Chase,Taser,Shoot

[Mr. Laz]

Cop Arrested After Video Shows Her Shoot Unarmed Man in Back Lying Face Down in the Snow
By Cassandra Fairbanks on March 25, 2015

image: http://tftppull.freethoughtllc.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/officer-shoots-man-lying-facedown1.jpg

Harrisburg, PA– Hummelstown police Officer, Lisa J. Mearkle was charged with criminal homicide on Tuesday in the shooting death of 59-year-old David Kassick on February 2.

Mearkle shot Kassick as he laid face down on the ground in the snow, unarmed, during a routine traffic stop gone awry.

Mearkle had attempted to pull Kassick over for an expired inspection sticker, but the situation escalated when Kassick attempted to flee from the officer.

Eventually Mearkle caught up to the motorist close to his sister’s home where he was staying, but Kassick got out of the vehicle and fled on foot. As he was attempting to run away, he was incapacitated by the officer’s taser which she held in her left hand. With her right hand, she unnecessarily pulled out her service gun and shot the unarmed man twice in the back as he lay face-down on the ground.

The 36-year-old officer claims that she shot the unarmed man because he would not show his hands and she was concerned he may have been reaching in his jacket for a weapon, but the recording from the deployed taser paints a different picture.

District Attorney Ed Marsico has stated that it appeared from the recording that Kassick was simply trying to remove the stun gun probes from his back before his life was taken.

“At the time Officer Mearkle fires both rounds from her pistol, the video clearly depicts Kassick lying on the snow covered lawn with his face toward the ground, furthermore, at the time the rounds are fired nothing can be seen in either of Kassick’s hands, nor does he point or direct anything toward Officer Mearkle,” the arrest affidavit reads.

A syringe was found near his body, and there were unspecified drugs as well as alcohol in his system when he died. His family has admitted that he has struggled with addiction, a personal problem which should not have cost him his life.

“Mr. Kassick is now dead as a result of a traffic stop, a routine traffic stop,” one of the family’s attorneys, Christopher Slusser, told the press. “He should not be dead. He should not have died as a result of that traffic stop. And the manner in which he was shot — you can infer from that what you will.”

Mearkle is currently free on $250,000 bail. She faces potential charges ranging from misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter to felony first-degree murder depending on what the prosecution decides when she is formally arraigned.

Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/pa-officer-charged-criminal-homicide-shooting-unarmed-man/#qA3zLv0jtryAGBAF.99

[TimBone]

INB4 DC

[Reerun_KC]

In b4 hall

[BigMeatballDave]

Fuck, she was a horrible cop if this is true.

[Eleazar]

I will go ahead and take care of every reasonable person's post and say that if the thread title is accurate, that's deplorable.

[jd1020]

So she faces charges that start at involuntary manslaughter? WTF?!

[The Franchise]

Mr. Kassick is now dead as a result of a traffic stop, a routine traffic stop,” one of the family’s attorneys, Christopher Slusser, told the press. “He should not be dead. He should not have died as a result of that traffic stop. And the manner in which he was shot — you can infer from that what you will.”


Routine traffic stop? Pretty sure I don't flee during routine traffic stops.

[BigMeatballDave]

That said, he's a dumbass for running.

[The Franchise]

Oh....and throw that cop in jail for sure. That's fucked up.

[Ecto-I]

Hmmm. Tough to make a judgement without seeing the video. On one hand he's not "dead as a result of a traffic stop, a routine traffic stop,” - he's dead because he ran from the cops.

On the other, shooting a clearly incapacitated body is certainly excessive and should be regarded as such.

[TribalElder]

Bang bang didn't read lol

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Bang bang didn't read lol

Kimmay is gettin away boys!!!

[jd1020]

Hmmm. Tough to make a judgement without seeing the video. On one hand he's not "dead as a result of a traffic stop, a routine traffic stop,” - he's dead because he ran from the cops.

On the other, shooting a clearly incapacitated body is certainly excessive and should be regarded as such.

The DA saw the video and they got an arrest warrant for her for shooting a guy lying face down in the snow in his back.

If she doesn't get charged with murder then we should all be making plans to jump ship to another country.

[SPchief]

So if she gets off, we riot right?

[jd1020]

So if she gets off, we riot right?

BURN THIS MOTHERFUCKER DOWN!!!!

[BigRichard]

If this is a white guy they should lock her up and throw away the key

Otherwise...

[SPchief]

Face down, don't shoot?

[BigRichard]

Face down, don't shoot?

lol

[KC native]

nb4 first racist post.

[Bugeater]

This should make all the cop haters happy

[KC native]

This should make all the cop haters happy

Happy? No.

