Posted on 11/25/2015 11:57:19 AM PST by IChing
In the latest high-profile racial railroading of a white policeman for obvious political reasons, it has taken authorities over a full year to decide to charge Chicago cop Jason Van Dyke in the fatal shooting of black 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.
The obviousness of the racial/political theater here is largely due to the fact that the timing of the ridiculous charge — first degree murder — being suddenly announced after all these months, so transparently coincides with the sudden FOIA public release of a police dashcam video of the shooting which, to the untrained eye, looks pretty bad.
The video in question has been in the possession of the authorites this entire time. If it was a bad shoot, especially if so bad as to amount to first degree murder, they should have charged him long ago, apart from the racially ginned-up public and media hysteria wrought by release of the video, no?
As for allegations about the incident itself, there are some gray areas, and some clear-cut lines.
Officers were attempting to apprehend McDonald, who was later determined to have had PCP in his system, after he had been rampaging around the area and using a knife to not only break into cars and other property, but also slashed the tire of a police car in an initial attempt to arrest him just moments before he encountered Van Dyke and other officers.
The video shows that McDonald was not “walking away from†the officers, as many are insisting; he was walking briskly abreast of them and turning toward them(4:45), his left hand inside his pocket and swinging the knife in his right hand.
Most police officers are trained on the “21-foot ruleâ€(also known as the Tueller Drill), the distance at which an officer’s “reactionary gap†(the time it takes the officer to recognize the threat, reach, draw, aim, and fire on the subject) puts his own life in jeopardy from a subject with an edged weapon.
Here’s a very good demonstration of the 21-foot rule:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_KJ1R2PCMM
It has been proven over and over again (unfortunately not only in training drills but in many cases where officers have been murdered/gravely wounded) that an agile subject with an edged weapon can suddenly, as rapidly as 1.5 seconds, close a distance of up to 21 feet to fatally stab/slash a victim, even kill or seriously wound a trained police officer armed with a gun.
That’s LESS time than it takes an officer to recognize the threat, reach, draw, aim, and fire on the subject — the “reactionary gap.†1.23 seconds is the fastest closing time of the 21-foot distance measured.
I played the video over and over at various speeds, and the taser wires are visible well before McDonald shows any kind of reaction(indicating that the taser may not have functioned immediately or properly), and he actually turns toward the officers(4:45) as he walks briskly abreast of them with the wires attached, swinging the knife in one hand, with his other hand in his pocket.
Then, it looks like the gunfire is what brings him down, because you can see dust/debris kicked up as the rounds hit the concrete around/under McDonald’s body when he falls.
If Van Dyke believed the taser did not function, it can be argued that he legitimately perceived McDonald (who had just slashed a police car’s tire with the knife) to be an imminent deadly threat within the 21-foot reactionary gap.
That perception wouldn’t mean that he necessarily HAD to shoot McDonald, but it would definitely mean he’s not guilty of murder.
The 21-foot rule has come under scrutiny and criticism in recent years/months, and I predict it will (as “stand your ground,†as misapplied as it was, in the Zimmerman case) be the centerpiece of this case.
Not guilty.
Oh, and by the way, as for the number of shots fired, the official answer is that once deadly force is deemed justified, the number of shots is really moot — although we all know that the public, media, and jurors can imagine that there can be some kind of “excessive†force beyond deadly force.
I am going with the culturally appropriate answer of a “seemed to be teens, attacking flash mob”.
The guy is a POS, but shouldn’t it be 2nd degree?
The city has already settled with the family.
I am usually on the side of protecting the cop from the Hands up, don’t shoot crowd. I don’t understand why these punks don’t follow directions.
That said, I’ve heard no one suggest this cop was even a little bit in the right.
The trial will tell.
I doubt many people are so cool as to be accurate enough to hit a small spot when the guy has a knife. Most just point and shoot. But I see your point. Knee cap him. But, as I said, under stress those knees would probably look pretty tiny.
Otherwise, if he’s down, don’t shoot again unless he starts to get up.
First of all there was no imminent threat to the cop. He should be charged with first degree murder. These guys are trained to recognize that. If they fail training then they shouldn't be a cop, period.
Secondly, it took a year to come out because of political reasons, pure and simple. Rahm Emanuel is as corrupt as the day is long. He is a democrat, need I say more?
How many rounds do these cops’ clips hold?
If that were the case, no one would use it, including the cops.
...
I said it never tells the whole story, not that it isn’t evidence.
Cops are trained to shoot center mass, they don’t “knee cap” people.
The city has already settled with the family.
...
Riot insurance. The ghetto lottery. It will also take pressure off the jury or judge to convict for the wrong reasons.
Glock .40 cal is 15 in the magazine, 1 in the chamber.
I was responding to the poster who said he should have fired so as not to hit vital organs. Even if they don’t try to hit center mass, I imagine adrenalin would make every shooter a little wobbly.
It could also be why 10 cops empty their clips on one person. That happens a lot, too. The other reason is they’re like a pack of dogs. One barks and they all start barking.
They overcharged, for sure.
So, he emptied his clip AFTER the guy was laying on the ground. I wonder why at least one cop didn’t yell “He’s down. Cease fire!” Of course, it doesn’t take long to fire 16 rounds from a Glock.
If that were the case, no one would use it, including the cops. Btw, any evidence is better than none. And this goes for cops and non-cops. Learn it.
I said it never tells the whole story, not that it isnt evidence.
Wrong again, there have been many criminal cases/incidents where it does indeed tell the whole story.
5 cops, with half body plastic shields just like riot gear. Go in and break his knees. Case closed.
Cops that shoot crazy people with knives and screw drivers are fricken lazy.
I used to know a guy at college. He reloaded a lot. Cops used to complain that the issue at the time, 9mm if I recall, was not powerful enough to stop someone on PCP. From what I understand, most cops carry backup guns. For this guys cop friends he loaded a hot .44 wad cutter round. He called it an African Sledgehammer.
It looked, to me, that after the man spun around, he took a shot and dropped like a rag doll. It looked as though the cop kept tagging a motionless person. The trial will clarify things, but the 14 shots after the first two will be near impossible to justify. There were 7 cops there I think.
How should police stsop a knife-swinging Laquan on PCP?? I dunno. Taze him? Hit him with a golf club? You out number him 5 to 1 -take the knife away from him? Shoot him and when he falls QUIT SHOOTING? Offer him two Beyoncé tickets if he'll put the knife down. Run into him with the car. Throw a rope around him. Tell him they're having a gangster rap contest down at the precinct and you're sure he can win. Tell him his mom just died and you want to take him to her side. Who knows.... oh yeah... just shoot him and then empty your gun in him when he's on the ground. That should stop him....
I used to know a guy at college. He reloaded a lot. Cops used to complain that the issue at the time, 9mm if I recall, was not powerful enough to stop someone on PCP. From what I understand, most cops carry backup guns. For this guys cop friends he loaded a hot .44 wad cutter round. He called it an African Sledgehammer.
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