Another OOPS by the police. The story in short: Chicago 911 gets multiple calls (4) that there is trouble at an address. The caller isn't clear as to what the trouble, other than finally saying he's being threatened. The police show up. A 19 year comes out with a baseball bat. He's shot 6 times, of course. This is a tenement house, and a woman who lives in another unit comes out the door, unarmed, possibly to find out what's going on. She's fatally shot in the chest too. The police say oops, sorry about that one. "The 911 exchanges — three of them within about a three-minute period — raised new questions about the way Chicago officials handled events leading up to the death of Mr. LeGrier, who was shot six times after the police pulled up outside his father’s home a few minutes after the calls. Bettie Jones, a neighbor who had gone to answer a shared front door of the home, was also shot and killed. Ms. Jones was shot once in the chest, and the police have apologized for her death and said it was an accident." http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/26/u...r&action=click&contentCollection=U.S.&pgtype= People face a real dilemma maybe. If police show up, whether you have done anything or not, they are a deadly threat since they are trained that when in doubt, kill the person. Maybe they can't see one of your hands. Maybe the TV changer you are holding when they burst in looks like a gun to them. Maybe they got the wrong address and think you are a wanted cop-killer. Oops, sorry we killed your mother. It was an accident. Oops, sorry we killed your son. It was an accident. Oops, sorry we killed you husband. It was an accident. Oops, sorry we killed your dad. It was an accident. I can't find the source I used, but in a prior message I pointed out that statistically police "oops, mistake" kill 8 times as many innocent and wrong people as do armed private citizens, yet it is the police who are trained Unfortunately, many or most urban police are now trained that every person alive is an instant imminent deathly threat to them so shoot first, then find out if there was a reason to do so. Don't take cover, don't retreat from someone holding a hoggie sandwich, screwdriver of baseball bat - not sure what it is or what's going on? Unsure if there is actually any danger at all? Shoot! Shoot fast! Best to empty your pistol in that person, better safe than sorry - for the police. And then just say "Oops, my bad" if shooting the person wasn't necessary. Only police have an absolute right to be home with their family at night. Or at least that is what the training now teaches. The slogan "To Serve and Protect" on police cruisers doesn't finish the statement for many departments. It really is "to serve and protect the police." And, of course, it will again be taxpayers that pay millions and millions for this "Oops, sorry, my bad."
Yep, that's one of the reasons it's so risky to live in a high-crime neighborhood. It's not just about the crime itself, but the big police presence. Many people have never had any problems with the police, but then again how often do they see police in their town?
Only two people were shot. While What the cops did was egregious, don't make it out to be worse than it was. You'll hurt your own case.
