The cops may suspect that they're approaching a criminal. They don't know that they're approaching a criminal.
When they're getting out of plain cars, wearing plain clothes, and pointing guns … to the honest citizen THEY LOOK LIKE CRIMINALS THEMSELVES.
The honest citizen will defend himself against them by any means necessary.
The cops had best learn to make damn well sure that they don't EVER look like criminals.
“Are you a criminal? You seem to insist on thinking like one, so I wonder.”
You’re posing a hypothetical question. The proper answer to that question depends to a great degree on whether you are a criminal or not. You can pretend it doesn’t, but common sense dictates that it does.
“The cops may suspect that they’re approaching a criminal. They don’t know that they’re approaching a criminal.”
They usually have probable cause to suspect they’re approaching a criminal, and in this case, judging by his reaction, they were probably correct.
“When they’re getting out of plain cars, wearing plain clothes, and pointing guns … to the honest citizen THEY LOOK LIKE CRIMINALS THEMSELVES.”
Maybe to you. You’re assuming they didn’t do the standard things that police would do in this situation, like display badges and identify themselves as police officers. Even the attorney in the article admits he isn’t sure what happened, but you seem to know. Were you an eyewitness?