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

[PastTense]

A 73-year-old man with early stages of dementia was shot and killed Monday by a Bakersfield police officer nine times during a late-night walk despite being unarmed, his son said…

Man with dementia fatally shot by police had a crucifix, not a gun, police say

[Boyo_Jim]

Killed nine times? :eek:

[Snowboarder_Bo]

@PastTense

Man with dementia fatally shot by police had a crucifix, not a gun, police say

Police searched the family’s home and cars after the shooting and did not recover a firearm, his son said.

What the fuck?

Why in fucking fuck would they search homes and cars for a weapon? Did the police have reasonable cause to believe that the corpse went and hid the weapon? I hope the family didn’t consent to the searches.

Someone please lemme know when the FBI is involved, because it sure sounds like a bunch of rights (and one life) got trampled on.

[Typo_Negative]

So it literally is ‘Shoot first, ask questions later’?

[eschereal]

@Typo_Negative

So it literally is ‘Shoot first, ask questions later’?

Shoot first and find a gun later. No matter how hard you have to try. Maybe have another officer stop by Bear Arms and pick one up so you can get his prints on it. Somehow, find that gun.

[RandMcnally]

Woo! My hometown.

[Happy_Fun_Ball]

Wow, here is a good controversial encounter: some cops fighting the good fight in San Diego.

Cops Allow Police Dog to Bite Naked, Unarmed Man.

Luckily this only cost the taxpayers ~$400,000 to settle the lawsuit. Not to much to pay to keep the boys in blue on the job, right? I wonder if the handler got a medal.

[Snowboarder_Bo]

@PastTense

Man with dementia fatally shot by police had a crucifix, not a gun, police say

The AP has more on this story now, and I found this part VERY interesting (bolding mine):[

No gun was found on Serna, only an officer that Martin called difficult to describe. He gave no further details.

Earlier at about 4 p.m. on Sunday, another neighbor had encountered Serna, whose hand was in his jacket pocket as though he had a gun. Serna tried to force his way into the house of the neighbor, who called his behavior “bizarre.” Serna left and the neighbor, who had recognized him, did not immediately report the incident.

Then about eight hours later, the woman who lives across the street from Serna was getting out of a car in her driveway when he came up behind her and asked her to get back into the car. The woman also saw Serna’s hand in his jacket pocket and thought he had a gun. She and a friend she was with ran into the house and she told her boyfriend, who called police and said a man in the driveway had a revolver and was brandishing it at women, Martin said.

](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/d2a2f44c77714ae5a069503e137e5774/police-man-killed-officer-driveway-didnt-have-gun)First, I’m reasonably sure that the word “officer” in the first bolded part should be “object”. I’m curious to know what this could have been that would make it “difficult to describe”.

Second, is the person who told police that this man was brandishing a weapon guilty of a crime? It seems to me that his statement is the crux of the biscuit, as it were.

[Snowboarder_Bo]

@Happy_Fun_Ball

Wow, here is a good controversial encounter: some cops fighting the good fight in San Diego.

Cops Allow Police Dog to Bite Naked, Unarmed Man.

Luckily this only cost the taxpayers ~$400,000 to settle the lawsuit. Not to much to pay to keep the boys in blue on the job, right? I wonder if the handler got a medal.

I found the video on YouTube and could not finish watching it. Those officers should never wear a badge again, IMO.

[Mince]

@Snowboarder_Bo

I found the video on YouTube and could not finish watching it. Those officers should never wear a badge again, IMO.

They should wear a badge again, akin to the badges Jews wore circa 1939-45. (I couldn’t finish either).

[Smapti]

@Snowboarder_Bo

I found the video on YouTube and could not finish watching it. Those officers should never wear a badge again, IMO.

You’d prefer they would have shot him?

[Snowboarder_Bo]

@Smapti

You’d prefer they would have shot him?

Smapti, there was no justification for the dog, nor would there have been justification for shooting him. What part of that escapes you?

ETA: Why do you think those were the only two options available to the numerous police officers facing a naked, unarmed man who wouldn’t turn around?

[mhendo]

@Smapti

You’d prefer they would have shot him?

No, but no doubt if they had, you’d be here defending that too.

[Smapti]

@Snowboarder_Bo

Smapti, there was no justification for the dog, nor would there have been justification for shooting him.

The part where that’s not true. We’ve got a man who is on drugs, resisting arrest and making threatening gestures and statements. He’s a threat to the officers and the use of force to subdue him is appropriate and justified.

ETA: Why do you think those were the only two options available to the numerous police officers facing a naked, unarmed man who wouldn’t turn around?

They’re the ones that don’t expose the officers to greater risk.

[Chisquirrel]

@Smapti

The part where that’s not true. We’ve got a man who is on drugs, resisting arrest and making threatening gestures and statements. He’s a threat to the officers and the use of force to subdue him is appropriate and justified.

They’re the ones that don’t expose the officers to greater risk.

If 5 officers feel threatened by a naked, unarmed man, who’s only offense is yelling NO! when they tell him to turn around, then they need to work in a less scary profession. Maybe pillow tester?

Either way, there’s no excuse for letting the K-9 continue to maul the man after he’s on the ground and handcuffed. The “Stop resisting!” was a nice touch too.

[Bill_Door]

@eschereal

Shoot first and find a gun later. No matter how hard you have to try. Maybe have another officer stop by Bear Arms and pick one up so you can get his prints on it. Somehow, find that gun.

The victim did have a crucifix. Do we know for sure that the officer who fired at him seven times wasn’t a vampire? That may have made him feel threatened.

[dasmoocher]

@mhendo

No, but no doubt if they had, you’d be here defending that too.

I don’t think I’ve ever used the phrase “quoted for truth” before, but it applies here.

[dasmoocher]

@Bill_Door

The victim did have a crucifix. Do we know for sure that the officer who fired at him seven times wasn’t a vampire? That may have made him feel threatened.

I haven’t watched the video. Was it daylight? Maybe he was a reverse vampire. Better safe than sorry. Right?

[eschereal]

@dasmoocher

I haven’t watched the video. Was it daylight? Maybe he was a reverse vampire. Better safe than sorry. Right?

The LA Times story says that the police arrived at 12:40 in the a m. No mention was made of silver bullets.

[Happy_Fun_Ball]

@eschereal

The LA Times story says that the police arrived at 12:40 in the a m. No mention was made of silver bullets.

It was made in the afternoon by the full sunlight in the video.

For the record, I couldn’t finish it either.