Another example of fucked up policing that reinforces the argument that cops suck these days? Ab-so-fuckinglutely.

[ChiefsHawk]

Happy? No.

Another example of ****ed up policing that reinforces the argument that cops suck these days? Ab-so-****inglutely.

Yep because you can name 1-8 stories about cops being idiots all 1.1 million of police officers are bad at their job. :clap:

[Rain Man]

Hmmm. Tough to make a judgement without seeing the video. On one hand he's not "dead as a result of a traffic stop, a routine traffic stop,” - he's dead because he ran from the cops.

On the other, shooting a clearly incapacitated body is certainly excessive and should be regarded as such.


Yeah, that pretty much summarizes the issue.

[KC native]

Yep because you can name 1-8 stories about cops being idiots all 1.1 million of police officers are bad at their job. :clap:

It's much higher than 1-8 stories.

I'm not going to apologize for expecting the police to be held to a higher standard.

[Kman34]

I guess if she can't see your hands...Bang, Bang

[Eleazar]

He's dead because he's an idiot and ran from the police. That doesn't mean he deserved it, but that is why he is dead.

[KC native]

He's dead because he's an idiot and ran from the police. That doesn't mean he deserved it, but that is why he is dead.

No.

He's dead because a cop tazed him and then shot him to death while he was incapacitated.

[Bugeater]

Happy? No.

Another example of fucked up policing that reinforces the argument that cops suck these days? Ab-so-fuckinglutely.
Pay no attention to the fact that nearly every one of these incidents involves someone who is resisting/fleeing. No need to hold criminals accountable for their actions... it's all on the cops.

[Just Passin' By]

He's dead because he's an idiot and ran from the police. That doesn't mean he deserved it, but that is why he is dead.

He's dead because some cop shot him in the back in a situation where it was unwarranted.

[Eleazar]

No.

He's dead because a cop tazed him and then shot him to death while he was incapacitated.

His death was the result of an incident that began when he decided to run from the police.

No, he didn't deserve to be killed if the facts presented in the article (which reads as heavily biased) are correct. If this narrative is accurate then I hope the legal system takes care of it.

Still doesn't change the fact that if you don't start none, there won't be none.

[philfree]

Pay no attention to the fact that nearly every one of these incidents involves someone who is resisting/fleeing. No need to hold criminals accountable for their actions... it's all on the cops.

It is when the cop shoots a guy in the back while he's face down in the snow and helpless because he was already tazed.

[DenverChief]

No.

He's dead because a cop tazed him and then shot him to death while he was incapacitated.

For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction. I'm not saying what she did was right but c'mon there has to be some personal responsibilty on the part of citizens to follow basic directions of law enforcement.

If he had got run over by a semi while running away there would still be people blaming the police....

[Just Passin' By]

For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction. I'm not saying what she did was right but c'mon there has to be some personal responsibilty on the part of citizens to follow basic directions of law enforcement.

If he had got run over by a semi while running away there would still be people blaming the police....

She shot him in the back when he was lying face down in the snow, post-taze, and making no hostile act.

This is 100% on the cop.

[Rain Man]

She shot him in the back when he was lying face down in the snow, post-taze, and making no hostile act.

This is 100% on the cop.


I would say that it's 100 percent on the cop and 100 percent on the guy who caused the chase.

[WhawhaWhat]

Pay no attention to the fact that nearly every one of these incidents involves someone who is resisting/fleeing. No need to hold criminals accountable for their actions... it's all on the cops.

The justice system holds them accountable for resisting/fleeing. Unless they are murdered by the police first.

[Eleazar]

For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction. I'm not saying what she did was right but c'mon there has to be some personal responsibilty on the part of citizens to follow basic directions of law enforcement.

If he had got run over by a semi while running away there would still be people blaming the police....

I've never run from the cops. Consequently, I've never had one beat/taze/shoot me. Coincidence or just white privilege?

[ModSocks]

I've never run from the cops. Consequently, I've never had one beat/taze/shoot me. Coincidence or just white privilege?

He made a poor decision to run, that doesn't justify being shot, especially after already being caught.

If the story in the OP is accurate, there is simply no way to justify it. Zero. Zilch. Natha. Nothing.

[Jim Lahey]

Wait...was the victim white?

If so, "unarmed white man" should be in the title.

Or does that shit only apply to cops that assault blacks?

[The Franchise]

Wait...was the victim white?

If so, "unarmed white man" should be in the title.

Or does that shit only apply to cops that assault blacks?

Yep....white guy.

[ModSocks]

Oh, he's white?

ROFL ROFL ROFL

No wonder this is the first i've heard about it.

Now i understand....yup....white people riot time. You guys should go burn down a Starbucks or something.

