Jul 6, 2016 I'll probably get torn apart for this, but this video is very inconclusive as to whether or not he reached for his gun or not. I'd even go so far to say as this is NOT the case to champion for systemic racism in the police force as cops have gotten nervous and f----- up before. They're normal people except with far more grave consequences stemming from their mistakes. I've seen far more egregious cases like Abner Louima that stand as perfect examples of a f----- up system. Still, the more scrutiny the better I guess. Pls respond without being a d-ck. Extremely timid and open minded on issues like this.
Jul 6, 2016 No, they're paid by taxpayers and specifically trained to protect citizens, and given a legal monopoly on the use of deadly force. Get the entire f--- out of here with "they're ordinary people, they were scared!" The video is inconclusive as to whether his right arm was reaching for his waistline, but the cop in the foreground was pinning down his left arm, the other cop very easily could have done the same with his right instead of shooting six bullets into his chest. Killing a guy who's pinned on the cement because he might have been reaching for a gun--which was recovered from his pocket, not from his hand or the ground--is insane, because how is firing those shots the first reaction?
Jul 6, 2016 If you get so scared and nervous that you pump five shots into a guy who is on the ground, not holding a weapon with one arm completely neutralized, WITH ANOTHER COP NEARBY, you shouldn't be a police officer.
Jul 6, 2016 According to that video? I don't think it's very definitive. You're misunderstanding me. They very well could have f----- up, and should be punished for it, but a simpler explanation is a heat of the moment itchy trigger finger than the "executing black men discriminately" narrative. This would be an entirely different story if we had a better POV in the video or he was unarmed. I also think you're overestimating how easy it is to restrain somebody. There are videos everywhere online of multiple cops failing to hold a single person down and that's when there isn't a threat of them grabbing their firearm. I don't know what is so unreasonable with being on the fence here. I feel like a lot of intertextual factors are smearing the lens for a lot of people. I'm honestly surprised I'm the only person who isn't absolutely convinced otherwise on here.
Jul 6, 2016 You shouldn't have an itchy trigger finger in that situation. Maybe it's different here in Canada, but if having his other arm next to his waistline when you're on top of him is enough to warrant a bullet, our police have been doing it all wrong. I remember a standoff between a man with a knife and a few cops happened in Toronto and they tried talking to him for fifteen minutes before deciding to s---t him, and he could have rushed them at any time. Life has no value in the U.S, apparently.
Jul 6, 2016 Dude, I don't know what to tell you. To me--and to people from the opposite end of the political spectrum, like Chad, this isn't an agenda thing--the video is conclusive that the force (killing him) was excessive. I am not 100% confident based on the footage that Sterling was reaching for his gun; I am 100% confident based on the footage that there were a half-dozen things the second officer could have done instead of shooting him. I'm not sure if you're merely trying to play devil's advocate here but I can't see a lens of viewing this video that leads me to the conclusion that the shots were justified. Again, people in Louisiana are allowed to open carry, so the simple presence of a gun on someone's person should not lead to their death--the police are specifically trained with state laws in mind. The reason this is being cited as an execution of a black man is because it's unambiguously a gross misuse of force in a way that is consistent with police (including Baton Rouge police) in their dealings with black people. White people aren't executed like this (or like Gray, etc).
Jul 6, 2016 I'm so glad I live in a country where there is police to help people and make sure criminals get locked away, not killed. Sure, when a black person gets pulled over some people call it racism, but luckily the most people in my country call those people idiots (in most cases). And 3rd, we don't have to worry about whether someone has a gun legally, since we don't have a law that alows every idiot to carry a gun. Terrible that stuff like this happens and I'm honestly sad that there are police officers (not all of them, but a bunch) that fail to set an example and murder people who don't deserve to die. Of course they deserve punishment, but s---t them when there is no threat? Ugh.
Jul 6, 2016 I didn't say you were a racist. I just think you're ignoring the broader, overwhelming context of this.
Jul 6, 2016 That wasn't his point. His argument was mostly based around the fact that the cops are supposed to be well trained, and if your first instinct as an officer when you see somebody move their arm is to k--- them, something is wrong.
Jul 6, 2016 I'm saying context has no relevance to whether this particular individual in this particular case justified deadly force. Like, how is this not at least in the realm of possibility to you?
Jul 6, 2016 Here's a video that's kind of coloring my opinion on this. That's a professional level grappler in a simulated knife fight without the element of surprise. "Just hold his arm" completely ignores a lot of real world factors.
Jul 6, 2016 Unless Alton was secretly Max Payne and could do some crazy flippy s---, there's no way in h--- that in his position he could be an immediate threat.
Jul 6, 2016 An obese man on his back with one arm pinned down and two cops with weapons drawn over him is not the same as some military training video, I think we're all adults who should find that obvious.
Jul 6, 2016 Oh, and whatever happened to tasering people? What if his itchy trigger finger was holding a non lethal weapon? Say you think he might pull a gun out, get up and taser him instead of killing him. If he had his gun out, in his hand, I could understand, but come on.
Jul 6, 2016 Sorry I don't have a perfect analogy, but grappling in scenarios with knives and guns is a fool's errand according to any authority I've ever heard speak on it. If he reached for his weapon, I'm convinced that justifies deadly force and I'm just not seeing any counter argument besides "he didn't reach for his gun" which is not possible to deduce from the video.
