Georgia Tech Student Activist shot dead by campus police

[Virginiá]

This wasn't an abuse of authority though.  And for the most part, the LGBT community isn't violently harassed by police all that often, so I don't think you can really say they've had the sort of dynamic with the police that many African-American and Hispanic communities do.  All due respect, I do think expecting the officer to risk getting stabbed by aiming for this person's legs is unreasonable in this case given the circumstances. 

Sure, but I was speaking generically about issues with police. Not about the LGBT community's experiences with police. I should have been more clear about that.

As for this particular, we'll just have to agree to disagree then. I watched the video. He was close, but not so close he could stab. There was plenty of times to fire off a few rounds in hope of hitting his leg. There are a number of instances where there is simply no time to try to demobilize them, but this was not one of them. This might just be a classic example of a situation where demobilizing should have been the priority.

Kill shots can't be the default all the time. I'm sorry, it just can't be that way. That was what I was trying to argue with him. It seems like even in situations that permit it, a non-lethal approach is simply a luxury only afforded to people when the cop is in a charitable mood.

[Kingpoleon]

Quite frankly, if you don't want hurt and someone is in a position to kill/hurt you, the best thing you can do is freeze. If you don't, it's hard for someone's reflexes not to kick in - retreating signals weakness, meaning one should attack so they don't get away. Advancing signals aggressiveness, meaning one should attack to protect oneself.

WTF

Ever heard of a rout?

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

How is it at all relevant that he was an LGBT activist, aside from muh identity politics.  Is it believed the police were targeting a gay?

They weren't targeting anyone. They were responding to a call that he was carrying a gun. Turns out he was carrying a knife, and when they tried to get him to drop the weapon, he dared them to shoot him. They obliged.

That's no excuse to shoot him dead. They could've easily neutralized him and contained the situation without taking his life. This is simply excessive use of force.

And how do you propose they do that without being stabbed?

In ancient times peace officers could do this thing called "talking" which the officers would use before panicking and killing the people they are supposed to protect.

[JA]

How is it at all relevant that he was an LGBT activist, aside from muh identity politics.  Is it believed the police were targeting a gay?

They weren't targeting anyone. They were responding to a call that he was carrying a gun. Turns out he was carrying a knife, and when they tried to get him to drop the weapon, he dared them to shoot him. They obliged.

That's no excuse to shoot him dead. They could've easily neutralized him and contained the situation without taking his life. This is simply excessive use of force.

And how do you propose they do that without being stabbed?

In ancient times peace officers could do this thing called "talking" which the officers would use before panicking and killing the people they are supposed to protect.

Talking to a suspect signals weakness. We must assert our dominance by firing a pre-emptive strike into their chest.