Have the said if there was a weapon found in the car? I havent heard either way, might have missed it.

 

 

The reports said "unarmed."

Would you have opened the door like the officer did?

 

Hell to the no. At that point any officer would know this is almost a certain arrest situation (assuming you are arresting for operating on a suspended license) so the officer needed to calm the motorist, collect more information on the licence status of the motorist, AND GET BACK UP THERE BEFORE TAKING ANY ACTIONS.

 

In mind mind he blew it. He would have failed training that day.

 

He inflamed the situation, he opened up a safety can of worms (opening door) and ultimately he took a life he had no right in even threatening, much less harming.

Trying to see things from all angles here..if a man is rooting around his car and acting fidgety and pulls a bottle of alcohol off the floor, white or black, you wouldn't be a wee bit nervous about what he may have? Be honest with yourself. You would be.

 

NOTE: he had no right to take this man's life. I feel like I need to put a disclaimer because I'm not defending that action.

The reports said "unarmed."

 

Thanks.

Trying to see things from all angles here..if a man is rooting around his car and acting fidgety and pulls a bottle of alcohol off the floor, white or black, you wouldn't be a wee bit nervous about what he may have? Be honest with yourself. You would be.

 

The officer asked what the bottle was on the floor, then DuBose handed it to him...

In short, the guy obviously (probably) didn't have his license with him so instead of inflaming that fact the officer needed to move on to the next phase of dealing with a motorist that appears to be suspended with no license in possession. One is inflammatory (the path the officer chose) and the other can be presented in such a way to have a calming effect on the overall interaction between the officer and the motorist.

 

This is something a good Field Training Program would take care of the first few weeks/months an officer is on the street learning how to be a police officer.

 

I've got to agree with everything your saying about the inexperience,etc. Just not seeing Dirty Harry here. That inexperience or whatever may cost him 25 years, sad all the way around.

Trying to see things from all angles here..if a man is rooting around his car and acting fidgety and pulls a bottle of alcohol off the floor, white or black, you wouldn't be a wee bit nervous about what he may have? Be honest with yourself. You would be.

 

What you have is an arrest situation and you need to employ proper tactics and back up.

Trying to see things from all angles here..if a man is rooting around his car and acting fidgety and pulls a bottle of alcohol off the floor, white or black, you wouldn't be a wee bit nervous about what he may have? Be honest with yourself. You would be.

 

Thats why I asked the question about weapons in the car. Had he had one in the car, I think it changes things a bit, specifically if the officer had seen it.

Trying to see things from all angles here..if a man is rooting around his car and acting fidgety and pulls a bottle of alcohol off the floor, white or black, you wouldn't be a wee bit nervous about what he may have? Be honest with yourself. You would be.

 

The officer asked "what the bottle on the floor was", he didn't just grab it for no reason.

 

But to your point, there was nothing in his actions that seemed suspicious to me at all.

I've got to agree with everything your saying about the inexperience,etc. Just not seeing Dirty Harry here. That inexperience or whatever may cost him 25 years, sad all the way around.

 

Thanks All In.

 

Police Officers all have different strengths and weaknesses but this area is a particular strength of mine and I trained countless young officers in this area.

 

I should also add I really paid attention in the Police Academy, with all training I received, and I was very lucky to have some excellent trainers/mentors of my own. Lately I have been making a point to thank those very people when I run into them.

 

Police work is Teamwork Teamwork Teamwork!!!

Watching the better quality video on Cincinnati.com it looks like DuBose turned the car off early on in the stop before he reached into the glove compartment. Later when the officer tries to open the door to ask him to get out DuBose turns the key and the car starts, the officer yells stop and reaches in and grabs at DuBose's hand, DuBose seems to lift his hand to cover his head and lean away. The officer fires. I'm guessing his other hand put the car into gear while the camera was shaking since as his body goes limp the car starts to go.

Didn't look like to me the officer ever was off his feet, but the camera was shaking quite a bit right after the shot.

 

The officer asked "what the bottle on the floor was", he didn't just grab it for no reason.

 

But to your point, there was nothing in his actions that seemed suspicious to me at all.

Interesting, I didn't pick up on that. Old and deaf I guess.

Interesting, I didn't pick up on that. Old and deaf I guess.

 

 

Well, let me clarify, that's what I thought I heard. I only watched it twice, and it wasn't the best quality.

The officer asked "what the bottle on the floor was", he didn't just grab it for no reason.

 

But to your point, there was nothing in his actions that seemed suspicious to me at all.

 

I get that he asked for it. Because he saw it. But you don't think it would make you suspicious or nervous if someone were reaching all over, fidgety, searching through a glove compartment, patting pants, reaching to the side? It would. And instead of handling that the proper way, this guy was immature and not fit to be in the role he was in and it will cost him years of his life and it cost DuBose all of his.

Well, let me clarify, that's what I thought I heard. I only watched it twice, and it wasn't the best quality.

 

You are correct. Officer saw the bottle and asked what it was.