Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think that people are forgetting here that the officer did not just happen to find this guy walking in the street with a deadly weapon. He was called to the scene by somebody who recognized a danger. The policeman here does not look like he escalated anything beyond presenting his weapon which he is required to do in a deadly force situation. All looked good for a little while. The suspect backed away, officer asked him to get on the ground. He would have subsequently asked him to toss the weapon. For a reason that we may never know the suspect went from backing away to charging the officer. At that point do you really want the officer exchanging his pistol for his holstered tazer? It certainly is not the protocol. I am pretty sure MoCo police do not do pistol to taser and back exchange drills. (Maybe they do, I do not work for them)
At the end of the day, the suspect determined the outcome of this case. He had lots of opportunity to kneel down or in some way acknowledge the officer's instructions. The officer has an obligation to not let the situation escalate to putting other civilians in danger.
Look, this was a bad day. Nobody woke up in the morning and over coffee said, 'I'd like to be involved in a shooting today.' Everybody wants to return home with their loved ones at night, even the gentleman shot here. Something awful happened which precipitated this event that nobody asked for. That is sad. Prayers for all because everybody here will be impacted.
I'm not the original PP who critiqued the video, but yes I think the officer should have switched to a taser if it was at all feasible. I understand that it might feel like an awkward transition, and that officers are subject to the same split-second decision-making cognitive challenges as the rest of us. So, in short, yes I think they should practice taser exchange drills.
Sometimes, the definition of protecting the community has to include protecting people from themselves.