So I've been away from the interwebs all week. I see this has been a hot thread. Not wanting to spent tons of time reading every post, has there been anything that destroys the credibility of the witness talking on video moments after the shooting describing how the cop was rushed by the guy he shot? Has there been anything that questions the credibility of the report that the cops eye socket was crushed before the cop shot him?
I'm still open to new evidence, but at the present time, it still looks to me like the cop was justified in shooting him. Have I missed anything important?
The community is 70% black and the police, most of whom live far away in other communities, are mostly white. It may be be an explanation, but it's still not good practice.
Wow, really? Obama should resign, considering blacks only make up 14% of the population.
The one thing I don't get is if the cop was beaten so badly, why was he just walking around in the video and not holding his face at all?
The video I'm talking about is the one that shows Brown dead on the road and the cop pacing back and forth. If my eye socket was broken by a punch, I doubt I'd be able to walk around casually like that.
Here is a video of the cops shooting and killing another guy in St Louis a couple of days after Ferguson. This one seems excessive to me. Graphic Video, you've been warned.
People can have unexpected reactions to being hurt. I've completely blown off both a shoulder separation and tearing the ligament that allows you to close your thumb. At least until realizing that things don't work anymore. Still up on my feet walking around no problem though. I've also stayed on my feet through a broken nose. The gush of blood did have me bent over trying not to get it all over me though. Lots of people have been shot in combat and never realize it until later.
As for the cop, no doubt he also realizes that he is about to go through the wringer, and has to control the immediate scene. Hurt or not, you have responsibilities.
Just guessing here, but would you expect it to take being hit with six bullets before dropping to the ground?
First, I'm not sure the wandering cop was the original cop involved, but I haven't seen that video or done any research on it.
Secondly, in my experience, the really bad injuries take an hour or so to get bad. I walked around for about 30 minutes with a fractured pelvis after I got clobbered by Corolla, and spent 5 hours riding a dirt bike with a torn ACL and torn meniscus. In both cases, that night, I was lucky to be able to crawl to the bathroom without screaming like a three year old. But right after the injury there seems to be a "crawl back to your cave" window where your body tells you lies you want to hear.
Finally, with that other shooting in the video above... it was pretty hard for me as a layman to understand why they kept shooting so long when it seemed clear to me the threat was neutralized. Easy for me to say from my armchair, and the guy was probably doomed with or without the last 4 shots regardless. But it would be hard for me justify based on what little I know about these situations.
if you can look at the overhead shot on youtube,... and the length of the mans stride from this video... you can get a better perspective of the scene and what occurred. After stepping up the large curb, he took 7.5 steps toward the cops before the first shot, he was pretty far away but was still moving closer pretty quick. Seemed like he had a large stride. It over fast. Tragic, the dude had some mental problem or some fury in his head and wanted to die (or thought he did) But, I still can't believe they shot 9x continuous even as he fell and rolled over... and then they cuffed him as he was trying to catch he very last breath. And they were still pointing a gun at him. Pretty messed up situation.
In a situation like above, since he was wielding a knife, and closer than 21 feet, you'd want that guy unable to be a threat as quickly as possible. There is no time to take a shot and reevaluate the threat, and you are not guaranteed to stop the threat with one shot anyway. As awful as it sounds, when that guy started threatening someone's life, he unfortunately gave up his right to live.
I urge people to do some research on what knife wounds look like, that should dispel the "he only had a knife" arguments.
If there were no knife, we would probably be hearing that by now. I couldn't see it either, but it was crappy video taken on a cell phone from a distance. Witnesses were abundant though, and no doubt would speak up if the cops were lying about a knife.
Reep..... you didn't just write that, did you?
To be fair, it was you that referenced "the video", but gave no link. I was kind of wondering about what video you were referring to also, but didn't bother trying to figure out what video you had in mind. I have seen a number of videos of the aftermath of this event. Not all the cops are the one who did the shooting. Care to post the video?
I looked for it but couldn't find the exact video I saw on the news. There are a million videos out now. What it showed was Brown on the ground and an officer, they claimed to be the one in question, pacing back and forth. The news station blurred out any other officer that came into view of the camera. The video was shot from a high view point. I'll see if I can find it. I just thought it was funny that Reep said he didn't think it was the original cop but didn't see the video that I was talking about.
I don't have a dog in this fight. If they find out that Brown attacked this guy and was coming back for more then he got what I would think an officer would do in that circumstance.
