I’m concerned that a video newly-released by the Grand Rapids Police Department is making national news. From Anna Liz Nichols and Ed White at Yahoo News:
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A Black man face-down on the ground was fatally shot in the back of the head by a Michigan police officer, the violent climax of a traffic stop, brief foot chase and struggle over a stun gun, according to videos of the April 4 incident released Wednesday.
Patrick Lyoya, 26, was killed outside a house in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The white officer repeatedly ordered Lyoya to “let go†of his Taser, at one point demanding: “Drop the Taser!â€
Citing a need for transparency, the city’s new police chief, Eric Winstrom, released four videos, including critical footage of the shooting recorded by a passenger in Lyoya’s car on that rainy morning.
“I view it as a tragedy. … It was a progression of sadness for me,†said Winstrom, a former high-ranking Chicago police commander who became Grand Rapids chief in March. The city of about 200,000 people is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.
Video shows Lyoya running from the officer who stopped him for driving with a license plate that didn’t belong to the vehicle. They struggled in front of several homes while Lyoya’s passenger got out and watched.
Winstrom said the fight over the Taser lasted about 90 seconds. In the final moments, the officer was on top of Lyoya, kneeling on his back at times to subdue him.
At the very least the police officer should be dismissed; I won’t be surprised if criminal charges are not forthcoming but IMO it will be a hard case to make.
The list of “don’ts” in this incident is formidable:
- Don’t commit crimes
- Don’t resist arrest
- Don’t run from the police
- Don’t miss your target when you deploy your taser
- Don’t stand too close to your target when you deploy your taser
- Never, ever try to seize a police officer’s weapon
That applies both to a taser and a firearm. I have been told by more than one police officer that law enforcement officers consider that a capital offense. Whether that’s the law or not is immaterial: going for a LEO’s weapon puts you at very serious risk.
The common factor for both Mr. Lyoya and the police officer who killed him, the operative factor, was fear. Fear on each of their parts was well-founded. Now Mr. Lyoya is dead. Taking vengeance on the police officer who killed him or the GRPD won’t bring him back.
I don’t know how to reduce the amount of fear that caused this incident. I’ve already made my suggestions and I recognize they’re not very good. I think that all patrol officers should be over six feet tall, weigh more than 200 lbs., pass regular physical fitness tests and receive more and better training at defusing situations as well as hand-to-hand combat.
The black underclass is ungovernable, and should be separated from the rest of society to the extent possible. Fortunately, they are largely self-segregated right now. Moreover, there should be no white cops in black neighborhoods.
January 6th!
Study after study has found little material difference between the use of force by police officers or trust of police officers based on race. Plus it’s darned hard to get enough black police officers. They’ve been trying for a half century. Here in Chicago 29% of the people are black but 21% of police officers are.
It’s even harder to get enough Hispanic officers.
“It’s even harder to get enough Hispanic officers.”
Imagine the human resources problem when they start quota hiring trannies and the sex changed.
A tragedy that coulda/shoulda/would been evaded if … From looking at the news, appears the vultures are circling so, could be another long hot summer. Though, noticed NPR has avoided this story for what ever reason.
Something for departments to ponder is going back to two man patrol cars, arranging patrols so that reinforcements are available, training in when, how and why to fight. All of which costs money,
Recruiting Hispanic officers over 6 foot tall might be difficult. Though Luchadores might be good training resources
What fear?
There was a struggle on the part of the officer to enforce the law.
A struggle on the part of the perp to evade the law.
In the end the perp went down.
The community was served and protected. What he is paid to do.
Litigation has painted law enforcement into a corner.
Chokeholds are out, submission holds are out, fists are out, clubs too.
So when they encounter a subject determined to resist, deadly force is the go to option, because for some reason, that’s not police brutality.