[The Franchise]

Funny....I don't see this on ANY major news site right now.

[Radar Chief]

Oh, he's white?

ROFL ROFL ROFL

No wonder this is the first i've heard about it.

Now i understand....yup....white people riot time. You guys should go burn down a Starbucks or something.

Hot Topic is gonna BURN FOR THIS!!!

[LoneWolf]

She shot him in the back when he was lying face down in the snow, post-taze, and making no hostile act.

This is 100% on the cop.

Is trying to remove the tazer probes a hostile act?

Ultimately if the cop goes to jail and the low-life drug addict is dead, everybody wins.

[BigMeatballDave]

Happy? No.

Another example of fucked up policing that reinforces the argument that cops suck these days? Ab-so-fuckinglutely.

The guy didn't deserve to die, and she should be charged with something, but that dipshit contributed to his own death.

[Just Passin' By]

...that dipshit contributed to his own death.

That kind of thinking is a huge part of the problem in this country. Assuming the story is correct, at no time did the 'dipshit' do anything that warranted lethal force being used against him.

[The Franchise]

This kind of thinking is a huge part of the problem in this country. Assuming the story is correct, at no time did the 'dipshit' do anything that warranted lethal force being used against him.

If he died from the tazer....would it be his fault?

[Just Passin' By]

If he died from the tazer....would it be his fault?

Of course not

[BigMeatballDave]

This is 100% on the cop.

:facepalm:

[The Franchise]

Of course not

How so?

[LoneWolf]

Of course not

You've got to be trolling.

[Old Dog]

You've got to be trolling.

this

but he's getting a lot of bites

[BigMeatballDave]

That kind of thinking is a huge part of the problem in this country. Assuming the story is correct, at no time did the 'dipshit' do anything that warranted lethal force being used against him.

GTFO You're fucking stupid if you truly believe this.

IF HE DOESN'T FLEE, THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN.

I've already said what should happen to her, but his action is partly to blame for his death.

[BigMeatballDave]

Have people completely forgotten what personal responsibility is?

[jd1020]

Have people forgotten what it takes to constitute lethal force?

This guy deserved to be tazed. This guy deserved to be arrested. This guy deserved to spend at least the night in jail. This guy did NOT deserve to be shot.

[Just Passin' By]

:facepalm:

Face palm all you want. It doesn't change the facts of the case.

[The Franchise]

Have people completely forgotten what personal responsibility is?

Do you even have to ask that? We live in a time now where it's not your fault.....it's everyone else's.

[The Franchise]

Face palm all you want. It doesn't change the facts of the case.

Not going to answer my question?

If he was hit with the tazer and he died....how was it not his fault?

[Just Passin' By]

GTFO You're ****ing stupid if you truly believe this.

IF HE DOESN'T FLEE, THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN.

I've already said what should happen to her, but his action is partly to blame for his death.

His flight didn't warrant a bullet in the back. How fucking tough is that for you to wrap your mind around?

[The Franchise]

Have people forgotten what it takes to constitute lethal force?

This guy deserved to be tazed. This guy deserved to be arrested. This guy deserved to spend at least the night in jail. This guy did NOT deserve to be shot.

And if he died from the tazer.....would it be his fault?

[jd1020]

And if he died from the tazer.....would it be his fault?

How does dying from a tazer equal getting shot in the back with a bullet?

A tazer is considered non lethal. Is a bullet fired from a gun considered non lethal?

[Just Passin' By]

Not going to answer my question?

If he was hit with the tazer and he died....how was it not his fault?

Why would I break down such an obvious answer?

How the hell would it possibly be his fault?

You people don't even bother to think on this subject.

[BigMeatballDave]

His flight didn't warrant a bullet in the back. How fucking tough is that for you to wrap your mind around?

LMAO You've got to be trolling.

[WhawhaWhat]

I've already said what should happen to her, but his action is partly to blame for his death.

Then you are justifying the gunshots that killed him.

[Just Passin' By]

You've got to be trolling.

No, I'm using my brain to actually think. I understand that such a process is uncommon when it comes to police threads around here.

[The Franchise]

Why would I break down such an obvious answer?

How the hell would it possibly be his fault?

You people don't even bother to think on this subject.

If he doesn't flee.....the tazer isn't needed. That doesn't make sense to you?

[The Franchise]

How does dying from a tazer equal getting shot in the back with a bullet?

A tazer is considered non lethal. Is a bullet fired from a gun considered non lethal?

It was a hypothetical situation for JPB.

[The Franchise]

And I've already stated that bitch needs to be locked up.

