Police shooting in Minneapolis leads to riots 3.0 I think.

[Kung Wu]

Could they have used a Taser instead? Maybe no Taser was available.

A knife is a deadly weapon. You don't use non-lethal force to try and protect someone that is facing the threat of lethal force.

[wufan]

They have tasers and bean bag rounds and asps and mace.

Seriously? Do you understand how those work at a distance? Those are deterrents...As in they stop people from being a nuisance. This is a really bad take on so many levels.

Think about this for a second and come back.

[BOBB]

Seriously? Do you understand how those work at a distance? Those are deterrents...As in they stop people from being a nuisance. This is a really bad take on so many levels.

Think about this for a second and come back.

I'm speaking in general they are too quick to the pistol. This deal in Columbus happened pretty fast.

[BOBB]

He should have thrown a snake on her?

Introduction of a bull snake is going to end 90% of altercations. It's science.

[shoxtop]

Why would you use a taser to stop someone that is using lethal force in an unlawful manner?

No kidding... a mace upside the head makes a lot more sense.

[Shockm]

I'm speaking in general they are too quick to the pistol. This deal in Columbus happened pretty fast.

So the policeman/woman should have taken a chance on the victim without the knife being stabbed in the arm instead of the heart? And then he/she could have wrestled the knife out of her hands without being stabbed, and killed him/herself?

Thats a job you should have no matter how bad you’d be at it. We need your bravery.

[ShockerFever]

I'm speaking in general they are too quick to the pistol. This deal in Columbus happened pretty fast.

If your mom/sister/daughter/loved one was in that position, would you have just been ok with a chance that a bean bag or a shot of mace would have been enough to stop the person coming at said loved one point blank with a large knife?

[BOBB]

So the policeman/woman should have taken a chance on the victim without the knife being stabbed in the arm instead of the heart? And then he/she could have wrestled the knife out of her hands without being stabbed, and killed him/herself?

Thats a job you should have no matter how bad you’d be at it. We need your bravery.

As I noted and you quoted the deal in Columbus happened fast. Tough to say if the officer made the best decision. I certainly wouldn't prosecute him.

Cop shooting somebody in the act of a violent felony is pretty rare.

[ShockingButTrue]

They have tasers and bean bag rounds and asps and mace.

How'd that work for the cops killed in '20 and so far in '21?

They're risking their lives every day, or do you think they're out there hunting down black men?

[wufan]

I'm speaking in general they are too quick to the pistol. This deal in Columbus happened pretty fast.

Fair enough.

[Shockm]

As I noted and you quoted the deal in Columbus happened fast. Tough to say if the officer made the best decision. I certainly wouldn't prosecute him.

Cop shooting somebody in the act of a violent felony is pretty rare.

Did you see the video of the cop who was shot and killed in New Mexico? That happened fast too. You weighed in with your general criticism of cops here shortly after the Columbus Ohio incident. Watch that for me and then weigh in with your opinions on that incident and cops in general.

[SubGod22]

How'd that work for the cops killed in '20 and so far in '21?

They're risking their lives every day, or do you think they're out there hunting down black men?

Let's also not overblow this. Cops jobs aren't one of the more risky or deadly in this country. I'm not justifying cop killings, but if they're so fearful that they think everyone is out to get them, they should probably find other employment. The percentage of violent interactions are actually small. What's more tragic is how many unarmed individuals get shot because the cop "feared for their life". That's been a get out of jail free card for cops for some time.

Again, we hold our military personnel in war zones to a stricter rules of engagement than those dealing with American citizens. Those combat troops are definitely engaged in a riskier and more deadly job than law enforcement.

You want fewer purposeless interactions which lead to shootings and other abuses, justified or not?

End the drug war
End civil asset forfeiture
End qualified immunity
End victimless crimes
End overcriminalization
End no-knock raids
End the militarization of police

Law enforcement has a place. Government uses it too much to generate money and wield their power on things they shouldn't be involved with. This doesn't completely excuses officers as they still choose what and when to enforce a lot of these things. But give them fewer things to worry about, especially the stupid ****, and a lot of the animosity and violence between cops and civilians goes away.

[ShockerPrez]

Let's also not overblow this. Cops jobs aren't one of the more risky or deadly in this country. I'm not justifying cop killings, but if they're so fearful that they think everyone is out to get them, they should probably find other employment. The percentage of violent interactions are actually small. What's more tragic is how many unarmed individuals get shot because the cop "feared for their life". That's been a get out of jail free card for cops for some time.

Again, we hold our military personnel in war zones to a stricter rules of engagement than those dealing with American citizens. Those combat troops are definitely engaged in a riskier and more deadly job than law enforcement.

You want fewer purposeless interactions which lead to shootings and other abuses, justified or not?

End the drug war
End civil asset forfeiture
End qualified immunity
End victimless crimes
End overcriminalization
End no-knock raids
End the militarization of police

Law enforcement has a place. Government uses it too much to generate money and wield their power on things they shouldn't be involved with. This doesn't completely excuses officers as they still choose what and when to enforce a lot of these things. But give them fewer things to worry about, especially the stupid ****, and a lot of the animosity and violence between cops and civilians goes away.

This is an interesting argument and possibly some common ground with which those who value civil liberties and those who feel oppressed by police could possibly come together and trim some government.

I agree that chasing drug offenses and 'smelling pot' in the car is a stupid reason to start ****. Unless the driver has a warrant or the vehicle is stolen or something, this seems like the first stage where cops can just 'let it go'.

[pinstripers]

Nicholas Fondacaro
@NickFondacaro

In their report on the officer-involved shooting in Columbus, Ohio, NBC Nightly News deceptively edited the 911 call to leave out the part where the caller says a girl was "trying to stab us." They also don't show viewers the knife in the attacker's hand just before the shots.

[Shockm]

This is an interesting argument and possibly some common ground with which those who value civil liberties and those who feel oppressed by police could possibly come together and trim some government.

I agree that chasing drug offenses and 'smelling pot' in the car is a stupid reason to start ****. Unless the driver has a warrant or the vehicle is stolen or something, this seems like the first stage where cops can just 'let it go'.

You know I've never had a bad interaction with a policeman. I've been stopped for speeding, and almost every time, if I was frustrated, it was at myself. As a kid, I did some stupid stuff, but was never caught. Part of the reason is that I didn't make a habit of criminal behavior. I was rarely involved with vandalism. I was rarely involved with drugs and illegal purchases. Alcohol was an occasional act as a minor and was not a major part of my life. I had several friends who occasionally committed major crimes, and they were never caught. I haven't engaged in prostitution. I did attend some parties where friends of mine said not to be around those guys because they did major crimes including murders. I stayed away from them.

I have spent my life in the big city which I know is a little different, but I have had friends in small towns who said that they had problems with police who harassed teens, but when I questioned them, it really wasn't that big of a deal, and to be fair for those little towns, teens were causing a lot of the problems. I really don't have an opinion on much of what you write here but my point is that if you aren't looking for criminal activity, and trouble, you almost always won't find it. Now I'm not saying that all Policemen are good people, and I do think that police need to get rid of those bad apples, including the very few who are really racist, and increase standards for who can become a policeman. I also think that police departments need to make it easier to see red flags for bad cops and easier to get rid of them. Police carry guns and they need to continue to improve.

But my major point is that people who don't have values cause the problems in our society. Most of our problems aren't because of the Few Bad Apples in the Police Department, they are because of the Bad Apples Outside the Police Department. Police are necessary, and they do protect us, especially those of us who live in areas of a city where most of the crimes are committed. We can't hire enough police to protect us, if we don't have values and help protect ourselves by not being involved in criminal behavior.