Body cam released in fatal shooting of Patrick Harmon by Salt Lake City Police Department

Wow, murdered by Police for non-compliance by trying to flee the scene!
Shot in the back because the officer couldn't be bothered to chase and detain or worse because he had lost control of the subject.

I'm shocked by this, so deeply shocked. As a retired British Police Officer myself, I cannot see how the officers actions were justified in any shape or form whatsoever.

I know full well that US law enforcement face different challenges, partly due to the overwhelming presence of firearms within society and as a result, they need to exercise a far greater degree of caution but that is not what I witnessed in that video.

What I saw in that video was Murder.

Not self defence, not through fear of ones own safety, not through threatening actions etc etc etc, that was Murder, period.

It makes no difference if the guy here is black or white, he was murdered because he ran.

In the UK, British Police face similar threats every single day too, particularly in relation to threats and confrontations from knife wielding offenders but we don't shoot them. We try to diffuse and detain using communication skills and self defence training. Having a taser is a bonus but not all officers carry them but it's part of our everyday job to deal with this type of situation, yet only the other day, I saw a video of a man in the US shot dead by officers for waving a knife at them.

That video was shocking enough but this, this really does take my breath away.

My comments are not about bashing firearms or the US Police because in general, I think they do a fine job but sadly that is not what I witnessed here.
I was shot in the chest myself whilst on duty one evening by a man who decided to start shooting out all the windows of a Bar that I had been called to. Upon venturing outside to see which direction the shots were being fired from, I was hit twice in the chest but fortunately for me, the offender was only using an illegally converted high powered .22 Air rifle but even then, the offender was simply detained by other officers using communication skills and police approved restraint techniques. (Not even tasered)
He was not shot or beaten etc and neither were firearms units called upon.

We do have live firearm incidents here but obviously nowhere near the number of incidents that an average US cop would endure during service and for that I am thankful. Most people in my country don't worry about being shot by the Police here but everytime I travel in and around the US, I feel the the total opposite.

The US officers that I have met have mostly been Polite and friendly apart from the odd one or two who seem to be on a power trip and those are the ones that give me cause for concern.
No matter what country we live in, our primarily job is preserve life and protect property.

Our role does not include cold blooded murder because someone does not comply.

Rant over, stay safe America

originally posted by: penroc3
a reply to: majesticgent

when will people learn, comply and you wont get hurt. There is nothing you can do, go to jail and get a lawyer. tragic for everyone involved.

did anyone see the video of the actor getting shot when he was doing a scene, they even told the cop it was a movie and he still shot the guy, truly innocent and still gets shot.

Except we know for a fact that isn't true.

originally posted by: Shamrock6
a reply to: intrptr

Well for clarity’s sake, he was actually shot in the side at least once.

And there’s that whole Supreme Court ruling about when you can shoot somebody running away. If we’re going to ignore that he turned towards the cops with a knife and all that, I mean.

I already heard that , I didn't expect to also hear it from you.

He_was_running_away when the office decides to draw his firearm, still running when shots fired.

Probably 'sibject' was so mortified he tried to turn and fall on his side as the rounds impacted.

Now tell me where he was hit how many times. Forensics please not just hearsay from the PD.

a reply to: intrptr

He_was_running_away when the office decides to draw his firearm, still running when shots fired.

Yea you generally do that when you're chasing somebody with active warrants for assaulting people with a weapon.

He_was_running_away when the office decides to draw his firearm, still running when shots fired.

Weird how you left out the part about him slowing and turning back towards the officers.

Probably 'sibject' was so mortified he tried to turn and fall on his side as the rounds impacted.

You can't have it both ways. First you say he was shot while running away now you say he was turned and shot in the side as he fell down.

Now tell me where he was hit how many times. Forensics please not just hearsay from the PD.

You first. Specifically your forensics that he was shot three times in the back, since that's your initial claim before your whole "shot in the side while falling down because he was scared" theory. But hey, if you've got evidence to support that one, love to see it.

originally posted by: slider1982
When you break the law you have to take it for granted that some of your rights will be taken if and when you are apprehended..

