Bodycam Footage of Florida Deputy Shooting Air Force Airman Released

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes? Is that your suggestion?

 

Yeah, like I'm sure that if a cop just popped a guy walking down the street in the back of the head, he'd be prosecuted. But like people in general, cops are not murderous psychopaths killing for fun. In the context of normal police work, as I said, for all intents and purposes, cops can basically shoot anyone with minimal consequences. Even if there is a case, a prosecutor is going to think twice before making it knowing it wont make the cops happy, and its going to take something extra to convince a jury.

 

That is overstating it. It seems as if everyone involved here was making bad decisions. If you think someone is abusing his significant other I think a military wife (and again I am making assumptions) would know to report it up his chain of command.

 

You just did.

 

Tragic he lost his life.
Why oh why did he take a gun to the door?

 

Incorrect. More than one party can play a role on a bad outcome.

 

I'm sure that is an excellent strategy. A poster was suggesting that the LEO was clearly visible through the peephole and that there was no reason for the airman to have a gun. Other posters, including me, were suggesting the deputy was intentionally moving out of sight of the peephole. If anything, that would add to the concern of the airman.

 

So, we've got:

• Don't open your door with a gun in hand.
• Don't open your door.

What's next? Just stay in your bedroom? BTW robbers absolutely do knock on doors.

 

I think some of you have been sold defective peepholes if you think moving a couple of feet to the left makes you invisible.

And why would the officer intentionally move out of sight while clearly announcing himself?

 

Anytime Ben Crump is involved I’m siding with the other side.

 

(Sigh.) "The video indicates the deputy stood to the side of the door, out of sight of the peephole, and began firing immediately after the door was opened."
Attorney for slain airman, sheriff dig in after release of shooting body-camera footage

 

I understand that’s what the article claims, but I’m seeing the same video. The officer does stay out of view in the first knock. But he is well within view the rest of the way. And again, makes no sense he would try to hide from the peephole while loudly announcing himself.

 

Because that's what they are trained to do, according to someone in this thread actually went through police training.

 

Ok, but he was legally within his rights to do so. I'm not arguing smart/not-smart. But... if the law says he can do it, then his killing was unjustified.

 

Has anyone on this thread argued that what the victim did was illegal? Or what officer did was justified? I don’t think so.

But if the victim is not holding a gun, he is almost certainly alive. And we both know the officer will not be convicted.

 

Again, that is not really a fair statement.

Here are some other irrelevant suppositions:
If the officer had a warrant, the victim would be alive
If the officer didn't have a gun, the victim would be alive
If the officer had stood in front of the peephole and announced himself, the victim would be alive
If the other tenant hadn't sent the officer to investigate, the victim would be alive
If 2A didn't exist, the victim would be alive

These things are also probably true, so what's the point? The victim had a legal right to hold the gun, so the blame is not on him. If the law says you cannot answer the door during a police visit with a handgun, then he would have been in the wrong. I mean... gun advocates argue that the 2A protects them from government abuse of power, right? Does this only apply when it neatly fits into a State's Rights narrative? Look, I'm not trying to debate the law or Constitution here, but let's not blame the victim.

 

This is what happens when you train police to shoot first and ask questions later. This isn't the first time this has happened, and it won't be the last time.

 

Why did the police officer take his gun to the door? Same reason... for protection. If you don't think the police officer should put himself in harms way by walking to the door unarmed, then why do you blame the victim for protecting himself in the exact same way, with the exact same mentality of the police officer. The difference is that the police officer came to his home. If the Airman walked up the police station door and killed a police officer because he was holding a gun, would you also ask why the police officer had a gun in his hand?

 

Shocker.

SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED!

 

I am not sure why I seem to be seeing conflicting things about whether the deputy even went to the correct door. I thought maybe I heard the lady tell him to go to a different floor than he went to but didn't go back to watch it a second time.