[Silver]

http://reason.com/archives/2010/03/23/another-senseless-drug-war-dea

Nice to see the man take down a honky for a change.

Obviously, another fine example of professional police work.

 

[X3pilot]

Lavonia, GA was where I was born and raised and I know the Ayers family. The key thing in this is that the "arresting" officer in ski mask, wasn't a certified officer yet because he hadn't finished required gun training.

Ironic? yes. Tragic? That a pastor trying to help someone kick a drug habit gets commandoed over a $50 drug deal? You bet.

But for folks like joker, one less redneck hillbilly he has to foot the health care for..

 

[Silver]

Lavonia, GA was where I was born and raised and I know the Ayers family. The key thing in this is that the "arresting" officer in ski mask, wasn't a certified officer yet because he hadn't finished required gun training.

Ironic? yes. Tragic? That a pastor trying to help someone kick a drug habit gets commandoed over a $50 drug deal? You bet.

But for folks like joker, one less redneck hillbilly he has to foot the health care for..

Hey, the police investigated it and found no wrongdoing.

That's good enough for me...

Paging MikeD to the courtesy phone to explain how an officer who shouldn't have had a gun was scared like a little girl and is therefore justified in shooting anything that may have ever scared him ever in his entire life.

 

[dante]

Meh, it's his fault for not stopping for the unbadged, nonuniformed, ski-mask wearing, gun-toting upstanding police officers jumping out of an Escalade.

 

[Silver]

Meh, it's his fault for not stopping for the unbadged, nonuniformed, ski-mask wearing, gun-toting upstanding police officers jumping out of an Escalade.

They had badges hanging around their necks, apparently.

 

[JohnE]

Not a "good" shooting at all...but it is always easier to second guess the Police after a bad action. Not justifying this at all, this is why decent departments have field training officers programs and internal affairs sections. But there are departments that hire Billy Joe Jim Bobs second cousin just because he is a good ole boy who wants to crack skulls.

No oversight and improper/incomplete training led to this. Staggering levels of incompetance...

 

[sanjuro]

Ok, for fun, what if this was a robbery? He wasn't going to drive away clean with thugs all around his car.

It would have been a better choice to stop anyway.

Now I can't tell if the cops identified themselves, and I'm not sure if they should have shot the pastor even though he almost hit them.

 

[stevew]

nothing a cop will do will shock or outrage me anymore....

 

[MMike]

A bystander who was open carrying at Starbucks should have jumped in to save the day

(I haven't the article BTW).

But my solution is the right one.

 

[NovatoSCFR]

why were the cops driving an escalade to begin with? I didn't realize luxury SUV's were necessary for fighting crime now.

 

[MikeD]

Hey, the police investigated it and found no wrongdoing.

That's good enough for me...

Paging MikeD to the courtesy phone to explain how an officer who shouldn't have had a gun was scared like a little girl and is therefore justified in shooting anything that may have ever scared him ever in his entire life.

Yeah, all those times I've said "none of us have the exact facts" is the same as justifying every police shooting...

In this case, there sure was some horrible procedure, justification or not.

Edit: By the way, fear's not a component of justifying force.

 

[MikeD]

why were the cops driving an escalade to begin with? I didn't realize luxury SUV's were necessary for fighting crime now.

Quite possibly a seized automobile.

And if you have to do undercover work or covert surveillance, a Crown Vic is kind of a giveaway...

 

[stoney]

That's obscene.
1) why was an untrained officer even there?
2) there is no clear identification
3) That looked like a robbery from the video
4) Flashers? lights/sirens? Nope...
5) why would they even go after a seemingly petty theft that aggressively?

Those "cops" should be investigated by real cops and have the book thrown at them.

 

[Silver]

Those "cops" should be investigated by real cops and have the book thrown at them.

They were and no book was thrown.

Funny how that happens...

 

[sanjuro]

That's obscene.
1) why was an untrained officer even there?
2) there is no clear identification
3) That looked like a robbery from the video
4) Flashers? lights/sirens? Nope...
5) why would they even go after a seemingly petty theft that aggressively?

Those "cops" should be investigated by real cops and have the book thrown at them.

Well, look at the Johannes Meserle for poor training.

Not every police department has very high standards. Some require a bachelors but the ones with zero cash are lucky to find anyone.

As for the aggressive tactics, I bet in a rough neighborhood, it is the only thing that works.

Like cruising in an Escalade. Probably attracts less attention than in a Crown Vic. Or the jump-out maneuver to surround and overwhelm.

 

[X3pilot]

As for the aggressive tactics, I bet in a rough neighborhood, it is the only thing that works.

Like I said, I grew up in this area, it's rural, small town. Knowing the people in that area, had it been a crown vic or similar vehicle, I bet he would have stopped. A lot of drug traffic in that area transiting I-85 out of Atlanta (about 1 hour away) so my first reaction in that area if a Escalade pulled up and "shabbily dressed" men jumped out with guns after I had come out of a gas station, I'd probably suspect the worst (a carjacking/mugging/robbery)