Kay Serrar wrote:
Power13 wrote:
... but there was no justifiable defense in the killings of Eric Garner
You keep doing this, and you keep ignoring me when I point it out. Eric Garner was not "killed" by a cop, and certainly not intentionally. He was resisting arrest and died after the scuffle that ensued BECAUSE he was resisting arrest. His ill-health was likely a significant contributing factor also. And regardless of his alleged crime, no matter how petty you think it was, had he not resisted arrest, he would still be alive today.
And if you go about in public brandishing a gun, even a fake one that looks 100% real, then you have to expect some potentially serious consequences. Don't go about pointing guns in public, don't resist arrest.
As you can see from my earlier posts I'm not suggesting some changes in policing techniques would be unwarranted. But the examples being used to criticize the police are often bad ones. Now if Michael Slager is acquitted, then that would be a good example to use, but for now he's been charged with murder. And by the way, while I do not condone Slager's actions, if Walter Scott had not fled, he too would still be alive. Unfortunately part of the gun culture in the States makes it easier for police to justify shooting suspects sooner rather than later. Note police in the UK are not even armed. Cue gun control debate...
Have you actually watched the video of Garner's take down? He was engaged verbally with the cops and then BOOM, cop goes and physically takes him down. There was no physical threat from Garner and certainly nothing that warranted the use of lethal force. Nor does that change the fact that cop used a choke-hold, a move which is against NYPD policies.
Same for Tamir Rice....watch the video. shot the kid dead straight away. there was no need to fire on him, even if he had a real gun. kid was never even given a chance to put his "weapon" down.
As for Walter Scott, fleeing does not warrant lethal force, hence the reason Slager has been indicted for murder.
You seem to want to miss the point that the use and type of force used in these situations was unwarranted. It is not whether these victims were guilty, acted improperly or anything else. It is the fact that LEO's employed lethal force when it was not warranted or necessary.
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