Something I haven't seen discussed yet about the Santa Rosa shooting.

[rrneck]

I seriously doubt the responding officers shot the kid after he was down. So far it looks like they shot him as he was turning around. But it's too early to tell for sure.

I think it's likely that they profiled him. The combination of neighborhood, race of the victim and a toy "AK 47" leads me to speculate about the attitude of the officers going into the confrontation. When they responded to the call were they "serving and protecting" or "ambushing a dangerous suspect"?

While it's probably too early to even speculate, I wonder how much time the officers took to asses the situation before they confronted the boy. Perhaps if they had merely watched him for even a few minutes so they could get a better handle on who they were dealing with the entire tragedy would have been averted.

Again, it's too early to tell, but as I imagine how events transpired the officers got a call about a "young male with an assault weapon" and rolled up with a "shut it down now" attitude. When the boy turned around with what appeared to be an actual rifle the die was cast. But the officers had control of the situation long before he turned around. I suspect they largely created, and are responsible for, the circumstances that led to his death.

[Gravitycollapse]

1. This kind of "accidental" shooting would not happen in other civilized countries.

Most often because many countries have general police forces who do not carry firearms.

The US, however, appears to takes its lessons on police conduct from organized crime syndicates.

[rrneck]

3. I guess

but we aren't in other civilized countries.

We have our own culture and history, part of which embraces guns. The advantages and disadvantages of that are a matter of debate that would fill several volumes.

[Gravitycollapse]

4. The aggregate of advantages and disadvantages very clearly goes toward disadvantages...

Unless you are a suburbanite with a gun safe filled with "toys." Then everything's just right.

[rrneck]

5. Well,

the crime rate in the United States has been falling for decades, and the entire planet is actually enjoying an extended era of peace believe it or not. We, as a species, are much less violent than we used to be.

I've posted this before so you may have already seen it. I've listened to the book on audible and he makes a good case.

http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_on_the_myth_of_violence.html

[Gravitycollapse]

6. So a better statement on my part would be that we are safer now than we were before...

DESPITE the massive levels of gun violence. Imagine how much better off we'd be without them.

Yes, I have seen that video several times.

[rrneck]

7. Gun violence levels are not "massive"

in a country with historic low crime rates on a planet that is less violent than it has ever been.

Now, is each shooting a tragedy? Of course. The fact remains that we are a violent species and we fight each other. That will never change. So while complacency and cynicism are certainly not appropriate, nor is hyperbole and unreasonable utopianism.

[Gravitycollapse]

8. 12000 gun homicides a year is truly, unquestionably MASSIVE.

[rrneck]

9. *Sigh*

Is too - are not. If you feel it's massive, fine. I'm not interested in displays of umbrage. Would you like to contribute some rational analysis and offer some insight on the issue of the Santa Rosa shooting?

[Th1onein]

2. ABSOLUTELY agree with you, rrneck.

[ScreamingMeemie]

10. What amazes me the most about this is that the rookie remained calmer than the veteran from

what we know.

One could chalk it up to inexperience, but then it messes with my head in that "experience" as a cop, to me at least, meant the ability to assess a situation before reacting...outside of exterior influences. If I'm in Houston's 3rd Ward, and I see a 13 year old walking down the street with a rifle, I'm going to guess it's an AirSoft gun. This stems from my own conditioning as a mother, I think.

[rrneck]

11. From what I hear

the rookie was a transfer from another agency, so "rookie" might not be an appropriate term.

I'm listening to an interesting book right now that refers to what might have happened. It seems that people who are not sure what's going on hesitate and wait to see what others are doing around them. While he might be have been an experienced police officer, he was the "new guy" at that precinct and hesitated. Add to that a bit of a "Milgram" deference to authority as well perhaps. Maybe if he had voiced his concerns earlier he could have slowed the cascade of events that led to the shooting.

In light of the militarization of the civilian police force the concept of "officer safety" is becoming a bit of a joke. I wonder if the police are beginning to confuse, if not invert, the concepts of public safety and officer safety.

[gopiscrap]

12. fucking asshole rhoid rage fed arrogant

cops of course they are at fault and they don't give a rats ass about that poor kids life partly because they know this will get white washed just like another cop murder

[rrneck]

13. I'm glad I gave you the opportunity to vent. nt

[gopiscrap]

14. thank you I appreciate it