Claeyt's comments in this thread are so sad. But this one is the worst:
Claeyt wrote:The cop used excessive force by shooting him 12 times and should be fired,
God forbid you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation and have to defend yourself.
US law states that a police officer can use deadly force when someone is dangerous to those around them or when a person poses a significant threat to a police officer of either serious injury or death, even if they are fleeing. It's very condescending of you to suggest Haukeye, a former(?) police officer, knows less about the law and apprehending criminals than you do.
A cop once told me that the danger zone of how far away someone even with a knife can be and still charge and kill you before you can stop them with gun or other weapon is over thirty feet, I forget the exact distance. It is a lot farther than you would think. So, if this guy did turn around and show any sign of coming back, as the evidence strongly suggests he did, the officer had every reason to shoot him.
Additionally, real life is not like the movies. People who get shot don't just drop. Can you honestly say that if someone was charging you and you thought he was going to try his best to kill you, you'd stop at 1 bullet, or even 6? Would you just assume you'd hit him and that he'd go down before he got to you? I doubt it, I think you'd keep shooting until the danger had obviously passed, and if that takes 12 bullets, then that's what it takes.
And this one is just puzzling:
Claeyt wrote:4. More black police officers on the force. Ferguson is a newly 'Black' town which is a suburb of St. Louis. Most of the established police and politicians are white. The town has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. The police force hasn't
How, exactly, do you suggest this be changed? Conscriptions? Press Ganging? You can't force people from the area to become police officers or politicians. They have to do it on their own and 20 years has been quite long enough.
I also find it rather disgusting that the media published the officer's home address.