredibly fortunate that a security cam was running-- or we might have seen a Ferguson-redux.
About a week ago HoustonPD Chief Charles McClelland got a $1.9M approval from City Council to outfit all 5,000 HPD officers with body-cams. It took almost a year to get this approval-- and I applaud our police chief for sticking to his beliefs.
jw1
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The cop was definitely justified based on the video. But I also think that when a cop is getting out to confront people, it should be mandatory to put on his body cam if has the time. In this case, he had the time. This was not some hectic scene he happened to stumble on.
Was the cop responding to a call at that gas station? Or was he just stopping anyone that he thought might fit the description (a young black kid in a hoodie) of an earlier shoplifting incident at a different location and got aggressive when he didn’t like the kid’s answers or attitude?
I have yet to see the gun in the video which was given to the public to assess; and as others have stated, I don’t see the gun fall to the ground after the victim is shot. The Berkley mayor has yet to explain that inconsistency. I also don’t understand why the officer shot while a toddler in a stroller can be clearly seen by the car.
Why are all these shooting incidents happening over possible misdemeanor charges? It’s like the cops are provoking violence and making their jobs more dangerous.
Nobody in the community is getting shot in these macho exchanges between young white and black males. You’d think that the cops would tone it down a little knowing how sensitive everyone is right now. Some people just can’t let up. It reminds me of the cop in Les Misérables who stalks a man who stole a loaf of bread for decades.
Let it go. Is a possible shoplifting charge worth that sort of obsession and the ultimate death of another human being?
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There is obviously no crime in progress. And there is a stroller with a child in the vicinity. Common sense would tell anyone to assess whether a confrontation over a misdemeanor is worth the possible damage to themselves and particularly a baby.
Why are the cops getting out of their cars alone if they are so afraid of every possible suspect they come across? Isn’t that what their radios are for? To call for backup if they are alone and think there may be a problem?
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He was obviously responding the way he always has in such instances. There is a policy that has been set up between the police and the prosecutor that allows any officer to shoot anyone dead whom they fear. Of course, they will not wear the body cam when they know it could incriminate them.
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The cop was responding to a call from that convenience store about a theft. The cop got out to question them since they were right in front of the store. Even if not suspects, they might have seen someone take off. He was clearly just talking to them. Then the kid pointed something at him. I don’t care if it was his finger, it was not a well lit area, and you don’t point anything at a cop in that situation.
But the fact that he was responding to a call is all the more reason his body cam should have been on. If not for the surveillance cam, a totally justified shooting becomes questionable, and that would be HIS fault.
Nothing is served by these headlines: ``Black Mayor Defends White Cop Who Shot Teen Near Ferguson’’
How about: ``Mayor Defends Cop Who Shot Teen Near Ferguson’’
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Well, criminals of all skin colors do still exist, but as we’ve said all along they’re usually armed. That’s the difference.
We ARGUE against the unjust murders of INNOCENT UNARMED children NOT against legitimate killings of criminals who are trying to do harm to others, themselves or our first defenders. We cry for the taking of a young life regardless, may his soul RIP but we also pray for a better year, better police practices & better US communities overall.
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Typical from you. Everybody who’s a real human being should care that a young life was taken, even if the killing was justified.
Nobody’s against a cop protecting his life & the public at large BUT we still must care as human beings that a young life who could have become the next John Salk was taken regardless of legitimate circumstances here. The police man apparently acted in good conscience here but we still mourn this young life during this season of pryer
It’s easy for you to make all these level-headed analysis on how people should act in the heat of the moment isn’t it. Easy to criticize when you’re not in the thick of it right.
That might be true in essence but kids at large aren’t all automatically trained in this knowledge so cops still use discretion when necessary like they did when confronted with Cliven Bundy types too.
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You quoting me:
“I don’t care”
Actual quote from me:
“I don’t care if it was his finger, it was not a well lit area, and you don’t point anything at a cop in that situation.”
I never said I did not care that the kid is dead. I said I don’t care what you point at a cop in a dimly lite area, that is a clear threat.
So please don’t pull the Sean Hannity quote crop job on me.
The Feds at the Cliven Bundy ranch had no idea anyone was pointing guns at them from one hundred yards away. Yes, one guy at the ranch behind a Jersey Barrier from over one hundred yards away appears like he might have had a gun pointed. And the FBI later investigated him. The reality is that the Bundy guys were too chicken shit to actually go down and point weapons at the cops. The Bundy guy was a faux tough guy trying to impress the ladies and their buddies by pointing a gun…while “hiding” behind a Jersey Barrier well over 100 yards away.
You are comparing that to a person pointing a weapon (or whatever) at a cop from a few feet away in a dimly lit area? Seriously?
If the people at the Bundy thing pointed weapons at Feds from a few feet away, the Feds would have lit them up. Ask Randy Weaver about that.
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I am going to tell this to white and black America who play the power game; do not let hate for black americans go underground, America will not last with a vigilante black America. America needs to stop the racist bull crap of locking up drug offenders for outrageous sentences ( so the police can make money off of them (modern day slavery). also, black politicians have to stop being so, so, so, useless ie congress black caucus and their useless leader. black politicians please try and help your community stand on its own and grow vs allowing cheap labored corporations to pollute the community.
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Any idiot who pulls a gun on a cop (who are much crazier, more paranoid than ever) today, is just asking for a quick trip to the cemetery!
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When the idjit’s a kid who may not know better, his humanity still matters. Your compassion is something else kinda like MrC.
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