Minneapolis Officer Shoots and Kills Woman Who Called 911

[THE SHERIFF]

I haven't found anything specifically stating that Officer Mohamed Noor is a Muslim, yet he was raised in the states by parents native to Somali. The name Mohamed is Arabic, and a variant of Mohammad, founder of the Islamic religion.

 

So far I can only assume that he was raised a Muslim, but still I suppose that would also be like thinking that anyone named Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John is a Christian, which isn't always the case, so I can't say for certain that Somalians would name their child Mohamed yet not be followers of the Islamic religion. I honestly don't know how loosely they use that name, or if those using it are without doubt raised in the Islamic tradition.

 

I suppose sometimes we all let stereotypes dictate our thinking. I know I'm guilty.

[Bluto]

Fair point.

 

Somalia is 99.9% Islam, and 0.1% other...

 

Of course these percentages offer no concrete evidence that his parents raised him here in the states as such.

You gotta be kidding. Look at those percentages. It's definitely concrete. I'll grant you that it may not be totally solidified, but definitely "wet, almost dry" concrete.

[B-Ball-fan]

You gotta be kidding. Look at those percentages. It's definitely concrete. I'll grant you that it may not be totally solidified, but definitely "wet, almost dry" concrete.

 

I was originally being questioned if we knew that he was for certain a Muslim because in a previous post I had stated that he was when in truth I cannot be 100% certain of that, so in this post that you are here replying to, that I whole hearted agree with you that he likely is, I left it unanswered considering I indeed don't know for sure, and that was the corner that I had a hunch I was being pushed into instead of folks considering the bigger point that I was trying to convey regarding more specifically race regardless of his religion.

 

Even if he's not a Muslim, I'll venture to say that most when hearing his name in the news would lean towards thinking that he is. Getting tangled up with those specifics still I believe is an attempt to steer away from the bigger point that I was making.

[B-Ball-fan]

I suppose sometimes we all let stereotypes dictate our thinking. I know I'm guilty.

 

No doubt, and I'm sometimes guilty of it as well.

[halfback20]

What point do you think that I was trying to make?

 

I indeed WAS saying that race shouldn't matter, and that wrong is wrong...

 

However there's no doubt in my mind that some white folks would question/doubt the early reports if they thought that it was a white cop, and a black woman.

 

Some would conclude that there must be something "more to the story", and that the black woman must've done something to escalate the situation, however once they learned that it was a middle class white woman and a Muslim police officer, I guarantee that the very same people would immediately switch gears in their thinking, and think that the police officer was likely a radical loose cannon, which he probably is no matter his race, but much easier for some to conclude because of his race, and their impression of that.

 

I'm not suggesting either that only those within the white race are capable of letting stereotypes dictate their thinking (they all can), yet in this particular case I'm proposing what I've said from the perspective of a white person quick to judge the circumstances, or the circumstances of any other police shooting.

 

Right out of the gate with this thread I was already feeling the vibe of what I am suggesting, and It would be interesting to know, if they're willing to admit it, what initial picture they had in their head of those involved, and if they noticed any 180's in their thinking when they found out who actually was involved?

 

Bottom line, if one found themselves more easily believing the particulars of the reports of this shooting once they realized that it was a Muslim, but demanded more info when they might've thought that it was a white cop, I'm suggesting that they let their stereotypes dictate their knee-jerk reactions of how they first reacted to the early reports, and if it were to have been a white cop, defense of his actions and needing more info would likely have followed, but because it's a Muslim guy, and while he was clearly in the wrong, no white guy now is going give him the same benefit of the doubt that they might've given the white cop.

 

Yea, there are some racist white people.

 

Just as there are some black people who automatically assume the police are wrong when a white officer shoots a black person.

[B-Ball-fan]

Yea, there are some racist white people.

 

Just as there are some black people who automatically assume the police are wrong when a white officer shoots a black person.

 

I agree, and said this in the post of mine here that you are replying to.

 

"I'm not suggesting either that only those within the white race are capable of letting stereotypes dictate their thinking (they all can)".

[halfback20]

I agree, and said this in the post of mine here that you are replying to.

 

"I'm not suggesting either that only those within the white race are capable of letting stereotypes dictate their thinking (they all can)".

