Learning from Breonna Taylor
City Journal,
by
Rafael A. Mangual
Original Article
Posted By: Pluperfect,
10/4/2020 5:03:25 AM
Few phenomena have been as politically polarizing in recent years as fatal police shootings. The death of Breonna Taylor—shot and killed by police during a warrant-service operation in Louisville this past spring—has become part of the media and political maelstrom surrounding the deaths of other black Americans at the hands of police. The Taylor shooting has served as a springboard for debates about police reform—specifically, about qualified immunity, police militarization, and racial disparities in police use of force. Her death—like any death in police custody—is tragic. It should inspire police leaders, lawmakers, and commentators to reflect dispassionately on what should have been done differently.
Not every police shooting is avoidable.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
chumley 10/4/2020 6:10:44 AM (No. 561364)
I do not mourn for her. She made her choices in life and paid the price.
I do agree with the protestors about some things though; things that have been going on for way too long. Policemen should look like policemen. No more military uniforms with cargo pants, Nazi helmets and tied down holsters. A badge is made of metal, not cloth. It is attached to a uniform that looks like a cop, not a soldier. No more military equipment like tanks and apc's and humvees. Too many cops are too eager to use them.
And no more no knock smash and grab warrants, either search or arrest. That tactic makes them more hated than the crooks they arrest.
I'd also like to see them go back to revolvers. Even with all the training in the world they dont seem to have the discipline not to spray and pray.
8 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
jeffkinnh 10/4/2020 8:21:06 AM (No. 561437)
The reality out of all this is that there is NO perfect system. The police and legal system did what they were supposed to do. Let's be clear, Taylor's house was watched and it was likely the place for past illegal drug transactions. The police raid was NOT whimsical. If you don't want the police raiding your property, don't carry on illegal activities there. Taylor's boyfriend apparently acted reasonably, though wrongly and triggered the deadly response. Taylor's tragic death might never have happened if any of a number of circumstances were different. If she had been in another room, she might not have been injured at all.
There are too many possibilities to account for and therefore NO system can be made perfect. I dispute that there was any police abuse in this case. A payout was made to the family for the same reason that many payouts are made, because circumstances make it the prudent and fair thing to do. The city and police force, while doing nothing wrong, do not want the image of being uncaring. As noted, sometimes such things will happen. Taylor did not deserve to be killed. It is the right thing for a government to express remorse over a such a death.
Is scrutiny good in such cases? Absolutely. Are there improvements to be made in the process? Possibly, but very carefully. Is there guilt to be apportioned? No. Regret? Yes!
6 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
ROLFNader 10/4/2020 9:06:35 AM (No. 561485)
This is what you get when criminals are not punished to the extent their crimes deserve. Not coincidentally, this is prevalent in many ,if not most, cities and states run by democrats.
This isn't rocket surgery. You get what you pay for when you don't make someone pay for what they get.
4 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
red1066 10/4/2020 10:09:50 AM (No. 561548)
The whole narrative that police need reforming needs to be put to rest. Every law abiding citizen knows from childhood that obeying the police is what one does. Every person killed by police did just the opposite, and caused a confrontation to take place resulting in them dying or being shot. The Breonna Taylor incident was a police action started by Taylor's drug activity with a boyfriend, and ended when police using a LEGAL warrant to search her apartment were fired upon when entering the apartment. That she was killed during the incident was unfortunate, but the police once fired upon have a right to defend themselves which they did.
8 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
Strike3 10/4/2020 10:20:54 AM (No. 561561)
A bunch of gobblydegook that attempts to explain why it's not wise to sleep with a drug dealer. I knew that before I began reading. There's also the chance that your family could become millionaires for raising a stupid child.
5 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Old Army Vet 10/4/2020 10:23:01 AM (No. 561565)
If they didn't hear the police announce themselves how did they get out of bed, arm himself and both of them get into the hallway. I don't think they had enough time to do that unless they heard the police yelling on the other side of the door. Just a question.
8 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
columba 10/4/2020 10:23:27 AM (No. 561567)
The real lesson is this: Avoid dangerous situations by refusing to shack up with someone.
5 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
DVC 10/4/2020 11:42:33 AM (No. 561650)
A reasonably fair article, but IMO, it bend over backwards to disrespect the results of the grand jury investigation, using words which indicate uncertainty when referring to facts shown in the grand jury. Words like "appear" and "seem" when the facts are known are no helpful.
But this is important:
"The bottom line is that police shootings—indeed police uses of force, generally—are extremely rare outcomes, even in the context of dangerous police interactions. Police use force in less than 1 percent of all arrests. When they do, that force results in a serious injury in just 2 percent of those cases."
So, in 100 arrest less than one will involve any force. And in 10,000 arrests, two will involve serious injury.
That seems to show that our existing system is working quite well indeed. Two in ten thousand seems to be a pretty good score, for serious injuries during arrests. And you can bet that those cases had the person being arrested causing the violence in almost all cases.
3 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
DVC 10/4/2020 1:32:43 PM (No. 561795)
#1, they won't go back to revolvers. And many officers did the spray and pray with only six shots, too.
0 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
XCenturion 10/4/2020 8:30:06 PM (No. 562139)
Media malfeasance caused the riots in Louisville by not reporting the facts of the case. They purposely withheld pertinent information to make it appear this was a wonton killing of a black woman by out of control racist cops. An independent witness said the police knocked on the door, identified themselves as police and demanded entry. When the occupants refused to open the door the officers forcefully breached the door and made entry into the residence. Remember they had a search warrant. When they entered the officers were fired upon by Breonna's boyfriend that resulted on one of the officers being wounded. The officers returned fire and accidentally hit Breonna. The Grand Jury reviewed the entire case and said no charges would be filed against the two officers that gained entry into the residence and returned fire on Breonna's boyfriend. Charges were rightfully filed agains a third officer that fired his weapon indiscriminately into the residence from outside. Why in the hell should we believe anything the media reports?
1 person likes this.
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