# Controversial encounters between law-enforcement and civilians - the omnibus thread #2

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531>\
**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:** 1\
**Showing post:** 254

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**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/254 "2020-08-27T04:16:19Z")

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[Per the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:](https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2020/08/26/jacob-blake-had-knife-car-but-otherwise-unarmed-tased-kenosha-officer-rusten-sheskey-shot-in-back/5639429002/)

> Officers tried to arrest Blake. One of the officers deployed a Taser to try to stop him, but it did not work.[…]  
> Blake had a knife on the driver’s side floorboard and had no other weapons, the DOJ said in a news release.

> [@k9bfriender](#):
>
> He could have backed off outside of knife range

I’m going to bet that, like the vast majority of people, you don’t have the slightest clue how big “knife range” [actually is.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js0haocH4-o)

And let’s get this straight: you are saying that someone who resisted arrest, shrugged off a taser, and wrestled his way out of multiple cops’ grip, then ignored warnings as to stop as he calmly walked over to get into his car…should just be allowed to _drive away?!?_ Police might as well put up a public notice that arrests are optional! JFC

> [@eschereal](#):
>
> Well, if you do not know, then you should shut the fuck up about it until you do.

No, I shouldn’t. Criminals can and should be confronted by cops even if we don’t know why they are committing crimes in such high numbers. Which is not to say we shouldn’t try to find out, but public safety is the primary imperative before any of that. And the point was that it’s not a legitimate point to make, that Black men get shot and killed by police out of proportion to their percentage of the population, if the level they commit violent crimes is an even higher disproportionate share! That means that on a per-violent-criminal basis, Black men are being killed _less_ than white men.

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