What are y'alls opinions on escalation of force for Police Departments?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 22:07:44 -0400

Im writing a paper for a class on the Jacob Blake shooting on what could have been done differently. After reviewing relevant fact on the matter, do you believe the escalation of force used in the shooting was justified or not and why?

Can we link these to the perceived "systemic racism" and the George Floyd/Breonna Taylor cases?

Please provide justified responses and examples of what could or could not have been done differently.

Response by LT Brad McInnis made Aug 28 at 2020 10:09 PM

LT Brad McInnis — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 22:09:57 -0400

None of us were there, none of us have access to all relevant data; therefore, any opinions would be like a@@holes!

Response by SFC William Farrell made Aug 29 at 2020 12:38 AM

SFC William Farrell — Sat, 29 Aug 2020 00:38:02 -0400

SSG Private RallyPoint Member I posted somewhere else, why shoot him in the back but that was before I knew some of the other facts that are coming out. Two tasers failed to stop him, the cops knew he had a knife, they may have known about his violent past and when he started reaching into the car, that was the end of it. Ill support officers when they are right but not when they are wrong. I'm thinking they were not wrong here. I'd say 99% percent of cops dont go to work everyday hoping to shoot someone but there are some officers that do have problems. I am a retired officer and I carry everyday and thats the last thing I want to do is shoot someone.

Response by CWO4 Tim Hecht made Aug 29 at 2020 12:40 AM

CWO4 Tim Hecht — Sat, 29 Aug 2020 00:40:41 -0400

"Jacob Blake shooting on what could have been done differently "
Andrew Dickhoff - good luck with your paper. During my time in the Coast Guard and as an armed Customs and Border Protection Officer on the border I've been through a lot of Judgmental Shooting Courses, situational awareness, and the "Use of Force Continuum". Unless there is more video out there that shows a different point of view the existing video doesn't give me enough information to make a good decision.
I'm good at making guesses; and have always been known to interject my opinion whether asked for or not! As you probably know that a "Use of Force Continuum Chart" details somewhat an officer's response to force by a person they are engaged with can be used. In a nut shell if I, as an officer, tells you to stop and you do, that was an appropriate level of force. If you indicate you have a knife and it is visible in your hand I have two immediate courses of action. First I should have my duty gun in hand, pointed at you; and second I should be telling you to drop the weapon or I will shoot. Odds are if you, with your knife are within 21’ (in some cases 30') of me unless I take some evasive action I'm probably going to get cut. If you don't drop the knife and start to approach me with it in hand the use of deadly force is legitimate. Courts generally allow an officer to use one level of force higher than what the "suspect" is using.
I've watched several videos of the incident and without reading witness and police statements I don't see that the use of deadly force was justified. I'll qualify that with "was the knife in Blake's hand" - what did the officer who shot Blake see as Blake was entering the front of the car? A search of the car did not turn up a gun as some early reports indicated.
One thing that many people do that is "flawed" in my mind is grouping all the officer involved shootings into one group of Cop on Black Shootings as being institutional racism; each case needs to be looked at individually. Is racism to be considered as a problem? To say no would be turning a blind eye on the reality of that.
To answer your question in my opinion there is not enough evidence to decide if an appropriate level of force was used. The officer following Blake had his gun pointed at Blake for a reason; Blake had been tased twice; so it's your opinion that will matter in your paper.

Response by SFC Robert Walton made Aug 29 at 2020 8:47 AM

SFC Robert Walton — Sat, 29 Aug 2020 08:47:44 -0400

I would have to put my self in the officers position. Blake violated a trespass order for the house he was at, the police struggled with him, used two tasers that did not stop him, then he simply walks away from the struggle, and stated he was going to his car for a weapon/gun. Looking around there were to many people around to be firing with out being completely sure of your shot. You also have the bystanders and the fact that the police are being watched very close for shooting folks with out a weapon. They let him get to the car he opened the door and reached in now you have to take him at his word that he has a weapon. If i had been in the same position and i am in no way saying i am any kind of an expert, I would have only changed one thing i would have reached down and shot him in the leg twice and stepped back. Two Thigh wounds are going to bleed a lot i don't think he is going any where very fast. JMTC

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 29 at 2020 2:49 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sat, 29 Aug 2020 14:49:34 -0400

Did he grab the knife?

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Aug 29 at 2020 4:12 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Sat, 29 Aug 2020 16:12:23 -0400

Andy- look at the number of Leo's gunned down this year alone- they are scared and that's dangerous.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 30 at 2020 1:26 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sun, 30 Aug 2020 13:26:23 -0400

I believe escalating police force will only increase the violence meted by the protesters. Ideology is the root cause for actions. The protesters' ideology is to reduce police violence against people of color. Police escalating the violence indicates there is no room for dialogue and there is little recourse except for the protesters to become more violent.

Ideology is very important. Let's look at Afghanistan. The Taliban want Sharia Law and the government wants a democracy. There is no middle ground. Thus I do not see the end of fighting.

Ideologies are paramount in struggles. They are often considered the Center of Gravity (COG) or true strength. The ideology for Americans that became impetus for the American Revolution was the mistreatment of the colonies by the English and their desire for sovereignty.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 31 at 2020 9:10 AM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 09:10:56 -0400

So. Meaty question. I won't write the argument for you, but I do have a direction to follow:

One needs to look up the Continuum of Force. Inherently, the continuum of force goes along with how to deal with a threat. If a threat is perceived, and an officer follows the continuum of force model, as directed by policy, then the matter is clearly defined by the context of which the continuum of force is employed.

It's a touchy subject these days. There are a lot of people who don't view force implementation through the right lenses. They view the development of a threat as something that is done based solely upon race, and not upon actions. If one were to say that someone is a threat simply because of their race, then yes, race would be the reason for many cases of the use of force.

I do contend that sometimes, even when it may appear that race is a driving factor, very likely the actions or activities of someone may warrant the escalation of the force continuum, and that would be the driving factor behind the actions taken.

Response by SSG Brian G. made Aug 31 at 2020 9:42 AM

SSG Brian G. — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 09:42:19 -0400

An officer has to make a judgement call based on a number of factors and each scene will be different. They have to look at the time of day ie light and conditions, where they are and the situation. They have to look at the information they have on hand about the person they are interacting with and how that person is acting and appears.

