What if you don't know it's a police officer?

 

 

I think I will take what Guru said and expand upon it. "Never approach ANYONE YOU DO NOT KNOW with a gun in your hand". If I do not believe the person is a threat, I will holster the gun so as not to make them uncomfortable since they do not know me. If I believe the person is a threat, seeking cover would be my first step and then assessing/observing the situtation from (relative) safety would be my second step along with calling 911.

 

I think I will take what Guru said and expand upon it. "Never approach ANYONE YOU DO NOT KNOW with a gun in your hand". If I do not believe the person is a threat, I will holster the gun so as not to make them uncomfortable since they do not know me. If I believe the person is a threat, seeking cover would be my first step and then assessing/observing the situtation from (relative) safety would be my second step along with calling 911.

 

Well, then, this just shoots to hell every argument against gun control. :lol:

When someone is killed in cold-blood, what else do you call it? That doesn't mean he should be charged with murder, because convicting someone of murder means proving intent, and I don't think anyone thinks it was the officer's intent.

If you think Waller was murdered in cold blood then how can you not arrest the officer? For manslaughter at least.

And for anyone that feels that a cop should not fire his weapon unless fired upon first are you freaking kidding me?

Absolutely, I don't believe the officer, because of course he's going to stick up for his fellow officer (I'm assuming his partner).

 

Also, the other article also mentions that he put the gun down. The officer says he never did.

So with little to no facts or evidence you've already formed the opinion that the cop is lying?

That comes down to whether or not the officers identified themselves. Guru has already said in these situations, most times they do not do so.

 

Think about what you guys are saying, who believe he knew they were police, and pointed his gun at them. You guys are basically saying he decided, "ho hum let's go kill me some police". You guys really see that as the most likely scenario?

No it doesn't come down to whether or not the officers identified themselves. If you point your gun at me (I'm not a cop) and I shot you then I'm justified.

If you think Waller was murdered in cold blood then how can you not arrest the officer? For manslaughter at least.

 

Oh, on that I agree. Based on the current information, I think at the very least he should lose his badge and be brought up on manslaughter charges. You can't kill someone and not expect to face the consequences.

 

Serious question, is there ever a just cause for a cop to shoot (and kill) someone who hasn't broken a law while they're on their own property?

No it doesn't come down to whether or not the officers identified themselves. If you point your gun at me (I'm not a cop) and I shot you then I'm justified.

 

Not if they had their guns drawn first.

This is probably one of the least egregious instances of an innocent person being hurt or killed by the police. There's too much information left out to even know if there was wrongdoing.

 

I'm far more concerned by the excesses afforded to the Holy War on Drugs. I wish people paid more attention to how militarized and aggressive that domestic "war" has become and what it has wrought. I read a quote the other day from an innocent person on the wrong end of a drug raid ask "I know I don't live in Russia, but when did Putin come to America?"

 

I stated my concern for how militarized our police force has come on page one. I agree totatlly. Swat teams kick in door for non-violent crimes more often than people think.

On a call like this, responding to a possible burglar alarm etc. Police do not pull up to the location with sirens blaring. No they don't want the perpetrator to know they are there.

 

My alarm has gone off and the cops showed up with lights on. Other times they haven't. I just figured they got sick of showing up to our bad alarm.

And for anyone that feels that a cop should not fire his weapon unless fired upon first are you freaking kidding me?

 

I don't believe this at all. I'm just having a hard time understanding why a cop wouldn't identify themselves to a threat.

I like to give police some benefit of the doubt. But a man being murdered on his own property for being armed doesn't sit right with me.

Oh, on that I agree. Based on the current information, I think at the very least he should lose his badge and be brought up on manslaughter charges. You can't kill someone and not expect to face the consequences.

 

Serious question, is there ever a just cause for a cop to shoot (and kill) someone who hasn't broken a law while they're on their own property?

 

If he pointed his gun at the cop then the cop had just cause to shoot him. He could do that not knowing said person was a cop and would not be breaking the law. However the cop then has a split second to make a decision that could mean being dead or firing his weapon. In this case someone who didn't break the law is dead while the cop was justified.

I don't believe this at all. I'm just having a hard time understanding why a cop wouldn't identify themselves to a threat.

That has not been determined, has it? Just speculation by many on here based on what Guru said may have happened as far as how the officers responded.

If he pointed his gun at the cop then the cop had just cause to shoot him. He could do that not knowing said person was a cop and would not be breaking the law. However the cop then has a split second to make a decision that could mean being dead or firing his weapon. In this case someone who didn't break the law is dead while the cop was justified.

 

And that's where we disagree. IMO, the cop wouldn't be justified in the slightest. You can't kill someone on your their own property and not face the consequences. Also, you're assuming that the guy pointed his gun at the cop.