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2

Bloody gun happy.

3

That seems like a pretty low settlement. I wonder if they're going to be under scrutiny from the feds. I think this guy should be the rule, not the exception. It sounds like the guy who was killed wanted the cops to shoot him, i.e. suicide by cop.

3

Police treatment of black people is criminal, devastating to families across the country. To whoever is reading this (and I read the article and get the context of who called the police) please don’t ever call the police on a black person. You are putting their life in danger.

@kasmian listen to me brother. You’re not from here. I am telling you if you live in the United States and you call the cops on a black man you are writing his death sentence. Your example shows you’re not serious about the problem.

@kasmian I have children of color in my family. Their mother fears for their lives when they leave the house for school or work or recreation. So please stop fussing. Just stop.

@kasmian Many black men are killed or put in danger when white people call the cops on them because they feel threatened. Tamir Rice is one tragic example. I’m not shouting anyone down, I’m pleading for people to not call the cops on black people because cops shoot them. The example in the story is of one good cop who didn’t shoot and was fired for it. My message and my solution couldn’t be any clearer. FYI I also work with many social justice groups, one of which is working to elect prosecutors who will hold police accountable when they do shoot black people. Because this problem is not going away anytime soon.

@kasmian I gave you one example of hundreds, and you respond that black kids need to act more respectfully to avoid being shot. That's called victim blaming. I could provide you with a list of cases of police shooting unarmed black people and you will find ways to blame the victims. You will post ex-cops explaining how black kids can avoid being shot.

You do not follow shootings of unarmed black people as I have over the years. You may not have read the studies that teachers characterize black kids who act out as aggressive and threatening, and characterize white kids who act out in exactly the same manner as "boys will be boys."

Please stop justifying the shooting of unarmed black men. Please. Please.

@kasmian Instead of asking me to understand why cops shoot unarmed black people, ask the mothers and children of the victims: Jordan Edwards, shot dead by a cop in the back of the head as the car full of unarmed young black men he was a passenger in was driving away from a party. Philando Castile, shot dead by a cop after being pulled over allegedly for a taillight that was out and for "looking like" a burglar from a robbery days before. Botham Jean, shot dead in his own apartment by an off-duty cop who claimed she thought he was in her apartment. Anton Sterling. Mike Brown. Terence Crutcher. Samuel DuBose. Sandra Bland. Freddie Gray. Walter L. Scott. Akai Gurley. Laquan McDonald. These are just a handful of more high-profile cases...

@kasmian Congratulations on your research. Much of what you read is incorrect and/or incomplete. Philando Castile's murderer, Officer Yanez, was acquitted of all charges on June 16, 2017 and was fired the next day. You wrote, "and won't be allowed to work in the police force again." But he can work for another police department. It happens all the time.So where is the justice for Philando Castile? He was a cafeteria worker at a local Montessori grade school. His kids loved him, showed up for him at various rallies and memorials after his death. He was a provider for his girlfriend's 4-year-old daughter, who was in the back seat when Yanez fired 7 bullets at Castile, who by the way had a license to carry a firearm and, by protocol, advised officer Yanez that he was licensed to carry and had a firearm in the car, at which point Yanez shot and killed Castile, one bullet flying past the 4-year-old's head. And for this, the officer was acquitted and fired, but again, could get a job in another police department, which happens frequently when officers are found to be abusive and act against police protocols. This one murder alone, without consequences for the murderer except for losing his job, should be a red flag that there are serious systemic problems in U.S. policing. And the 4 year old is without her surrogate Dad, and had to witness his murder. Roy Oliver, Jordan Edwards' murderer, did not "misuse his firearm," as you wrote. He shot Edwards in cold blood. He's the first police officer to be convicted out of of hundreds of shootings of black men in Texas. His case is on appeal. More, Oliver and his police chief lied about the encounter, twice, and the truth came out only because there was a dashcam that exposed the lies (Oliver first claimed the car was speeding backwards toward him and he feared for his life. After the dashcam was released, his story changed to saying the car was speeding towards his partner and he feared for his partner's life and shot Edwards. His partner testified in court that his life was never in danger - an extremely rare occurrence in U.S. policing where the police force and its union did not unconditionally support the shooting officer). Were it not for the dashcam, he would have gotten away with murder. Police are known to disable their body- and dashcams before encounters, by the way, and that technology is relatively new, so we really don't know the scope of the problem of police killing unarmed black people and getting away with it because of the version of the story they tell, which always includes, "I feared for my life." That excuse is codified, giving virtual immunity to police. Jordan Edwards was a high school teenager with no criminal record, not that that should matter; having a record does not give police a legal or moral justification for a shooting. Botham Jean's murderer was NOT sentenced for manslaughter. Where did you read that? She was originally charged with manslaughter, but the grand jury changed the charge to murder just this last week. The murderer was out on bail the same day. That's justice? Let's see what happens at trial, hopefully a conviction with a life sentence, the least Jean's family deserves after losing a son. I could go on with the incomplete/slanted synopses you discovered, each of which omits the humanity of the victim, but I'm working. However, here are three more cases you can research. And there are several hundred more which, if you look beyond official accounts, will show the depth of the problem.