In the case of Jacob Blake they were called out to that address on a warrant for secxual assault, and with that the suspect had a known history of being violent. When they got there, the suspect refused police orders and resisted tasing twice and scuffled with police before walking around the vehicle which held 3 children and was an unknown as far as what might be contained within.

The report was that he was armed with a knife as in video an officer can be heard to say "drop the knife" and he had in hand what looked to be a karambit or hawkbill. So the presence of a weapon is going to change where on the force chart an officer starts off.

The officer tried using verbal all throughout the encounter, had tried tasing twice, had gone hands on when the suspect was on the ground but he fought free. At the point where he could endanger the children and attain further weapons to endanger the officers, the call was made to shoot. Shots were fired per procedure until the suspect stopped being a threat... 7 shots fired, 4 hitting the suspect. At which point he was apprehended, disarmed and arrested.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 31 at 2020 10:29 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 10:29:15 -0400

Fun fact: on average there are 900,000,000 police interactions with the public every year. Last year there were 1004 people killed by the police. That's 0.00011%. (ie one ten thousandth of one percent). Study by MSU and U of Maryland reviewing over 700 police shooting databases from all over the country found that in 95% of all police killings, the person killed was actively attacking another person at the time. Of the remaining 5%, 90% of them were armed. Bottom line: unless you are armed or attacking another person, you have a 0.0000056% chance of being killed while interacting with the police (that's 5 one millionths of one percent). If you don't resist arrest or attack another person you have a 99.9999944% chance of NOT being killed by the police.

you are more likely to fall out of bed and break your neck or be killed by a falling coconut than you are to be shot by a cop....

edit: rechecked my math and I was off by a factor of 10. you actually have a 99.99999944% chance of not getting shot if you don't fight or resist.

Response by SMSgt Bob Wilson made Aug 31 at 2020 11:23 AM

SMSgt Bob Wilson — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 11:23:11 -0400

Your in the Army and trained in this situation daily--escalation of a situation. What would you do to de-escalate the situation? What tactical action are you trained to do? Would a stun gun been an option? What about the individual--was he using PCP? Why was the individual stopped? The Police Officer is one person, should he have requested assistance? What was the area like where the shooting occurred--was it urban, rural, low crime or high crime area? Yes, many of these questions you will not be found reading the newspaper. I found, from personal experience, the reporter writes a story with only half the facts and fills-in with assumptions. REMEMBER: There are two stories and the truth is somewhere between them. "Systemic racism" is another phase for "jaded". Police normally see who daily--people who disobey the law. After seeing law-breakers continually, Police tend not to believe anybody; in some cases, perceive issues or problems which don't exist; and in the climate of crime we are presently in, take action to permanently de-escalate the situation. The Police Officer deserves the same rights and respect as a criminal--the right to return home at the end of the day.

Response by SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D made Aug 31 at 2020 11:51 AM

SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 11:51:36 -0400

Hard to say not knowing all of the circumstances, but I would have exhausted all other means of controlling him until my life or others around me were threatened. Shooting him would be my last resort, but once would have been more than enough. However, in my opinion, not knowing the facts, I believe this was probably the first such encounter in a situation like that for the Officer and when threatened, under the circumstances, his fear took over and his response was spontaneous.

Response by Sgt Peter McDonald made Sep 1 at 2020 10:33 AM

Sgt Peter McDonald — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 10:33:54 -0400

You are reading into the liberal media narrative that is intended to divide our country. There is no systemic racism in our country or law enforcement.
Out of hundred of thousands of police actions per year, there are only about a dozen or so killings of "unarmed" suspects. And during these times, they usually occur when the suspect fights and is attempting to grab a weapon when they fail to comply with the police directives. FBI statistics show, that white people are killed more than black, Hispanic, and other races. A fact that is often omitted by the media.
Although the use of force utilized was justified, I will suggest you contact your local police department and request a ride along and see first hand as to what these brave men and women endure to ensure your safety. You can then ask them those same questions and get their responses.
Social media has villified the police by the untrained civilian. Basically they are no more than a arm chair quarterback who are making a judgement in which they are not qualified to make.
Good luck with your paper.

Response by PO3 Antonio Mena made Sep 3 at 2020 2:23 AM

PO3 Antonio Mena — Thu, 03 Sep 2020 02:23:14 -0400

Over the past 40 or so years I've seen police forces in America become more like military units. The Reagan administration began allowing police departments to purchase used military vehicles and equipment designed for military use. Many American neighborhoods have watched them roll up their streets looking and acting like the military. When the police serve a search warrant they move in with numbers and have no problem crashing through the front door. If you're a 6 year old who watched 5 or 6 police officers in full battle gear body slam your 17 year old unarmed brother for no apparent reason, I could understand how the police have looked like the enemy. So when I hear people say "Just comply, do what the police tell you to do" to avoid being shot and everything will be just fine, I'm stunned by how naive people can be. The guy in Kenosha was shot 7 times in the back. By one officer. No, I wasn't there and didn't witness it but this looks bad from the get go. So we have entire neighborhoods who view the police as their enemy and undertrained and under vetted police in armored vehicles imposing their will. There's no way for this situation to end well.
Regarding systemic racism, it should be remembered that police forces in southern states got their start as runaway slave catchers. When other factors such as creating laws specifically targeting the black population, the continued active presence of hate groups like the KKK and what I've seen with my own eyes makes denying systemic racism absurd.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 5 at 2020 7:54 AM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 05 Sep 2020 07:54:31 -0400

SSG Private RallyPoint Member It was not racism, This and other recent minority deaths were shamefully exploited by Extremists to divide, assault and plunder Americans. Oh, and derail Trumps re-election, of course.

Response by Cpl Mark McMiller made Sep 12 at 2020 10:35 PM

Cpl Mark McMiller — Sat, 12 Sep 2020 22:35:27 -0400

You know what. When a police officer is giving you commands, obey the commands. Don't argue with them. Don't fight them. Obey them and minimize your chance of being shot. Because if I'm a cop and you're fighting with me and then you disobey my commands and open your car door and reach inside, I'm not going to give you a chance to grab a firearm and shoot me; I'm going to put your lights out. There is no systematic racism in this country; the law is the same for everyone. Black people aren't being killed by cops because they're black. They're being killed by cops because they are resisting and not following commands and putting both their own lives and the cops lives in danger.

