[hairball II]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28650273


After the hystrionics of some of the more gelatinous members crying about how raciist certain areas are, and how cops gun down people and get away with it, here we have a resigned officer being charged with murder.

I guess in the trial we will see it shake out whether it was really murder, or gross incompetence resulting in death.

Either way, the other miscreants who were involved in the fighting are apparently 'traumatized' by this whole thing. Funny, they weren't so traumatized when they were all fighting in the station, now they have to live with the consequences of their actions.

The real tragedy is there are no clear victims, just a parade of idiots. These miscreants started the ball rolling by being brutish thugs fighting, then the cop screws up what should have been a simple arrest of idiots by shooting one of the said idiots. So, in the shadow of this idiocy, a bunch of hard-working business owners and workers are having to submit insurance claims of damage done to their shops by rampaging rioters.

 

[Clyde]

Probably a manslaughter instead of a murder rap is what is justified. Maybe even "only" negligent homicide. But that would be justice under the law - and public agitation may mean murder may well be what the guy is convicted of instead of one of the more appropriate charges. If so, I don't really have a whole lot of sympathy for him. Thew pictures indicate what he needed was a pair of cuffs, not a gun (or even the Taser i suspect he THOUGHT he had).

Talked about this with one of our local cops yesterday (we were both having coffee at the same time and place and I knew him from when I was still lawyering). His comment? "Shows why you never want to carry your Taser on the same side as your gun".

 

[cglass]

Probably a manslaughter instead of a murder rap is what is justified. Maybe even "only" negligent homicide. But that would be justice under the law - and public agitation may mean murder may well be what the guy is convicted of instead of one of the more appropriate charges. If so, I don't really have a whole lot of sympathy for him. Thew pictures indicate what he needed was a pair of cuffs, not a gun (or even the Taser i suspect he THOUGHT he had).

Talked about this with one of our local cops yesterday (we were both having coffee at the same time and place and I knew him from when I was still lawyering). His comment? "Shows why you never want to carry your Taser on the same side as your gun".

This is the reason the police chief here said no tasers, you cant mistake a gas can for a glock, this is really sad if the pictures tell the whole story which I am sure they probably dont, if a guy is face down there are other ways than the taser, and no excuse to shoot a unarmed man. Not necessarly taking the side of the victim just think the officer made a poor decision in the heat of the moment, can and does happen to the best of them. Its just too bad.

 

[cpw]

A few years back, 2 men were passing out political handouts at a public gathering. A couple of cops asked them if they had a permit to do so and were advised that they did not. Whereupon, the cops used their tasers and then arrested the men for not having a permit and resisting arrest.

Tasers are used too easily.

 

[J.Stein]

Tasers are used too easily.

That's the truth. Laziness replacing "good policing" in some instances.

I've been involved in one matter regarding an incident where everyone (other police included) scratched their heads in amazement at the officer's response in accidentally, and fatally, shooting a citizen.

What happened was wrong, illegal, and unfortunate and every other adjective you can think of but the lesson I learned...and tell everyone who'll listen is this.

DON'T EVER BE IN A SITUATION WHERE A OFFICER MIGHT MISTAKE YOU FOR A THREAT. THEY HAVE GUNS. THEY WILL SHOOT. DON'T "JAW' WITH THEM OR EVEN ACT AGITATED. For all the officer knows, you might intend to kill him. YES SIR..NO SIR... AND HANDS OPEN WHERE THEY CAN SEE THEM.

You never know when you might encounter the one cop out of one hundred that will shoot you if given any provocation.

 

[hairball II]

That's the truth. Laziness replacing "good policing" in some instances.

I've been involved in one matter regarding an incident where everyone (other police included) scratched their heads in amazement at the officer's response in accidentally, and fatally, shooting a citizen.

What happened was wrong, illegal, and unfortunate and every other adjective you can think of but the lesson I learned...and tell everyone who'll listen is this.

DON'T EVER BE IN A SITUATION WHERE A OFFICER MIGHT MISTAKE YOU FOR A THREAT. THEY HAVE GUNS. THEY WILL SHOOT. DON'T "JAW' WITH THEM OR EVEN ACT AGITATED. For all the officer knows, you might intend to kill him. YES SIR..NO SIR... AND HANDS OPEN WHERE THEY CAN SEE THEM.

You never know when you might encounter the one cop out of one hundred that will shoot you if given any provocation.

This, Stein, is SOOOO true. Even if the officer is WRONG, the worst thing to do is aggravate a situation.

Most officers will be professional and courteous, but that rare one will be a badge with a gun and little control between the ears. Gangster types, like the ones involved in the fight, make a sport of taunting officers to see how far they can escalate a given situation. One of them paid the price for his and his friends' insolent stupidity.

Stein and others have met me. They know that at first look, I am hardly a fearful looking thug. I have been yanked over for speeding and other such silliness. At all times I have been courteous and friendly. Almost every time, I got courtesy and friendliness back, and even been released without citation. I did have ONE instance where I teased a deputy because of his lisp. He called back up to write me a ticket for 'not thtop and the thtop thign" (his 'words') Other than the teasing, I was not beligerent. His back up came, stepped out of the unti and just sat on the hood, keeping a weather eye.

I was called out of the vehicle by Deputy Lisp. As I approached, hand in plain sight, holding my driver's license out, he stepped back, pointed at the ground and put his hand on his weapon.

"Stop THERE, you can hand me your licesne form there"

To which I instantly turned to my wife and said, loudly, "Honey, this guy is AFRAID of ME" The deputy blushed, and his partner on the car started to laugh, very quietly.

In retrospect, if that deputy had been alone, I might have been in bigger trouble, because this guy was clearly afraid of me.

You can always fight an officer's actions in court. Do not be so stupid as to think you will win in the streets. That is why there is a mechanism in place for delaing with all legal situations.

 

[m1aman]

if you antagonize a cop don't be surprised when natural selection takes it's course.

 

[J.Stein]

Stein and others have met me. They know that at first look, I am hardly a fearful looking thug.

I don't know about all that. You don't present as the kind of person one crosses for fun.

Back at the Knob Creek Shoot I woke up all hungover to find a bearded stranger sleeping on the other side of my tent and thought, "How'd Charlie Manson get in my tent" and then "Did we really drink the whole fifth" followed by, "Man, am I glad to be alive."

 

[hairball II]

I don't know about all that. You don't present as the kind of person one crosses for fun.

Back at the Knob Creek Shoot I woke up all hungover to find a bearded stranger sleeping on the other side of my tent and thought, "How'd Charlie Manson get in my tent" and then "Did we really drink the whole fifth" followed by, "Man, am I glad to be alive."

I only said I did not LOOK scary. What is in my head is another thng, alltogether.

Why do you think I left all the pointy sticks in the car? Get a lot of whiskey in me, and ya never know....

I do forget, though, that when I let my beard get long and shaggy, I do look like Manson.