Daunte Wright shot with Taser. And by "taser," I mean, "Gun."

[Tigers!]

Once more for the American police.

When stopping people and going to their car the correct order of public interaction is
1. Ask questions
2. Shoot

The incorrect order is
1. Shoot
2. Ask questions

 

[Elixir]

The articles gives more details as to why this sometimes happens. Of course, it should never happen and imo, the officer who confuses a gun with a taser, and kills someone, should be tried for involuntary manslaughter. But again, we have too many incompetent police who kill suspects. I'm being generous when I call them incompetent. Some are just trigger happy.

Professional athletes make stupid mistakes too. Granted, it doesn't cost anyone their life, but it means the best can screw up. The question is, what should be the expected frequency of such mistakes.

One large issue here is that the chances of an accidental killing likely goes through the roof once weapons are drawn, whether actually needed or not.

As of 2019, US police were killing 33.5 civilians per 10 million. UK police were killing 0.5 per 10 million. (source)
89 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2019. Of these, 48 officers died as a result of felonious acts, and 41 officers died in accidents. (source)

I can't find direct comparisons, but that seems to be because THERE IS NO COMPARISON. Posted in August 2019 in the UK:
PC Harper is the first officer to be killed on duty since March 2017, when unarmed PC Keith Palmer was stabbed by Khalid Masood during the Westminster Bridge terror attack. (source) Bold added.

IOW, US police kill about 70 times as many civilians in the US as in the UK. In turn, US police are ... incalculably (or infinitely) more likely to be killed in the US.

THE CAUSE IS OBVIOUS

This country has been bought and sold by the NRA. The proliferation of guns in America has resulted in total carnage.

 

[Politesse]

They definitely did talk to this person, and then shoot them. So I guess you would say they are making progress?

I don't think you should ever shoot unarmed citizens, personally.

 

[Toni]

With taser surely. Why do you think it's fine for a suspect to resist arrest and dive into his car?

No but tasers are known to have caused over 1000 deaths. They should not be deployed lightly.

I also think that taking someone into custody during a traffic stop on a busy roadway is not the wisest thing to do. Too many chances for too much to go wrong.

Who are you talking about here? Did he break free as they were in the process of handcuffing him? Somehow I don't think so.

How soon they forget! I was talking about the 21 year old who killed 8 people at multiple locations in Georgia just a few weeks ago.

In any case, there are cases of questionable shootings of suspects of all races. In Georgia a few years ago a white teenager was shot dead because he answered his door with a wii controller that the cop mistook for a gun. And most people of all races get arrested without harm.

I remember the poor kid who was killed. I don't remember what happened to the officer who killed him. Yes, most people who are arrested are arrested without physical harm. But too many unarmed people are killed by police who should not be police officers.

The big difference is all the violence that results when a black suspects gets shot.

Another big difference is how often black people are followed, profiled, arrested and shot for simply existing.

A gross-misdemeanor, but not non-violent. And not knowing which case you had in mind, it's difficult for me to comment on it.

What are you talking about? Owning a firearm is an American right! Don't you know the constitution? Do you hate the NRA and America? They only want to register guns so they can come take them away!

(yeah, before you ask: sarcasm)

 

[barbos]

Most of these shootings looks the same. Suspect appears to be reluctantly cooperating, but then decides to break free and shooting happens.
What is the point of trying to flee? You are already on the video, even if you are successful police will get you sooner or later.

 

[Worldtraveller]

If we buy the story that the cop confused the gun for a taser, and it's an honest 'oops' mistake, shouldn't the opposite be true as well?

I did a quick search and didn't find that to be the case. Someone with better google skills (or really dedicated to bootlicking maybe) can go look for it.

So at least 9 cases where cops claim they pulled a gun instead of a taser, but none where they accidentally went for the taser when trying to draw a gun.

"mistake" my lily white ass.

 

[Terrell]

The bottom of this article has a picture of the gun & the taser. I don't think a reasonable person could mistake the two.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article217924280.html

 

[Elixir]

What is the point of trying to flee? You are already on the video, even if you are successful police will get you sooner or later.

What is the point of shooting? The suspect is already on the video, even if he is successful you will get him sooner or later.

 

[Shadowy Man]

What is the point of trying to flee? You are already on the video, even if you are successful police will get you sooner or later.

What is the point of shooting? The suspect is already on the video, even if he is successful you will get him sooner or later.

One could argue that an unarmed, fleeing suspect should never be shot at with any weapon. That should be the training. But the counterpoint will say that then criminals will always get away because the cops will never be able to apprehend them.

 

[barbos]

What is the point of trying to flee? You are already on the video, even if you are successful police will get you sooner or later.

What is the point of shooting? The suspect is already on the video, even if he is successful you will get him sooner or later.

To prevent being shot by idiot-suspect.

 

[Elixir]

What is the point of trying to flee? You are already on the video, even if you are successful police will get you sooner or later.

What is the point of shooting? The suspect is already on the video, even if he is successful you will get him sooner or later.

One could argue that an unarmed, fleeing suspect should never be shot at with any weapon. That should be the training. But the counterpoint will say that then criminals will always get away because the cops will never be able to apprehend them.

Like they do in England?

 

[laughing dog]

What do you mean "nope"? You are demonstrably wrong. The causal chain does not start with the traffic stop.

Nope means "no". So, nope.

1. Try to get informed. The dude was stopped in the middle of the day.
2. Stopping people for expired registration is a legit stop. It has nothing to do with "profiling".

So it was either a slow day on patrol or someone was racial profiling. You are sadly mistaken if you think the police stop everyone they see with expired registration tags.

She was concerned enough to go for the taser.

So you think tasers are the police-response to someone going for a fire arm?

No satisfaction, and pointing out who a shootee really was as opposed to media hagiographies is not "smearing".