Response by LtCol Robert Quinter made Sep 13 at 2020 9:42 AM

LtCol Robert Quinter — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 09:42:24 -0400

I apologize in advance for my inability to provide the responses to the questions you have posed. I do not have the investigative results that would give me a full explanation of why these incidents occurred.
Unfortunately, many with predisposed opinions are prepared to act before they have answers. Investigating officials are subjected to assaults and riotous masses even as they are doing their investigation and the blood hasn't dried at the scene.
The right to "peacefully protest" has been interpreted as the "right to riot, destroy, and attack".

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Sep 13 at 2020 1:05 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 13:05:54 -0400

What the hell. I dedicate time to write a narrative and I don't even get a thumbs up from the ingrate?
Pathetic.

Response by CPL Gerald Welch made Sep 13 at 2020 2:32 PM

CPL Gerald Welch — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 14:32:14 -0400

The predominance of legal authority outlawing racism and discrimination defies any claim of "systemic racism" and the lack of sheer numbers of police cases points to bad or untrained cops.
One policeman shooting him seven times is more the act of an untrained/unprepared/rookie than "kill him because he is black." Note that the other officers present did not shoot.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 13 at 2020 6:40 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 18:40:37 -0400

There is no excuse for shooting someone in the back.

That’s all. It’s actually that easy.

Response by SFC Carlos Cruz made Sep 13 at 2020 8:33 PM

SFC Carlos Cruz — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 20:33:34 -0400

The situation was clear when he had a knife

Response by SFC Carlos Cruz made Sep 13 at 2020 8:49 PM

SFC Carlos Cruz — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 20:49:08 -0400

I be clear about this event.

Officers has a responsibility to protect themself regardless & they don’t wake up thinking they are going to kill a Black or Hispanic man therefore racism is a excuse by this ppl.

Jacob Blake had a knife in hand & if you read the report he was about to get another one inside the truck. They should had shot his dumb ass twice not 7 time.

George Floyd, if you really watch the tape, he refused to get in the vehicle and he was high on drugs.

You cannot blame an officer who is trying to put the knee on someone’s neck to calm a person down because it was his training.

Breonna Taylor was delivering drugs from allocation therefore this officers should identify as officers with a Warren.

I don’t believe in no Warren nock.

Response by SSG Derrick Iozzio made Sep 13 at 2020 8:50 PM

SSG Derrick Iozzio — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 20:50:32 -0400

After leaving the Army, I served as a law enforcement officer (17 years). I can say that officers are trained to use only the force necessary to effect an arrest. Most police officers do not want to use deadly force, but they are trained to do so to protect themselves and others. The loss of life is tragic, but in most cases can be prevented if the person would simply comply with the police, don't resist, don't reach for ANYTHING, especially a weapon. In the Blake shooting and in the Floyd death, both individuals had a criminal record, both had a history of disregard for the law and the safety and peace of the public. They made a decision to resist. It is tragic, but it has nothing to do with race. The big issue here is the media reporting unproven facts, and sometimes skewing the incident in order to make money. The solution here is simple and obvious- if you don't want to go to jail, if you don't want to risk an altercation with a police officer, the do not break the law- period.

Response by Paula Minger made Sep 13 at 2020 10:20 PM

Paula Minger — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 22:20:48 -0400

Sadly, He was too far gone to have been helped from police or anyone
Family and social services could have helped early on but only if Jacob wanted it. After the 70’s when ACLU seceding in giving more rights to mentally ill persons, help from an outside source is very hard to provide legally

Response by PO2 Michael Berry made Sep 14 at 2020 2:45 AM

PO2 Michael Berry — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 02:45:35 -0400

Breonna Taylor was an inocant bystander caught between the no knock warrant team and her boyfriend. No knock warrants are served on violent criminals in the hope to arrest the criminal by surprise this no one involved gets hurt. Unfortunately Breonna was between her boyfriend and the police. Race plays no part in the decision to use a no knock warrant only how violent the criminal is.

Response by AA Loreen Silvarahawk made Sep 14 at 2020 8:36 AM

AA Loreen Silvarahawk — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 08:36:07 -0400

It all comes down to one factor - was your life in danger? Same as if you were in combat.

Response by SP5 Harold Cartwright made Sep 14 at 2020 12:10 PM

SP5 Harold Cartwright — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 12:10:22 -0400

No. What kind of threat did this black man make or portray ? He was WALKING away from the the PO's, not. running and what IF, that was a knife he was pulling out from his. waist, he continued walking and the the PO grabs him by. the shirt, then shoots him in the back !! If he was a white man, he'd be alive today. You figure it out. Peace.

Response by PO2 Mike Keyes made Sep 14 at 2020 12:23 PM

PO2 Mike Keyes — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 12:23:05 -0400

Absolutely justified.
I don't care what his history is. I don't care if I have knowledge that he has a weapon. I certainly don't care what color his skin is.
I care about surviving the encounter. What I have to go on at that moment boils down to a couple salient facts: 1) I am dealing with a man that is not following my commands. 2) I am dealing with a man that is physically combative. 3) our less-than-lethal tools have failed to control him. 4) we have lost physical control of his movements and he is now reaching into an area I can't see for I don't know what. I have reasonable fear of great bodily harm or death.
My choices at that point are to stop him by any means necessary and live, or wait it out and hope that he's just getting his driver's licence for me and risk being killed.
Not only do I shoot him, but I KEEP shooting him until he stops doing what he's doing and is no longer a threat.
There's a longer video that shows the entire encounter, but this will give you the idea.
https://youtu.be/_BZkxLQ6zlk

Dashcam video shows moment of near-fatal police shootout

Forty-six law enforcement officers were shot and killed last year in the line of duty. One near-fatal encounter was caught on camera. Newly-released video sh...

