I missed one:
"The man, who has not been identified, later died."
The video shows they killed him. He was dead on the spot.
It seems indisputably clear there are MULTIPLE problems with the instruction and the training these officers have had inflicted on them. They clearly did not have ANY of the skills police are required to have to be able to deal successfully with any person.
They clearly did not approach the man that they killed as a person (with rights) who they were "there to help".
They clearly ASSUMED throughout the confrontation that weapons were to be used as "the first resort" upon any interpretation of a hostile response to their provocation... and their weapons were the only obvious "source of solutions" police employed from the time they arrived. The cops showed they depended on no skills or training... other than those related to the USE of weapons.
The video reveals the police officers as being completely incompetent. Given a hugely over-armed contingent facing down ONE guy with a pocket-knife ? They failed in communicating with him, while clearly threatening him in ways that failed to work, appear they could not work, and appear to have made things worse.
There clearly is a complete lack of control by any on-scene commander... made necessary because of the huge excess in the numbers who were deployed not to "deal with" one homeless guy... but to confront one homeless guy while expecting to apply force. There was no rational application of force apparent, and there were no limits apparent, no distinctions made, between non-lethal and lethal force. After they shoot him five times, leaving him face down, dead... then they stun him, then sick a dog on him... and shoot him with the bean bag gun ? That's stupid to the point of being insane. It looks like they were practicing killing people, and looking for an opportunity... and then, after they killed him, they used whatever else they had once the guy was dead... not wanting to be left out of "the action"... or intending the other applications would provide plausible "cover" for shooting the guy without justification... as long as no one saw the video revealing the sequences and the obvious lack of control.
The lack of reason apparent in the responses, revealing a complete lack of institutional control... suggests the entire PD needs to be disarmed of lethal force, now, in the interest of public safety. Someone probably needs to seek a court order requiring that... pronto.
I agree with others that what was perpetrated by the officers looks like it was murder... nothing else.
Statistics: cabq.gov appear to show that the cops are themselves responsible for perpetrating more than TEN PERCENT of the homicides that are committed in the area.
It seems they ARE (properly) subjecting these cops to a Justice Dept investigation...
But, who's going to hold the Associated Press responsible for their EGREGIOUS mis-reportinig of this story ? |
