"Imagine how many people have been locked up or killed because our justice system relies so heavily on subjectivity. Instead of spending billions on foreign defense, we should invest in body cameras, and have a national law requiring all law enforcement agents to wear them at all times, with harsh penalties to those who do not or who tamper in any way with the recordings."
I have watched the critical moments of the video several times, in slow motion. I have in this very room tried to defend cops doing really stupid things in the heat of the moment, even killing innocent, unarmed men. But there is no defending this cop, IMO he is guilty of second-degree murder.
He may not have had malice aforethought, but he was dead-ass wrong. I think English courts would say that he did not have the mens rea required to be convicted of murder, but he can be found guilty of second-degree murder in Ohio.
I hope he is convicted of murder.
Maybe that's what needs to happen to check this epidemic of white cops killing young black men.
Also, he points out later that Ohio doesn't differentiate between first and second degree murder. The cop is facing life in prison.
It's going to be interesting to watch this unfold because the prosecutor makes it clear that the university cop should not have been hired as a cop, and the city would not have hired him.
The pictures of the cop make me think of pictures of a certain Alaskan politician. You can kind of tell the guy is an asshole just by looking at his photo.
Got to run, inlaws and others will be here today (sigh), children had their birthday this week. Would love to chat again, in twoo weeks or so. (upcomming summer vacation).
I think it's time for a sacrificial lamb. Methinks Ray Tensing is toast.
There is absolutely no way to justify his drawing of his weapon.
The victim was an idiot, but he was in no way threatening.
I have in the past considered fear as a motivator in recent killings of black men by white cops. Fear didn't even come into this. The cop just flat out killed the dude for being an idiot.
When I first saw the footage of the traffic stop, my thought was as the cop called for backup, he ought to have asked specifically for a black, preferably female, cop.
So on the way to work once there was a team of four officers hanging around awkwardly in a sort of tense, poised fashion, around the front of a residential address. At the time I noticed that three of the four were amazonian, blonde women. Only retrospectively did I realise what that probably meant
Almost certainly a domestic violence case
I'd not noticed for that reason, duh
@Jolenealaska It would pose the issue of token [minority] officer routinely being called to vet any actions against someone of [minority]
If a black officer called for backup from an area of town known for skinheads, I would make a point to send a white officer. Not because the officer would be any different, but because the person needing to be subdued could be more easily subdued by a white officer.
It doesn't matter why it's easier, just make it easier. It is better if nobody gets hurt.
I used to play rugby when I was a kid. Youth rugby in my part of the world is impoverished and we changed in barns, or in the open, more than a few times. This means that the match officials at those games tended to be volunteers from the home team. This matters not one iota
Match officials are assumed to be beyond reproach, and this idea extends throughout to the international game. Referees in international matches are not allowed to be from countries who are playing, but from other countries whose team would benefit from one of the participants winning or losing is not uncommon
So the presumption of good conduct is built into the system, and demonstrated by putting the people most vulnerable to accusation right where their accusers might want them
So those people are meant to realise they are perched at the top of a stable but very fragile tower
I think that ultimately we should be able to have a "presumption of good conduct". We don't. Unfortunately, white cops are scared of young black men (with some reason) and young black men are sick and tired <and angry> of being treated unjustly by white cops (with some reason).
Yeah. It doesn't resist particularly intensive criticism
Although I'd see any form of grossly unprofessional and disruptive conduct as similar, the problem being:- the people doing it don't see it as such - neither do their superiors
grossly unprofessional and disruptive being, for example: shooting suspects without good reason
So the first cause is that (some) police officers are racist. That has to stop, and the point I'm making is that the way to get public acceptance is to demonstrate that the incidence of police racism is so rare that to suggest it is ludicrous
There was a definite precedent established by which politicians could enforce cultural change on the police. It made a big difference in a short amount of time. They're definitely nowhere near perfect but they are much better than they were. US police forces across the country should be asking them for help because they made it work
Don't hire fuckwits is rule one. And and the corollary to that rule is that if you do hire a fuckwit, and he fucks up, make an example of him and then get rid of him.
When I graduated university, my friend (who was also graduating)'s brother showed up, he brought two mates. They were all Royal Marine recruits at the time, I think they're allowed to wear dress uniform to public events even before they've passed out. Anyway, some guest had misunderstood and asked them if they were officer cadets, my university has an OUTC. They found this beyond hilarious
Nah, they'd just suited up to show off
But at the time the gulf in mentality between them and officers was...well, to them ludicrous
Royal Marine dress uniform looks similar to USMC, I think. Same guy had his wedding last weekend, same rig. Convention is that other military guests use a different uniform apparently, this is green with white trim, I'm trying to find out which sort this is.
Had I not fallen in love with and married Scott, I probably would have stayed in MI for a while. One of the incentives they offered me to reenlist was "Green to Gold". Basically they would pay my rank (E5+) to go to school half-time and finish my degree while working half-time for cool sounding military intelligence units in the area.
I was an E4 (Specialist) but would have been promoted immediately upon reenlistment. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
I had a five minute conversation with an Army representative in the first week or so of university, about a bursary. When I told him what I was studying he said emphatically "Signals". That would be MI, I think
Not interested, not at the time anyway. Still not now