Response by A1C Tim Rohrer made Sep 14 at 2020 2:00 PM

A1C Tim Rohrer — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 14:00:58 -0400

I was shot in face by dirt bag gang bangers and rifle but and pistol whipped its hard to be nice NOW

Response by SSG Paul Headlee made Sep 14 at 2020 2:12 PM

SSG Paul Headlee — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 14:12:55 -0400

So back in the day (think re-runs of Dragnet) we had money for cops in such numbers that they could walk a beat in whatever neighborhood, commercial area, etc. Things evolved to where you just don't see that anymore. A police officer in a patrol car can theoretically police a larger area, thus reducing labor costs. This is just my opinion but what gets checked stays good to go. What is not checked falls into disrepair. The relationship between police officers and their communities has fallen into disrepair. The officer walking his beat on a daily basis develops friendships and other, working relationships within the community in a much more significant way than does a mounted patrol. People often know the types of things happening in their neighborhoods and advising the police that something is brewing is a more involved process nowadays. You're just not going to encounter an officer unless there is something specifically involving them and you going on. Kids don't grow up personally knowing police officers; understanding that they are not monsters - hateful and prejudiced. People fear the unknown oftentimes (think land nav evaluation in SFAS). The police have gone from enjoying an image of authoritative yet helpful neighbors to being in the defense because enough people hate the idea of them (thank you liberal politicians, liberal educators and CNN) that they are willing to do things like assassinate them as they sit in their patrol cars. As a police administrator, what would you do? You can get free stuff from the military that could result in prolonging the lives of your officers or you can bleed in place. Criminals have become more capable with the advent of improved technology and the police are rather obliged to keep pace. Personally I am against such militarization. I feel that the proper solution is to permanently remove violent criminals from the equation as we find them. Then the police would not need MRAPs and such.

Response by PO1 Charles Smith made Sep 15 at 2020 1:21 AM

PO1 Charles Smith — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 01:21:11 -0400

The best I can do is to state that with the different data given by all parties, I thought about what would the officers done if this was a white guy. the conclusion I came to was yes, the same results would have occurred. 1) He was not supposed to be there. 2) he physically resisted officers. 3) officers perceived a weapon (knife), BUT DID NOT SHOOT YET. 4) Shot him when they could not be sure he was not further escalating by getting something (like a gun) out of the vehicle.
The only thing I can think of that might have prevented the shooting on the officers part would to have had extensive de-escalation training; not one week but six months worth. please note I said might. If you think about it, people tend to do what they have trained to do OR what has worked in the past.
REFERENCES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Jacob_Blake
https://nypost.com/2020/08/25/jacob-blake-seen-struggling-with-officers-moments-before-being-shot-video/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/08/25/jacob-blake-kenosha-police-shot-black-man-minutes-after-arriving/ [login to see] /
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/the-police-shooting-of-jacob-blake-a-black-wisconsin-father-explained/ar-BB18kv8o
Conversations with other veterans where they told me I would have been shot earlier in the scenario if I behaved that way.

Shooting_of_Jacob_Blake

Response by PO2 James Barbero made Sep 15 at 2020 1:28 AM

PO2 James Barbero — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 01:28:38 -0400

I have been following this story, I don’t know all of the details. I am sure with the strong feelings on both sides, there is probably a fog about what took place in regards to the shooting. I understand law enforcement personnel have to make critical even life and death decision in an instant. Having said that, and don’t get me wrong I believe we need police. I happen to have some experience with police encounters, and yes I have been in jail on occasion.
So to start with I think in today’s society we are becoming an us against them in America. On most occasions when talking to law enforcement, I have been respectful of course for me that comes from my upbringing, my military background, and well just aww shoot games over now. Mr Blake scuffled with the officers, I don’t know how many policemen were on scene, but how does someone get away then go for his vehicle? I read that a taser had been used on the guy before he went to his vehicle, so I don’t know, not trying to be ugly but are we talking about the Keystone cops?? The whole scenario sounds fubar on both sides. Mr Blake was in a vehicle with kids, it just seems the police could have followed him home or wherever and arrested him then. Ala the O.J. chase. Many people bring up Blake’s past criminal history and I would think the officers knew of him or had his rap sheet on their computer. Maybe there was an overreaction because of past criminal history, I don’t know, I just hope we are not getting to that point where the cop on the street is in his or her mind dealing out justice.
Now one thing that I have believed for a long time is post 9/11 there has been a push for more and more law enforcement personnel, and a lot of military hardware is being granted to police departments. I am hesitant to say and I hope this isn’t taken the wrong way. I know from my military experience and talking to other Vets. an infantry and many other m.o.s do not cross over to civilian jobs, leaving corrections and law enforcement the best opportunity for our veterans. Not criticizing I would much rather deal with a veteran for anything. So I would say the answers probably lay with training and critical thinking. I do want to say one more thing and there may be stats refuting my assertion that we have put an abundance of law enforcement officers in the lines. I have from a reliable source that shortly after 9/11 the FBI hired approximately 14,000 new personnel also looking at new agencies created post 9/11, and my own observations there are many more police than in previous times. My point being are the law enforcement agencies able to properly vet all of the new hires, and do unions protect some personnel that maybe need to be driving a desk, or have supervision until fully qualified for working the streets. I would think with the enfaces on law enforcement in these times that budget difficulties would be a nonstarter.
Now there have been other incidents that have happened of late, that I can relate to from my most recent experience with law enforcement. The police were sent to my house for a supposed welfare check, to be honest I had been drinking prior to the officers arrival. And I had sent some texts to my wife that she believed were threats. We the policed arrived I was in bed trying to go to sleep, I wasn’t blacked out, I noticed when the officers were standing over me. A side note earlier that day I talked to the substance abuse counselor who knows me well and I agreed to go to treatment. I don’t know exactly how the exchange went but the officers knew about the texts and asked for my phone. I didn’t know the phone had slipped into the crack of the bed, well there my have been some 4th amendments issues there the point I’m getting at is we went to the front door step. They let me sit down and I smoked a cigarette, we talked and out of curiosity I asked if any of the four policemen standing over me were veterans. One of them said no and it was like a buzzer went off. The one guy who was the arresting officer said ok stand up and I guess they half pulled and helped but anyway may shorts were loose and they hit the driveway. Instead of letting me pull the shorts up I was cuffed by then they made me step out of them and they threw them in my house. So I guess I got a little shock up, I’ve never resisted arrest, I pulled away and kind of drug my bare feet. Anyway they sit me down on the back seat of the cruiser with my feet still outside the car, and one of the officers said get in for some reason I said no. Then one of the patrolmen tried to pull me in from the other side of the cruiser and he failed, so the arresting officer did some kind of his to my thigh strike and I still didn’t get in. So his partner or whoever stood back and I noticed a large spray can strapped to the arresting officers leg, and he says to the other officer I’m going to spray him. By this time the arresting officer has the can of pepper spray in his hand and his partner says go for it. Needless to say I laid down on the back seat of the cruiser and got my feet in. All this for a welfare check. Because of this I can understand how a mental health crisis can escalate if Murphys law intervenes. Sure I was in the wrong, I just believe with some coaxing the incident could have gone differently, definitely without being pepper sprayed and hauled to jail in my skivvies. On the way to jail the officer did ask if I was okay and chuckled that stuff got on me too.
Well I don’t want to write your paper for ya. I may be biased right now, I think my story is somewhat relevant, how maybe stopping and taking a breath and patience might help in certain situations.

