I wouldn't have an iota of problem with the shooting if the person in the lobby was a 6'5" meth amped demon spawn who could bend #10 bars repetitively, but get some freakin' cerebral analytics going here, it's an ~100 POUND 17 year old GIRL.
FTR - For the people who will whip out the "armchair quarterbacking" obfuscation, the only thing I would ask God for on the lines of a personal request for myself is that he fortify my soul to step up to the plate when confronted with something like this, or an active threat to others, regardless of the state of my readiness.
Show me where in the police book of rules it states that officers are not only expected to but required to disarm knife wielding aggressors inside their precincts by hand.
Why would a person allow another person wielding a knife in a threatening manner to approach within melee range thus increasing the effectiveness of the weapon that person is wielding?
Why should an officer be expected to use a taser against a person with a knife?
What if the taser prong misses as the suspect is charging?
What if the taser prong hits the knife and deflects off thus rendering the taser useless?
Did any of those officers show up on scene with a loaded bean bag gun? No? Oh well.
I am curious as to why you expect a person to risk their own life for this person’s life, when it is quite clear that this person does not care for their own life, and very likely does not care for anyone else’s life?
100 pound 17 year old girls with knives CAN KILL YOU.
I am not arguing that the police were right or wrong, because I do not see enough information yet for a valid judgment in that area.
The fact that this was a small 17 year old girl is a factor in that judgment. But so is the reported fact that she was attacking with a knife. The availability of other tools to use in th building isn’t much of a factor - because the attack can’t be paused until such items can be procured from wherever they are stored.
If the officers screwed up, I say punish them in accordance with the law. But, we do need to ensure that the determination they screwed up is based on a complete picture of the situation, not on an emotionally written article that presents only the sympathetic side for the decedent.