# Controversial encounters between law-enforcement and civilians - the omnibus thread #2 **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 23, 2020, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531 "2020-06-23T20:29:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 57
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1122 "2021-04-13T17:19:28Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Is that actually something they can pull you over for? Since when is that illegal? [https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/12/us/police-shooting-air-freshener-trnd/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/12/us/police-shooting-air-freshener-trnd/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1123 "2021-04-13T17:51:36Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > No doubt, but a fair number of folks will say this wasn’t a bias incident because “active warrant”, without exploring whether the warrant itself was based on a racially biased search. We’ll never know now, will we. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1124 "2021-04-13T18:11:31Z")
…which is why ordinary citizens on a jury need to start convicting these officers. I am sure we will hear how hard the job is, how dangerous it is, and how we don’t understand. And they’re probably right: we probably don’t know how dangerous it is. But so the fuck what? Police officers aren’t the only ones with dangerous jobs. Shit, being a cabbie, a construction worker, or an airline pilot is dangerous, and we don’t allow them to shoot people. We just assume that cops should be armed to the teeth, that simply talking back to them represents a potential threat, and that police aren’t in a position to take any chances. No, fuck that – police officers are in a position to take chances, and if they can’t live with that…then don’t do the fucking job. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1125 "2021-04-13T18:12:57Z")
I agree. I have friends who are sheriff’s deputies and police sergeants. They’re good people, but I still feel an “us against them” vibe when they describe some of their arrests. It makes me feel uneasy. LE culture needs to change in this country. For starters, I would prohibit any former military member from becoming an LEO. And I say this as a big supporter of our military members. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1126 "2021-04-13T18:13:55Z")
There is one thing and one thing only that will change right now: convictions and hard time in prison. That is it. That’s what’s riding on the outcome of cases like Chauvin’s and others. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1127 "2021-04-13T18:17:36Z")
The Guardian is reporting that both the officer who shot Daunte Wright and the Chief of Police have resigned. > **[Minnesota officer who killed Daunte Wright resigns along with police chief](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/13/daunte-wright-officer-kim-potter-police-chief-resign)** > > Police chief had said that officer Kim Potter meant to fire her Taser but fired her service weapon by mistake, killing the 20-year-old ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1128 "2021-04-13T18:21:40Z")
I agree with Trevor Noah: maybe if officers would just be trained to, I don’t know, think things through before pulling anything out of their holster…maybe ‘accidents’ like this wouldn’t happen? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1129 "2021-04-13T18:36:43Z")
It’s the mindset that their authority is beyond question in these situations that they need to be trained out of. If, as in the case of Daunte Wright and Jacob Blake, they were trained to diffuse rather than escalate in order to accomplish the objective of detaining the subject, the results would be better for everyone concerned. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1130 "2021-04-13T18:49:35Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > For starters, I would prohibit any former military member from becoming an LEO. And I say this as a big supporter of our military members. My understanding is that the military generally has a better ‘de-escalation’ culture regarding interactions than the police do. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1131 "2021-04-13T18:59:45Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I agree with Trevor Noah: maybe if officers would just be trained to, I don’t know, think things through before pulling anything out of their holster…maybe ‘accidents’ like this wouldn’t happen? Not defending the officer’s mistake - she deserves jail time - but in this case, there wasn’t much time to think. Wright had managed to get back in the car, and the officers knew the next step was either a dangerous high-speed chase, or possibly Wright pulling a gun out of somewhere in the car and starting a pointblank firefight. It all goes down in seconds, leaving the officer scant time to double-check what she’s holding. Maybe there needs to be a bigger difference in the look and feel of a tazer and a handgun? ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1132 "2021-04-13T19:26:06Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > She is a 26 year veteran and was assigned to train junior police officers. Everybody makes mistakes but this type of gross error leads me to question whether she was sufficiently qualified to do her job. She was also the local police union president. I just read on Twitter this morning, and I can’t find it now, that there was a warrant out for Daunte Wright’s arrest because the court had sent a notice to appear to the wrong address, so, when naturally, he didn’t show up, they issued a warrant. Would that not imply that the cops’ claim that he was fleeing because he had a warrant was a lie, since he didn’t know he had a warrant? ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1133 "2021-04-13T19:26:32Z")