Response by PO1 Don Rowan made Sep 15 at 2020 6:48 AM

PO1 Don Rowan — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 06:48:36 -0400

Justified. He was out of control and went for a weapon. Done. I'm not asking anyone, including the police, to risk themselves while dealing with these people and if black lives mattered why are exponentially more killed by blacks???

Response by Becky Blanton made Sep 15 at 2020 12:49 PM

Becky Blanton — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 12:49:58 -0400

First off, Breonna Taylor had NOT been an EMT since 2016. The media keeps pushing that she WAS currently an EMT. NOT TRUE. Police have overwhelming evidence she was involved with her ex-boyfriend's drug activities - including money, being a holding spot, and more. It takes an insane amount of evidence to get a no-knock warrant. So, like it or not, play stupid games, win stupid prizes. She was a criminal, not a saint as the media are pointing her out to be. When your values are in the toilet, so is your life. George Floyd would have died in his car if the police hadn't shown up. He overdosed on Meth and Fentanyl. He was entering the non-reversible state of "excited delirium" just as the cops showed up. Police body cam shows police tried to help him - letting him lie on the ground as he asked on video because the car made him claustrophobic. Also, a request made/heard on the bodycam. When suspects are on drugs they have an insane amount of strength, can't be predicted whether they'll explode in rage and kill - many keep coming even when shot half a dozen times. The BOTTOM LINE is Jacob Blake, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor were CRIMINALS acting in a CRIMINAL manner and received the ultimate punishment - DEATH because they were stupid people acting stupidly. You don't get killed by police if you're not doing drugs, doing crimes, being an ass. Systemic racism?! Police kill TWICE the number of white men as black men in any given year. Systemic? NO. You're drinking the BLM Kool-aid. Write a paper worth reading how about it? When faced with a person resisting arrest and reaching for a weapon you respond in a way that saves your life. This dirt-bag raped a woman in front of her child, stole her wallet and car and was running away - had prior criminal convictions. HE IS A CRIMINAL. Criminals get stopped - one way or another. What could have been done differently is the courts could have sentenced him to a longer term. He's a CRIMINAL. What part of that doesn't compute with you?1

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 15 at 2020 10:38 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 22:38:55 -0400

The perp failed multiple commands to drop the knife.

Anyone who has any LEO or EMS experience knows knives are more lethal, statistically, than fire arms.

What happened in the vehicle will be up for a jury to decide.

Personally, I trust the judgment of my fellow Reserve Component friends who work in Minneapolis PD and MN State Patrol in dealing with armed suspects.

Response by SP5 Bill Kelley made Sep 16 at 2020 12:50 PM

SP5 Bill Kelley — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 12:50:02 -0400

Anyone who has done an exercise in force on force training knows how quickly someone can reach for a firearm on the car seat or draw one from their waistband, spin around and fire.

After repeated commands to comply, and having no effect using LTL force, the choices are either move to lethal force or take a chance on being shot by the perpetrator.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 16 at 2020 7:49 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 19:49:06 -0400

What could have been done differently? Jacob Blake could have chosen not to serially abuse and stalk this woman over the course of several years, according to the criminal complaint, committing various other previous crimes against her (police filed charges against him for felony sexual assault, trespassing and domestic abuse), driving her to obtain a protective order against him, which he violated when he entered her home, took her car keys, and sexually assaulted her in her bed while one of her children lay right next to her (which was why police were called in the first place). He could have chosen not to resist arrest when police attempted to take him into custody not only on the basis of violation of the protective order against him (and the appalling assault which he had just committed in the process), but the open warrant for his arrest stemming from those numerous prior assaults. He could have chosen not to reach for a weapon when police were trying to restrain him using less aggressive methods.

Lots of things could have been done differently.

It is a terrible thing that the situation ended the way it did, but the power to effect a different outcome was entirely in Mr. Blake’s hands. It is even more tragic that his children had to witness the event, but he put them in that situation, not the police.

One notes that given the facts that have come to light, the media have quietly discontinued virtually all discussion on the case. But if history is any predictor, I suspect that after a few years have gone by and most people have forgotten the relevant details of the event, the media will go right back to resurrecting the fable version of the story in which Jacob Blake is yet another innocent victim of racist police violence á la Michael “Hands-Up-Don’t-Shoot” Brown (the 6’2”, 325-lb “teenager” who committed a strong-arm robbery of a convenience store and savagely attacked the responding officer).

The point here is not that that there are not people in America who are innocent victims of police brutality. The point is that Mr. Blake is not one of those people. Everything that happened to him was a direct consequence of his own behavior.

I find it somewhat noteworthy that the cries of “Black Lives Matter” raised in support of Mr. Blake are deafening in their silence with regard to his victim. Does her black life not matter? Does she not rate a visit from Kamala Harris? She was repeatedly raped and assaulted by Mr. Blake (allegedly). Where is the outrage for her? For the countless other victims of the Jacob Blakes of the world, who get pushed aside by self-serving, virtue-signaling coastline progressives?

Yes, lots of things could have been done differently — by Jacob Blake.

https://nypost.com/2020/08/28/this-is-why-jacob-blake-had-a-warrant-out-for-his-arrest/amp/

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/for-every-jacob-blake-there-are-millions-of-jacob-blakes-victims

This is why Jacob Blake had a warrant out for his arrest

The cops involved in the shooting of Jacob Blake were attempting to arrest him for violating a restraining order stemming from an alleged sexual assault, The Post has learned.

Response by GySgt Herman Poe made Sep 19 at 2020 1:36 AM

GySgt Herman Poe — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 01:36:56 -0400

Have you ever been a cop? Have you been attacked by someone on drugs. After that happens then write your story.

