Waiting for all the evidence

[melm00se]

You may have heard about the Chicago police shooting involving Harith Augustus and the resulting protests that turned violent.

But the body cam footage shows what happened:

http://abc7chicago.com/chicago-police-release-body-cam-video-of-south-shore-police-shooting/3766539/

I have watched this, a few times, at regular speed and slow motion and can easily see why the officers engaged with firearms:

at 10-12 seconds: his hand came up in what can be interpreted as going for a gun.

frozen video at 12-16 seconds: clearly showing a gun (right hip) and spare magazines (left hip).

18 seconds: hand clearly on weapon.

21-25 seconds: hand and elbow as well as general movement consistent with a weapon being drawn.

I am sorry but the officers were justified to use deadly force.

[Trust Buster]

1. Agreed. Many jumped to a conclusion without benefit of the evidence. This happens often.

The Chicago Police are criticized for not stopping gun violence and also criticized when they do. Who would want that job ?

[exboyfil]

3. Yes but they also cover up for shootings

Instead of full and accurate vetting.

[exboyfil]

2. During the 2016 election

We had two of these where the public reaction spurred voter response negatively for the Democrats. The first was in St. Louis where a suspect was clearly raising a weapon (it was caught on the external store camera). You could see the officer retreating in fear before firing at the suspect. That incident resulted in a riot where a fire destroyed part of the gas station.

The second incident was in North Carolina where a suspect had a gun in his hand and was backing towards officers who continually told him to drop his weapon. His daughter (or wife) claimed that he had a book and not a gun even though a gun was recovered at the scene (you can see the officer actually standing on it in the aftermath per procedure) and an empty ankle holster on the suspect which is clear in the photos of the scene after the shooting. That book comment and the subsequent riot led to the death of one individual. The family member who made the statement was never held accountable for making the inflammatory/untrue remarks. There were even scenarios in which it was proposed that both the gun and the ankle holster where planted.

In both of these cases DU had a strong contingent that viewed these as improper shootings.

[The Mouth]

4. Sometimes, I think, it's not an 'either/or'

There are racist and trigger happy police AND there are idiots who draw down on or otherwise make cops legitimately feel their life is in danger.

Simple fact, if you reach for or deploy a weapon in the direction of, or in an altercation with a cop you have a very high chance of being killed. I know if I were a cop, if you were reaching for a gun while resisting me I would feel somewhat justified in terminating your corporeal existence, race unimportant in this equation. The sad thing is that there are a non zero number of times where this is EXACTLY what a racist and violent person who happens to be wearing a badge WANTS to have happen.

[exboyfil]

5. Tell that to some on DU

Go back and look at the responses at the time. I honestly think the response and Clinton's failure to get ahead of it cost her North Carolina.

There are plenty of times I am disgusted. The attempted cover up of the Chicago shooting of a man armed with a knife. The Oklahoma shooting of an unarmed man where, instead of rendering aid after shooting the man, the cops walk backwards arm in arm like some sick Wizard of Oz parody.

[The Mouth]

6. I see both sides

After enough unjustified shootings the Police do not have the benefit of the doubt.

Personally, I say 'screw privacy' and would like to have ALL police wearing bodycams the entire time with ALL footage being uploaded in realtime.

If you won't show me the footage, I will assume you have something to hide and are in the wrong, and crap about 'protecting privacy' or technical issues is just BS.