Mom’s statement is emblematic of the problem in America today… “I don’t know why the officer thought to engage. If someone is walking on the freeway, something is not right. They’re either in mental health crisis or something else is happening,” she said.
“He was not trying to hurt anybody. Why did he have to use that type of force? After [the officer] had already discharged his firearm once, why did he stand up and then do it again and again and again?”
The guy was walking in traffic along the freeway. The cop had a duty to “engage” him. Had they not…the family would be complaining that the police were negligent for not protecting him.
When the officer tried to “engage’ him to get him to safety he shot the officer with a taser. So he was “trying to hurt someone.” Then he struggled with the officer and became a threat. I.e. he was trying to hurt someone. The officer then had to shoot him. These people.
You’re right.
Next time it will be like that young female police officer a few years ago who hesitated in firing and was shot and said from the hospital: “What went through my mind was if I fire at him will I be the next front page headline against cops?”
I think you are probably correct.
But, we will have to wait and see.