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Sep 20 at 2020 10:30 PM

MAJ Byron Oyler — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 22:30:48 -0400

Police non-lethal options have been neutered around the country and really forced the escalation to lethal. A good hit with a collapsable metal baton to the back of Blake's thigh would have done wonders but people were already filming by that point and that would have made the news. Grabbing someone by their neck and tripping them to ground works pretty well but that is not allowed so many places. Both of those may have prevented the shooting. Following police commands would have prevented the shooting. All these Monday morning quarterbacks need to learn, you do not win a fight with equal force, you win with overwhelming force, the same force so many people call excessive force. Excessive non-lethal is almost always better than lethal force.

Response by Sgt Dan Catlin made Sep 21 at 2020 2:29 PM

Sgt Dan Catlin — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 14:29:40 -0400

My brother and I were both martial artists, and I was the "training dummy" for him when he went through the academy to become a Deputy. We worked on the controls they used, and the counters a violent person might use (every move has a counter) until they were instinctive. We also continued to work out with other cops later. Action always beats reaction, and a person with a knife can spin and stab or slash deceptively fast. And a blade doesn't even have to move to kill- if you move against it it still does its job very well. Even from considerable distance unless you've lived it or trained "with intent" it is amazing how little time you have to react. If a violent person reaches for or grasps a weapon, anything less than immediate use of lethal force risks the officers life. And one bullet, even to a vital area won't stop a determined attacker. Using less than lethal options may work most of the time, but far from every time. I have carried out what would have been a lethal assault after being doused with pepper spray (the police stuff, not the watered down civilian variety). Add to that if they end up in a grappling match with someone sprayed with OC, it rubs off on them and they are now effected by it just like me (I loved that! But then, I have an evil streak ...) So if you wish to render a judgment in this paper, I suggest a trip to your PD and find out if there are any of them that do realistic training and experience it for yourself. Because until you experience a full force attack, one with "intent," you can't know.

As an aside, I was an EMT. I've dealt with violent drug users, and can tell you if drugs are involved the game changes. It just got way more serious for everyone, especially cops.

Response by PO1 Mike Wallace made Sep 23 at 2020 10:16 AM

PO1 Mike Wallace — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 10:16:09 -0400

After it occurs the most important thing is refrain from any rush to judgement. Declaring shooter or victim at fault before all FACTS are known. Doing otherwise is not consistent with our nations presumption of innocence which separates us from 3rd world countries.

Response by CW2 Scott Quaife made Sep 23 at 2020 3:42 PM

CW2 Scott Quaife — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 15:42:01 -0400

I think in the case of Breonna Taylor that could have been anyone, anywhere in the US that has 'No knock warrants". The narrative is she was a black, unarmed female in the wrong place at the wrong time. I see the need in cases of no knock warrants of course in multiple cases the Army/Marines/Spec Ops community performs in a combat environment. You want to minimize civilian/non-combative casualties in almost every case. I think perhaps recognition should be used in almost all cases. Surround the house/apartment to ensure all escape points are covered. I believe if the police unit identified themselves first there could be a better than 85% chance she would be alive today. In the case of Jacob if he was asked multiple times to stand down and not reach into his vehicle then this becomes a stickier situation at best. However, rules of engagement need to be consistent across the board. I have a sense, though again opinion, that had he been a white male he wouldn't have been shot. I would have clearly taken a different angle on Jacob and had someone verify what he was reaching in the vehicle for at that moment. If it was a gun he was grabbing then the officer has the right to self defense and this is a mute point, rest in peace Jacob. He was shot in the back though 7 times without being armed at the moment. Here is an example, though from a military perspective. As an attack pilot, in Iraq, my company, not me, was supporting a ground unit in Baghdad. A fire fight broke out, in the protection of the Mosque Walls their helicopter was shot at and subsequently that individual was killed by our company's helicopter. In that moment following a female and her son walked up to the deceased attacker, stood near the gun and it seemed like would reach for it. The pilot, keeping a close eye had no probable cause to shoot her. Why? although she stood near the weapon, she didn't possess it and thus was not an immediate threat. She walked away with the child and lived. Remember, these officers have to make split second decisions. I don't believe Jacob should have been shot, unless he emerged or was clearly reaching in his vehicle for a weapon. Biases, whether we all want to admit, exist in all of us, white, black, brown, etc. Proper training and continued training is a must to prevent these cases from happening across this great land.

Response by Sgt Arthur Bearden made Sep 25 at 2020 7:38 AM

Sgt Arthur Bearden — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 07:38:38 -0400

No take them as they come up

Response by SSgt Paul Millard made Oct 2 at 2020 12:13 PM

SSgt Paul Millard — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 12:13:24 -0400

Tough call, but as a veteran we are often put in "At Risk" positions with rules of engagement. Personally, they had numbers and should have been able to subdue without deadly force or called for support earlier but again I don't want to Monday morning QB the situation. Not a big fan of shots in the back and if I were in the situation wait to see the weapon before deploying deadly force. No gun no shoot, if he gets back into the car, let him, clear the area a bit and call back up, then follow. I think we do need improvement on standards for service as well and better training. We have seen some of weaker standards lower force quality in the military as well. That being said officers face violence every day and need to be able to make real-time decisions, the what if scenarios are easy to discuss the day after and experts will always say that they could have done something different. Experts/Pundits rarely have been put in the stressful situations and have the luxury of time and no fear to make their assessment.

Clearly we do have some systemic issues, both in the community that supports and fosters violence and disregard for law and order and the liberty of others as well as the Policing force whose duty is to protect and serve. This can only be handled at the community/neighborhood level. Funny we don't teach civics anymore, we don't expect our neighbors to call out our kids when they are misbehaving. Ad to that Hollywood/Youtube and other areas promote bad behavior as if it is something to be respected. Make a million as drug dealer and your are a pillar of the community...

Response by Capt Robert Sandmeyer made Oct 3 at 2020 5:40 PM

Capt Robert Sandmeyer — Sat, 03 Oct 2020 17:40:18 -0400

1234

Response by SPC Adrian LaPene made Oct 7 at 2020 5:52 PM

SPC Adrian LaPene — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 17:52:53 -0400

The biggest problem in policing today is far too many POs haven’t been in a fight and the joke of defensive tactics during the academy does nothing. As crazy as it sounds POs need actual training in a grappling art. I say grappling not because of the popularity of BJJ, I say grappling because it is a controlling art and that is what is needed. Control and pain compliance. With an actual understanding and practical knowledge of controlling your adversary it gives the PO confidence in themselves and their abilities.

