Video Footage Shows Dallas Police Fatally Shooting Mentally Ill Man

Anas, I'm not sure why you ever wanted to be a police officer.

Lethal violence should only ever be a LAST resort. A person carrying a screwdriver within 10 feet doesn't equal a last resort.

I have no idea why you seem to place such a low value on human life.

 

For those of you who think adding cameras to police is a major improvement for police brutality issues, please keep this situation in mind for future reference. The cop had a camera and it did not stop them from needlessly killing someone and it will almost certainly not lead to them being punished for this incident.

The only solution to the cop issue is getting them out of our neighborhoods and organizing democratic structures to replace what services they actually provide. It is the only way to overcome what is at its essence an inherently antagonistic relationship between cops and the communities they police.

Also, in regards to this particular case, we as a society need to provide much more resources for mentally ill people. When people have a family member with mental issues the cops should not be called, a doctor should -- but, since the police are free and doctors aren't, people call the police.

Giving families and communities more access to mental health supports would reduce the number of hostile interactions between police and people with mental health. It will also cut down on the amount of psychotic shooters who legally (and rightfully) acquire arms, and then insanely use those arms to kill people.

 

Because I enjoy it and I make a good living. I derive personal satisfaction from serving the community. I enjoy DWI enforcement. I enjoy it when someone tells me they're thankful for what we are doing. The camaraderie is second to none.

Does an officer's life matter? Why should the officer, when faced with a deadly force, have to somehow figure out a way to get out of it? The suspect is the one who created the situation. The suspect creates the situation, I'm getting out of it. Why do I now somehow have to overcome obstacles I'm not required to hurdle? I'm going home at quitting time. I have a two month old and a housewife who counts on me. Thankful the courts agree with my line of thinking, and not like you liberals.

I can promise you, that a cop does NOT want to have to deal with the nonsense surrounding deadly force encounters. It is a pain in the ass and you will get sued, and will likely find yourself in dealing with administrative functions that no one would wish on their enemy. It can be a last resort and necessary evil at the same time.


And to the poster who thinks that a screw driver is not a deadly weapon. If someone who was standing ten feet from you with that harmless tool decided to close the gap in less than one second, and you were armed with a gun, would you;
Run off scared? Start fumbling with a secondary weapon (less than a second to react here)? Just shoot fearing for your own life? Put your hands up and try to plead with this wild man? You seem to be an expert. Im not real smart so help me out here.

 

I'm seriously thinking some of you don't value your own life.

 

Why did the guy come at the cop and raise the screw driver up? It looked like he attacked the cop.

 

Cops like you are part of the reason why this country is going to ****. I see why you're a suburban cop. You couldn't properly handle being a big city cop. Absolutely scary the mentality of cops these days. I had a scary encounter with cops once when I was 18 and me and a friend and two others from school. I look back on what happened and am surprised I didn't get four in the chest (I put my phone in my pocket when the cops had their guns drawn and we were already out of the car...pulled us, four black 18 year olds, over for speeding...they assumed we had weapons and came at us like we were wanted criminals...we had a single blunt in the car).

 

Why even have tasers then?

 

I seriously think Police don't value our lives. It's sad irony.

 

Herp derp...you would not have to fumble with a "secondary weapon" if the tasers were drawn in the first place. Why go to the gun first? Btw, if you aren't smart, then I see why you're a cop tbh.

 

Dead men can't testify.

 

A screwdriver can be a deadly weapon if wielded correctly and striking vital areas. Police are legally justified to escalate the use of deadly force when met with one, so I don't really see what legal repercussions these officers face. And upon encountering the man, they don't know his state of mind or his intentions so I can understand the fear for their safety and use of deadly force.

However, I don't agree with the cops resorting to shooting the man. I think they should have tried to defuse the situation more rather than immediately draw their weapons. It looked like there were three officers who could have subdued the man. While noncompliant, he didn't act combative or look like he was aggressive, rather confused. While a confused man is still capable of using a screwdriver lethally, the officers had an advantage and could have taken a risk to preserve a life. Instead, they drew their weapons immediately and come off looking like they don't care about preserving a life, which I'm sure is not true but is only the perception. It is a you or me mentality, and completely understandable, but I think our police force has slowly grown into that mentality more and more and it's concerning as citizens.

Another point is why would the mom call the cops to escort him instead of a family member or friend who understands the man's mental state? I'm not trying to blame the mom for springing these unfortunate events together, but it does go along with my sentiments towards the officer who shot the elderly man on a house call when his family called 911 to check on him. In delicate situations as these, I think it's best to ask someone with familiarity rather than complete strangers for help.

 

The officer was charged with a screwdriver... He raised the weapon up... that's a green light to shoot...

 

He said he likes the pay for busting DWI's... Lol. It's a cake job when you only have to worry about enforcing traffic laws. Protecting and serving is apparently beyond their training and or they don't get paid enough to do that as he stated.

Sometimes they do call the hospital and the hospital tells them to call the police. Same thing happened in Houston last year when a cop emptied his freakin clip into a mentally disturbed young man that wouldn't come out of the bathroom.

 

For uncooperative unarmed people who are resisting. You overcome the force being applied, which is what the law allows. You can Taser an armed suspect....if you aren't cocerned with your own safety.

I feel as if you were trying to convey a message that you fell strongly about.


And I support that.

All you need to do is refine your process and keep pushing forward.

 

You would not get off of the field training program if you wouldn't pull your weapon faced with an armed suspect. We call it a manifest safety hazard.

 

It's hard to tell because the camera shakes at the time, but the man looked confused when he entered the doorway. He had cops commanding him to drop the screwdriver, and his mom yelling his name. We don't really know if he was able to process any of this correctly, and I can't see for sure, but I thought he merely moved forward to follow his mom rather than make an aggressive move to the cops, but I can see an uncertainty there and it is a split-second decision.

That applies in a courtroom, and I'm pretty sure he was guilty of having a deadly weapon in front of officers. Not sure what point you're trying to make other than to introduce straw man arguments.

Tasers are secondary weapons. A primary weapon is not what is drawn first, it's the main weapon of choice. Personal attacks aren't conducive to debates, either.

 

They got a call about a mentally Illl man making threats and they didn't give themselves enough space to protect themselves? The Officers didn't seem to concerned about their own saftey if that's how they approached the situation.

Piss poor training and judgement. Legal kill sense police have a very broad allowance when it comes to "fearing for their lives". I sure wish citizens had that privilege and were given the benefit of the doubt by DAs.

Enjoy your little club because something tells me without it you wouldn't be so emboldened

 

Were they supposed to scream from across the street? What happens if mom gets stabbed? Cops are civilly liable.