Apr 18, 2023·edited Apr 18, 2023Liked by Peter Boghossian
Excellent article. I have always heard the police are trained to shoot to kill because, if they don't, they will be ruthlessly killed by the law breaker, who will then go on to harm or kill other people. The police need the best possible training in law enforcement. The public need to be educated about how to support and assist the police. In particular, cooperation with the police is the best way to avoid harm. Conversely, fighting with law enforcement officers will predictably be a fatal mistake.
If officers are only "shooting to stop the threat from other people," then why do they always empty every bullet in the clip? They literally unload on people even after they're no longer a threat. Or, they unload on people who are fleeing - who aren't a threat.
Police officers in the US are inadequately trained and it shows. They consistently and needlessly escalate situations that could be de-escalated if the officers didn't possess oversized egos, which they almost universally do. The over-abundance of firearms in the US makes officers nervous whenever entering a new situation, making the officers aggressive, belligerent, and trigger-happy.
In a tense life or death situation, it’s really important to focus on checking your subconscious biases before shooting, and only then decide if the target should be gun hand, kneecap or center mass.
Cops deserve to go home to their families after work. F*ck the idea they should risk getting shot in the head and murdered by some thug. It was a tragedy when that little Latin King was shot dead by a cop in Chicago at 3 am a few years ago. A tragedy that gangs recruit these kids and have them out shooting up their neighborhood at night and that their families have lost control. Not the cop's fault. He went home that night. Too many don't, more every year. If people want public safety they have to support those who protect and serve.
Excellent article. I have always heard the police are trained to shoot to kill because, if they don't, they will be ruthlessly killed by the law breaker, who will then go on to harm or kill other people. The police need the best possible training in law enforcement. The public need to be educated about how to support and assist the police. In particular, cooperation with the police is the best way to avoid harm. Conversely, fighting with law enforcement officers will predictably be a fatal mistake.
If officers are only "shooting to stop the threat from other people," then why do they always empty every bullet in the clip? They literally unload on people even after they're no longer a threat. Or, they unload on people who are fleeing - who aren't a threat.
Police officers in the US are inadequately trained and it shows. They consistently and needlessly escalate situations that could be de-escalated if the officers didn't possess oversized egos, which they almost universally do. The over-abundance of firearms in the US makes officers nervous whenever entering a new situation, making the officers aggressive, belligerent, and trigger-happy.
In a tense life or death situation, it’s really important to focus on checking your subconscious biases before shooting, and only then decide if the target should be gun hand, kneecap or center mass.
Cops deserve to go home to their families after work. F*ck the idea they should risk getting shot in the head and murdered by some thug. It was a tragedy when that little Latin King was shot dead by a cop in Chicago at 3 am a few years ago. A tragedy that gangs recruit these kids and have them out shooting up their neighborhood at night and that their families have lost control. Not the cop's fault. He went home that night. Too many don't, more every year. If people want public safety they have to support those who protect and serve.
The really ignorant question is "Why didn't he just shoot the gun out of his hand?" That's typically asked by people who have overdosed on cop shows.
Agreed it’s very difficult to hit a leg BUT I’d be all for firing something similar to buckshot into a crowd at low leg level. To scatter the thugs