 

Then what made you point it out for this story? It has happened with every police shooting of a minority for years. Every headline will let you know the race, if the cop is white and the deceased is a minority. I haven't seen any headlines pointing out race in this story...

[B-Ball-fan]

Then what made you point it out for this story? It has happened with every police shooting of a minority for years. Every headline will let you know the race, if the cop is white and the deceased is a minority. I haven't seen any headlines pointing out race in this story...

 

Probably to challenge people to take a look at how they might let stereotypes dictate their perspective.

 

No one suggested initially what the races were of the involved, and with that I'm assuming that some might've had a picture in their minds of the circumstances, and I'm guessing that when they learned that it was a white woman, and an Arab of Somalian decent (dare I say likely a Muslim without !00% proof), that potentially some might've found themselves through stereotyping feeling differently about the situation than when maybe they might've originally pictured in their minds a white cop, and perhaps a black woman.

 

There were suggestions early that the initial reports were probably rushed and wrong, and that there had to be "more to the story", when I'll guess that when those first reactions were made that no one had a thought in their minds that the police officer was Arabic, and with our country's more recent issues with Arabs (either justifiably or not), I was magnifying that perhaps some were finding themselves switching gears from their initial thinking, and if so, giving them the opportunity to ask themselves why.

 

I have a theory that our racially diverse culture can possibly move forward with better acceptance and understanding when people of all races begin to recognize within themselves when stereotypes dictate their perspective, and people are conscious to be self-aware of this, and challenge themselves to question themselves.

 

If we try to silence or resist the conversation regarding our stereotypes, I fear that we just stand the chance to keep ourselves viewing other races from a shallow perspective that is of no benefit to anyone, or the culture as a whole.

[TAC]

Officer driving says he heard a load noise prior to his partner shooting. The officer who fired the shots has not yet been interviewed. There was a bicyclist in the area they would like to speak with. Body cams nor the Car cam were turned on until the shots were fired.

 

Officer: Partner fired fatal shot moments after loud sound

[UKMustangFan]

Officer driving says he heard a load noise prior to his partner shooting. The officer who fired the shots has not yet been interviewed. There was a bicyclist in the area they would like to speak with. Body cams nor the Car cam were turned on until the shots were fired.

 

Officer: Partner fired fatal shot moments after loud sound

 

Doesn't sound good.

[TAC]

Doesn't sound good.

 

Yup, sounds like he may have got scared and mistakenly shot her? Biggest issue to solve this one is a lack of cameras or witnesses.

[bugatti]

Yup, sounds like he may have got scared and mistakenly shot her? Biggest issue to solve this one is a lack of cameras or witnesses.

 

RE: Cameras.

 

HB20 can correct me if I am wrong, but as I understand most dash cams are not fully activated unless manually done so, typically by the flipping on of flashers/sirens. They may be back-recording a minute or so at all times, but that footage (one minute) is only retained with the manual activation.

 

With the body cameras, it is not surprising it was not activated. Not yet at least. If it was just a routine call, officers have discretion when to turn on the cameras, generally reserved for activation before you are going to encounter someone. For instance, you are called over to a domestic, an officer may turn on the body camera before exiting the car or walking up to the door. If one is en route driving, you don't just arbitrarily have on a body camera. Many think body cameras are running the entirety of a shift.

 

This is not justifying anything, but maybe it is an explanation as to why camera footage was not available. It also shows that body cameras are not a full-proof solution.

[TAC]

RE: Cameras.

 

HB20 can correct me if I am wrong, but as I understand most dash cams are not fully activated unless manually done so, typically by the flipping on of flashers/sirens. They may be back-recording a minute or so at all times, but that footage (one minute) is only retained with the manual activation.

 

With the body cameras, it is not surprising it was not activated. Not yet at least. If it was just a routine call, officers have discretion when to turn on the cameras, generally reserved for activation before you are going to encounter someone. For instance, you are called over to a domestic, an officer may turn on the body camera before exiting the car or walking up to the door. If one is en route driving, you don't just arbitrarily have on a body camera. Many think body cameras are running the entirety of a shift.

 

This is not justifying anything, but maybe it is an explanation as towhy camera footage was not available. It also shows that body cameras are not a full-proof solution.