[BigMeatballDave]

Then you are justifying the gunshots that killed him.Holy fucking shit :facepalm:

No, I'm not.
The guy didn't deserve to die, and she should be charged with something, but that dipshit contributed to his own death.

[Just Passin' By]

If he doesn't flee.....the tazer isn't needed. That doesn't make sense to you?

You used the word "Fault". Do you not grasp that words mean things? It's not the guy's fault if he dies. JFC


This thread's going to be a waste of time, because people don't bother to think.

[BigMeatballDave]

You used the word "Fault". Do you not grasp that words mean things? It's not the guy's fault if he dies. JFC


This thread's going to be a waste of time, because people don't bother to think.

Personal responsibility is the idea that human beings choose, instigate, or otherwise cause their own actions. A corollary idea is that because we cause our actions, we can be held morally accountable or legally liable.

[WhawhaWhat]

Holy ****ing shit :facepalm:

No, I'm not.

If he is partially to blame for his own death, and his death is the result of being shot, then you must feel that being shot was at least partially a reasonable response.

[BigMeatballDave]

If he is partially to blame for his own death, and his death is the result of being shot, then you must feel that being shot was at least partially a reasonable response.

He should not have been shot, that is on the cop, however, he made the choice to run.

Had he not run, he doesn't get shot.

[jd1020]

He should not have been shot, that is on the cop, however, he made the choice to run.

Had he not run, he doesn't get shot.

What if his hand twitched in the car when the officer was at the window during the routine traffic stop?

[TLO]

http://i.imgur.com/1WQKdjC.gif

[unlurking]

For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction. I'm not saying what she did was right but c'mon there has to be some personal responsibilty on the part of citizens to follow basic directions of law enforcement.

If he had got run over by a semi while running away there would still be people blaming the police....

The equal and opposite reaction to a fleeing suspect seems to have been the taser to me. The prison sentence for the officer would be the equal and opposite reaction for murder.

If he runs into traffic and gets hit by a semi, that's Darwin.

[Sully]

For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction. I'm not saying what she did was right but c'mon there has to be some personal responsibilty on the part of citizens to follow basic directions of law enforcement.

If he had got run over by a semi while running away there would still be people blaming the police....

You said equal but opposite.

Do you know what equal means?

[BigRichard]

Man, I am surprised this thread has made it this long in the lounge. Good job at being civil everyone...:D

[Brock]

He should not have been shot, that is on the cop.

That's all that really needs to be said.

[Eleazar]

He made a poor decision to run, that doesn't justify being shot, especially after already being caught.

If the story in the OP is accurate, there is simply no way to justify it. Zero. Zilch. Natha. Nothing.

I never said that it justified being shot.

[Fish]

For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction. I'm not saying what she did was right but c'mon there has to be some personal responsibilty on the part of citizens to follow basic directions of law enforcement.

If he had got run over by a semi while running away there would still be people blaming the police....

I can totally agree that there should be some personal responsibility on the part of citizens. But if an otherwise nonthreating person should for some reason not show that desired personal responsibility, it shouldn't result in their death.

[KC native]

I can totally agree that there should be some personal responsibility on the part of citizens. But if an otherwise nonthreating person should for some reason not show that desired personal responsibility, it shouldn't result in their death.

But

http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/n-nr1m3w/b72t4x/products/6385/images/12244/JDD1006-2__00507.1404191002.1280.1280.jpg?c=2

[Sully]

It's so silly to say, "The guy has some responsibility, too." IMO.

If I walk out of the door, and a bird flies into my face, causing me to fall down the stairs, at the bottom of which I try to get up, slip on a banana peel, slide down the driveway into traffic, dodge all the cars, only to fall over the curb across the street into a hot dog cart, falling face first into the scalding hot water, which eventually infects a razor cut I had, which kills me, I only have slightly less responsibility for my death than this guy.

Unless you argue that we should reasonably expect that all cops are violent animals who will shoot at anything running, then (while a moron) this guy should have had no expectation that by running he would be shot.

Now... I would argue that all cops aren't violent animals, who are going to fire their guns at anyone who is running. I would argue that this guy, who was (according to the story) showing no aggression, had every reason to believe he would be caught and arrested. But that he had some responsibility for his shooting? I don't think that he did, to any significant level.

[Bugeater]

It's so silly to say, "The guy has some responsibility, too." IMO.

If I walk out of the door, and a bird flies into my face, causing me to fall down the stairs, at the bottom of which I try to get up, slip on a banana peel, slide down the driveway into traffic, dodge all the cars, only to fall over the curb across the street into a hot dog cart, falling face first into the scalding hot water, which eventually infects a razor cut I had, which kills me, I only have slightly less responsibility for my death than this guy.

