We will just have to disagree. I understand that cops have tough jobs and things are going to work out perfectly 24/7. I do not subscribe to the theory that the cops were out for bloodlust (as others, not you, on this thread imply)in this situation. They were trying to stop a perp who had put innocent lives in danger.
We can go through all the machinations of the situation, but it boils down to this, the cops were the ones trying to do the good(stopping a car robber who was a danger to the public) and the perp doing the bad,(stealing the car, driving wildly, running away when being caught).
You will probably say this is overly simplistic, but it is the truth.
I understand that cops have tough jobs and things are not going to work out perfectly 24/7.
Understood, but using the standards you would set here, those who might act similarly, but for far less honorable, less mistaken, and/or less assumptive reasons could very easily get away with it... and that simple idea actually increases the likelihood of it happening.
We can go through all the machinations of the situation, but it boils down to this, the cops were the ones trying to do the good(stopping a car robber who was a danger to the public) and the perp doing the bad,(stealing the car, driving wildly, running away when being caught). You will probably say this is overly simplistic, but it is the truth.
Not at all. It is a simplified version, but it is a bit inaccurate, in my view. While the cops were doing good, they made a series of mistakes that led to the death of a (criminal, stupid) perp who would not have faced the death penalty under any other circumstances. The cops were trying to do good, and the perp had done bad. A potentially-deadly -- the kids fault due to his intentional actions-- incident into a deadly one -- the cops fault due to their mistaken actions and forgotten (ignored?) training. Since they "raised the stakes", even inadvertently, they should see sanctions for it.
Try this out: I'm out in public, see a man being held at gunpoint, draw my CCW to protect the victim, hear a shot behind me (increasing my pucker-factor by ten), then fire and kill the gun-wielding person. It turns out the gunshot was some other crime down the street, and the man I shot was a cop making an arrest. My bad judgement and false assumptions led to his death. Do you not think that I'll at least see manslaughter charges (and some VERY unfriendly cops) in my near future? I was trying to do good, and I had honorable and understandable reasons for my actions. Give cops the benefit of the doubt, but sanction the ones who do "screw-the-pooch"... otherwise, it will happen more often, as FR headlines seem to prove on a semi-weekly basis.
Just doing my job. By the way, the feds just passed a law making ownership of guns illegal and the Supreme Court has agreed that only "state approved militias" can bear arms.
The confiscation of guns begins tomorrow, and the police have been warned that anyone who refuses to give up his weapon or allow his home for search is a potential terrorist. The police have received permission to employ all tactics necessary to subdue resisters.
And it's good to know you're completely on the side of law and order....