> Yes, he was holding something - it was a TAZER disguised as a cell phone. <
That would be a game-changer! And if that can be shown, then the old guy should be in jail.
But I’d rather that cops not always assume the worst. Yes, I know they have a difficult, stressful, and dangerous job. I get all that. But if we accept that cops should always assume the worse, bad things will happen to innocent people (not that this old guy was innocent).
Remember that guy - Daniel Shaver - who was shot by Mesa police? The cops had Shaver on his belly. Shaver was confused, frightened, and crying. He was actually begging for his life. Then he went to hike up his pants. The police shot him dead.
Did Shaver make a wrong move? You bet. But he’s not the one who had conflict training.
“And if that can be shown, then the old guy should be in jail.”
The problem is, the cop cannot be expected to guess correctly about what is going on in mere seconds with limited information. It can be life and death to the cop. They aren’t paid enough for that deal.
The basic rule of life is don’t touch cops, don’t approach cops when they have asked you to move, and don’t make sudden moves when the situation is tense. All in all, this was not a shotgun blast to the gut.