Posted on 08/21/2014 4:44:16 AM PDT by Whenifhow
Police in St. Louis have released a graphic video showing officers shooting a knife-wielding man Tuesday after he reportedly ignored orders to drop the weapon.
The video, taken from a cell phone of a witness, shows officers firing several shots at 25-year-old Kajieme Powell, killing him instantly. Police fired a dozen shots overall, according to NYMag.com.
Snip
KMOX AM/1120 in St. Louis said police released more details about the shooting on Wednesday. According to KMOX, Police Chief Sam Dotson said officers were called on Tuesday after Powell walked into a convenience store, took two energy drinks, exited the store without paying, and then walked back in and took a package of pastries, again leaving without paying.
(Excerpt) Read more at cleveland.com ...
The local PD has recently had two Taser failure-to-fire incidents while at the same scene. The officer recounting the story to me was on the scene and said the individual was lucky not to be shot. The officer told me he was beginning to press the bang switch when the suspect got smart and gave up. The malfunctioning Tasers were checked out and returned to service.
Based on the factual reporting I read here, it would seem that the black urban subculture of St Louis has settled on the practice of walking into a store and taking what ever you want.
I don’t understand why the rioting and looting has not yet begun in the hoods of St Louis proper.
Yeah, why didn’t Cellphone Man try to help a brother? It was all S***s & Giggles until the Po-lice arrived. What’s that? Cellphone Man didn’t want to approach the Crazy Mo Fo either? At least he went home safe.
???? Are you saying the cops should have gotten stabbed?
Then naive fits. I worked the trenches for over 20 years. Hold police accountable for their actions if criminal, otherwise let them do their job.
Rather than naive, principled. I know that people can change and I know that it is not likely that they will. I don’t agree with mowing people down. Did you watch the video in this thread that Papa Bear posted? It was of police work done appropriately in South America, two cops and a dude with a knife you could really see in the video. Much more threatening. But the cops were athletic, active, smart and fought the guy, disarmed him, cuffed him and called the medics. That’s what should have happened here. Suggest you watch it to see what I have in mind.
no, did someone get stabbed? I admit I skipped to the end where the dude was arrested
As someone who was “cut” in the line of duty, until you are faced with it you will never know how fast it happens. Anyone within 21 feet or so of you with a knife can close that distance and cut you before you can draw your baton, taser, pepper spray, or weapon. In that circumstance you draw the weapon that will provide the most efficient stopping power and allow a better chance of survival after initial contact if they cross the distance and make first contact. Even then from within 21 feet they might still get you before they go down.
there was no knife that I saw and certainly no threat
Holy smokes! Better lessons than edged weapons LEO video! Thank you so much for sharing.
I never saw the bullets.....good grief.
let’s see, speed of bullets, messed up man holding knife....don’t say stupid things
Taser vs. knife is a loser.
As to your argument in arrest them next time you are opening yourself to major liability, not to mention guilt, if you let a felon go and he commits a felony against someone else because you were afraid of doing your job. Would you like me letting a felon go and a short time later he assaults your wife/child? How loud would you be screaming then for my head since I didn’t get him off the street?
You train of thought can be applied to the problem we have in also letting felons out of jail to offend again with hours/days of being released. It is just stupid.
When someone flashes a knife at a cop with a gun then begs the cop to shoot him I have little compassion for the guy with the knife. He literally got what he asked for in more ways than one.
All that having been said I do personally believe that the cops could have shown some restraint. Why didn’t they disable the man with a taser? Why must they shoot to kill. At such close range a shot to the thigh could have easily put the guy down, but then there would be a lot of taxpayer expense to keep him in jail or prison for several years.
The guy was an idiot for displaying the knife, he was asking for it, he was a thief, etc., but, killing him was a little over the top in my book. He never lunged at the cops, never really was threatening he was just being a smart ass.
The cops will get away with this without even a blemish on their record (on earth anyway) but in my honest opinion they shouldn’t. Poor judgment on their part to kill this guy.
no no one else is liable for the criminal actions of someone, that is a stupid argument
I am as suspicious of police as you are. However, I won’t fault them for shooting a belligerent person coming at them with a knife. They came there to investigate a petty crime, not shoot someone. The getting shot part was all on him.
did you watch the video
So even when the perp refused to raise his hands and instead approached officers cursing and brandishing a knife, these brain-dead morons pull the "Hands up" meme out of their arses.
I watched both videos and the knife does not seem to be visible.
I suppose this is a case where one must make a decision: what are we going to believe?
That the police shot someone just for charging at them, two cops shooting one person, when it was clear he was unarmed? (And no threat to them as he didn’t have a weapon and could have been subdued by two trained police officers without deadly force). In other words he was shot in cold blood.
Or...
The police shot this person because he was coming at them with a knife (or charging at them with his hand concealed in his pocket, thus, no way to tell what was in his hand)
Which do you think is the more reasonable scenario?
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