• Space/Science
  • GeekSpeak
  • Mysteries of
    the Multiverse
  • Science Fiction
  • The Comestible Zone
  • Off-Topic
  • Community
  • Flame
  • CurrentEvents

Recent posts

John Wheeler's philosophy: "Beyond the Black Hole" RL October 16, 2025 10:00 pm (Space/Science)

Brosz baffled, Bondi busts Bolton ER October 16, 2025 2:08 pm (CurrentEvents)

Science backs up what I have been saying for years... RL October 15, 2025 7:59 pm (CurrentEvents)

No sugar tonight in my coffee, no sugar tonight in my tea ER October 15, 2025 5:07 pm (Space/Science)

Only thing surprising is that people are surprised... RL October 15, 2025 7:12 am (CurrentEvents)

Superwood BuckGalaxy October 14, 2025 5:46 pm (Space/Science)

Lucky U! ER October 14, 2025 2:17 pm (Off-Topic)

Lucky me? ER October 14, 2025 9:51 am (Off-Topic)

JPL about to lose ANOTHER 11% of its people RL October 13, 2025 12:00 pm (Space/Science)

Enjoy this and share.... RL October 13, 2025 3:36 am (CurrentEvents)

Already gutted, the CDC faces more brutal cuts RL October 11, 2025 9:45 pm (Space/Science)

A.Indecency RL October 11, 2025 9:37 pm (GeekSpeak)

Home » CurrentEvents

"he moved a hand toward his waistband" December 30, 2017 10:02 am Robert

Again. It’s so often that one gesture that gets people killed by cops. This time, it was a “swatting” incident in Kansas City, in which the victim was absolutely innocent of any wrongdoing.

Officers screamed at Finch to put his hands in the air, but Livingston said the 28-year-old father of two young boys moved a hand toward his waistband. An officer, fearing Finch was reaching for a gun, fired a single shot. Finch died minutes later.

It bothers me, because that is such a low bar for execution by a police officer. Visualize your hands and your “waistband” area, and how the two occupy the same region of space. If your hands are at your sides and you try to raise them above your head, they will pass by your waistband. And that sounds to me like what happened to Andrew Finch in Kansas City earlier this week.

We have to set higher standards for police behavior and accountability in this country. We have to, if not disarm the police, at least scale back the lethality of their weaponry. Take away their tanks and automatic weapons. I know it’s an ancient chestnut, but British police really do go mostly unarmed and they kill far fewer people, and are themselves killed far less often. Violence begets violence, ya think?

And above all else, radically change their training. We have this myth that police officers are expected to risk their lives to protect us, but in reality, they’re trained to protect their own skins above all else. Thus we have the “23(?) foot rule”, which says that if your gun is holstered and an assailant gets within 23 feet of you, you’re toast; so shoot first if anybody makes a threatening gesture in your vicinity. In this instance, if they see a hand go near the “waistband” area, look real hard and get ready, but do not shoot until you see a weapon. Yep, once in a while a cop will be outdrawn, like a Wild West gunfight. So be it–our cops don’t shoot first. The hard truth is that justice demands that a police officer accept a few risks to avoid committing a terrible injustice. That’s what we pay them for.

And accountability. It’s bad enough that it’s a cold day in hell when a cop is convicted of manslaughter or murder. But cops fired for misbehavior on one force seem to have no trouble getting hired on at another force. If there’s a shortage of qualified (non-murderous) cops, then we should address that, not lower the hiring standards.

End rant.

  • Evidently there is body cam footage. by RobVG 2017-12-30 11:53:40
    • He raised his hands, lowered them, and raised them again. by RobVG 2018-01-03 07:22:36
      • Race doesn't play a part, really. by hank 2018-01-03 10:10:51
        • This is about police shootings. by RobVG 2018-01-03 17:05:08
          • White cops shoot black people, way too often, and for no good reason by hank 2018-01-03 19:44:13
      • Found it by Robert 2017-12-30 12:39:20
      • Self-fulfilling prophecy. by hank 2017-12-30 11:10:09
        • The System by Robert 2017-12-30 11:52:06
          • Off the Pigs by ER 2017-12-30 14:11:08

        Search

        The Control Panel

        • Log in
        • Register