There was a lot of violence. But mass shootings feel more frequent. And I wake up to the Houston news every day. And there’s always multiple people gunned down.
It’s a news cycle thing. Current zeitgeist can play on it so more major reporting happens. They happened but all the air in the room was taken up by Covid and Trump shenanigans. Also with news organizations pushing narratives in bed with policy makers the political makeup last year made gun control a non starter news story. They have a little more incentive to push every store as the worst now. I think the waves of shooting reportings can help influence nutters close to the edge and it perpetuates these bubbles a little bit too.
I've got a lot of thoughts on the police situation in this country, but one of the ones I haven't seen discussed in this thread is: it seems to me that the police no longer expect that their job is inherently dangerous. That's part of policing, because you simply aren't (shouldn't be) allowed to take any action you want to protect yourself. It's supposed to be part of the job, and should be instilled into trainees that, yes, it is more dangerous to not draw your gun at the slightest provocation, and yes, it is more dangerous to pause before shooting at someone who makes a quick movement. But that's the job. Of course, it shouldn't be surprising that this is the result when any dickhead who wants a modicum of power can go through a few months of training and be handed a gun. But that has been discussed. Also, I don't think it's cognitive dissonance to acknowledge that someone engaged in an activity that contributed to their own death, while at the same time firmly believing that those circumstances do not wholly or partially excuse a police officer killing them. A sudden movement at a traffic stop is not a justifiable death warrant, even if you are a shitty person.
Agreed. The overriding mantra is "I'll do whatever it takes to go home to my family at night." Even if it means overreacting to a situation and killing an innocent person.
Its why use of force has to be rethought by police as a whole. I know my best friend who is a cop would stomp his feet and say walk a mile in my shoes before you presume to tell me how to do the job (and then go into truly horrible real world stories about situations he’s been in it’s hard not to feel bad for them) BUT dnd’s point about public trust will eventually negate that stance. They can either change themselves or wait until crackpot city assemblies do it for them. I honestly think it is an overblown issue and that the “cops are out hunting black people/skin tone is the weapon/you don’t have to have the talk with your kids” narrative is actually making the situation WORSE but I realize the reality of public outrage. They can get on board with changes or it’s going to be forced on them. Some of the changes have been long warranted. There is a distinction between the taser gun death the other day and the 13 year old with a gun. It will be interesting to see the reaction to the latter. I just don’t see that as the cops fault. The totality of the circumstances, from what we know, are on the kid.
It's also worth noting that the shootings are the very tip of the iceberg. While their absolute numbers are small, their relative numbers are concerning, because each shooting likely represents a thousand beatings, and each beating represents a thousand non-violent, but still negative, police interactions.
I read the time between seeing the kid with the gun in his hand and the kid tossing it and turning around was .53 of second. Basically the time it takes a baseball released from a pitcher's hand till it reaches the plate. If you have the reactions to make the correct call at that speed just 30% of the time you're considered a very, very successful hitter. And probably make more in a year than a cop makes their entire life.
As I mentioned, "Killology". Grossman goes on stage and convinces every cop at his seminars that they are AT WAR with the criminals who are looking to end their lives every minute they're on duty. No room for error, every moment could be your last, it's US versus THEM.
he was running from the cops with a gun when they were responding to an active shooter (him) call. If he was 22 instead of 12 the media wouldn't cover it. Just like the didn't cover the shooter at our airport who was stopped by a police officer -- if it doesn't fit the "police are bad/gun violence" narrative, they're not covering it because our media is in the entertainment business. Not saying police don't need some serious reform -- they do. Or that there isn't a problem with gun violence -- there is. But the media doesn't play in degrees of nuance, and sadly that's where most people get their facts and develop opinions. If you want an emotional story, turn on your MSM channel of choice. If want a logical understanding of a topic, read a book.
Summary, for those who don’t want to/can’t watch: New Mexico police officer stops a truck for having dark window tint - from what I can gather in news articles, this was a “whisper stop” for a suspected drug mule (local PD will stop a car to get the guy out of it and ID him, then DHS will come in). Cop (on passenger side) sees the driver has an AR, asks if he can hold onto it for his safety - driver agrees, gets out of car with AR. Both walk toward the back, driver shoots cop from across the truck bed, cop goes down, tries to get his gun - by then, driver is around truck and shoots him again, then shoots him in the back of the head, gets back in his car and drives off. DHS show up about a minute later.
I've known a couple drug mules. From what I know about them and what they've told me about operations, the drug mules don't carry ARs. Or any guns. They're usually pretty ordinary. And they definitely don't kill cops. I bet these guys were higher up the supply chain than mules.
Word. Mules or domestic smugglers are usually made to be as normal as possible. Somebody with the aura of soccer parents are perfect domestic smugglers. They more often than not are desperate people who need money/freedom fast. Somebody that armed, casual, and quick to kill an LEO like that is somebody utterly hardened by life. Check that bastard’s photo. The word “monster” will instantly spring to mind, I guarantee it.
That video is pretty gross, but it's also crazy to me there is such a disparity between how this whole traffic stop proceeded and other instances where the threat was seemingly minimal and there's 40 cops and everyone has their guns drawn. If the news article is accurate, the cop was pulling over a suspected drug mule, he didn't have back up, he let the guy exit the vehicle with an AR, and didn't keep his eyes on the guy as he was walking around the truck. I can't imagine anything that cop did during that traffic stop was in anyway part of their training unless I'm missing something?