leadcounsel wrote:
I'll be very fair and not "armchair quaterback."
This 10+ minute catastrophe slowly unfolded and the officer had dozens of opportunities to withdraw and reassess. Nothing here was urgent or exigent. Nothing required lethal force until she foolishly engaged in a drawn out ego-battle resulting in very predictable resisting and then hand-to-hand fight for life.
The weaker FEMALE officer made a LOT of mistakes; tactical, procedural, and intellectual, and ultimately firearms handling.
This was not an "accidental" this was a "negligent" discharge. Negligent meaning fully avoidable.
I suspect this is the direct result of lowered police morale across the board, resulting in lowered quality of applicants, resulting in low quality recruits. We end up with a woman who is incapable of good decision making, incapable of spotting many warning signs of a violent confrontation, and incapable making a solo arrest, and then needing to draw her weapon when easily overpowered, and then firing and missing her target.
Issues:
1. A (petty?) larceny theft arrest did not require hands on or following suspect into house alone. REALLY dumb. Wait for partner(s). Suspect isn't going anywhere. She also failed to tell him he's under arrest, turn around, put hands behind back, etc. Very clumsy arrest attempt.
2. The 10 minute argument in the house was hard to watch, so many mistakes. Suspect repeatedly balled up fists. Ego argument ensued. If the only reason she feels "capable" is because she is armed, then that is a bad reason. Leave the house, wait for backup. Or at least just calmly talk to him until backup arrives.
3. Going hands on with a really big man twice her size and strength was a recipe to require her to draw her gun. This was her biggest mistake. There was no rush. No need. He was sitting on the stairs. Let it be, wait for backup.
* Evaluate: Now, over a petty theft, this has become a lethal encounter. Someone, her, him, mom, etc. may easily DIE over what amounts to nothing of material value. Probably a fine, or slap on the wrist. But her actions, all of them, leading to this moment, hands on, following him in, physical fight for life, drawing her gun, etc. over nothing and her escalation, has now threatened the lives of at least 3 people including her own and a innocent woman.
4. Her own terrible actions and pressing physical hands on caused her to lose the struggle, which proximately required her to then engage lethal force, and resulted in shots fired.
This FEMALE has no business being a cop. She's not intellectually quick enough, and not physically strong enough, and a bad decision maker and poor marksman at 10'. Missing her intended target, and worse, hitting an innocent bystander.
At minimum, relieved of the police force. Probably prosecuted for whatever harm caused to a woman in her own home.
Contrast it with the MALE cop who comes in, kicked the snot out of the suspect, and immediately subdued him with his gun drawn and no shots fired.
Yeah, I call balls and strikes. I give cops a LOT of deference but this cop forced a issue that need not be forced, and owns all that bad stuff that happened thereafter.
