Most of those cops aren’t themselves armed either.
Then there are countries like Switzerland where damn near everyone has a gun; where, indeed, more people own guns per capita than the U.S. Why don’t they have the same outrageous number of people shot by cops? And what about Canada? Plenty of guns in Canada. Why aren’t cops shooting people left, right, and centre there?
Isn’t it just more likely at this stage that there are some cops who don’t care about killing civilians because they’re just plain sociopaths and they know the system will back them up?
Well, I have 'em on that wall in the small fishing village I’m from (France). They seem content to not shoot people on a lark. But then they do drink a lot :p.
D’you maybe recall that piece linked earlier in the thread, about the Scandinavian cops on holidays subduing violent, angry, possibly high blokes on the NYC subway without feeling any pressing need to shoot up the whole car ? Because that story seems like it counters your assertion.
Also, Canada. Your argument is invalid.
And that might come into play if said hostile subject actually threatened their lives. Like, actually so. Not potentially so, or possibly so, or could conceivably do so at an indeterminate point in the future, or even very definitely has the means to do so but hasn’t shown any indication of a *will *to do so.
Yes. Explain how a car which is cornered between two police cars and a tree with no more than two feet of wiggle room could possibly present a threat to life or limb.
She wasn’t travelling at a high rate of speed-she was bumping them from a standing start. She didn’t even set off their airbags.
They shot her because she was damaging their vehicles.
False. Moreover, most of those guns are military-issued rifles which members of the public are not allowed to possess ammunition for except when issued by an armory in case of emergency.
Stricter standards on purchasing guns, including licensing, registration, and the requirement to prove one legally owns a gun in order to buy ammunition for it. Outright prohibition of automatic weapons. Lack of the existence of a culture that teaches that the police are evil and should be resisted with deadly force.
Stricter standards on purchasing guns, including licensing, registration, and outright bans on many types of handguns and ammunition. Lack of the existence of a culture that teaches that the police are evil and should be resisted with deadly force.
To paraphrase Smapti (he probably practices this speech in the mirror):
“You can’t handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls. And those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Kobal2? Cops have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Small and you curse the cops. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what they know: that Small’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And the cops existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives…You don’t want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall.”
You tell 'em Smapti.
What do the cops call a Code Red? Shooting an unarmed civilian?
One of the jurors admits they were mistaken not to indict. The prosecutor likely presented a feeble case because prosecutors and cops are thick as thieves. This is yet another example at to why a state or federal prosecutor should handle all cases where police kill people.