I found this article by Tim Hsiao and Aaron Blake on police shooting at Human Events interesting and informative so I’m passing it along:
While it’s not new to see “internet experts†pop up whenever something controversial happens, the torrent of terrible suggestions about self-defense being peddled right now goes beyond mere ignorance. Such advice can actually have deadly consequences if enshrined into public policy. Police officers and citizen defenders stand a good chance of getting killed or injured if they follow this advice. If that happens, those who peddle dangerous myths about self-defense and use-of-force have blood on their hands.
It’s worth exploring and debunking some of these dangerous myths.
Readers should be aware that, as is clear enough from reading the article, that Human Events is a right-leaning publication. Somehow I don’t believe that the authors’ analysis will satisfy those who are taking to the streets in protest over police shootings.
My view is that there are multiple different problems with varying legitimacy, solvability, and strategies for resolving them. For example, I believe that part of the problem in police shootings is that making police forces more inclusive has had the unforeseen adverse secondary effect of making police officers less able to control dangerous situations, e.g.:
A 6’5 male bodybuilder can easily overpower and kill a 5’2 woman, child, or elderly grandfather with his bare hands. And someone in a mounted position throwing blows with his fists while you are pinned on concrete (as was Trayvon Martin when he attacked George Zimmerman) is easily capable of killing you, even if you are both similarly built.
I think that all police officers should be able to control situations involving unarmed opponents without drawing a firearm using a nightstick, for example. If they are unable to do so, perhaps they are not prepared to be police officers.
My impression, too, is that police officers are presently afraid of black men far out of proportion to the actual risk. I have no clear notion of why that might be. Maybe that impression is wrong. I would appreciate someone enlightening me on the subject.
Everyone is more afraid of Black men. Especially other Black men.
Statistics and experience bear out the need for caution.
But you know that already.
What are you looking for?
I would outlaw no knock warrants, too dangerous for everyone involved including police. Understand why they do them but, find another way or let it be.
I read this. pretty much says anytime an officer wants to shoot someone they are justified. The zero risk approach to policing.
Steve
Green light for trigger happy cops, eh? How many cops have shot more than one suspect?
The act typically ends their career. Either by promotion to a desk or early retirement.
They don’t get to be trigger happy more than once.
We’re actually lucky anyone wants the job at all.
About three-quarters of law enforcement officers have never discharged their firearms in the line of duty. If in the real world there was open season by cops on blacks, I would a) expect many more police shootings than actually occur and b) more cops would be using their firearms than is the case.
Here in Chicago, the most violent major city in the country, in the middle of the 2020 murder spree, police have killed five people. I don’t believe that any CPD officers have been shot dead in the line of duty in 2020 which is the reason for my earlier remark about disproportionate fear.
But Chicago has trigger happy citizens and you know who they are.