Originally Posted by andre3k
I don't want to drag this thread off of it's intended purpose to discuss whether or not body cam video should be released. In this instance, under the controlling state law, the camera video is considered an open record and must be released.
I had an ER nurse in a class. I noticed she kept taking all head shots. Her response when asked why, "'I've seen too many people who have been shot in the chest putting up a fight in the ER." Point taken.
May we please keep the focus of this thread on the clutch performance of the rookie and not what politicians would do?
I had an ER nurse in a class. I noticed she kept taking all head shots. Her response when asked why, "'I've seen too many people who have been shot in the chest putting up a fight in the ER." Point taken.
Indeed. And Officer Harrison deserves significant credit, too. Throughout the video I see two officers working very hard not to oblige what I strongly perceive (and imagine they did, too) was not a direct threat to them but a prolonged attempt by the subject to goad a suicide-by-cop scenario.
Whatever tactical nits we might pick, the restraint was commendable and appears appropriate.
So, too, was opening up when the subject finally charged and gave them no alternative.
I know much has been said about Officer Harrison's decisions following the subject's re-engaging after being shot. Certainly these encounters yield things we can all learn from, but some benefit of the doubt should be extended to the ones who were actually there in the moment who had all the responsibility and none of the time or information afforded by hindsight.
Which leads me to a question perhaps you or others can comment on. I've watched the video several times, and following the shooting it appears to me the subject rises without the knife. Is this correct? And if so, does that lend context (and perhaps validation) to Officer Harrison's decision not to resume deadly force but instead attempt to secure his weapon as prelude to a less-than-lethal response?
Hain’t we got all the fools in town on our side? And ain’t that a big enough majority in any town?
It is my understanding, and that understanding may be mistaken, that the suspect got up without the knife and was attempting to wrestle Harrison's gun away from him.
I had an ER nurse in a class. I noticed she kept taking all head shots. Her response when asked why, "'I've seen too many people who have been shot in the chest putting up a fight in the ER." Point taken.
Not a problem, WILCO.
I thought that it was within the purview of the original linked article because of the author's words indicating that the political environment impacts officer performance:
"At this point, you really need to understand the politics surrounding Athens-Clarke County and ACCPD. I am completely serious when I describe Athens-Clarke County as a non-permissive environment. Historically, the ACCPD has punished their officers for winning fights..."
I realize that actually interviewing people with direct knowledge of an incident is contrary to interweb rules, but this week I had the opportunity to speak to someone directly involved in the investigation, and I learned two items of interest:
-The officers had been told that the suspect was at a different location much deeper into the apartment complex.
-The primary officer did indeed center punch the suspect with a shot in the chest.
I had an ER nurse in a class. I noticed she kept taking all head shots. Her response when asked why, "'I've seen too many people who have been shot in the chest putting up a fight in the ER." Point taken.
I'm no mortician, but I'm willing to bet it's cheaper to bury a public servant (and pay some pittance to the family...if that even happens) vs. paying out to a lawsuit and/or paying for more/better training and equipment.
Follow the money. It's always about the money.
Last edited by Clark Jackson; 07-29-2019 at 10:53 PM.
"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost." -Arthur Ashe
Between yours, and the three other opinions I've read on this (Sparrow, Ellifritz, VDMSR), I decided to buy a copy of Mr. Kevin R. Davis's book about use of force investigations.
I'm on chapter four and the chasm between agency policy versus the actual law is something I vaguely remember BBI or blues posting about, and I wonder how much of this had influenced both the FTO and new officer's mindsets aside from whatever they had gone through during investigations on their previous actions.
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