It was not that long ago a fugitive would have a bounty put out as "wanted dead or alive".

We have come along way to where criminals have rights but mistakes can and will happen esp in charged situations like this.

It is just a shame that he had to be in a situation to be wanted in the first place and did not comply, very wasteful way to end your life.

RA

Its still there . Called a "bench warrant" .Judges issue them in felony cases if there is a warrant out for your arrest .And yes , if you run , the police can shoot you . Dead.

a reply to: Shamrock6

You can't have it both ways. First you say he was shot while running away now you say he was turned and shot in the side as he fell down.

Spin my content as you like, I saw the video. He was running away.

You want to make executing an unarmed man running away 'alright' because your in Law Enforcement.

Tell me again how moral it is to shoot someone running away? Would you , do you do that?

Me first nothing. You avoid the forensics, like the PD wants to avoid the video. But, since they can't, they have to make him armed and aggressive. LOL, running away.

a reply to: intrptr

Spin my content as you like, I saw the video. He was running away.

There's no spin in pointing out when you contradict yourself. If you don't want it pointed out, then don't do it. For somebody who was running away when he was shot, his foot and leg are twisted around to face the officers when the first shot is discharged. Maybe you run with one of your legs backwards, but I don't think anybody else does.

You want to make executing an unarmed man running away 'alright' because your in Law Enforcement.

Not really. I said there's legal justification to do it in some cases. For what's probably the 100th time on ATS now, don't confuse me knowing the law better than you do with some blanket statement you pretend I'm making because you can't debate what I've actually said.

Tell me again how moral it is to shoot someone running away? Would you , do you do that?

Absolutely, in the right circumstances. That's why the Supreme Court recognized, and ruled, that there are times when shooting somebody who's running away is perfectly justifiable. Real life isn't the Old West where you get to face off ten paces apart on Main Street at high noon.

Me first nothing. You avoid the forensics, like the PD wants to avoid the video. But, since they can't, they have to make him armed and aggressive.

Yea like usual you demand some absurd level of proof from anybody that disagrees with you while providing nothing to back up your own claims. You feel like you're losing the debate, so you demand people provide you with things you know there's absolutely no way for them to have.

LOL

I laugh at you all the time. Glad you can laugh at yourself.

a reply to: Shamrock6

You shouldn't run from the police but the penalty for running from the police isn't summary execution.

Still, no forensics...you give poor expert testimony. Witness excused.

"You shouldn't run from the police but the penalty for running from the police isn't summary execution." -- antedeluvian

In America it is.

a reply to: intrptr

Still, no forensics

Correct, just like you have none. You don't get to pretend that my not having the report from an independent medical examiner is grounds to dismiss my side of the argument. Not unless you're going to dismiss your own at the same time, anyway. But, this is the part in your routine where you a) ignore 90% of what I say and b) continue to demand a level of evidence beyond reach. Your use of the burden of proof and goalpost moving fallacies is tried and true. Beyond that, if you're going to try and be witty, you're starting off pretty poorly equipped.

"You shouldn't run from the police but the penalty for running from the police isn't summary execution." -- antedeluvian

Yep.

In America it is.

'Merica.

this is a brilliant illustration of the no win situation police are in...

They stopped a guy from getting away who was wanted for some sort of violent act, unfortunately the guy died in the process.

But how many of you wanting to try convict and execute the cop for what he did would be equally outraged if they had let him get away and he assaulted a woman or an elderly person later.

You have felony warrants and the cops have the drop on you, comply if you want to give yourself every possibility of survival.

originally posted by: notsure1you are the one acting on bias.. I bet we cant find one cop shooting video on this site where you said the cop was guilty.

That is your bias always defend the cop even when they shoot someone in the back..

Wrong, but believe what you want to believe.

The reality is that you haven't looked, you don't know my opinion, but here you are, assuming.

That is exactly what a bias is.

Generally I apologize for the late response, but meh.