Unless you argue that we should reasonably expect that all cops are violent animals who will shoot at anything running, then (while a moron) this guy should have had no expectation that by running he would be shot.

Now... I would argue that all cops aren't violent animals, who are going to fire their guns at anyone who is running. I would argue that this guy, who was (according to the story) showing no aggression, had every reason to believe he would be caught and arrested. But that he had some responsibility for his shooting? I don't think that he did, to any significant level.
No, he has no responsibility other than the pesky little fact that it was his decision to run that led to the chain of events that resulted in his death.

[Sully]

No, he has no responsibility other than the pesky little fact that it was his decision to run that led to the chain of events that resulted in his death.

Just like in my story above, my decision to walk out the door led to the chain of events that led to my death.

I mean, I guess you could argue,

A) No matter what bad thing happens to us, we are partially responsible. But that renders that whole discussion of this person, or any person's responsibility pretty meaningless.

or

B) Cops are dangerous human beings who you should expect to use lethal force if you do the slightest thing wrong.

[Mr. Laz]

GTFO You're fucking stupid if you truly believe this.

IF HE DOESN'T FLEE, THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN.

I've already said what should happen to her, but his action is partly to blame for his death.

So if you break any law then you deserve to die?


Just hand cops bazookas and been done with it then.


Jaywalking ....... BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM


no need for tickets or courts for anything then ... save the country some money

[Mr. Laz]

No, he has no responsibility other than the pesky little fact that it was his decision to run that led to the chain of events that resulted in his death.
yes and he deserved to go to jail and pay a fine or whatever, not get executed

[BigMeatballDave]

So if you break any law then you deserve to die?


Just hand cops bazookas and been done with it then.


Jaywalking ....... BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM


no need for tickets or courts for anything then ... save the country some money

LMAO Yeah, exactly this...

[Mr. Laz]

Funny....I don't see this on ANY major news site right now.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/pa-officer-charged-fatal-shooting-unarmed-motorist-29872076

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/25/us/pennsylvania-police-officer-arrested/

[Mr. Laz]

"'The emissions sticker on David Kassick's car was expired.

That's what first caught the attention of Lisa Mearkle, a police officer in Hummelstown Borough, Pennsylvania"

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/25/us/pennsylvania-police-officer-arrested/

[Mr. Laz]

LMAO Yeah, exactly this...
hey, if they choose to break the law then whatever happens,happens

Mad Max time

[Chromatic]

No, he has no responsibility other than the pesky little fact that it was his decision to run that led to the chain of events that resulted in his death.

Running doesn't warrant being shot in the back after being tased.

Sounds like she panicked. Bad policework.

[ModSocks]

Have people forgotten what it takes to constitute lethal force?

This guy deserved to be tazed. This guy deserved to be arrested. This guy deserved to spend at least the night in jail. This guy did NOT deserve to be shot.

This

[The Franchise]

Where in the fuck are all these people screaming "HE RAN!! SHOOT HIM IN THE BACK!"?

[Dartgod]

"'The emissions sticker on David Kassick's car was expired.

That's what first caught the attention of Lisa Mearkle, a police officer in Hummelstown Borough, Pennsylvania"

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/25/us/pennsylvania-police-officer-arrested/

I'm not even sure that warrants the use of a taser.

If he never ran in the first place, however...

[Mr. Laz]

I'm not even sure that warrants the use of a taser.

If he never ran in the first place, however...
He freaked out, lost it apparently

Not sure why the cop chased him in the first place. Maybe she thought the car was stolen or something.

[BigMeatballDave]

Have people forgotten what it takes to constitute lethal force?

This guy deserved to be tazed. This guy deserved to be arrested. This guy deserved to spend at least the night in jail. This guy did NOT deserve to be shot.

AND NO ONE SAID HE DESERVED TO BE SHOT!

[BigMeatballDave]

He freaked out, lost it apparently

Not sure why the cop chased him in the first place. Maybe she thought the car was stolen or something.

Not sure why the cop chased him? LMAO

Are you fucking serious right now.

[tooge]

The cop overacted, but the world has one less idiot out there breathing my air.

[jd1020]

AND NO ONE SAID HE DESERVED TO BE SHOT!

Nah. You are just busy trying to justify it because he ran.

"Don't run from the cops, wont get shot! LOLOL!O!LO!L!OL!OLO!!!!LOL"

[The Franchise]

Not sure why the cop chased him? LMAO

Are you fucking serious right now.

Once they run....you have to back off.

[Brock]

No, he has no responsibility other than the pesky little fact that it was his decision to run that led to the chain of events that resulted in his death.

