# Controversial encounters between law-enforcement and civilians - the omnibus thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 10, 2014, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942 "2014-10-10T07:35:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 205
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4081 "2015-06-23T15:41:26Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The better outcome is when the cops spend more then two seconds actually analyzing the situation, then decide on a course of action that brings the least amount of harm to everybody involved. I’m sorry there wasn’t enough bloodshed in this situation to satisfy your needs, but I’m sure a situation will pop up soon enough where you will be able to once again spout your “He had no other choice but to empty his gun…then reload…then empty his gun again! That Girl Scout might have had a weapon hidden in that box of cookies!” type of defense. We’re not talking about girl scouts with cookies, we’re talking about men pointing guns at cops. That you think a man pointing a gun at someone is about as dangerous as a girl scout offering cookies is odd, to put it mildly. Unless you are, as usual, lying in an attempt to back up your indefensible point of view. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4082 "2015-06-23T15:42:57Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > Just like Steophan. Wait, no, not Men in Black. Steophan was watching black men, through a tiny gap in his drapes, while praying and fingering his weapon. No I was watching them on Pornhub ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4083 "2015-06-23T15:51:10Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > We’re not talking about girl scouts with cookies, You are correct. In fact, the four year old girl is not even old enough to be a Brownie. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4084 "2015-06-23T16:38:08Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > You don’t get to shoot kids who take a swing at you either. Are you referring to a baseball game, or an attempted armed robbery? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4085 "2015-06-23T16:56:41Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > . I’m sorry there wasn’t enough bloodshed in this situation to satisfy your needs, but I’m sure a situation will pop up soon enough where you will be able to once again spout your “He had no other choice but to empty his gun…then reload…then empty his gun again! That Girl Scout might have had a weapon hidden in that box of cookies!” type of defense. Liar. Quote the _first_ time he said that. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4086 "2015-06-23T17:03:44Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > _ **How many people need to be killed by police each year in the United States before YOU start to say “there’s something wrong here and we need to change this”?** _ No number of people killed by police _in justifiable self-defense_ would indicate that anything whatsoever was wrong with law enforcement. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4087 "2015-06-23T17:07:21Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > No number of people killed by police _in justifiable self-defense_ would indicate that anything whatsoever was wrong with law enforcement. The fact that US police kill ~200 times as many people _per gun murder_ (corrected both by population and by crime rate differences) as police in the UK do is a good indication that not all those killed by police in the US are actually justifiable. It’s not reasonable that, when corrected by difference in murder rates and population, US police officers are ~200 times more likely to face imminent danger than UK police officers. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4088 "2015-06-23T17:08:10Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Liar. Quote the _first_ time he said that. _Type of defense_, not direct quote, and I was responding directly to **Steophan** and not you, dum-dums for brains. Is he your sock or something? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4089 "2015-06-23T17:08:12Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > No number of people killed by police _in justifiable self-defense_ would indicate that anything whatsoever was wrong with law enforcement. “I thought he had a gun” does not create “justifiable self-defense”. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4090 "2015-06-23T17:08:43Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > The fact that US police kill ~200 times as many people _per gun murder_ (corrected both by population and by crime rate differences) as police in the UK do is a good indication that not all those killed by police in the US are actually justifiable. It’s not reasonable that, when corrected by difference in murder rates and population, US police officers are ~200 times more likely to face imminent danger than UK police officers. You’re right. I’d say the actual difference in risk in this country is much higher than 200 times. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4091 "2015-06-23T17:09:43Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > “I thought he had a gun” does not create “justifiable self-defense”. Actually, that’s pretty much the definition of justifiable self-defense. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4092 "2015-06-23T17:11:02Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > _Type of defense_, not direct quote, and I was responding directly to **Steophan** and not you, dum-dums for brains. Is he your sock or something? If you wanted a one-on-one conversation, you could PM him instead of posting in a public thread. And “dum-dum for brains”? Really? Is it so difficult for you to defend the strawmen you’ve built up that playground taunting is easier? I guess I should count myself lucky you didn’t go with “doodoohead” or “fartface”. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4093 "2015-06-23T17:13:13Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > You’re right. I’d say the actual difference in risk in this country is much higher than 200 times. The actual difference, uncorrected, is about 14,000 times. When corrected for population and differences in crime rates, it’s about 200 times. Since you’re incapable of thinking rationally on this topic (and many others), I’ll take what you’d ‘say the actual difference is’ with a grain of salt. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4094 "2015-06-23T17:17:50Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > If you wanted a one-on-one conversation, you could PM him instead of posting in a public thread. I fucking _quoted_ him in the same post I responded to him-how much more obvious could it possibly be that I was directly addressing him, and not every other person in the thread, let alone you, you idiotic asswipe? I think you’ve just redefined “dense”. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4095 "2015-06-23T17:19:31Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > You’re right. I’d say the actual difference in risk in this country is much higher than 200 times. Not enough bloodshed for you? ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4096 "2015-06-23T17:21:28Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > You’re right. I’d say the actual difference in risk in this country is much higher than 200 times. Pants-wetting fear sponges. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4097 "2015-06-23T17:22:52Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I fucking _quoted_ him in the same post I responded to him-how much more obvious could it possibly be that I was directly addressing him, and not every other person in the thread, let alone you, you idiotic asswipe? I think you’ve just redefined “dense”. :smack: So does that mean you’re _not_ going to tell us when he made any statement of the kind you’re associating with him? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4098 "2015-06-23T17:30:28Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > So does that mean you’re _not_ going to tell us when he made any statement of the kind you’re associating with him? First things first: Does this mean you admit I wasn’t talking to you in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4099 "2015-06-23T17:37:38Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Actually, that’s pretty much the definition of justifiable self-defense. So they are magic words to get out of jail free. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/4100 "2015-06-23T17:42:08Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > So they are magic words to get out of jail free. No. Have you not been reading this thread? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=204) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=206)