Video Footage Shows Dallas Police Fatally Shooting Mentally Ill Man

Uncalled for.

I just pray one day he'll have the courage to not shoot and kill a man even though he legally could.

 

it's Dallas. what do you expect peepz?

 

While you're standing there trying to just guess exactly how deadly his weapon is, you're gonna have a screw driver in your neck.

Yall sure are good examining dynamic situations from the leisure of your swivel chair.

 

They even shot an innocent man in his car while driving in DealeyPlaza.

 

Seems like this is more of a morality/police training issue. We all know this is legally justified and will be treated as such.

I can promise you that police training will never ever train officers to meet deadly force with some other option. That's not reality and a recipe for a disaster.

 

I haven't made that claim against you. That said, I do think that the military has higher standards for use of force. The soldiers in this thread have said as much and so have the ones if my life (though that holds little weight for the purpose of this thread). Is it possible that there's room for more restraint by some police departments? I don't think the standards are the same across the country...maybe I'm wrong there. There's definitely variation in reaction by police to similar incidents around the country. Or are you challenging the assertion by the soldiers who have served that they're not trained to show restraint? Is it possible that there is room to be in the situation from the video without killing the screwdriver guy?

I'm not saying the kill was unjustified, but I just think it's avoidable. I agree that it's a greater risk to the police though. Soldiers accept a greater risk. If you were in that position, I'm just curious if you'd kill because you're absolutely in fear of your life or because that's the training or because you're unwilling to accept any risk to your life at all? Is that the proper framing of the question?

Anyhow, I'm not in your shoes so I'm not going to act like I know exactly how it feels. Others shouldn't deride your opinion. The flip side to that coin is that others and their opinions about the role of police shouldn't be dismissed either just because they're not cops.

 

That might make sense, if you were in occupied territory.

The fact that you see this as legally justified is appalling. No one doubts that the officers involved will probably not be punished, either criminal or civil. Absence of justice does not mean the act is legal.

Serious question for Anas acuta. Would object would not fall under deadly force? Nail clipper (thanks TSA!), pencil (I guess sharpened), toothpick, cotton ball, plastic bag.

Because I could honestly come up with ways those objects could kill someone.

 

I worked in psychiatric hospitals for years, my experience examining dynamic situations comes from hard won experience and extensive training.

Try again, rookie.

 

It happened in Houston last year with a young man who had mental issues too. And look at how many times the cop discharges his weapon while the victim is already down. Sorry I can't post the video.

Watch "Michael Blair shot police in Fort Bend County Texas (GRAPHIC VIDEO)" on YouTube
Michael Blair shot by police in Fort Bend County Texas (GRAPHIC VIDEO): https://youtu.be/2lCWUufgRFU

 

Police training should train officers to see a person with a screwdriver as being someone possessing less than "deadly force." When the police see 3/4 of the tools I have in my toolbox qualifying as "deadly force," there is something wrong with their training.

 

I look forward to seeing Home Depot as a licensed arms dealer.

 

Cops kill more civilians . .. than Civilians kill cops

Cops don't try everything to hide that fact
and try not to even document their 'kills'

Rocket River

 

I also don't perform surgeries but have certain expectations that surgeons don't harm their patients. That the job is hard or dynamic doesn't immunize it from scrutiny.

 

A screw driver? The guy didn't even move forward he was just holding it.

I'm sorry , it really sounds like you enjoy the idea of shooting someone way too much.

I understand police have a dangerous job, but to kill a mentally ill person you are suppose to be helping because he has a small screw driver in his hands and is moving awkwardly is just sad.

 

I better throw away all my pens when I walk through security. I could get shot for holding a deadly weapon and closing the distance.

 

Thanks for the though out post. I've tried to visualize myself in this situation with a co-worker of mine standing by my side. The thing I keep running into is that I don't know why he is walking toward me with a screwdriver. Maybe he doesn't even see the officers or maybe he wants to go check the mail with a screw driver, and he wants to walk around me. I suppose, if there is room and he is walking, I would try to step to the side and see if he wants to walk toward me. I don't have a problem with backpedaling for a moment to get out of his way. It doesn't seem like there's much room to retreat except for back down the drive way. But what if he throws it at me? What if I trip on something? There are too many variables to consider, and the law is very clear on what's allowed. If you try to run through a few scenarios in your head, while someone is coming at you with a screw driver, he's going to act and then you're going to have to react to his action, which has been proven time and time again to be slower. Since we're not psychic, deadly force will always be justified in similar situations.

In reference to the military; They don't use a taser or a baton or hand to hand combat against armed assailants. I'm no ROE expert, but I found some information from the Marine Corps:

The Texas penal code reads similar:

It appears that Texas law is more restrictive than what the Marine Corps go by.

If you folks don't like that officer's (and all people) are allowed to shoot someone closing the gap on them while holding a weapon capable of inflicting serious bodily injury, then maybe you should try to get the law changed.

Then I guess you're going to be appalled at the Dallas Co. DA's office too.

It depends on how it is being used. You clearly haven't thought about what you're talking about. That's not how it's looked at from a legal sense. The law doesn't specify what's a weapon, and what's a deadly force weapon. If a person is getting smothered with a plastic bag, deadly force is justified. If a person attacks you with an 8lb Panasonic Toughbook laptop, deadly force is justified. If someone rears back and is going to hurl a picture frame at you, deadly force is justified. The law will always allow people to protect themselves against the other's use or attempted use of unlawful deadly force. I don't want to be smothered with a bag, be hit in the head with 8lbs or have a picture frame jam me in the eye/neck.

 

Thankfully. When someone tries to kill you for the uniform you're wearing, that's scary. Sounds like the cops are on the winning side of those.

Since 2005, if I remember correctly, almost 100,000 people have been killed by medical malpractice. The cops have killed about 5000 people. There's 75,000 cops alone in TX. You should be hesitant to undergo a medical procedure.

 

The NSA (National Screwdriver Association) is filing a law suit against the police department. Their mantra... "Screwdrivers don't kill people, people kill people".

 

Sad. You have a US and THEM mentality with the people you are SUPPOSE to be serving.

Cops seems to kill and take more aggression than civilians

Rocket River

 

He's also delusional. Assuming the mentally disturbed man with a screwdriver was trying to kill the cop because of the uniform he was wearing.