US Police Have Killed Nearly 400 People (So Far) This Year

originally posted by: Phage

"Blindly obeying" what laws, exactly?
All of them?

Side question, do you think trashing a neighborhood should be considered civil disobedience?

Why don't you just make your point instead of asking leading questions?

a reply to: Phage

The killings are a part of the massive problem, and while the focus of the OP they are clearly not the sole problem with police behaviour.

Besides, there are clearly more ways of dealing with a potentially threatening person with a weapon than just shooting them. De-escalation would seem to be an undesirable skill.

It could be argued that part of the problem is an "I'm all right, Jack" mentality where for some citizens there is no problem provided policing in your local area is perceived as appropriate.

But i'm still left with this: I don't hate police or the rule of law, and i'm not generally a frothy mouthed tabloid/outrage fan and yet it is clear to me that in far too many cases police in the US are way out of control and gaining a international reputation for brutality which on balance i believe that they deserve.

originally posted by: skalla

But the question still remains - when are US citizens going to have had enough and actually do something to get a police force that you can rely on to think a situation through and act appropriately, rather than all too often getting plastered over the news for assault, murder and petty bullying?

I think "they" must want to be plastered all over the news for these kinds of things. Any fear and/or paranoia generated can only serve to strengthen their control over our activities.

Or. When they finally do push a little too far (wherever that point is) and we react a little too "strongly", they'll have their perfect excuse to clamp down tight as can be.

a reply to: NthOther

As an outsider i'm less certain as to the reasons, but i lean towards there being a culture of simply not caring.

I entertain the possibility that your police have possibly always been brutal in certain areas/demographics (not purely race related) but that it has widened in scope recently, as well as being more widely reported.

It's still pretty shocking to me that as a "nation" (and i use that term loosely) you just accept this.

In a country this size, with so many police forces in the country... Isn't 400 police shootings that lead to death statistically insignificant?

I am not saying they shouldn't be investigated and charged as needed... They should be.

Also I saw someone suggesting consolidation of police forces... No... God no.. I've read some folks want the police nationalized..

Think about all those sheriff's departments that said they wouldn't enforce stupid unenforceable laws...these are officers that listened to the people in their area and took a stand.

Yet some folks think a large bloated beauacracy is somehow going to work better... That bean counters that think 1 size fits all policies will work tge same everywhere...

originally posted by: Irishhaf

Isn't 400 police shootings that lead to death statistically insignificant?

Not when the statistics show a much lower rate historically. This is what you might call a rather disturbing "spike" in the data.

And that number isn't even close to where we'll be at year's end.

a reply to: Irishhaf

While we are talking apples and oranges somewhat, it may be worth pointing out that in the UK - which is seen by some as somewhat authoritarian, no one has been killed by a police officer since September 2014.

And we have what? Approximately one sixth (ish?) of your population.

At your rate we should have had maybe 70 deaths by cop so far this year.

a reply to: NthOther

I'm willing to bet the majority of the deaths occurred in low income areas, with a history of high crime, drug use, and gang activities.

Most importantly (Imo)poor performing school districts.

I am not saying the victims are all to blame, but I'll wager the environment played a part in police reactions...

a reply to: skalla

I am not saying the police are blame free... Each shooting should be investigated and prosecuted as needed.

Just pointing out 400 dead on pace to 900 is a slanted argument...

Why not also point out the media is not helping running with false stories about gangs agreeing to concentrate on killing cops.

Or that police killed in lod are also spiking... Or some cops have been assassinated while sitting in their patrol car.
On top of riots and lots of threats against them and their families... There is more to it than just pointing a finger at the police.

If you only focus on one part of the problem you can never fix the problem.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: NthOther

Well if you don't break the law you don't have to worry about the street judges coming and getting ya.

What are you talking about? We have a legal system and courts decide that, for one thing. Use of maximum force is a very serious matter and all other methods tried first and just a couple decades ago many tribunals were called for excessive force.

Many killed weren't breaking the law. The kid opening the door with his game controller in hand, wasn't breaking the law. The kid with the bb gun, wasn't breaking the law. The vet in bed, when the wrong house has a home invasion, wasn't breaking the law. Anyone who is, police don't have the right to reach for lethal force as their first or second step or within seconds.

PERIOD. EVER. Any changes in how police are acting are ILLEGAL AND UNLAWFUL CHANGES. I want the old system back and all corruption in it removed to serve the people in an even better way than in the past.

a reply to: NthOther

In lieu of the murders happening in major cities at much higher rates then we have seen in decades perhaps the increase in police shooting is as a result of a more violent society?!?!

