Quote:
Originally Posted by Flybone McTimmerson
lol, right? Super ****ed up people out there.
CC, I want to defend the officers because I realize how tough their job can be, especially when every yahoo civilian wants to question their every move. My only problem in this case is that they shot as the man was turning his back on them. Any solid reasoning for that?
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I said I would leave so the bashers could vent, but you gave me a direct question. It's a real time video, it's sooooo easy to arm chair QB the decisions. I can't speak to how these two officers felt, but I can put it in my own perspective.
Once the guy produced the two knives (after the flash grenade and the decision to go "hands on"), I'd have one second to decide if all his threats (from previous encounters, and/or the three hour conversation could be legit, how credible those threats are (could he possibly kill someone with those knives) and if I thought my life or someone else's life was in danger.
I watched the video a couple times. As two cops move up to arrest him, he dropped his bag and produced two knives. He took a stance of some sort. The first officer fired and the second officer fired with in milliseconds of each other. They are the "over watch" for the k9 officer (no gun drawn and within 10 feet of the wielded knives, the predesignated radius of leathal knife attacks) and the other "hands on" officer who was moving in to handcuff the guy.
Could he throw the knives? Accurately? Luckily? Did he flench and turn his back because he was hit by a bullet? Was he ducking and preparing to throw a knife?
That's a lot of questions I wouldn't be able to answer. Not even now as an arm chair QB, let alone react to in real time. You, and others, are claiming/asking if the shots were illegal because he was shot in the back, like it's so easy to know the outcome/intent. Or that he wasn't a real threat because he only had knives. But sick and drugged people in similar situations have been credible lethal threats with less than knives.
Try not to focus on just the tragedy this human being lost his life, but remember the tragedy of another human living with taking a life. It's equally as disturbing. Calling him a murderer isn't remotely fair. It's hyperbole. It's political agenda and fame hunting getting the best of someone and influencing the diagnosis of this situation. Don't buy it, feed it or give it merit. The tragic truth is this man died because he didn't accept help for many years, and let the voices in his head dictate the outcome of how his life ended.