That's a load of horseshit. The responsibility for his death lies solely with the dumb cunt who pulled a gun out and took his life. He didn't do one single thing to precipitate that action.

[BigMeatballDave]

hey, if they choose to break the law then whatever happens,happens

Mad Max time

Hyperbole, much?

[Fish]

No, he has no responsibility other than the pesky little fact that it was his decision to run that led to the chain of events that resulted in his death.

I just don't think he deserved to be shot at for that. I'd rather law enforcement watch a shitty but otherwise harmless lowlife run off into the night than take the change of accidentally killing him over a stupid vehicle emissions sticker.

[BigMeatballDave]

She absolutely did overreact by shooting him, and no one is trying to exonerate her. She should get a manslaughter charge. She should never be a cop again.

If he stays in his car, he is still alive.

[Radar Chief]

Once they run....you have to back off.

No you don't.
Some municipalities have that as a local regulation but there is no law saying you don't chase someone that runs.

[The Franchise]

No you don't.
Some municipalities have that as a local regulation but there is no law saying you don't chase someone that runs.

I was being sarcastic.

[Dartgod]

I just don't think he deserved to be shot at for that. I'd rather law enforcement watch a shitty but otherwise harmless lowlife run off into the night than take the change of accidentally killing him over a stupid vehicle emissions sticker.

JFC, nobody is saying he deserved it.

FACT: Had he not run, he would probably be alive.

Mutually exclusive.

[Radar Chief]

I was being sarcastic.

:redface: My bad.

[BigMeatballDave]

I just don't think he deserved to be shot at for that. I'd rather law enforcement watch a shitty but otherwise harmless lowlife run off into the night than take the change of accidentally killing him over a stupid vehicle emissions sticker.

Again, no one said he deserved to be shot.

Fact is, he took off, so isn't that probable cause for the officer to chase?

[unlurking]

It's so silly to say, "The guy has some responsibility, too." IMO.

If I walk out of the door, and a bird flies into my face, causing me to fall down the stairs, at the bottom of which I try to get up, slip on a banana peel, slide down the driveway into traffic, dodge all the cars, only to fall over the curb across the street into a hot dog cart, falling face first into the scalding hot water, which eventually infects a razor cut I had, which kills me, I only have slightly less responsibility for my death than this guy.

Unless you argue that we should reasonably expect that all cops are violent animals who will shoot at anything running, then (while a moron) this guy should have had no expectation that by running he would be shot.

Now... I would argue that all cops aren't violent animals, who are going to fire their guns at anyone who is running. I would argue that this guy, who was (according to the story) showing no aggression, had every reason to believe he would be caught and arrested. But that he had some responsibility for his shooting? I don't think that he did, to any significant level.
I may walk out my front door every day, but I don't flee the cops every day. A bit disingenuous trying to compare the two.

[Brock]

She absolutely did overreact by shooting him, and no one is trying to exonerate her. She should get a manslaughter charge. She should never be a cop again.

If he stays in his car, he is still alive.

If they'd never given this unhinged bitch a badge and a gun, he'd probably still be alive too. He's zero percent at fault for this chain of events. Cops are held to a higher standard than a lowlife junkie, although I'm beginning to question whether that's really true.

[Bugeater]

I just don't think he deserved to be shot at for that. I'd rather law enforcement watch a shitty but otherwise harmless lowlife run off into the night than take the change of accidentally killing him over a stupid vehicle emissions sticker.
I'm not saying he deserved it by any means, but I have no sympathy for him nor will I be outraged if the cop doesn't do life in prison over this.

[Sully]

I may walk out my front door every day, but I don't flee the cops every day. A bit disingenuous trying to compare the two.

I'm only comparing the two in order to illustrate that your responsibility only goes so far as your expectations of cause/effect. You can reasonably expect things to follow other things...

Do drugs= You may OD
Flunk out of school= Poor job
Ask for directions in East St Louis= No tires
Eat Asparagus= stinky pee

But I don't think you do (or reasonably should) expect Flee from the cops= Shot to death. I don't think it should even come close to being an expectation.

So yeah, in a broad sense, every decision we make is responsible for everything that happens, as in my story you quoted. But I don't think it's a terribly meaningful or interesting thing to bring up in this particular case, unless you are trying to (in the tiniest of ways) claim that the cop wasn't completely wrong.

[Sully]

If they'd never given this unhinged bitch a badge and a gun, he'd probably still be alive too. He's zero percent at fault for this chain of events. Cops should be held to a higher standard than a lowlife junkie, although I'm beginning to question whether that's really true.

FIFY

Changed the word "are" to "should be."

[BigMeatballDave]

I'm not saying he deserved it by any means, but I have no sympathy for him nor will I be outraged if the cop doesn't do life in prison over this.

