I firmly believe, based on what I have evaluated of the info we have, that the bottom line is no order to shoot was given. Perhaps police thought their presence would suppress any need for them to actually DO anything and so no “chain of command” was established and at least one or some of those that ended up dropping hammers thought they were free to do so at their discretion. IMHO, a trained soldier knows that while he has a rifle and ammunition, the opportunity to put them into service at his own discretion is just about nonexistent. What has clearly happened is this: shooting started, probably by a jumpy police shooter who thought he had the authority to make that decision on his own. What happened up to that point is really trivial unless a flood of rounds began impacting on the police. If a Cossack shot at a Bandidos, whatever, I don’t care. They were there, representing themselves and their “issues” about which I care little.
The police, however much we may sarcastically refer to them as “just another gang” we’re not there on their own. As a citizen, they were there (at least austensibly) representing ME. Now we have come to a matter about which I DO care. At the end of the day, I am certain we will find, that the tax dollars of citizens were used to organize, train, and equip people with instruments of lethal force and then essentially released into the environment with minimal direction and no rational protocol for command and control and that, once panicked, took the initiative to begin the wholesale business of taking lives. Again, see if any order to shoot was given. I highly doubt it. How long did the shooting go on? I will bet that it lasted until some one realized that they were witness to a Charlie Foxtrot and then remembered that it was THEIR CF because they were “in charge”. Everything that has happened since affirms the high probability in my mind that I have it about right. Now the police have reacted predictably as the guilty party trying to obfuscate and avoid responsibility.
When the leadership of our country becomes lawless then everything that happens is suspect. When our Taxdollars turn into dead citizens in the absence of any evidence of a crime, much less a capital crime, we had all damn well better have an interest. Police with the latest battle gear and no combat training on American soil are the nightmare the Founders warned us about and tried to prevent. Now here we are.
“If a Cossack shot at a Bandidos, whatever, I don’t care. They were there, representing themselves and their “issues” about which I care little. The police, however much we may sarcastically refer to them as “just another gang” we’re not there on their own. As a citizen, they were there (at least austensibly) representing ME.”
Interesting read. First you say they were there representing only themselves and in the next sentence you say they were there representing you!
I find it disgusting that you whitewash this gangland battle held on a Sunday afternoon is the public arena where good families go expecting to be safe from these terrorists.