Quote:
Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan
I'm still trying to figure out how I've said any of this is acceptable. I don't see any of that behavior as OK. With that said, if we're going to give Mr. Brown the benefit of the doubt in the final incident despite the fact that he clearly was doing multiple illegal things leading up to that, I think we also should give Officer Wilson similar benefit of the doubt even if there are a good portion of officers in that city who may carry bias, hatred, or not follow the rules of conduct for police.
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Nope, that's not what you said. What you said is this:
"If he never robbed the store and didn't get high on an illegal drug, he would have been in a totally different frame of mind and this never would have happened. It really is that simple."
"As for the law, it really is that simple. Smoking drugs is illegal. Stealing is illegal. Aggression towards an authority figure is illegal. If this kid does none of the above, there's no way a Ferguson police officer shoots him."
First of all, you have no idea whether he did anything illegal beyond jaywalking nor if he was under the influence at the time of death. The officer in question certainly didn't. Secondly, there have been many cases of deaths where cops overreacted and shot unarmed suspects and many more beatings and assaults, so making those statements are ludicrous. Tell that to Eric Gardner. Sean Bell. Ramarley Graham. Tell that to Oscar Grant. Ever had plain-clothed cops jump out of a vehicle at night with guns drawn and start shouting things like "don't move motherfucker"? Do you know how you'd act? A good friend of mine was almost shot because his first reaction was to give these armed muggers his wallet so he didn't get killed. So that's what he reached for...luckily the gun was only cocked and held to his head and they didn't pull the trigger. But almost...or as they told him, "almost...fucker". You think your shorts would be clean after an encounter like that?
I'm not giving anyone the benefit of the doubt. I am questioning the need to shoot an unarmed black male, at range in the middle of the street in broad daylight
under any circumstances, especially given that this is not proper in the escalation of use of force that all departments have. I'm questioning how a simple jaywalking stop somehow escalates into 6 shots fired at range. I'm questioning how a suspect gets in a tussle over an officers' gun if that officer is still in the car. I'm also questioning the lies told by the police department and their attempt at character assassination. I'm also questioning their reaction to the protest marches/looting with them trying to instigate things with protesters, firing rubber bullets and tear gas at the media, pointing sniper rifles from the tops of trucks at civilians and running around with assault weapons drawn and pointed at people like a poorly trained paramilitary force.
If that's the way the force is run, then why wouldn't Wilson gunning down an unarmed black man be such a stretch?