You are not fooling anyone. The victim's pedigree is immaterial to the actual incident, especially in the case. Yet you never miss a chance to "correct the record" of a black shooting victim. Sorry, your response does not pass the smell taste.

 

[Elixir]

What is the point of shooting? The suspect is already on the video, even if he is successful you will get him sooner or later.

To prevent being shot by idiot-suspect.

...the suspect who is running away? Ya sure. Is that how we do it in Russia? I doubt it.
Of course in Russia (and almost everywhere else in the world) there aren't more guns than people.
In MAGA USA there are about 60 million more guns than there are people, so yeah - might as well start shooting before someone else does, right?

 

[Politesse]

Most of these shootings looks the same. Suspect appears to be reluctantly cooperating, but then decides to break free and shooting happens.
What is the point of trying to flee? You are already on the video, even if you are successful police will get you sooner or later.

Oscar Grant was on the ground, face down..

 

[Elixir]

Most of these shootings looks the same. Suspect appears to be reluctantly cooperating, but then decides to break free and shooting happens.
What is the point of trying to flee? You are already on the video, even if you are successful police will get you sooner or later.

Oscar Grant was on the ground, face down..

Good point. Derek Chauvin could have saved himself 9 minutes and 28 seconds.
Oh well. Live and learn.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

The bottom of this article has a picture of the gun & the taser. I don't think a reasonable person could mistake the two.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article217924280.html

The hard part of believing it was a mistake (it still could be a mistake), is that presumably they are aiming the weapon. While there is tunnel vision potential, isn't the top of the weapon part of the vision for the whole aiming thing? The only way to get around that is to say you just reacted... meaning you aren't thinking, just acting, but well enough to hit the target.

 

[Politesse]

The bottom of this article has a picture of the gun & the taser. I don't think a reasonable person could mistake the two.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article217924280.html

The hard part of believing it was a mistake (it still could be a mistake), is that presumably they are aiming the weapon. While there is tunnel vision potential, isn't the top of the weapon part of the vision for the whole aiming thing? The only way to get around that is to say you just reacted... meaning you aren't thinking, just acting, but well enough to hit the target.

"Reacting, not thinking" is not what police are paid to do.

 

[Gospel]

The bottom of this article has a picture of the gun & the taser. I don't think a reasonable person could mistake the two.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article217924280.html

The hard part of believing it was a mistake (it still could be a mistake), is that presumably they are aiming the weapon. While there is tunnel vision potential, isn't the top of the weapon part of the vision for the whole aiming thing? The only way to get around that is to say you just reacted... meaning you aren't thinking, just acting, but well enough to hit the target.

And that "only way to get around" should still at a minimum lead to her complete removal from the force (benefits and all) & payout to the victim or surviving family. Keeping someone like that on the force is a liability and counter to public safety.

 

[Jarhyn]

The bottom of this article has a picture of the gun & the taser. I don't think a reasonable person could mistake the two.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article217924280.html

The hard part of believing it was a mistake (it still could be a mistake), is that presumably they are aiming the weapon. While there is tunnel vision potential, isn't the top of the weapon part of the vision for the whole aiming thing? The only way to get around that is to say you just reacted... meaning you aren't thinking, just acting, but well enough to hit the target.

And that "only way to get around" should still at a minimum lead to her complete removal from the force (benefits and all) & payout to the victim or surviving family. Keeping someone like that on the force is a liability and counter to public safety.

That, too, is reactionary.

I agree that she should be investigated and this should potentially lead to charges; someone is dead after all.

The part where I disagree is that the person is the source of the liability rather than training and instruction. What this tells me, clearly, is that firing drills entirely neglect nonlethal options, and fail to incorporate tool selectivity.

Which is to say, they only train to draw guns; it is apparent she lacked a few necessary days of training where she has to draw what she is told to draw precisely

 

[Swammerdami]

Contrary to right-wing liars, law enforcement is a relative safe occupation! Lumbering tops the list of dangerous jobs with 111 annual fatalities per 100k. This is followed by aircraft pilots, derrick operators, roofers, then garbage collectors(!) at 34 per 100k. Iron workers, delivery drivers, farmers, firefighting supervisors, power linemen, agriculture workers, crossing guards, crane operators, construction helpers, and landscaping supervisors round out the Top Fifteen. Police officers rank #22 with 14 fatalities per 100k, ahead of construction workers at 13, but behind small-engine mechanics at 15.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/12/us/brooklyn-center-minnesota-police-shooting/index.html

An officer is then heard shouting, "Taser! Taser! Taser!" but then fires a gun -- not a Taser -- at Wright.
"Holy sh*t!" the officer screams. "I shot him."

It's easy to get all those doo-dads mixed up, I guess. Guns, tasers, flashlights, handcuffs. It's a wonder more cops don't draw down on a guy and then realize, "Oh, what the--this is Chapstick, not my service revolver."

Time to start blaming the victim in 3, 2, 1...

Unfortunately, I see no good answer to this. In a quickly developing situation I do not believe humans can be trained not to ever make the mistake.

Uh... How about if cops stop playing the Coward Card, and keep their lethal weapon secure? A few snaps or buttons would give the cop time to consider before taking a human life.

What's that? This guy, whose offense was probably missing a court date for illegal left turn, might be Quicko McDraw, and take the cop's life just for fun? Haaah! Right-wing idiots think we live in a fantasy version of the wild west.


One cop, called to a house for some minor matter, pulled his gun and shot at the homeowner's barking dog! He missed and shot a human toddler. Another cop, at an accident site, evidently feared a small prairie dog that was crossing the road, so he shot at it.

American police forces are full of hateful bullies, and angry fearful cowards. They're trained as though every day is going to be Shootout at the OK Corral. These insanities are the underlying problems.