 

I'm with you 100% on this. Not saying the should have been on but just going to difficult to try to figure out what went on.

Than again, every time there is a video, it seems folks still disagree with what they saw.

[halfback20]

Probably to challenge people to take a look at how they might let stereotypes dictate their perspective.

 

No one suggested initially what the races were of the involved, and with that I'm assuming that some might've had a picture in their minds of the circumstances, and I'm guessing that when they learned that it was a white woman, and an Arab of Somalian decent (dare I say likely a Muslim without !00% proof), that potentially some might've found themselves through stereotyping feeling differently about the situation than when maybe they might've originally pictured in their minds a white cop, and perhaps a black woman.

 

There were suggestions early that the initial reports were probably rushed and wrong, and that there had to be "more to the story", when I'll guess that when those first reactions were made that no one had a thought in their minds that the police officer was Arabic, and with our country's more recent issues with Arabs (either justifiably or not), I was magnifying that perhaps some were finding themselves switching gears from their initial thinking, and if so, giving them the opportunity to ask themselves why.

 

I have a theory that our racially diverse culture can possibly move forward with better acceptance and understanding when people of all races begin to recognize within themselves when stereotypes dictate their perspective, and people are conscious to be self-aware of this, and challenge themselves to question themselves.

 

If we try to silence or resist the conversation regarding our stereotypes, I fear that we just stand the chance to keep ourselves viewing other races from a shallow perspective that is of no benefit to anyone, or the culture as a whole.

 

Why aren't you fighting this fight when people automatically assume an officer is guilty based on the race of those involved?

[B-Ball-fan]

Why aren't you fighting this fight when people automatically assume an officer is guilty based on the race of those involved?

 

I used this particular case as it involved an Arabic officer, when initially most weren't aware of that, and to challenge folks to ask themselves how they initially viewed the circumstances versus how they viewed them when more specifics came to light, and why.

 

Personally I don't lean one way or another regarding police officers either White, Black, Asian, Arabic, Native American et al in these such cases because in some situations their actions are justifiable, and in others they are not.

 

As an example that I'm personally not anti-police, I was recently at a downtown Cincy event where one of the officers was a black man simply walking around doing his job, and he passed a group of black guys who all mocked him behind his back, pretty much displaying that they viewed him as a sell out for his profession choice. The fact that he was black was more the reason they took issue with him. I thought that they were terribly disrespectful, and that there was nothing about him that deserved this type of sophomoric banter.

 

I was so very tempted to walk up to them and tell them what I thought, and perhaps I could have done so in an effective way to make them think, yet with the potential for it to not go as well as I would like, I chickened out, and maybe wisely so, because I seriously didn't want to find myself in a 5 against 1 position that I voluntarily walked myself right into and have it turn ugly. Still, I just wish that there was a way that I could've challenged those guys to rethink their stance without the possibility of things turning sour.

 

This cop in the shooting, from how it presently appears, was in the wrong, and it's entirely possible that he reacted out of fear and nothing more, which can be understandable as it is sad, yet still horribly unfortunate. He could very well be a decent man who made a quick bad decision. Personally my view of his actions have nothing to do with his race, or the fact that he is a police officer.

 

People can fall into various categories regarding their reaction to police shootings, where either they lean towards always backing the officer, to never backing the officer, to somewhere in between, and with that there's also the possibility of the additional layer of racial biases that can come into play with people's perspective that have them divided in their thinking where race is more relevant to them than their support of officers, or lack there of, or their support of officers, or lack there of is more relevant than the race of the officer and/or the victim.

 

I don't know that I can answer your question of "fighting this fight" in a way that is satisfactory to you because it comes across as pointed in a way that would try to indicate that I'm a cop hater, which just isn't the case.

 

It's the same tactic often used by TV interviewers where the person answering just won't be able to satisfy the question with a suitable answer because the question is pointed and flawed to begin with.

 

Because you might not be able to locate any past posts with me speaking out with overwhelming support for police officers should be no indication that I don't have respect for them.

 

My aim is neither pro or anti-police, as my point is geared at challenging folks to take a look at the big picture within themselves as to what motivates their viewpoints, and hopefully encourage people to learn to become more objective, rather than subjective.