Could it be police are reacting to the playing field being more aggressive and dangerous.

I think it's probably a combination of Police and the people becoming more violent and fearful.

Personally some LEO's over step and trample on our civil rights but what is happening in the big cities like Baltimore illustrates that when Leo's are not aggressive with policing the angry people will run crazy and murder, burglarize, rob, and more.

Considering most of the big cities that are seeing the worst incidence of violence are run by liberal leaning policy and people maybe we should start there!? Or maybe this is all by design. Everyone know Obama wants to federalize the police and creating the need is the first step.

a reply to: NthOther

Interesting how the white half of the shootings by police have not garnered massive gatherings, burning down cities and civil unrest. Or whats his name that always comes in and causes race riots... the preacher with the daughter who is suing NY for slipping in her highfalootin heels?

a reply to: Phage

Is that armed with loaded weapons? Or fake toy guns? Unloaded?

a reply to: NthOther

As we can see by the article, the vast majority of shootings are completely justified, while some of the rest "may or may not" be justified depending on the circumstance. I really do not see the problem with the police, other than militarization.

ID

originally posted by: antar
a reply to: NthOther

Interesting how the white half of the shootings by police have not garnered massive gatherings, burning down cities and civil unrest. Or whats his name that always comes in and causes race riots... the preacher with the daughter who is suing NY for slipping in her highfalootin heels?

The only thing that's "interesting" is how you choose to ignore the the facts of the incidents that caused those riots, as some kind of race baiting exercise!

You know full well the riots were caused by unjustified shootings (or at least under questionable circumstances), so don't pretend to be ignorant of it.

originally posted by: skalla
a reply to: Irishhaf

While we are talking apples and oranges somewhat, it may be worth pointing out that in the UK - which is seen by some as somewhat authoritarian, no one has been killed by a police officer since September 2014.

And we have what? Approximately one sixth (ish?) of your population.

At your rate we should have had maybe 70 deaths by cop so far this year.

People in the UK do not have the same jacked up mentality and negative culture like the criminals here in the U.S. do.

ID

originally posted by: Subaeruginosa

originally posted by: antar
a reply to: NthOther

Interesting how the white half of the shootings by police have not garnered massive gatherings, burning down cities and civil unrest. Or whats his name that always comes in and causes race riots... the preacher with the daughter who is suing NY for slipping in her highfalootin heels?

The only thing that's "interesting" is how you choose to ignore the the facts of the incidents that caused those riots, as some kind of race baiting exercise!

You know full well the riots were caused by unjustified shootings (or at least under questionable circumstances), so don't pretend to be ignorant of it.

HUh? Ignore? Ignorance? Interesting how you gleamed all of this from my post stating that 1/2 the shootings were upon white people and yet... no serious drama unfolded because of the shootings. Were they any more justified than the shootings of the black people? You seem to have all the answers so I ask you, were they?

I hate how the divisions continue to be instigated. Race wars through division. I have never felt the need to be the ultimate white warrior, but you know if things continue to heat up as they are being manipulated to become, I may have to fight for the right to be white.

White lives matter, white kids being shot by cops matter, no matter how you or anyone else wants to spin this, that is the truth. Color bleeds, all color.

From the Article in the OP, this is what is most importantly in need of open discussion:

In all three 2015 cases in which charges were filed, videos emerged showing the officers shooting a suspect during or after a foot chase:

a reply to: antar

I think that part of the reason we are seeing sweeping changes in the WWW and NSA type oppression being set up is that "they" do not want individuals to be able to capture these types of crimes (if they prove to be criminal) and post raw footage to places like Youtube and other social media sites. As the future approaches, there will be less acceptance of a free media, an uncontrolled social and public media based on personal video devices.

It would cost far less than a White House cocktail party to place cameras on all the Police Officers in the USA. What are there about 1.2 million officers?

is that 400 count include the 8 bikers that got picked off by police marksmen at the Waco, Twin Peaks parking lot?
(like shootin' fish in a barrel)

here is some light on the dark ops finally getting out to the public sans the MSM Propaganda side of the cover-up


(link contains raw verbiage, of the printed kind)
bastionofliberty.blogspot.com...

...No shots were fired by anyone inside the restaurant. No shots were fired by anyone at the police. When bikers decided to leave the restaurant and enter the parking lot, the police began shooting full-auto equipped M-16’s into the crowd. Patrons began diving under tables and screaming for their lives...

I really liked the lead in... the 'You can't handle the Truth' moment