@kasmian Congratulations on your research. Much of what you read is incorrect and/or incomplete. Philando Castile's murderer, Officer Yanez, was acquitted of all charges on June 16, 2017 and was fired the next day. You wrote, "and won't be allowed to work in the police force again." But he can work for another police department. It happens all the time.So where is the justice for Philando Castile? He was a cafeteria worker at a local Montessori grade school. His kids loved him, showed up for him at various rallies and memorials after his death. He was a provider for his girlfriend's 4-year-old daughter, who was in the back seat when Yanez fired 7 bullets at Castile, who by the way had a license to carry a firearm and, by protocol, advised officer Yanez that he was licensed to carry and had a firearm in the car, at which point Yanez shot and killed Castile, one bullet flying past the 4-year-old's head. And for this, the officer was acquitted and fired, but again, could get a job in another police department, which happens frequently when officers are found to be abusive and act against police protocols. This one murder alone, without consequences for the murderer except for losing his job, should be a red flag that there are serious systemic problems in U.S. policing. And the 4 year old is without her surrogate Dad, and had to witness his murder. Roy Oliver, Jordan Edwards' murderer, did not "misuse his firearm," as you wrote. He shot Edwards in cold blood. He's the first police officer to be convicted out of of hundreds of shootings of black men in Texas. His case is on appeal. More, Oliver and his police chief lied about the encounter, twice, and the truth came out only because there was a dashcam that exposed the lies (Oliver first claimed the car was speeding backwards toward him and he feared for his life. After the dashcam was released, his story changed to saying the car was speeding towards his partner and he feared for his partner's life and shot Edwards. His partner testified in court that his life was never in danger - an extremely rare occurrence in U.S. policing where the police force and its union did not unconditionally support the shooting officer). Were it not for the dashcam, he would have gotten away with murder. Police are known to disable their body- and dashcams before encounters, by the way, and that technology is relatively new, so we really don't know the scope of the problem of police killing unarmed black people and getting away with it because of the version of the story they tell, which always includes, "I feared for my life." That excuse is codified, giving virtual immunity to police. Jordan Edwards was a high school teenager with no criminal record, not that that should matter; having a record does not give police a legal or moral justification for a shooting. Botham Jean's murderer was NOT sentenced for manslaughter. Where did you read that? She was originally charged with manslaughter, but the grand jury changed the charge to murder just this last week. The murderer was out on bail the same day. That's justice? Let's see what happens at trial, hopefully a conviction with a life sentence, the least Jean's family deserves after losing a son. I could go on with the incomplete/slanted synopses you discovered, each of which omits the humanity of the victim, but I'm working. However, here are three more cases you can research. And there are several hundred more which, if you look beyond official accounts, will show the depth of the problem.

@kasmian Hello again. Every mother of a black person I know, and in all the social media circles I participate in, understand all too well the consequences that a black person faces when dealing with police, or anyone in authority, They all drill into their children’s heads to never confront the police, and to comply with their orders. That didn’t save the life of Jordan Edwards, who was not confronted by the police. That did not save a life of Philando Castile. His girlfriend was in the driver seat and her live feed of the event didn’t start until after the cop shot. Her account and Officer Yanez’ account are not too dissimilar. Yanez asked Castile for his wallet. He was not the driver, but he was profiled by Officer Yanez. In compliance with regulations of owners of licenses to carry concealed weapons, Castile told the officer that he was licensed to carry and had a firearm in the vehicle. When he reached over to get his wallet, in compliance with the cops orders, the cop panicked and shot him to death.

