Texas police officer fatally shoots woman in her home after welfare check

[Orange Joe]

This kinda stuff is only going to get worse if they don't start holding police responsible for their mistakes.

[Zaktar]

It reminds of that video of a guy that was told to keep his hands up and to back up towards officers on his knees. They’re screaming and yelling at him, telling him they’ll shoot him... he’s freaked the the fuck out and falls forward and tries to catch himself with his hands (a normal reaction) and the cops shoot him because they think he went to “reach” for something.

That freaks me out. Under extreme fear and stress like that, I could see myself messing up, and I don’t want to pay for it with my life.

Video below.

Yeah, that's why parents are teaching their kids if pulled over to keep both hands on the wheel until the officer tells you what to do and even then move slowly and verbalize every single action you're taking.

It could be the difference between life or death.

I completely agree with you, in terms of how to deal with the police. Just want to share the video because it is really easy to imagine any person getting shot in this scenario (believe the victim was also drunk, which adds to the difficulty): https://reason.com/2017/12/08/arizon...illing-man-cr/

[Orange Joe]

Again, do you think cops do this because they can get away with it? Isn't that perverse? It's horrible that they CAN get away with it, but the reason they do it is obviously something else otherwise you have a fuckton of psychopaths in the US.

I think they don't consider the consequences because there essentially isn't any. They don't have to worry if they do something wrong. So it's better for them to shoot first and ask after.

[Zaktar]

Again, do you think cops do this because they can get away with it? Isn't that perverse? It's horrible that they CAN get away with it, but the reason they do it is obviously something else otherwise you have a fuckton of psychopaths in the US.

To me it seems fair to assume that if there were more consequences, they might feel more pressure to think their actions through more fully. It's not to say that they are psychopaths who are gleefully trying to get away with murder - just that anyone can be lazy if their fuckups cost them nothing.

[Kumorii]

Being a country of guns for safety seems like it makes everyone be on edge at all times instead.

[Zaktar]

Yeah. This is the video I was referring to in a previous comment. For some reason I was thinking he was in a different position.

I think in that situation, I would have just remained lying on the floor with my hands up and told them I’m too afraid to move and fall.

Yeah, completely agreed on how to handle it - don't play simon sez with the police. I can kind of understand why he got shot when he reached down to pull his pants up, what I don't understand is everything leading up to that moment. How do you crawl toward someone with your hands in the air and legs crossed behind you? It's confusing as hell. The guy's drunk mind was processing too much information at once and when his pants slipped he unthinkingly went to correct it.

Also I should have replied to you, fixing it.

[Orange Joe]

I don't think that they consider the consequences at those moments because they just act by instinct. Perhaps all they are trained to do is violence so that's their default. I just cannot believe that normal people would choose to kill and only choose not to because of the law.

Which is just as bad if not worse. They are trained NOT to act on instinct.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Yeah, that's why parents are teaching their kids if pulled over to keep both hands on the wheel until the officer tells you what to do and even then move slowly and verbalize every single action you're taking.

It could be the difference between life or death.

Children should not be trained on how not to get shot by the Police during routine traffic stops.
The Police should be trained on how not to shoot Children during routine traffic stops.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

I mean I think if I lived in the US I'd definitely teach my children how to react to the police. ESPECIALLY if I was a minority.

Sure, but that's not the point. The point is that the Police should be trained better so that it isn't necessary. A nervous teenager dealing with being pulled over by the cops for the first time should not be executed because he reached for his wallet.

Also, there was a bit of a typo in my previous statement I've corcceted it now but what it should have always been was

Children should not be trained on how not to get shot by the Police during routine traffic stops.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Well I was not talking about a normative approach. As I said, the main issue IS training. Training should be much longer.

So then, it's clear we both agree on the source of the problem.

Again to be clear, I'm talking about the situation as it should be...not about how it actually is.

I think Children should be taught that the Police are the people they can always go to for protection...not how they should protect themselves from the police.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Is this opposite day? Are people finally seeing that something is wrong with the police in the USA?

Even the usual people defending police brutality are calling this one out...

Those people are calling out this particular example because it is, from what we know so far, so egregious that it's nearly impossible to defend.

Don't worry though, the next one will likely see a return to form.

[Roxinius]

So then, it's clear we both agree on the source of the problem.

Again to be clear, I'm talking about the situation as it should be...not about how it actually is.

I think Children should be taught that the Police are the people they can always go to for protection...not how they should protect themselves from the police.

yes and no seeing as they have no duty to protect us

[s_bushido]

yes and no seeing as they have no duty to protect us

That's literally their job.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

yes and no seeing as they have no duty to protect us

"To serve and protect" is literally their motto.

[jeezusisacasual]

This will continue to happen until the police change the mindset that everyone must be armed and have fast access to a gun.

[Themius]

He literally shot at the same moment he ended his sentence... why the fuck did he shoot through a damn window? What the fuck do they expect when you are shining lights in a person's house? That they wouldn't check to see what's going on, and if they do that's good enough reason to fire into a person's house? Like did he fucking get spooked since he only shot once? Why was he there, who else was there? He was on the force barely over a year what the fuck?

[Temp name]

So officer sneaks around the house, sees someone, doesn't say he's police, gives them an order, and immediately shoots?

Sounds like a god damn retard. How he made it through training/education as a cop is a mystery and points to a lack of decent training for police

[Endus]

yes and no seeing as they have no duty to protect us

Without enshrining the duty to protect and serve the public as the central ethic of the police, they are an official arm of suppression and violence against that public, and should be treated as such by any members of the public they interact with.

They are the public's enemy.

[TEHPALLYTANK]

"To serve and protect" is literally their motto.

Their motto is not their job. If you believe that is their job in the USA, you're mistaken about what function the police serve here.

[Nobleshield]

The issue is that most cops now seem to think they are playing real life Counterstrike with God Mode on and use that to throw around their undeserved power on their peers and their betters. The almost limitless power and authority granted to the police is a major problem. They pretty much are the definition of "power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely" because they are given what is basically absolute power.