Quote:
Originally Posted by Box
blam blam blam blam blam
FREEEEZE !!!
...blam
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And the "FREEEEEZE" command was so their target would hold still long enough for them to actually hit it.
Examined in isolation, this incident was an avoidable tragedy. Examined in the aggregate, this incident isn't even unusual any more. Personally, I think cops are like any other group; easy to plot on a Bell Curve. On the right, the genuine Paladins; on the left, the dregs of society - bullies, cowards, sociopaths, etc., except for the badge, indistinguishable from the criminal; in the middle, a decent (no greater flaws than average) human being usually trying to do the right thing (when the personal ramifications aren't overwhelmingly negative). This officer was probably one of the average ones who found himself in a position where his training, experience (rookie), and courage failed him. That makes this twice the tragedy.
The wife has taken to watching the “Live” police programs on satellite (means I get to spend more time hiding in my office – cause those programs just piss me off). While the majority of each episode is straightforward criminals doing criminal “stuff”, every episode also includes one or more interactions that appear to have been escalated beyond any provocation by overly aggressive LEOs, either as a function of their personality or posturing (creating drama) for the camera. Very few show an LEO de-escalating, and while a few are “neutral”, I’ve yet to see one where there’s a positive outcome for the citizen being engaged, regardless of how minor the supposed “infraction”. Bluntly – based on the examples presented in these shows, there is no encounter between a citizen and law enforcement that cannot be manipulated into a bad outcome for the citizen.
Officer Friendly ranks right up there with the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause. Given their “state sanctioned” ability to wield lethal force, the potentially deadly friction points in any encounter between law enforcement and the public are numerous. Simple "human nature" (see Stanford Prison Experiment) makes LEO vs. Citizen conflict inevitable. Add the negative aspects of personality, politics, prejudices, training deficiencies/scars, and the overwhelming quantity of "Malum Prohibitum" laws that criminalize virtually everything and the potential for a disastrous outcome is present in EVERY citizen interaction with law enforcement. Add the fact that law enforcement appears notoriously inept (indifferent, unmotivated, "laws are for other people", etc.) at policing themselves (Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?), the only safe course of action is avoidance.