I’ll tell ya, I’d like to think a trained police officer would have the skill to be able to shoot to disable. But they don’t call it deadly force for nothing. They are taught that if they shoot, it’s to kill. Period. Their training forces them to aim for and hit if possible the center of the chest, to maximize the percentage of hits and minimize the percentage of misses. We know from a thousand stories of multiple officers firing off dozens of rounds at one suspect that only a small percentage hit the mark as intended. To expect officers to be able to hit a shoulder or a knee on purpose in these amped up scenarios is unrealistic. That being said, I think they use deadly force way more often than necessary, probably in no small part because of the lack of scrutiny and the benefit of the doubt they’ve enjoyed in the past. They need more and better training, and cameras, cameras, cameras.
A am wondering if there is a correlation between returning veterans from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars who are hired as police officers, then those same officers are involved in these types of shootings? A “free fire” zone in Fallujah doesn’t equate so well with a “free fire” zone in Gardena, CA.
Maybe we should stop hiring people who are easily terrified to be cops.
There are some – expensive – tests that would help keep out potentially dangerous candidates.
Police and fire have fought these tooth and nail.
Totally off the topic, but why is the LA Times attempting to copyright this video?
This. I know a fair number of people who have become police officers and, without exception, they are control freaks with a sadistic bent. None of this “protect and serve” crappola. They want to be in charge and they see police work as a means of achieving that.
Welcome to American Exceptionalism…
Really, if the cops aren’t going to assume some personal risk to resolve a situation, there’s no point in calling them unless you just want a hit on somebody.
And you can see the laser-pointers from their guns. Aimed where?
Not as many people as you’d think. If you look at the big cities I understand the payments to victims go out on the account of few officers only, the same officer can be responsible for multiple payouts.
Hear, hear!!!
Shooting to kill is a fairly radical decision. It’s not like, should I take out the trash or not.
Killing a human is a big thing and whatever situation it takes to justify that, it damned sure isn’t a suspected bike thief.
By that rationale, cops are suspected black kid killers that should be immediately targeted upon entering a situation, especially with blacks involved.
There is no giving up enough to satisfy cops that are ready to kill. Every movement is seen as aggression and non-compliance with the contradictory statement of, Don’t move-Put your hands up, order. Obeying or disobeying, either way will get you shot justifiably.
The best plan is what, yell-don’t shoot me-I’m a Republican? Smile-you’re on Candid Camera?
Gun happy cops have to go. As an officer, I NEVER would have shot someone, or escalated it like these guys did to where they felt panicked and trigger happy.
It was a stolen bike (even if it was called in as a robbery). Certain cops want the justification to shoot, and then act as if they had no choice. It’s a mentality. I was in a few stressful situations with weapon drawn, and never once felt things were out of control. If cops only had a club and a tazer, most of these needless deaths would no longer occur. MUCH better hiring and then better traning is a must. Cops gone crazy is really epidemic.
Makes you wonder if maybe the city of Gardena doesn’t need its own police force.
I really don’t understand this sense of grievance so many police officers seem to have. The overwhelming majority of society is very solicitous of the police and their prerogatives. If anything, I would say the police get way more deference than they deserve when it comes to crime issues, which are public policy items where a broad group of interests have a legitimate and equally valuable basis for input.
Much of the criticism of police is richly deserved. Likewise, both policy makers and the public seem to tolerate levels of unprofessionalism, abuse of power and misconduct in police that we don’t see in any other sphere of our lives. One thing that leaps to mind is there were two stories in the news this week where people were killed by the police, their survivors were awarded multimillion-dollar settlements, and none – not one – of the officers involved lost their jobs or faced any other kind of personal accountability. I can’t imagine any other workplace where a mistake of that magnitude would not get you fired.
In addition, I think police already get fair, if not generous, compensation. Entry level salaries in the police department where I live are around $55,000 and you don’t need a 4-year degree to get that job. Considering the health and pension benefits, that is a very good job for someone with a 2-year degree and a peace officer’s license. There was an article in my local paper last week about the top 50 salaries in city government. About half of them were high-ranking police and they were all pulling down well over $100,000/year. I think it’s ridiculous to assert that police are underappreciated in terms of pay and benefits.
Gardena was joined by police chiefs and officer groups around the state in arguing that making such videos public would dissuade cities from employing the technology.
Unless they are mandated by Federal or State laws.
Lawyers for Diaz-Zeferino said the investigation into the shooting was tainted because officers were able to review the videos before giving statements, a courtesy not offered to a member of the public involved in a shooting.
Nonsense! Members of the public have a 5th Amendment right to remain in silence and a 6th Amendment right to an attorney.
The problem is the complete disappearance of “Community Policing” due to budget constraints.
The Police no long live in the areas they patrol. They cruise by (maybe) once a week in their cars and then are gone.
They don’t live in the same cities they patrol anymore, sometimes not even in the same county (or STATE.)
They don’t have any contact with anyone in the neighborhood but the criminals, so they think EVERYBODY is a criminal.
The “elitist” Military/Us vs. Them, “bunker” mentality is now prevalent in the ranks too where they view anyone “not them” as “the enemy”.
When did police start being trained to shoot to kill instead of shoot to wound or incapacitate?
Over the last 30 or so years—the right-wing law-and-order period----our police have become trigger-happy, overbearing, bullies with a sense of victimhood and grievance against the communities that employ them.
So how do we change this, nationwide?
de-Baathification?
The Los Angeles County District Attorney Office is very reluctant to bring charges against police officers. I recall the Eula Love shooting back in the 1970’s when Chief Gates was the head honcho, she had a knife and it all had to do with the DWP coming to shut off her electricity. Nothing really change when it comes to Killa Cops.