Yes it is a high tension situation. It is for the officer as well. Reports were the guy was armed because he was seen with a gun. There was no indication that he had no gun on him.
He reached suddenly for his waistband.
If you're the cop, 10 times of 10 you would shoot as well. You wait long enough to see what the suspect is rapidly reaching for and you're dead. That's why it is ill advised to make rapid movements at all, much less reach for your waist.
I'm not calling what I saw emotional appeal. I'm saying headlines saying "man crying for his life shot dead by police" is emotional appeal to manipulate people into immediately siding against the police.
Nothing about crying limits someone from still reaching for a gun or firing on an officer. The crying and begging part is irrelevant.
The only relevant points are:
- Man is seen in hotel window with rifle with another person - other patrons see this and justifiably call the police -police respond to reported armed suspect - police order suspect down and then suspect is ordered to crawl toward officer for apprehension - suspect, still justifiably presumed to be armed, reached rapidly for waist band - officer fires upon seeing this action
These are the objective facts. Any hurt, knowing these facts and seeing them in video would also acquit.
It is a horrible outcome, but the jury made the right call. It wasn't murder. It was a cop reacting to a reportedly armed suspect that reached for their waist.
any cop who legitimately thought that guy was hiding a rifle behind his back is unqualified for even the most basic of jobs involving intelligent thought. you have got to be fucking kidding me
Come on man... don't pretend to be dumb.
He was seen with a rifle. If someone is reported to be armed, there is no reason to believe they only have a single weapon. In fact, you should assume they dont just have a single weapon.
I doubt the officer thought he was reaching for a rifle, but there is absolutely no reason at all to assume, given the facts I laid out above, that he wouldn't also have a handgun.