In the video I posted above, I don't know, imo it seems excessive. They could have easily tazed the guy, knife or no knife. They keep shooting even after he's down, then they handcuff him. I think that's FUBAR.
I have my doubts that they would let the cop involved in the shooting roam around the shooting scene after other officers get there. It's very poor crime scene management at best. That kind of makes me wonder if that's him in the video. I really don't know though.
What I do know is that there are few witness accounts I've heard that seem to agree on details. Two accounts that seem to match VERY well are the cops and this one... http://www.ijreview.com/2014/08/168698-eyewitness- recalls-important-detail-background-video-mins-fer guson-shooting/ I see no reason to be suspect about what this witness was saying. I see no agenda given that it was an off the cuff conversation with someone else in the neighborhood. It certainly conflicts with the witness being interviewed in the video you posted. There were witnesses in the Travon Martin case that changed their stories when they realized that they were hurting "the agenda". Clearly it happens.
Why in the world would a cop try to pull someone into his squad car that he is sitting in. I would really like to cross examine that statement. It makes no sense what so ever.
Whoops! Looks like the star witness that claims the cop shot Brown in the back has a history with the police, that includes filing a false police report. Yep, he is turning out to be a credible witness.
Wield a knife and advance on an LEO in an aggressive manner within 21 feet? That's an easy one, you get shot, end of story. If that is how that second incident went down it was the correct ending, sad for sure, but correct. Tazer vs knife? Seriously? Not going to happen. You demonstrate the ability to use deadly physical force against an LEO that is exactly what force is going to be used against you, as it should be. Tasers are less than lethal force and are no where near reliable enough, not to mention the fine motor skills needed to get off that ONE perfect shot on a moving target wielding a KNIFE....ridiculous. You miss that one shot with those tiny darts (both have to connect to bare tissue mind you) and you get stabbed, no thanks.
Those questioning the number of shots, nine was it? From two officers' sidearms. It may seem excessive while we sit in our comfy quarterback chairs safe from harm, but when the adrenaline is flowing that ain't all that bad. Four + rounds per officer. It is not uncommon for lock back to occur on an empty mag in situations like that.
Bottom line is the dude made his choices. Looked like he was waiting on police response and planned in advance to be the aggressor. Even begged to be shot.....looks like he got his wish. Don't mean to be morbid, but actions have consequences, that his loved ones and the officers will have to deal with going forward. His pain is over.
"adrenaline is flowing" ...So... that's the excuse? With that attitude, no wonder there was rioting. The cops don't give a rats ass. Of course they do NOW.
No,.. I am not mixing anything... I am referring to the video Damnut posted. The cops in that incident were wrong. They should have never closed in so fast... adrenaline my ass. NONE of the bystanders gave a crap about the guy with the knife and he didn't care about them either.
Only when 2 gorillas came to fight.. did any adrenaline come into the picture but that IS what he wanted, he sure got it. But that also just shows how the cops in that area... DON'T give a rats ass about the fellow man. Just an observance is all.
At this point I have no idea what you guys are arguing about.
The Brown shooting? Still waiting on the report, it may have been self defense, if it was not the cop should be prosecuted. Period, simple.
Other confrontations? One on one, one at a time, each is unique....
be aware.
If you are rioting, and you threaten another, your life is forfeit. Screw rubber bullets, shock sticks, tasers, star trek stunners, or sonic screamer truck that make everyone in 5 blocks shit their pants... the cop, or citizen, being threatened with violence has every right to defend himself, and until they actually DO have star trek stunners, the only way to protect yourself may be deadly force.
This is not a happy making fact, but it is a fact. You have a choice in life to let yourself and your family be murdered, or worse, or to be a man. If you can talk your way out of a problem, you Win. If you can't, your obligation, your duty, is to your family, not to a thrill seeking looter and thug.
No,.. I am not mixing anything... I am referring to the video Damnut posted. The cops in that incident were wrong. They should have never closed in so fast... adrenaline my ass. NONE of the bystanders gave a crap about the guy with the knife and he didn't care about them either.
Only when 2 gorillas came to fight.. did any adrenaline come into the picture but that IS what he wanted, he sure got it. But that also just shows how the cops in that area... DON'T give a rats ass about the fellow man. Just an observance is all.
I understand all of that, but this isn't the incident that they were rioting about. That was a totally separate incident.