Plain and simple, some police are high on power and a bit too trigger happy, protected for their actions too often because they are the police.
Both sides of this issue have to come to a understanding what the proper response is.
When confronting one or the other.
It is not a one way street.
When an officer encounters an armed person they have no way of knowing that individual’s intentions. Guessing wrong can be fatal. The difficulty is how does the good guy convincingly communicate their good intentions in an encounter that will be measured in seconds?
Cops kill unarmed citizens
Still better to be to armed!
Because the police get paid by and take orders from government officials who have a vested interest in disarming lawfully armed citizens.
There are bad cops out there but I'd wager not as many as some seem to think and one needs to do their own part to contribute to their own safety.....must be hard on a good cop to find out he killed a good citizen...no wonder they have a high number who eat their own guns.
Plainclothes and off-duty police officers have been killed by other officers. It is always a tricky situation when the on-duty crew shows up. You’d have to go into the details of each incident but it’s best to holster the weapon and show your hands.
That being said, it sure looks like there’s an increasing tendency to shoot first and ask questions later. Maintaining cover and taking a couple of seconds to assess the situation would help.
When your main tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
The training is the main problem, too aggressive. also the personality profile of the trainee is important.
Which segment, in New Jersey, is almost zero. The number one gun "crime" in our state is possession of a handgun without government blessing, which is nearly impossible to obtain.
Great article.
Thank you!
Maybe.
The police have become trigger happy on not only armed citizens but on unarmed citizens as well.
Their standard seems to be, shoot anyone who is not completely and totally obedient. Whether the police have any authority in the situation or if they are on or off duty. They also shoot when they are "startled" or "feel unsafe".
So frankly I am not sure that they were "mistaken" or just following their training. Shoot everything that you want . No hesitation. After all the only thing that matters is that YOU, the person who wears the magic blue clothing, gets home safely.
The rest of the citizens of the country are expendable to that.
Didn’t read the article yet but the popo went home safe in all those cases. Job well done.
flr
Having read through all of the posts, my take-aways are:
Avoid interaction with LE at every opportunity ( everything you say and all). Don’t speed, come to a full stop, do PMCS regularly on your vehicle etc, that IS under your control.
Avoid involving oneself with situations that do not directly involve yourself or your loved ones, be a good witness, use your cell phone camera long before your sidearm maybe?
If unable to avoid either the above, insure that your weapon(s) are holstered or otherwise secured long before the LEOs arrive, declare yourself “ a good guy”, and most importantly, maintain situational awareness (head on a swivel, focus on the whole of the immediate area and assess what you see/hear/sense quickly; decide based on that input. Remember, another CCW type may not know that you are a good guy either!
Regarding CCW and LE interaction- know what is required by law- do it. Never assume that any cop is either a good or bad guy ( just like any other person you encounter and interact with n the street) but, have a plan either way.
If being armed is an occasional thing, then I think you are more likely to have issues than if it is an everyday all the time mentality. If you are a “newbie” at this lifestyle, then I suggest participating in role playing and competitive marksmanship ( IDPA or USPSA etc) to burn off the butterflies and nerves etc. Never stop thinking….
God Bless the good guys, whomever they are.