# 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:** 634
**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:** [February 1, 2018, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12662 "2018-02-01T20:18:50Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Is it your position that bad police shootings are a common event? At this point, it would be difficult to describe them as _un_common. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2018, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12663 "2018-02-01T20:28:27Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > You’re kidding, right? Yes, he is. > [@eschereal](#): > > **/poe** ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2018, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12664 "2018-02-01T22:02:36Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Failing to turn on your body cam is not the same thing as turning off your body cam. But I get your point. The body cams aren’t capturing everything. > > Is it your position that these body cams are being left off intentionally? > > Is it your position that the stuff being captured by body cams is not representative of how cops behave generally? > > Is it your position that bad police shootings are a common event? 2 weeks later, you’re STILL trying to win an argument you lost at the first post? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12665 "2018-02-02T13:43:01Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > At this point, it would be difficult to describe them as _un_common. No it isn’t - bad police shootings are very uncommon. Nitpicking, Monday morning quarterbacking, complaints from the families of the Darwin Awardees, general foolishness from those who suffer from confirmation bias and the inability to distinguish anecdotes from patterns - these are common. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12666 "2018-02-02T14:40:20Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > No it isn’t - bad police shootings are very uncommon. > > Nitpicking, Monday morning quarterbacking, complaints from the families of the Darwin Awardees, general foolishness from those who suffer from confirmation bias and the inability to distinguish anecdotes from patterns - these are common. > > Regards, > Shodan Wow. That sounds like the cop son of a friend who regales us with stories of pulling over “a bunch of shitheads from a shithole driving a shitbox”. Loads of empathy. But, even if we grant the general truth of your statement, what about the innocent people lying in bed or answering their doors or walking through a park or store? Shrug it off as collateral damage, to keep the war/enemy paradigm in place? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12667 "2018-02-02T15:09:43Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > No it isn’t - bad police shootings are very uncommon. > > Nitpicking, Monday morning quarterbacking, complaints from the families of the Darwin Awardees, general foolishness from those who suffer from confirmation bias and the inability to distinguish anecdotes from patterns - these are common. > > Regards, > Shodan Not nearly as common as people denying, justifying, and rationalizing police misconduct, unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12668 "2018-02-02T16:20:13Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > But, even if we grant the general truth of your statement, what about the innocent people lying in bed or answering their doors or walking through a park or store? Shrug it off as collateral damage, to keep the war/enemy paradigm in place? We keep in mind that it is very uncommon, and that there is a difference between shrugging something off, and not basing policy on exaggeration and hysteria. Not on the SDMB, in real life. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![UCBearcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/77aa72/32.png) [@UCBearcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UCBearcats)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12669 "2018-02-02T22:47:59Z")
Late night raid goes wrong. Lady is killed by cops over weed. [Cops Raid House, Kill 72-Year-Old Woman Who Was Asleep, Woke Up, Tried to Defend Herself with a Pellet Gun](http://reason.com/blog/2018/02/01/cops-raid-house-kill-72-year-old-woman-w) “You killed my mother.” ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12670 "2018-02-02T22:55:04Z")
> [@UCBearcats](#): > > Late night raid goes wrong. Lady is killed by cops over weed. > > [Cops Raid House, Kill 72-Year-Old Woman Who Was Asleep, Woke Up, Tried to Defend Herself with a Pellet Gun](http://reason.com/blog/2018/02/01/cops-raid-house-kill-72-year-old-woman-w) “You killed my mother.” According to our favorite Fucking Troll, it was likely her fault for being there. Guilty by “geographicals”. Had it comin’ and all that. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12671 "2018-02-02T23:15:37Z")
> [@](#): > > . . .and then, blam, I fucking shot her. To **Shodan** , **Steophan** and the rest: do you really think this is how an officer of the peace should talk? is this really how you want your police to behave? mc ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12672 "2018-02-03T00:24:05Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > To **Shodan** , **Steophan** and the rest: do you really think this is how an officer of the peace should talk? is this really how you want your police to behave? According to the shooter, the lady pointed the gun at him twice. The real question that needs to be asked is why was there a police raid over some marijuana? ---
**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:** [February 3, 2018, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12673 "2018-02-03T00:48:26Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > We keep in mind that it is very uncommon, and that there is a difference between shrugging something off, and not basing policy on exaggeration and hysteria. Not on the SDMB, in real life. > > Regards, > Shodan It is uncommon that we get video of the shootings. It is far more uncommon that we get the truth from the police. It’s only a bad shooting if there is video. If there was no video, [this would have been a good shooting](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/12/07/former-south-carolina-police-officer-who-shot-walter-scott-sentenced-to-20-years/?utm_term=.cf437fb5db97). > [@](#): > > During the trial, Slager testified that he was scared and felt “total fear that Mr. Scott was coming toward me.” The former officer also said that he tried to subdue Scott and that the driver had grabbed his Taser during a struggle. The video showed that there was no struggle, Scott did not grab the taser, Slager put 5 bullets into Scott’s back from 10 yards away, called in a bullshit report then calmly walked over and dropped the taser near Scott’s corpse, in full view of another police office. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2018, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12674 "2018-02-03T00:49:26Z")
> [@UCBearcats](#): > > Late night raid goes wrong. Lady is killed by cops over weed. > > [Cops Raid House, Kill 72-Year-Old Woman Who Was Asleep, Woke Up, Tried to Defend Herself with a Pellet Gun](http://reason.com/blog/2018/02/01/cops-raid-house-kill-72-year-old-woman-w) “You killed my mother.” I wonder why the video that was released was _not_ from the body cam of the shooter. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12675 "2018-02-03T01:08:36Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > According to the shooter, the lady pointed the gun at him twice. The real question that needs to be asked is why was there a police raid over some marijuana? No, the real question is why does he sound like a 14yo talking to his friends about the awesome zombie apocalypse video game he just finished playing? A person with that mentality was a _use of lethal force report_ waiting to happen. mc ---
