amideislas

Yes, I do indeed understand the arguments of the gun lobby. But what I can't get my head around is if citizens have a right to bear arms (posses lethal force), then why can't there be a reasonable set of qualifications to have that right? You can't be a doctor without having the qualifications to be one - they also have equally lethal potential.

SultanOfSwing

You're all making NRA ads pop up at the side of my page, by the way

Hotscot

(https://adblockplus.org/)

scrubbedexpat099

Seemingly half of Police Officers shot are shot by blacks.

Pulaski

And how many by Hispanics?

Hotscot

Seemingly by whom?

SultanOfSwing

Doesn't work in incognito mode.

Usually I don't notice them, but that one was funny.

lansbury

How do you know a taser could have been used. In the split seconds the officer had to make an assessment he decided to use lethal force. What kind of taser was the officer carrying, was it one that needs some distance between the officer and the target to deploy, or one that works close to. Once he made the decision to use lethal force it isn't easy to re holster one weapon and draw and deploy the other.

An example. Two of our officers were called to a male with a very large knife. They get out of their cars having briefed over the radio on the way. One deploys with a bean bag gun, one with lethal force. As soon as they get out of their cars the man charges. The bean bag round is fired and has no effect. Lethal force is used. On the radio you hear them say on scene, from that comment until you hear the lethal shots being fired is 6 seconds. If only one officer had attended and chosen to try non lethal force first they would have been stabbed, is my guess. There was no time to fire the bean bag gun, drop that weapon and draw their firearm.

I know Brown didn't have a weapon but the officers assessment was that lethal force was he best option, and the Grand Jury having heard all the evidence haven't found that assessment to be legally flawed. In fact I read today that Officer Wilson said Brown put his hand inside his shirt towards his waistband. That movement in my cops mind tends to suggest a weapon, or the pretense of having a weapon.

Some time ago I went on a tactical firearms presentation with the local sheriffs department. Other members of the public were there, including my wife who some years previously had completed the reserve deputy sheriffs course. After the presentation we got to go on the range simulator and run scenarios. One was a guy standing at a partially open door with his hands hidden by the wall. My wife went first and was shouting at the guy show me you hands, show me you hands, he sort of moved and she shot him, still not seeing his hands. I was somewhat surprised my wife would shot someone like that without seeing a weapon. I went next and using my UK police training to deal with the incident also shouted at the guy to show his hands, only when he moved I didn't shoot because I still couldn't see his hands and could not determine if he was a threat or not. He shot me through the wall. Lesson. We as Brits cannot expect US police officers to act the same as UK ones, or judge them by UK standards. Their training is different and the laws allow them much freer use of lethal force than do the laws of the UK. After the scenario I asked what if the guy hadn't been armed, where would an officer stand who had acted as my wife did. The reply was it was a clean shoot. They were amazed when I said a UK officer in that position could reasonably expect to be facing a Court.

If the prosecutor does release all the evidence it will make for very interesting reading as it might well give an insight into what standing in Officer Wilson's shoes might have been like, and why he made the decisions he did.

Hotscot

You hide your BE?

scrubbedexpat099

Terms that struck me as negotiable.

Is there an clear definition of Black? Police Officer might be à bit grey and I do not know the period.

Does not sound unreasonable.

Mrs Danvers

I just googled how many people are shot by police annually in the USA. Seems nobody is officially counting

How many police shootings a year? No one knows - The Washington Post

They are counting how many cops get killed. In 2012 it was 48. Unofficial numbers of how many civilians are killed by cops seem to hover around 750-1,000. Seems neglectful not to be counting the civilian numbers, no? And also appears that the cops are in less danger from civilians than civilians are from cops.

scrubbedexpat099

All the testimony is available on line.

Pulaski

Officer Wilson wasn't carrying a taser, that was one of several points of controversy in this case.

md95065

Apparently I can get a FREE Rosewood Handle Knife if I join ...

Nutek

Never bring a knife to a gun fight association.