You have undoubtedly already heard about the terrible news from Dallas overnight. Eleven police officers have been shot, five are dead, and one innocent woman has been killed by snipers as a peaceful demonstration protesting the killings by police officers in Minneapolis and Baton Rouge ended. NBC Fort Worth reports:
Five officers are dead — four Dallas police officers and one DART transit officer — after two snipers ambushed and opened fire on police at the end of a peaceful protest against nationwide officer-involved shootings Thursday night, officials say.
One suspect is dead, a Dallas police detective tells NBC 5 early Friday morning, and three other suspects were in custody in connection with the shooting.President Barack Obama, who was in Warsaw, Poland, for a NATO meeting, condemned the “vicious, callous and despicable attack.”
“I believe I speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events and that we stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas,” the president said.At least one civilian was injured. She was identified by family as Shetamia Taylor, and she was shot while shielding her children from the gunfire, her sister told NBC 5. Taylor’s condition is not known.
In addition at least one “suspicious package” has been found and the attackers threatened that they had placed bombs in various locations around Dallas.
It’s hard to know what to say about such dreadful events. What in the world were they thinking? There is not one unitary police force in the United States but thousands. Killing police officers in Dallas in revenge for killings by police in other cities is more likely to produce perverse consequences than good ones. Police officers are human beings, too.
If there are widespread consequences to the “little war” in Dallas, they are likely to be human reactions rather than institutional ones. The human reactions I might envision on the part of police officers are either to withdraw from circumstances in which they might be at risk or to shoot first and ask questions later. Either of those responses will result in the deaths of more black men, not fewer.
Perhaps they were thinking that: “Change has been too slow and we have to have a greater sense of urgency about this.”
Is it revenge, or is someone acting opportunistically? Wouldn’t be surprising to find the perps were white dudes attempting to inflame a race war. On the other tentacle, Mark Essex.
Feel sorry for the poor families of those officers.
Steve
Agree Steve, and I’m chastened that I didn’t lead off with that sentiment. And clearly the rhetoric by Obama and other Democrats is not the root problem, but I believe they could do much better to create a calming influence and have a responsibility to do so.
The only thing that’s surprising to me is that this type of incident didn’t happen sooner with all the controversies and exonerations of the guilty over the years. I also find it insulting as a native New Yorker that this is being comparted to 9/11 where thousands of people, including police and other emergency workers, were killed by foreign terrorists. Nothing will change until we equate civilian lives as being as worthy as those of the police, and hold the perpetrators resposible for their murderous actions. Days after the killings of Sterling and Castile have shown severe indifference to these men’s lives. The perpetrators are on ‘administrative leave’ which is code for getting paid to do nothing. Why have there been no arrests?! If these type of rogue cops continue to escape the consequences of their actions, there will definitely be more lone wolves who will take vengeance on police and society as a whole. There must be ACCOUNTABILITY!
Back in the bad old days, you got a beat down. Does anybody wonder why Rodney King was not shot?
Back before police officers were Girl Scouts, there were nightsticks, batons, and PR-24’s, and you had to get close and personal. When you are that close, the safest place for your firearm is in your holster, and you do everything to keep it there.
Maybe a few bruises and broken bones were not so bad after all. You should be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. Back when the cops were a little more adventurous, nobody would have been able to show their face after some of these incidents.
If you are so f*cking scared that you need to shot every g-d person that farts, I do not want to be around you. You are going to get me killed. There are real criminals doing real criminal shit that I need to be looking out for. Otherwise, I am going to be in a world of hurt. I just do not get it.
In other news, my Congresswoman, Corrine Brown, and her chief of staff have been indicted on corruption charges. With such talented leadership it’s hard to understand how black community fails to flourish.
The good news is at least I wasn’t too invested in her, since she lives a good three hour drive away, and her gerrymandered district is supposed to disappear this fall. (The district is more ridiculous than it appears, as parts of it are state and national parks, and there’s one spot where it’s only really as wide as a two lane road.)
Anyway, just wanted to give an update on the Black Governance Matters front. Somehow governance seems like a pertinent issue to me.
“A St. Louis-area cop . . . was walking back to his patrol car after ticketing a driver for speeding in Ballwin, a suburb of St. Louis, KSDK reported. The driver got out of his pulled-over car, shot the officer in the neck three times and fled, sources said.”
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Car reportedly had Illinois temp plates.
There was also a police shooting in the Valdosta area, from what I’m hearing.
And there was a guy up to some BLM related mischief yesterday in Tennessee, too.
Investigators at press conference: They believe the Ballwin officer was “ambushed.” Scene caught on car camera — officer issued speeding ticket, turned his back and was returning to his vehicle when the suspect got out of his car and advanced quickly on the officer and shot him three times and fled. Officer was on ground not moving, currently in critical condition Refuse to speculate on motive.
Suspect had criminal record of weapons violations and a stolen vehicle. Didn’t hear anybody ask or answer whether the suspect was in legal position of the handgun.
It’s guns.
It’s the murderous NRA.
It’s BLM.
It’s Obama.
It’s racist cops.
It’s crafty white supremacists trying to fake us out. (Maybe the most bizarre of all)
Anything but mentally disturbed individuals. Anything but those few rogue cops or rogue crooks. Anything but belligerent detainees.
Facts like it’s more likely a black is shot by a black cop, more whites are killed by cops, more violent crimes and therefore opportunities for conflict and incidents are committed by blacks.
As long as this garbage analysis exits it won’t get better. And as pointed out, the more likely cops are to withdraw from taking action or to come in with hair triggers. The narrative I’ve seen today is self defeating.
I have to point out the utter hypocrisy of some of the commentary, including the president. Chicagos mayor conspired with others to hide a politically damaging video of Laquan McDonald being shot until safely re-elected. This mayor also has close ties to Obama and HRC. Politically inconvenient for them. Their reaction? Crickets. Don’t lecture us Obama. You have no moral standing here.