Response by PO2 Michael Rickey made Oct 11 at 2020 2:55 PM

PO2 Michael Rickey — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 14:55:04 -0400

Why does the news only tell us half of the story. How many of the police shootings had criminal backgrounds? At least these criminals are off the streets for good. Justice was served. Reality is we have to fight evel head to head. If it takes a bullet to stop them, so be it.

Response by SP5 Richard Welch made Oct 11 at 2020 6:35 PM

SP5 Richard Welch — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 18:35:32 -0400

Looking at the number of shootings because they are nervous or undertrained, it's easy to jump to conclusions. There is some systemic racism in the way cases are not prosecuted. Until law enforcement certificates are taken away from officers that go from department to department, these issues will always be raised. There have been some instances of withholding video evidence and lying or misrepresentation of facts for no knock warrants. I don't believe that every officer has issues, but some do. I drove truck for over 30 years, because of the bad press from some, we all had to get a federal driving license, called a CDL. I had my Class One with all endorsements for over 5 years. 3.5 million miles on road with 2 minor incidents that were ruled not my fault by insurance companies. My point is simple, until this those that are guilty are held accountable, all will be condemned everytime a citizen is killed. I read other comments, giving someone with a gun endless shit isn't a reason for shooting that person. My father was a Fire Fighter for 23 years and a Sheriff's Deputy for 7 years before he died. I have experienced cops that were a little aggressive, unlatching their holsters for no reason. I wasn't armed, two of them, and I am 100% Disabled. I have witnessed overzealous enforcement and everyone has seen videos with 10 cops on one guy. How did shooter in Wisconsin walk by all cops and not get arrested? Things like that and lying on warrant for Breanna Taylor don't help. Going to wrong addresses is inexcusable for so called professional law enforcement officers.

Response by SSG James Stodola made Oct 12 at 2020 9:57 AM

SSG James Stodola — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 09:57:54 -0400

This may not be everything you are looking for but from what I have seen and read, this is a muddy case at some levels. I cannot find the reason for the original stop and contact, but from visuals and narratives I have seen photos of Blake with the knife in his left hand as he is walking toward the car door, it appeared to be what is known as a Karambit style knife, a very nasty cutting tool for sure. The statement of they found it on the floor would lead me to believe that Blake threw it there as he attempt to enter the car. Tasers were deployed more than once, which history shows that these things do not always work as expected. The escalation of force would have been in play from initial contact given what ever the circumstances were and the attitude of the suspect at the time and how he responded to the officers initial instructions / questions. The first "show of force is the mere presence of the officers, it moves along from there if needed. It is obvious that the escalation moves quite quickly by the use of the tasers, and then the drawn firearms. Now not being there of course is only me second guessing the situation and I am only speaking from experience as a former officer. Scenes like this are highly dynamic in nature and can and do have many players injecting sounds (speech) and action into the mix, so given all of this, it makes for an extremely tense environment. Why did the officer shoot him in the back, I don't honestly know and we may never know the real reason. It would seem to me that hind sight would have dictated that they make other attempts to stop him before he got to the car, because to me shooting him in the back in that moment seems a bit extreme, but you also have to factor in that although he had a knife in hand, they would not have known if he had a firearm in the vehicle within easy reach, so that must come into the decision making process as well, and as others have and will say, officers only have a split second to make life changing decisions and they don't all come nice and rosy. Add to this the woman shouting "He has my baby" into that, and it sends another message to the officers that this may be a kidnapping as well as what ever the original reason for the stop was, that in itself will add many levels of danger and anxiety to the already highly charged situation. To the issue of "systemic" racism, I don't have any information on to whether this officer was in fact a racist or what his outlook on different races was or is, so I cannot speak to that. Is it possible, yes, is it likely, yes, is it true in this case, I hope not, as with any case, but it is the specter that hangs over the heads of all officers. I can sit here and make calls like everyone else on this matter but not having been there does not give me the perspective that I need to make these calls. Would I have handled it differently, I'd like to think so, but cannot say for sure. The job has inherent dangers as does all jobs, but this one generally deals with human nature, and that is not always at its best behavior.

Response by SSG Jason Cooley made Oct 12 at 2020 12:37 PM

SSG Jason Cooley — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 12:37:01 -0400

I say nothing could be done given the information open threat to leo's was told going to get my gun out of car and kill you .... past history and no compliance with commands he opened door of car and reached ...sorry I am going to shoot you not going to wait until you point a weapon at me or my fellow team mates

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 12 at 2020 1:14 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 13:14:18 -0400

If you have never walked in my shoes, then you don’t know what we as people of color go through everyday. There is something called the use of force continuum. I see a lot of LEO’s draw their weapon when making contact with people. As a former LEO myself, I would say that sometimes there is overreaction and someone dies. The one statement that saves LEO’s from being prosecuted for any wrongdoing is “I feared for my life”. That’s all they have to say and they will walk, it is a very injustice system. I know we will all have our own perspectives on this issue but we also have to look at everything from the lens of the law.

Response by Cpl George Greer made Oct 12 at 2020 3:12 PM

Cpl George Greer — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 15:12:43 -0400

I find it truly amazing that there are people that believe systemic racism does not exist today!! Let me say that I am an black American who is 73 years old and the very same racist things I witnessed as a child I still see today, I don’t know any black men that at some point in their lives have not been harassed by the police, the overwhelming majority of police officers are decent, but there are bad ones aided by good officers remaining silent, people of color have been complaining about police brutality for as long as I can remember, it seems more prevalent now because of the availability of video..remember Dylan Roof who killed 9 people and when apprehended the police stopped by Burger King to buy him a meal, because he was hungry!!!, remember Eric Garner was killed by an officer using a banned choke hold for selling loose cigarettes!!! And incidentally the guilty officer only lost his job 5 years later!! I spent 13 months with the Marine Corps in Vietnam during the same period of time states in my country were using attack dogs and fire hoses on my people who only wanted their constitution guaranteed rights granted...I could go on and on .. I find it very insulting that people that have never walked in a black persons shoes are audacious enough to say systemic racism doesn’t exist

Response by SGT Kevin Dorsey made Oct 12 at 2020 6:58 PM

SGT Kevin Dorsey — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 18:58:34 -0400

A great deal of what people believe is true about firearms and self defense comes from TV and movies. Most of which are not based in law or reality. What someone has a heartbeat or two of time to make a life and death decision will be examined over many days of deliberation and the jury is told to use what a reasonable person would do under those circumstances. The individual was tased twice with little affect. Ordered multiple times at gun point to stop his actions. Under the laws of every state I have researched, deadly force was justifiable. Waiting until the person turns around would likely be the officers last mistake. Politics and mass psychosis have taken over the national discourse fueled by a compliant media and politicians hoping to further their political agenda. 40 years ago the actions may have been for the officers to tackle the suspect and wrestle him to the ground with a few smacks. Bloody and bruised but alive. In today's world that is considered police brutality. So, political correctness has led to deadly force use instead of brute force.