**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:** [February 3, 2018, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12676 "2018-02-03T11:11:41Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > To **Shodan** , **Steophan** and the rest: do you really think this is how an officer of the peace should talk? is this really how you want your police to behave? > > mc _Should_? Perhaps not. But it’s certainly understandable when they’ve just had to defend themselves from someone shooting at them. Seriously, how is this even remotely controversial? Woman shoots at police, gets shot. No issues of wrong address or anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![UCBearcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/77aa72/32.png) [@UCBearcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UCBearcats)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12677 "2018-02-03T13:04:49Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > _Should_? Perhaps not. But it’s certainly understandable when they’ve just had to defend themselves from someone shooting at them. > > Seriously, how is this even remotely controversial? Woman shoots at police, gets shot. No issues of wrong address or anything like that. It is still controversial that police would conduct a raid for weed. The son could have been arrested in many other ways. This woman did not have to due and should not have been killed. The whole police system in our country is fucked up. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2018, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12678 "2018-02-03T13:25:45Z")
> [@UCBearcats](#): > > It is still controversial that police would conduct a raid for weed. No it isn’t. It may be controversial that weed hasn’t yet been legalised, but it’s not controversial that the police should enforce the law. > [@](#): > > This woman did not have to due and should not have been killed. She was shooting at the police, for fuck’s sake. Of course the police were right to shoot her. > [@](#): > > The whole police system in our country is fucked up. This story is not evidence of that. The police enter a property with a warrant, the target of the warrant immediately surrenders. That’s exactly what should happen. The _only_ person who acted wrongly was the woman who shot and injured the polce. You are now literally arguing that the police shouldn’t defend themselves against someone who has _already shot them_. That is fucking insane. ---
**Author:** ![UCBearcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/77aa72/32.png) [@UCBearcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UCBearcats)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12679 "2018-02-03T13:37:41Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > No it isn’t. It may be controversial that weed hasn’t yet been legalised, but it’s not controversial that the police should enforce the law. > > She was shooting at the police, for fuck’s sake. Of course the police were right to shoot her. > > This story is not evidence of that. The police enter a property with a warrant, the target of the warrant immediately surrenders. That’s exactly what should happen. The _only_ person who acted wrongly was the woman who shot and injured the polce. > > You are now literally arguing that the police shouldn’t defend themselves against someone who has _already shot them_. That is fucking insane. Quit drooling over the cops. I’m arguing that they did not need to be in her home. The level of crime did not necessitate a raid. There are other ways to enforce laws that would start the same time make things safer for those very same cops. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2018, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12680 "2018-02-03T14:31:14Z")
> [@UCBearcats](#): > > Quit drooling over the cops. I’m arguing that they did not need to be in her home. The level of crime did not necessitate a raid. There are other ways to enforce laws that would start the same time make things safer for those very same cops. Well, you are factually wrong there, as usual. They had a warrant to search the house, and to do so, they literally _had_ to be in the house. Even if you think the law is wrong to criminalise weed, or that the judge was wrong to allow a warrant for what you perceive as a minor crime, that doesn’t reflect on the police. Unless it’s your view that the police should ignore laws the don’t like. That would be a surprising view, considering that the premise of this thread is how bad it is when (or if) cops ignore laws they don’t like and get away with it. You know what would also make things safer for cops? Idiots like you not defending people shooting cops who are doing their job. ---
**Author:** ![UCBearcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/77aa72/32.png) [@UCBearcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UCBearcats)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/12681 "2018-02-03T14:52:25Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Well, you are factually wrong there, as usual. They had a warrant to search the house, and to do so, they literally _had_ to be in the house. Even if you think the law is wrong to criminalise weed, or that the judge was wrong to allow a warrant for what you perceive as a minor crime, that doesn’t reflect on the police. > > Unless it’s your view that the police should ignore laws the don’t like. That would be a surprising view, considering that the premise of this thread is how bad it is when (or if) cops ignore laws they don’t like and get away with it. > > You know what would also make things safer for cops? Idiots like you not defending people shooting cops who are doing their job. The cops are the ones who go to the judge to get the fucking warrant you fucking dipshit. They don’t need a warrant to arrest a guy dealing weed. It is a waste of resources and places EVERYONE at risk. Save the raid for meth labs, human trafficking, weapons stashes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=633) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=635)