10-28-2015, 11:18 AM
I think that type of thinking is a big part of the problem, Maggot.
There was no warrant in the case I was referring to and the cop who executed Walter Scott had no evidence to remotely support the scenario that you suggested. Scott was pulled over for a traffic violation, that's it. When he tried to evade arrest, presumably because he was behind on child support, he was shot down, in the back, from a very safe distance, while posing no threat to the cop or any of the cops who were patrolling in close proximity and could have helped catch Scott (whose friend and car were at the scene and could have also helped track down Scott quickly).
You can give cops a license to assault and kill in all situations based on "what ifs" if you want. I can't. I think it's more reasonable to expect them to act on what they know or reasonably suspect, with a lot of leeway if they are in the process of being assaulted or threatened. We have different mindsets.
If it turns out the teen girl was posing a threat to anyone, it'll change my initial opinion which is based on what we know now. If it's instead confirmed that she was simply refusing to leave class when she was choke-holded, slammed, and dragged, I'll continue to believe that it could have been handled more appropriately and it shouldn't take hindsight to know that such violence against a juvenile was going to create more problems than it solved.
There was no warrant in the case I was referring to and the cop who executed Walter Scott had no evidence to remotely support the scenario that you suggested. Scott was pulled over for a traffic violation, that's it. When he tried to evade arrest, presumably because he was behind on child support, he was shot down, in the back, from a very safe distance, while posing no threat to the cop or any of the cops who were patrolling in close proximity and could have helped catch Scott (whose friend and car were at the scene and could have also helped track down Scott quickly).
You can give cops a license to assault and kill in all situations based on "what ifs" if you want. I can't. I think it's more reasonable to expect them to act on what they know or reasonably suspect, with a lot of leeway if they are in the process of being assaulted or threatened. We have different mindsets.
If it turns out the teen girl was posing a threat to anyone, it'll change my initial opinion which is based on what we know now. If it's instead confirmed that she was simply refusing to leave class when she was choke-holded, slammed, and dragged, I'll continue to believe that it could have been handled more appropriately and it shouldn't take hindsight to know that such violence against a juvenile was going to create more problems than it solved.