Perp? What was he perpetrating? ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1134 "2021-04-13T19:28:08Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Once pulled over they found he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Was for carrying a firearm without a license. He failed to show up to court for that thus the warrant. He didn’t show up because the court sent the notice to appear to the wrong address. ---
**Author:** ![lum\_s\_husband](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lum_s_husband/32/3698_2.png) [@lum\_s\_husband](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lum_s_husband)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1135 "2021-04-13T19:31:20Z")
He stole a bullet. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1136 "2021-04-13T19:39:47Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > I just read on Twitter this morning, and I can’t find it now, that there was a warrant out for Daunte Wright’s arrest because the court had sent a notice to appear to the wrong address, so, when naturally, he didn’t show up, they issued a warrant. Would that not imply that the cops’ claim that he was fleeing because he had a warrant was a lie, since he didn’t know he had a warrant? More is being released about the reason he was stopped. Apparently it wasn’t the air freshener but expired tags that first flagged the police to pull him over. The air freshener was noticed later. The gun misdemeanor warrant and the fact that he ran from police last June was discovered in the process as well, which is what led to the attempt to arrest him. I have not seen any corroboration to the ‘sent to the wrong address’ . Story here: > **[Minnesota Officer Who Shot Daunte Wright Meant to Fire Taser, Chief Says...](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/12/us/brooklyn-center-police-shooting-minnesota.html)** > > Hours after body camera video of the killing was released, protesters gathered outside the Brooklyn Center police station despite a new curfew for much of the Twin Cities region. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1137 "2021-04-13T20:06:47Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > More is being released about the reason he was stopped. Apparently it wasn’t the air freshener but expired tags that first flagged the police to pull him over. You think they would have known that sooner… ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1138 "2021-04-13T20:09:54Z")
…wat? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1139 "2021-04-13T20:12:19Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I have not seen any corroboration to the ‘sent to the wrong address’ There are two cases against Daunte Wright listed in the Minnesota Judicial Branch website. I can’t link directly to each case, as you have to go to the [search page](https://publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us/DocumentSearch) and plug the case numbers in yourself. The two case numbers are: 27-CR-19-29850 27-CR-21-4400 The first case, in its most recent entry, shows a piece of Returned Mail. The post office has stamped on it: RETURN TO SENDER NO SUCH NUMBER UNABLE TO FORWARD [I have uploaded a copy of the returned mail to my Google Drive.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yo6zGmFRSjoiEe2tEVhhicmXRIvb6OIf/view?usp=sharing) It is not clear whether or not they actually sent the letter to the wrong address. The letter appears to have been sent to the address that is listed for Wright on all of his court paperwork: 5155 Dupont Avenue N. Minneapolis, MN 55430 This address does actually exist (found it on Google Maps), but I don’t know if Wright was living there at the time of his death. This first case, however, does NOT appear to be the case for which the warrant was issued. There is no warrant listed in the documentation for the first case. The warrant was issued in the second case, on April 2 of this year. [Here is the warrant.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jcSnR1iumHguDKaHx96wcDx2p5COl__N/view?usp=sharing) The second case does not show any returned mail. I’m not sure what any of this means, in terms of the events of Sunday afternoon. I think it would probably behoove us all to wait for a bit more information. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1140 "2021-04-13T20:28:46Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > The officer who shot Wright has stated that he meant to pull out his taser, not his handgun. Whoopsie! > > Cite: [Police: Minnesota officer meant to draw Taser, not handgun | AP News](https://www.snopes.com/ap/2021/04/12/police-minnesota-officer-meant-to-draw-taser-not-handgun/) This was the defense of the BART cop who shot Oscar Grant in Oakland some 12 or so years ago. He was convicted under California law of involuntary manslaughter. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/1141 "2021-04-13T20:38:14Z")
Every uniform cop I know/see carry the Taser on the non-dominant side of their belt. Seems like a basic safety issue if she wore them both on the same side, and close enough to each other that such a mistake could be made under pressure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531.md?page=56) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531.md?page=58)