http://www.snopes.com/2016/09/22/terence-crutcher-shooting-what-we-know/ Better link with info. It appears he does have a criminal history according to a family attorney but no open warrants.
Years ago, after too many accidents left innocent commuters injured or dead, the LAPD changed pursuit policies to not pursue aggressive but to simply follow behind. It was safer to risk letting the driver go than risk innocent casualties. The same principle applies here. He was unarmed and non-threatening. She escalated the situation when she should have backed off. If he ran away, oh well. Yes, police should not be drawing their guns first in non-violent confrontations and should have to wait until a threat is actually made. Better to retreat from a situation you fear could turn violent and wait for back up than escalate it and kill someone who is not armed.
Thanks for taking the time to answer. That article is an interesting read. It's interesting to me that your response is largely based on a "fire fight" and I fully understand that in that scenario a cop or anyone else is going to do everything they can to stay alive and rightfully so imo. Now this is where I'm on thin ice as I literally have no idea but in this scenario there was no "fire fight" so why should she be in fire fight mode? Poor training? Is it not possible to train cops to think ok I'm not in direct dander yet so I can incapacitate now before I am in direct danger? Because my reading of the article says it should be possible. Or am I looking for too much from people caught up in dangerous situations?
Snopes is junk and lied in the first paragraph. They describe his actions as compliant with his hands up. They've been caught pushing narratives before.
Tactical training teaches you to aim for the chest, its the biggest area so less chance of missing. Cops are not all sharpshooter that can just wing a guy on a whim. i wouldn't say i was lucky, just smart enough to know when to stop, but not smart enough not to be there in the first place.
Jesus tap dancing Christ, YES. You only ever pull out your gun as a last resort. EVER. Someone isn't listening isn't grounds for pulling your gun at them. They have non-lethal weapons for a reason. Laziness isn't an excuse. Even soldiers at a roadblock in the Middle East have to go through more warnings before shooting someone than a cop does before shooting a US citizen at an ordinary traffic stop. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
This is absolutely wrong, and not what cops are taught.... And rightfully so. You have no earthly idea what it's like to be in the situation , and you also don't seem to realize that despite media hammering 5-7 cop shooting stories, cops get killed and have many things done to them at "routine traffic stops".
Also, how are people here Smart enough to know why you don't shoot to wound in a life or death matter, but not smart enough to know you don't shoot if know one is in danger? Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
i don't know man, i think a lot of hardened criminals are more likely to take their chances if they know the gun can't come out. there would be a lot of cops getting fucked up. cops can'tbe on equal ground, the gun is the edge.
How do you know none was in danger? If you have 4 cops and weapons on someone giving clear orders and he still moves away towards vehicle? I would ha e to wonder what he is thinking
Worldnewspolitics isn't credible either, I'm cherry picking what the family lawyer said and disregarding the snopes "investigative" part.
You don't pull your gun if you don't intend to shoot. And since some posters think it's okay when a cop's delicate sensibilities are hurt, that means shooting without danger. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
Considering how fast the DA decided to file charges I think that the three good cops at that traffic stop told the truth about the cop who fired. My speculation is that when the taser went off she fired reflexively.
you think the cop shot because he hurt her feelings? i'm guessing in the moments she was alone with him she felt enough fear to pull her weapon, the other cops had their weapons drawn too. i'm with faux machine on that she flinched when the taser went off. unfortunate incident with lot of lives damaged forever regardless of what comes of the charges but without seeing the entire scene unfold we don't know what the level of danger she felt she was in to first draw the weapon. for my money, the reports of pcp makes me think the situation wasn't as civil as people are trying to make it out to be
Even on that charge judges often have wide discretion to issue sentences (not sure about in Tulsa). Like here in the Liang case he was convicted by jury but the judge gave him no jail time. He ended up losing his job as a cop but didn't serve any time
