Pulaski

Obviously the controversy over police shootings isn't going to end here.

md95065

What part of this did you think was "accidental"?

It doesn't sound as if they fired their guns by "accident" and it appears that the officers have been charged with second degree murder which usually means "intentional (but not premeditated) killing, or killing caused by dangerous conduct and lack of concern for human life" ...

Pulaski

I was assuming that they were intending to hit the adult, and the child was not a target. It sounds like the prosecutor doesn't think there was good reason to shoot (at) the adult either.

That said, I suspect some will allege other reasons to prosecute these two police officers.

Boomhauer

Those 2 should be behind bars for life.

From Louisiana State Police Col. Edmonson:
"We took some of the body cam footage. I'm not gonna talk about it, but I'm gonna tell you this -- it is the most disturbing thing I've seen and I will leave it at that," Edmonson said Friday night.

2 officers arrested in shooting death of boy in Louisiana - CNN.com

Pulaski

You posted the same link to the same story that I posted in #1, above.

Boomhauer

Oh , didn't notice it , even thought I did click on your link.

jjmb

appears they were moonlighting for some firm that serves outstanding warrants so weren't even on official police duties. There are too many of these firms that dress up like police officials. There was a similar case in Austin a couple of years ago where the guy was a police officer and a parking attendant/ security guard as a second job. In that case the guy didn't get charged.

Two Louisiana city marshals charged with fatally shooting Jeremy Mardis | Daily Mail Online

lansbury

I don't think there is anything which justifies firing into a moving vehicle which has a child in it.

Pulaski

I agree, absolutely. ...... I was alluding to the several controversial police shootings/killings over the past couple of years, where the victim was black and the police weren't charged, or were cleared at trial, as compared to this case where the prosecutors have descended like a ton of bricks, with murder charges filed almost immediately, where the police are black and the victim is white.

lansbury

I didn't look to see the color of the driver or child, I would hope it made no difference. This one appears to such reckless stupidity I doubt it did. However it will of course be used for political gain by those that can benefit from doing so, regardless of the facts.

Pulaski

I agree, but not everyone will agree with us. Er, quite.

Boomhauer

In this case, the victim being a small child and disturbing police video surely played a big part but I wouldn't rule out race being a factor in the background.

md95065

Agreed.

Even supposing that they didn't know that there was a child, it appears to me that firing into a moving vehicle is something that could only ever be justified in a very small set of circumstances. What exactly were they hoping to do - incapacitate or kill the driver so that his vehicle would then be out of control so that it could potentially kill or injure other people? The most likely outcome of such an action would seem to be that they would either miss completely or, as happened in this case, that stray bullets would hit an unintended target.

In any case, is it really ever justified to use deadly force against someone who is only attempting to get away unless there is a very strong reason to believe that they are sufficiently dangerous that there is a probability that they will do harm to other people unless apprehended immediately?

lansbury

I think you sum it up well.

Sarah

Cops should get cited for running red lights, never mind shooting first and asking questions later.
I didn't understand my husbands loathing of cops. And then I moved to NYC and had to deal with NYPD a couple of times. The mistrust and loathing is justified.