Yep

[Strongside]

All you have to do is look at the statistics to see that there's a problem in this country.

http://static.businessinsider.com/image/53f627b469bedd2015f34f7a/image.jpg

[The Franchise]

All you have to do is look at the statistics to see that there's a problem in this country.

http://static.businessinsider.com/image/53f627b469bedd2015f34f7a/image.jpg

Thanks Captain Obvious.

[mdchiefsfan]

So if you break any law then you deserve to die?


Just hand cops bazookas and been done with it then.


Jaywalking ....... BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM


no need for tickets or courts for anything then ... save the country some money

Well, I'm sure reloading said bazooka could get quite costly.

[mdchiefsfan]

I mean, the damn United States Army can't shoot an opposing soldier in the back; wtf is it viewed as acceptable in this situation?

[jerryforeverrice80]

make sure you don't have an expired inspection sticker on your car when traveling through Harrisburg,PA

[BigMeatballDave]

Does Missouri still require the colored inspection stickers on the windshield?

[Mr. Laz]

Does Missouri still require the colored inspection stickers on the windshield?

https://whoiwanttoworkwith.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/dave-chapelle-rfacist.jpg

[BWillie]

Let me tell you something. They signed up to use their weapons. Most of them, all right. But they watch enough TV.....so they know they have to weep after they use their weapons. There is no one more full of shit than a cop. Except for a cop on TV.

[Bugeater]

All you have to do is look at the statistics to see that there's a problem in this country.

http://static.businessinsider.com/image/53f627b469bedd2015f34f7a/image.jpg
What do you suppose the problem is?

[BigMeatballDave]

https://whoiwanttoworkwith.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/dave-chapelle-rfacist.jpg

LMAO

[Bugeater]

Interesting that Strongside didn't post anything from the article he pulled that graph from.

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-do-us-police-kill-so-many-people-2014-8

There are some theories about why cops in America kill more people. Ladd Everitt from the Washington-based advocacy organization, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, told Business Insider, "We see this as a product of the continuing arms race between law enforcement and civilians that has been going on for decades."

Everitt said the increasingly sophisticated weaponry being sold to U.S. civilians is forcing police to keep up, with both sides purchasing ever more powerful weapons.

The arms race means "police officers have legitimate fears about the nature of the firepower they are confronting on a daily basis," he said.



Curious to how similar a graph of how many police officers were killed by criminals would look...

[BigMeatballDave]

Happy? No.

Another example of fucked up policing that reinforces the argument that cops suck these days? Ab-so-fuckinglutely.

I know, right?

Check out this evil pig saving this black child...
http://abcnews.go.com/US/body-cam-footage-shows-police-sergeant-rescuing-child/story?id=29898186

[The Franchise]

I know, right?

Check out this evil pig saving this black child...
http://abcnews.go.com/US/body-cam-footage-shows-police-sergeant-rescuing-child/story?id=29898186

What they don't show you is that he shot him outside after he resisted the saving.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Interesting that Strongside didn't post anything from the article he pulled that graph from.

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-do-us-police-kill-so-many-people-2014-8



Curious to how similar a graph of how many police officers were killed by criminals would look...

Well, 50 were killed by firearms last year and 32 the year before that. Over that same time frame, 93 died in car accidents.

[Brock]

Interesting that Strongside didn't post anything from the article he pulled that graph from.

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-do-us-police-kill-so-many-people-2014-8



Curious to how similar a graph of how many police officers were killed by criminals would look...

According to the Officer Down memorial webpage 47 cops were killed by gunfire in the us in 2014. 2 by assault.

and I have no way of knowing this, but I'm guessing the number of cops killed by weaponry far exceeding department issue is somewhere around zero.

[kysirsoze]

It was his fault he got tazed and fell in the snow. Then she murdered him in a totally unrelated action. Saying running from the cops killed him is silly.

[BigRichard]

It was his fault he got tazed and fell in the snow. Then she murdered him in a totally unrelated action. Saying running from the cops killed him is silly.

I don't think anyone is saying running from the cops killed him. I think everyone is trying to say is if he had not run he would still be alive today. They sound the same but are completely different.

[Bugeater]

Something else that graph doesn't tell you is how many of those shootings were situations where an officer's life (or someone else's) was legitimately threatened and how many were perception-type shootings such as the one in the OP.

And before we go down the gun-control road, Germany is #4 in the world for gun ownership and they apparently don't have this problem. For whatever reason here in America it seems both sides are more willing to shoot at each other.

[Brock]

Something else that graph doesn't tell you is how many of those shootings were situations where an officer's life (or someone else's) was legitimately threatened and how many were perception-type shootings such as the one in the OP.