Let me tell you the story of a young man in my neighborhood in an upscale suburban Atlanta neighborhood with a private lake in Kansas. This young man, who sports a large Afro, went down to the lake with a net to catch a frog for a science project. As soon as he stepped onto the grounds two men walked out of a home and said to him, “you don’t belong here”. He said yes sir turned and walked away. He was lucky he didn’t get shot. The same young man drives to and from school and work and he’s been pulled over by the cops multiple times. In none of these occurrences, has he violated the law. His car has been inspected, all brake lights and headlights working, there were no reasons for him to ever be pulled over, let alone multiple times. Each time he nervously complied with officers commands, and each time was let go without any violations being cited, without even a rationale being offered for why he was being pulled over. He’s been lucky to not get arrested. The ex swat team guy in the video, who claims that compliance with police officers commands will save a black person‘s life, has been proven wrong time again with real life events hat show that to not be the case. Compliance is not the solution. Compliance is a way to keep black people in fear of authority, of police. There are numerous documented instances where black people in compliance have been shot. So, one solution, be in compliance. No help to Castile. To Edwards. Another solution, hold cops accountable. But that’s after the fact, too late for the victims, but at least gives some measure of justice and acts as a deterrent against other acts of violence against black people. Now, do you want to see the rates of arrest of black people versus white people in America? Do you want to see the rates of incarceration of black people versus white people in America? What will it take for you to see that there is a systemic problem, to understand that police are indeed huge problem, not the fact of being born black.

@kasmian this is circular: I ask white people to stop calling cops on black people because compliant or not, criminal or not, they get shot. Period. I’m done. Out.

1

What if I was to ask any of you to tell me what the use of continuum is? How does it work? And who decides what it should say?
Honestly I don’t believe that without looking it up no more than 3 people on this site could probably answer those questions.

I actually asked 5 members of black lives matter in a community meeting if they could answer those same questions.

1 knew what the use of force continuum was but because it was brought up in a court case against a cop who had shot a friend of his and seemed to be all they needed to hear in order to not prosecute him.

And guess what folks that’s it absolutely it. The cop involved in this story was within his right to not shoot as the suspect involved didn’t harm anyone else.
But per the post 9/11 use of force continuum he could’ve shot that man in the head and not one court in this country could prosecute him.

Because it would’ve been within the scope of his duties and did not exceed the acceptable amount of force authorized within the use of force continuum.

So let’s back up here for a sec. The use of continuum is a guideline set by the U S Dept of Justice what it does is say that under these circumstances any law enforcement officer can respond to a threat even a perceived threat with a certain degree of force. Lethal or non lethal

So I’m sure that everyone remembers Rodney King right? If not then please look him up. Anyway before the L A riots law enforcement was permitted beat or shoot a suspect until they were subdued.
Which is why the world got to see several officers clubbing on King the way did and for the amount of time for which they did.

Now after that the DOJ worked with specialist to create a newer and more user friendly version of the use of force continuum and what they developed was a ladder that officers had to systematically work through before they could just up and shoot someone.

They had to de escalate each potentially violent situation and could only meet force with an equal amount of force. Meaning if I’ve only got my fist clinched and threatening to punch a cop then he/she could only use non lethal force and even then verbally de escalating the situation.

Even if the suspect has a gun you de escalate and draw your weapon unless they raise theirs. The goal was to peacefully apprehend individuals with little to no force being used.
And for the most part worked it really started to change the attitudes between law enforcement and minority citizens.

Which wasn’t welcomed by everyone mostly sheriffs who don’t have to have actual law enforcement experience to be the boss. They wanted the steps removed because they didn’t have to talk with these individuals they criminals And needed to treated as such.

We on 9/11/2001 they got their wish. Within weeks of the attacks the DOJ rewrote the use of force continuum to simply and clearly state that all that is required of a law enforcement officer is to perceive that there’s an imminent and deadly threat to theirs or of those in the immediate area to use whatever even if all means necessary to eliminate the threat.

Meaning that if I believe that you have a weapon and you might attempt to kill me with it I don’t have to talk to you, tase you, spray you, strike with a baton, have several officers gang tackle you in order to cuff you. I can simply withdraw my weapon shoot you until you’re stopped.

And as I told everyone at that community meeting that a lot of deaths could’ve been prevented or at some officers would be incarcerated if the DOJ had used the word” terrorist “ in front the word threat.

So people it’s simply cause and effect which I know is an ancient form of thinking but if we identify the cause of a problem then we can effectively prevent the effect. Good news is that several cities have taken upon themselves to reintroduce the pre 9/11 use of force continuum into their departments but and I know with the magical carrot in the White House this might seem impossible but if enough pressure was applied upon the DOJ they might feel compelled to make those changes.

But it’s easier to yell racism and fascism so I wouldn’t be surprised if no one ever does say anything to them.

3

There is a reason why police in the UK do not carry guns. Way too much testosterone flying about

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