1 in 3 police shootings involve unarmed people

[JayS]

July 25, 2004, 4:31PM
A CHRONICLE SPECIAL REPORT
1 in 3 police shootings involve unarmed people
Law enforcement experts: More officer training, use of alternate weapons would reduce numbers. Other cities have adopted stricter standards.
By ROMA KHANNA AND LISE OLSEN
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
SPECIAL REPORT: POLICE SHOOTINGS
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory/2698952

Monday: Are cops who shoot citizens disciplined?

This is the first of a two-part series on police shootings.



Law enforcement officers in Harris County have shot 65 unarmed people since 1999, killing 17. These incidents represent more than a third of all local police shootings, but experts call them the most preventable.

After two unarmed teenagers were shot and killed in separate incidents last year, the Houston Chronicle analyzed 189 shootings by officers from 18 local law enforcement agencies in the past 5 1/2 years.

Officers' actions were ruled justified in nearly all of the shootings examined. A shooting can be legally acceptable if an officer believes someone's life is in danger.

But only half of those shot by police carried a gun or a knife. Another 7 percent held another object, such as a screwdriver, a piece of lumber or a pipe.

Nearly once a month, on average, police shot someone who had no weapon.

*SNIP*

[7th_Sephiroth]

1. there was a case here recently (happened to a friends family)

where the cops handcuffed and tazered a naked man,(twice) and then shot him 4 times in the head, still handcuffed mind you, once with a shot gun cause he bit one of them or something

[enki23]

2. well there's an obvious solution to that one

make sure more people are armed. problem solved.

[FeebMaster]

4. Or disarm the police.

Or, better yet, both.

[enki23]

8. that too

by the way... i should probably have made it more clear that i was kidding, but i half-wondered if anyone would seek to "agree" with me.

[FeebMaster]

9. I agree wholeheartedly.

I'm not saying anyone should be forced to carry a gun or even own one, but people who want to should be free to.

We should definitely disarm the police.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

3. If we only truly had a presumption of innocence in this country

people would be up in arms about this.

[7th_Sephiroth]

5. police are brainwashed

into believeing every citizen will kill them

[Feanorcurufinwe]

6. I don't blame the police as much as I blame the people

who give them carte blanche. Cops are subject to the corrupting influences of their job, but not their civilian bosses.

[JayS]

10. I am sure that the police are drilled into being alert at all times...

...and I feel that that sort of training is appropriate. That being said, I do wish that the community leaders that are up in arms over these police shootings would also, while they have the spotlight, present what to do when confronted by law enforcement and how what could be a perfectly innocent act could be seen as a life threatening situation by the officers.

Then again, when I bring this up I am basically called a racist. Go figure...

[Columbia]

7. Which is why LEOs should only be armed with these

Set to stun, of course.

Unfortunately, what will probably happen is that legislation to do this will be proposed and then they will grant a LEO exemption while forcing the rest of the lowly citizenry to comply.