And before we go down the gun-control road, Germany is #4 in the world for gun ownership and they apparently don't have this problem. For whatever reason here in America it seems both sides are more willing to shoot at each other.

I'm sure it is true that almost all cop-suspect shootings are justified. As we've recently seen, it's also becoming more common for cops to behave recklessly and negligently, or perhaps we're simply becoming more aware of it because there are cameras everywhere. Killings like this one are the result of making stupid people cops. There are other examples where it's just plain old malice and meanness and power-tripping. It's unacceptable.

[Dayze]

I read the OP title and immediately thought it was a simple condensed phrase of how the single CPers go about picking up women at the bars and having sechs.

[RobBlake]

running away got him tazed. Getting stopped by an inept trigger friendly cop got him shot.

He was nervous. anyone who has done drugs and drove will have a twitchy paranoia to them and esp if stopped. If i read correctly, he had drug objects on him.. thats prob why he ran. The only personal responsibility he should own is running and getting arrested because he couldn't keep his cool.. but we know the results

[Bugeater]

I'm sure it is true that almost all cop-suspect shootings are justified. As we've recently seen, it's also becoming more common for cops to behave recklessly and negligently, or perhaps we're simply becoming more aware of it because there are cameras everywhere. Killings like this one are the result of making stupid people cops. There are other examples where it's just plain old malice and meanness and power-tripping. It's unacceptable.
I really, really don't want to believe that there is any cop, anywhere, that goes to work hoping that they get to shoot someone that day. That's not something that I can wrap my mind around at all.

In this case, I don't know if it's as much stupid as she wasn't mentally capable of handling the situation. That I can understand, and those people shouldn't be cops, but unfortunately you never know until you're in that situation.

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

I know, right?

Check out this evil pig saving this black child...
http://abcnews.go.com/US/body-cam-footage-shows-police-sergeant-rescuing-child/story?id=29898186

Staged

[jspchief]

Interesting that Strongside didn't post anything from the article he pulled that graph from.

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-do-us-police-kill-so-many-people-2014-8



Curious to how similar a graph of how many police officers were killed by criminals would look...
50 officers were killed by firearms in the US in 2014.

It's time to call bullshit on the narrative that the job's dangers justify their itchy trigger fingers.

[The Franchise]

50 officers were killed by firearms in the US in 2014.

It's time to call bullshit on the narrative that the job's dangers justify their itchy trigger fingers.

Just like it's bullshit that all cops are trigger happy assholes because a minority are.

[TimeForWasp]

50 officers were killed by firearms in the US in 2014.

It's time to call bullshit on the narrative that the job's dangers justify their itchy trigger fingers.

575 people were killed by cops in 2014

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_killings_by_law_enforcement_officers_in_the_United_States,_2014

[Bugeater]

50 officers were killed by firearms in the US in 2014.

It's time to call bullshit on the narrative that the job's dangers justify their itchy trigger fingers.
Tell that to the families of those 50 officers. I'm sure it will go over really well.

[jspchief]

Tell that to the families of those 50 officers. I'm sure it will go over really well.
I'm sure the family of the guy this lady just executed feels all warm and fuzzy inside.

No one wants to die on the job. But statistically speaking, there's a lot of jobs out there where it's more likely to happen than by being a police officer. The idea that a police mans life is so threatened that it justifies their reckless use of guns simply bullshit.

And imbeciles like you eat up the police department talking points about how endangered their lives are. You read an article that describes the victim as a junkie and the shooter as a mommy and wife, and are too stupid to see how you're being manipulated. You take a cavalier attitude that his life wasn't worth much anyway, so who cares if he was sentenced to death without trial for running from a cop. The same attitudes that the police use to justify shooting people even when they don't face legitimate threats.

[Demonpenz]

Cops love to shoot people.

[TimBone]

I really, really don't want to believe that there is any cop, anywhere, that goes to work hoping that they get to shoot someone that day. That's not something that I can wrap my mind around at all.

In this case, I don't know if it's as much stupid as she wasn't mentally capable of handling the situation. That I can understand, and those people shouldn't be cops, but unfortunately you never know until you're in that situation.
Definitely not the same as shooting, but there is an officer in my area that is hoping to use his tazer on someone. I've been pulled over and harrassed by him twice. Both times he had legit reasoning for pulling me over, but he was super aggressive. Both times I was being very polite (even more so the second time), and he seemed to be trying to escalate the situation. It was very odd.

I mentioned it to my wife in front of her friend. Her friend used to work some desk position at the police station. When I told her the name of the guy, she said, "Oh, yeah. He's trying to use his tazer. He's been looking for a reason to use it since he got hired here."