Response by SSG Curtis Vaughn made Nov 1 at 2020 5:50 AM

SSG Curtis Vaughn — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 05:50:51 -0500

I have noticed that everyone making a comment about the topic has no clue. For your information profiling is real. You speak on Respect, should not it flow both ways. Does being a Police Officer mean you should not have too respect me? At the time of the shooting the officers had no ideal of his past so was he prejudged. Did they have any awareness of the kids in the car, and if so did they care? And the thing about Race their is only one and it's called the HUMAN RACE. Believe me when I say if he was going to use a knife he would have had it on his person when he was involved in the situation before the Officers arrived. The issue is that Officers aren't being held accountable for their actions. We as former Service members understand being accountable for our actions and the consequences. The Law applies to all.

Response by GySgt Herman Poe made Nov 4 at 2020 1:30 AM

GySgt Herman Poe — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 01:30:41 -0500

Police were correct

Response by CPL Jeffrey Solomon made Nov 11 at 2020 8:36 AM

CPL Jeffrey Solomon — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 08:36:38 -0500

Don't fall into the racism trap on these cases being spread by liberal news outlets and your college professors. None of these shooting had anything to do with race. Call them out on their bullshit. Look at each case individually, and use numerous sources. There is NO racism in any of them.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 12 at 2020 6:54 AM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 06:54:44 -0500

I saw in RT news today the Governor of Florida is pushing a bill to estend "stand your ground" to using lethal force in riots.
I like it.

Response by Jerry Rivas made Nov 14 at 2020 6:28 PM

Jerry Rivas — Sat, 14 Nov 2020 18:28:11 -0500

More police need training in DE-escalation techniques.....Why would the armed guy with ALL the weapons feel the need to ESCALATE for Christs sake?

Response by SGT Doug Blanchard made Nov 15 at 2020 7:17 PM

SGT Doug Blanchard — Sun, 15 Nov 2020 19:17:11 -0500

In the case of George Floyd, it was revealed by othe cell phone video that he was resusting arrest. The officers had him in the cruiser and he shattered the side widow out of the doir by kicking it. They pulled him from the cruiser to try to calm him down. The autopsy report showed he waz high on meth at the time.
As for Breona Taylor, you need to find the fault with her boyfriend, as he was the durect cause if her death. Neighbors verified that the police identified themselves as such before breaking in. Her boyfruend started shootung at them, they returned fire and she was hit. She was not targeted by the police as the lame stream media and groups like blm would have you believe
If he had not shot at the police, chances are she would be alive today.

Response by SPC Tim Hooey made Nov 20 at 2020 12:59 PM

SPC Tim Hooey — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 12:59:48 -0500

SHOOT HIM IN THE LEGS

Response by SGT Thomas LaRochelle made Dec 26 at 2020 4:51 PM

SGT Thomas LaRochelle — Sat, 26 Dec 2020 16:51:22 -0500

You mean the asshat, domestic abuser, that resisted arrest and ignored all the police commands and reached into his vehicle for who knows what before getting shot? While 7 shots may have been a bit excessive, he should have done what he was told.

This is what could have been done differently. Blake could have lived his life better and not been a criminal. He could have treated his girlfriend, or wife and kids with respect.

I have never heard a story where an elderly, black couple get pulled over for a light out and get shot or beaten by the police. It always turns out to be some delinquent in the commission of a crime or with a criminal past resisting and disobeying the police. George Floyd was a criminal! If he wasn't on drugs and hadn't robbed the store and resisted he might still be alive. I say might because he died from all the shit he had in his system, namely lethal amount of fentanyl. Breonna Taylor had bad taste in men. Her boyfriend shot at police, blindly, through a door. Do you think that they would not fire back? But blame the police. Burning cities in the name of black criminals is stupid, especially when there are more white people killed by police.

It is a fact that police brutality is just a very small fraction of all police encounters. How about protesting all the crimes committed by blacks against anybody, even just black on black. I didn't see any protests over the black man walking out to the street and shooting his 5 yr old white neighbor in the head. No, that doesn't follow their ideology. After all, he was just another privileged white kid who didn't deserve their empathy because they only empathize with black criminals.

Again, don't engage in criminal activity if you don't want to find yourself in a situation where you have to be engaged by the police. And then, do what you are told and don't resist. Do you expect the police are just gonna let you go if you start to resist? Also, do you actually think that the police are going to wait for you to shoot them if they feel threatened already.

Act like a criminal, get treated like a criminal. As for systemic racism. BULL!!! Where is the racism when a black cop subdues or shoots a black criminal? Just a matter of cop vs criminal. No matter what color they are. Only in a very few altercations is it a race matter. It's just that BLM and the media make a race thing out of everything that involves a black person. Like black people can't possibly break the law. I swear that these people would rather a black man get away with murdering a child than be arrested by police.

Why is it perceived that blacks are targeted more than whites? Most whites are raised to respect police and to have certain morals and behave in a manner that is acceptable to society. Blacks seem to be groomed to hate police, and white people, therefore growing up believing that they are victims and the only way to live is to victimize others.

No one ever seems to suggest a change in the attitude and behavior in the criminals. Only blame the police for doing their job. They also choose to teach hatred for whites and police instead of how to be a productive member of society. Ever see the video of the little black boy running to hug the little white boy? Proof that racism and hate are taught. These two boys haven't yet been indoctrinated by those who hate. Hopefully they will never be exposed to that.