Yeah, he was warned. But someone should have told the cop that reflexes can’t be 100% controlled. And if the cop had hesitated a half second, it would have been obvious the guy was NOT going for a gun.
If Rodney King resisted arrest today, he’d be shot 40 times. In THAT case, it might even qualify as a good shoot. But this was macho cop getting a chance to kill. Not a good cop without any other options.
“King grabbed his buttocks, which Officer Melanie Singer took to mean King was reaching for a weapon, though he was later found to be unarmed. She drew her pistol and pointed it at King, ordering him to lie on the ground. Singer approached, gun drawn, preparing to effect an arrest.
At that point LAPD Sergeant Stacey Koon, the ranking officer at the scene, told Singer that the LAPD was taking tactical command of the situation. He ordered all officers to holster their weapons.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_King
I wonder how much of the shoot immediately posture has developed because of what happens if someone videos a cop trying to arrest someone without shooting them?
“Yeah, he was warned. But someone should have told the cop that reflexes can’t be 100% controlled. And if the cop had hesitated a half second, it would have been obvious the guy was NOT going for a gun.”
If you encounter an obstacle and you start to fall forward, your reflex isn’t to reach behind you.