Should the officer who killed Tamir Rice be charged with murder?

[nclib]

Absolutely! How can one support small government, but allow police officers that much power?

The officer shot him seconds after seeing him. Police officers should only use lethal force as a last resort, plain and simple.

[Green Line]

Of course not. They responded to a call of a person waving around a pistol threatening people. It's not the job of the officers to get all the way on top of the person to inspect if it's a fake or not. If it turns out not to be a fake, they're dead.

[Santander]

I accidentally voted yes. I meant to vote no, because police officers have a duty to protect citizens, and they cannot take any chances in that regard.

[RaphaelDLG]

I think, similar to the trayvon Martin case, that under the law the officer may be not guilty but that he should be/should have been fired a long time ago, that the Cleveland police department is systemically racist, and they need to radically rethink/redesign their policing procedures.

[Virginiá]

The case where the cop just raced in with his car, jumped out and shot him in record fashion? Manslaughter at least. Why didn't they bring in backup, keep distance and form a perimeter around him to find out what is going on? Oh, why do that when they can just shoot him. After all, he's just a black kid. Who cares, right?

Police know the risks of their job. Shooting someone should be a last resort, and based on what happened, I don't understand how the cop could have even known he was actually a real threat.

Can't say I am surprised to see the poll starting off with a solid 2-0 (NO) from Republicans.

[RaphaelDLG]

The case where the cop just raced in with his car, jumped out and shot him in record fashion? Manslaughter at least. Why didn't they bring in backup, keep distance and form a perimeter around him to find out what is going on? Oh, why do that when they can just shoot him. After all, he's just a black kid. Who cares, right?

Police know the risks of their job. Shooting someone should be a last resort, and based on what happened, I don't understand how the cop could have even known he was actually a real threat.

Can't say I am surprised to see the poll starting off with a solid 2-0 (NO) from Republicans.

Yeah, I don't disagree with any of that, but I guess the point is that the law is not written to hold people, especially cops, accountable for recklessly escalating situations like you said.  It should be!

[Green Line]

Tamir reached for his waistband, and the officer had been called to the scene because of reports of a threatening person with a pistol.  When someone reaches in their wasteband, it's generally understood that they're going for their weapon. In the split second that can be the difference between life and death, it's not the job of the officer to take any chances.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

Police know the risks of their job.

This is exactly why the incredibly widespread and nigh-unquestioned notion that harming or killing a police officer is so much more heinous than harming or killing a civilian has never made much rational sense to me, beyond the symbolic Deep Magic-y 'it's because he's A Symbol of The Polity' reasons.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

The case where the cop just raced in with his car, jumped out and shot him in record fashion? Manslaughter at least. Why didn't they bring in backup, keep distance and form a perimeter around him to find out what is going on? Oh, why do that when they can just shoot him. After all, he's just a black kid. Who cares, right?

Police know the risks of their job. Shooting someone should be a last resort, and based on what happened, I don't understand how the cop could have even known he was actually a real threat.

Can't say I am surprised to see the poll starting off with a solid 2-0 (NO) from Republicans.

In fairness, I accidentally voted as a Republican, and people know my stance.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

The case where the cop just raced in with his car, jumped out and shot him in record fashion? Manslaughter at least. Why didn't they bring in backup, keep distance and form a perimeter around him to find out what is going on? Oh, why do that when they can just shoot him. After all, he's just a black kid. Who cares, right?

Police know the risks of their job. Shooting someone should be a last resort, and based on what happened, I don't understand how the cop could have even known he was actually a real threat.

Can't say I am surprised to see the poll starting off with a solid 2-0 (NO) from Republicans.

In fairness, I accidentally voted as a Republican, and people know my stance.

So, this officer shouldn't be charged with murder, and also violent rapists aren't dangers to society?

[Virginiá]

Yeah, I don't disagree with any of that, but I guess the point is that the law is not written to hold people, especially cops, accountable for recklessly escalating situations like you said.  It should be!

It just seems like police have such a wide latitude to recklessly kill or maim people and never actually get in any real trouble. Throw in a prosecutorial culture where police who do seem to screw up badly enough to deserve punishment are not prosecuted more often than not. There have to be limits here. But, I do suppose it might not even be technically illegal because of the way things are set up. However, it shouldn't be like this and in any reasonable system, the way the cops responded should be held so negligent and reckless that it warrants charges of some kind.

Minority communities know this far better than pretty much most of Atlas could ever know. America has a history of mistreatment of minorities and even today, various societal factors have kept large numbers of them in poverty, which leads to crime, and of course police and a populace in general that unfairly prejudices them from the start. The result, of course, is stuff like this: Needless death and destroyed families. I just don't see what tough-on-crime people don't get about this. It's like they really can't see what is going on, or possibly worse, are indifferent.

Police know the risks of their job.

This is exactly why the incredibly widespread and nigh-unquestioned notion that harming or killing a police officer is so much more heinous than harming or killing a civilian has never made much rational sense to me, beyond the symbolic Deep Magic-y 'it's because he's A Symbol of The Polity' reasons.

It could be to discourage people from doing that, but if you murder (or try to murder) someone and get caught, you're going to prison for a long time, regardless of who they are. I myself don't see why it should be treated so much worse as they are already extremely serious crimes with significant punishments. Increased punishments should be based on whether they actually serve a useful purpose beyond revenge.

For assault, I do see a purpose in limited increased punishments. Regular assault isn't always that serious, so people should get a little extra discouragement from that. Not exactly sure if increased punishment there actually reduces assaults, though.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

The case where the cop just raced in with his car, jumped out and shot him in record fashion? Manslaughter at least. Why didn't they bring in backup, keep distance and form a perimeter around him to find out what is going on? Oh, why do that when they can just shoot him. After all, he's just a black kid. Who cares, right?

Police know the risks of their job. Shooting someone should be a last resort, and based on what happened, I don't understand how the cop could have even known he was actually a real threat.

Can't say I am surprised to see the poll starting off with a solid 2-0 (NO) from Republicans.

In fairness, I accidentally voted as a Republican, and people know my stance.

So, this officer shouldn't be charged with murder, and also violent rapists aren't dangers to society?

Do you want my feelings on the Boston Marathon as well?

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

The case where the cop just raced in with his car, jumped out and shot him in record fashion? Manslaughter at least. Why didn't they bring in backup, keep distance and form a perimeter around him to find out what is going on? Oh, why do that when they can just shoot him. After all, he's just a black kid. Who cares, right?

Police know the risks of their job. Shooting someone should be a last resort, and based on what happened, I don't understand how the cop could have even known he was actually a real threat.

Can't say I am surprised to see the poll starting off with a solid 2-0 (NO) from Republicans.

In fairness, I accidentally voted as a Republican, and people know my stance.

So, this officer shouldn't be charged with murder, and also violent rapists aren't dangers to society?

Do you want my feelings on the Boston Marathon as well?

Har-dee-har-har.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yes. Police violence is one of the most horrific social plagues, and must be combated with zero tolerance.