The Shooting Gallery: Police Violence MEGATHREAD

[Valmy]

http://www.kmov.com/news/local/BREAKING-Officer-involved-shooting-in-St-Louis-271876701.html

A 23-year-old man was shot and killed after showing a knife to an officer in North St. Louis, according to Chief Sam Dotson.

Dotson confirmed that there was a fatal officer-involved shooting around 12:30 p.m. at McLaran Avenue and Riverview Drive in North St. Louis. 

According to Dotson, the suspect stole two energy drinks from the Six Stars Market in the 8700 block of Riverview. Dotson said after the suspect walked out of the store with the drinks, he went back inside the store and grabbed a pastry. Dotson said the store owner followed the suspect out of the store and police were dispatched to the area.

According to police, the suspect pulled out a knife and was acting erratically when officers arrived. Dotson told reporters the suspect told responding officers to "shoot me now, kill me now."   Dotson said officers asked the suspect to drop the knife, which he was holding in an overhead grip, and the suspect refused to do.



When the suspect approached the officers carrying a knife, officers fired shots striking the suspect. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting.

When asked about the validity of the shooting, Dotson said officers "have a right to defend yourself."

Mayor Francis Slay tweeted that there will be a "complete and transparent" investigation into the shooting.  He pledged that St. Louis "will know everything I know."

A large, peaceful crowd quickly came to the scene of the shooting.  Some said police had other options, and did not have use lethal force.

"It's in their best interest, with Ferguson and everything going on, to use a taser," said Tommy Lee, a resident of the area. 

"A knife cannot puncture a vest," another resident said.

Oh for fucksake.  How are they training these cops?  They cannot use tasers or anything?  If somebody cannot be talked down then it is shoot to kill?  Well at least this dude wasn't unarmed.

[garbon]

Well wasn't he moving to attack them with a deadly weapon?

[Darth Wagtaros]

He was kinda askin for it.

[Ed Anger]

Hey Val, cops are taught to shoot to kill when they fire their weapon. There is none of that shoot to wound bullcrap.

[Valmy]

Well wasn't he moving to attack them with a deadly weapon?

Well fortunately they have video this time so hopefully we will have a better idea of how justified it was but man....it sure seems like there would be other methods to deal with him.

He was kinda askin for it.

Quite literally.

Hey Val, cops are taught to shoot to kill when they fire their weapon. There is none of that shoot to wound bullcrap.

Well that is just fucking awesome.

[DontSayBanana]

Ugh.  This whole thing just took a weird twist: the owner's now saying nobody from his store reported a shoplifting and released surveillance video from BEFORE the shove showing Michael Brown paying for cigars while leaving more on the counter.

If true, I hope the PD gets slammed right after the officer is successfully prosecuted.

[CountDeMoney]

it sure seems like there would be other methods to deal with him.

There isn't.  You have to drop somebody with a knife.  That's not really a negotiable item.

[Admiral Yi]

Let that be a lesson for any foreigners thinking about visiting the US: in your culture it may be accepted to brandish a knife and wave it around in a gendarme's face as a show of braggadacio and rejection of authority, but in the US it's generally frowned upon.

[DGuller]

Oh for fucksake.  How are they training these cops?  They cannot use tasers or anything?  If somebody cannot be talked down then it is shoot to kill?  Well at least this dude wasn't unarmed.

Oh, please, this is getting idiotic.  A knife is kinda a deadly weapon, and a charging guy with a knife is a deadly threat.

[jimmy olsen]

Ugh.  This whole thing just took a weird twist: the owner's now saying nobody from his store reported a shoplifting and released surveillance video from BEFORE the shove showing Michael Brown paying for cigars while leaving more on the counter.

If true, I hope the PD gets slammed right after the officer is successfully prosecuted.

Link?

[LaCroix]

Oh, please, this is getting idiotic.  A knife is kinda a deadly weapon, and a charging guy with a knife is a deadly threat.

well, yeah, valmy appears to be getting increasingly agitated past the point of reasonableness

[Valmy]

Ugh.  This whole thing just took a weird twist: the owner's now saying nobody from his store reported a shoplifting and released surveillance video from BEFORE the shove showing Michael Brown paying for cigars while leaving more on the counter.

If true, I hope the PD gets slammed right after the officer is successfully prosecuted.

The shooting had nothing to do with whether or not he shoplifted though.  The police had no idea so I don't think it implicates the officer in question any.

[Valmy]

Oh, please, this is getting idiotic.  A knife is kinda a deadly weapon, and a charging guy with a knife is a deadly threat.

well, yeah, valmy appears to be getting increasingly agitated past the point of reasonableness

Asking questions that make you uncomfortable is not an indication that I am agitated past the point of reasonableness. 

[garbon]

Oh, please, this is getting idiotic.  A knife is kinda a deadly weapon, and a charging guy with a knife is a deadly threat.

well, yeah, valmy appears to be getting increasingly agitated past the point of reasonableness

Asking questions that make you uncomfortable is not an indication that I am agitated past the point of reasonableness. 

At the same time, it did appear to me that you were taking issue with what didn't seem like an unreasonable action on the apart of officers who had someone coming at them with a knife drawn.

[grumbler]

it sure seems like there would be other methods to deal with him.

There isn't.  You have to drop somebody with a knife.  That's not really a negotiable item.

How reliable is a tazer?  Couldn't they have tazed the guy?  I know there must be a limitation to tazers that I am unaware of, because one would think that every cop would have one were they reliable.