Featured Police fired 55 shots at a young rapper in California

[VCheng]

Back up behind the vehicle to a safe distance, behind some cover, and use a bull horn/megaphone.

Again, the issue here is that there is too much of a focus on direct confrontation and escalation, in situations where people are not in imminent danger and there is no justification for assessing the situation as one where there is a threat to people.

If I'm not comfortable with older white people walking around with open carry weapons in the rural south, does that give me justification to shoot them preemptively because I assessed them as a threat because:

White+weapon+south+dirty look == Redneck, Neo-Nazi racist who might shoot me in a hate crime?

I have already agreed that the police need better training in de-escalation techniques.

Your example does not apply since the police have a duty to protect others, so they must engage with the weapon-carrying individual when they have been called in to a situation where there is a loaded weapon being openly displayed, and one that is accessible to a person who is not following an order to keep their hands visible. If said redneck pointed their weapon at you despite being told not to, and you shot them in self-defense, would be a closer analogy.

Having said that, I reiterate that I agree with you on the need for better training in de-escalation techniques for the police.

 

[Desert Fox]

Someone needs to explain de-escalation to US law enforcement. No one in immediate danger. Individual passed out in a drive through. If they thought it was too risky to remove the gun then they could have flattened the tires and tried megaphones or other means from a distance to try and wake him up.

Police ESCALATED, and should be investigated.

At best this is piss poor training, and law enforcement in the US has repeatedly demonstrated either a lack of ability or lack of desire to deescalate various situations, even when dealing with the recent BLM protests.

The criticism they're getting is completely justified.

Have you worked in law enforcement?