The Columbus Shooting

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silverscreenselect
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The Columbus Shooting

#1 Post by silverscreenselect » Wed Apr 21, 2021 11:14 pm

It's sad that we get word of another fatal shooting of a black teenager by police just minutes before the Chauvin verdict was announced. But I've looked at this footage a number of times and watched today's press conference where they played the 911 call. My thoughts:

1) The 911 call was very garbled and difficult to understand beyond the fact that there was obviously a loud argument going on and that the caller mentioned that someone was trying to stab somebody's grandmother and they needed the police now. The caller hung up a few seconds after that. There was no way for the dispatcher or the first responding police to know who made the call (which still isn't clear) or what the exact circumstances were.

2) There were at least three squad cars on the scene, but the footage they played from two other officers' bodycams didn't show the shooting clearly and missed most of the leadup to the shooting. However, the bodycam from the officer who shot Bryant showed everything he saw from the time he exited his car and seems fairly clear, even more so when they replayed it in slow motion. At actual speed, it was about ten seconds from the time he exited the car until he fired his shots.

3) The first thing that the officer does upon leaving his car is to ask the girl in pink, who had been standing a few feet away from Bryant "what's going on." Before anyone answers, Bryant starts struggling with another girl. Either Bryant pushes the other girl or she stumbles and falls backward. You can't see a knife here, but she might have had one in her hand. At this point, the officer asks, in adult man starts stomping on the girl on the ground. This is the point where the officer draws his gun and says "hey, hey, hey" fairly loudly. The man who was kicking the girl backs away immediately. Both Bryant and the girl in pink were close to the girl on the ground at this point. It's difficult to see what either of them was doing. Then, Bryant turns toward the girl in pink and away from the officer. By now Bryant has a knife in her hand. It's unclear just when she pulled the knife. The girl in pink moves away until her path is blocked by the parked car. Bryant continues toward her. The knife is clearly out and in a position to strike. The officer yells "down, down, down" and Bryant doesn't react (she might not have heard and she couldn't see the cop at this point). At the time the shots were fired, she appeared to have her left hand on the girl in pink and the knife hand raised and preparing to strike. Again, all this took 10 seconds.

4) The cop did not have the benefit of a slow motion replay, but that appeared to lend even more support to his actions. When the cop first drew his weapon, ther were two assailants attacking or near the girl on the ground, and drawing a taser at that point couldn't have incapacitated both Bryant and the adult man. Once the officer had his gun in his hand, he couldn't have then drawn the taser. He never identified himself as a policeman, and it's possible that Bryan may not have seen him or heard him in the commotion when he yelled "down, down."

5) While this incident was going on, the adult man made no attempt to break it up or de-escalate (of course we couldn't see what happened before the police arrived). Instead, he stomps on the girl on the ground. Then, after the shooting, he cusses out the cops saying that they shot a child and didn't have to do that.

6) Most of the other incidents that have resulted in fatal police shootings or other assaults have played out over an extended period of time and started out as low-intensity situations. It's proper to question how police might have reacted differently when they had plenty of time to assess the situation. This entire incident took 10 seconds. In that time, Bryant had a knife out and ready to strike and another girl in a helpless situation and very likely could have severely wounded or killed that girl within another second or two. Plus, the only prior information the cop had was there was a 911 call about a person with a knife who was threatening to hurt people. I don't think that those who have been the most critical of the cop while thinking up other things he might have done in those ten seconds gave much thought to the fact that an unarmed girl might have died had the cop not acted. If my granddaughter had been the girl in pink, I would be very thankful the cop acted as he had.

7) I do think that there is a tendency to blindly take sides in cases before seeing the evidence and often afterwards conveniently ignoring that which doesn't support your argument. Some of the left wing websites I follow have commenters who have done exactly that, even when others asked them to look at the video. There should be a thorough investigation. I'm pretty sure we don't know all the details of the domestic situation that led to the fight in the first place. As far as the cop who shot Bryant, he would be judged by what the evidence shows he did or did not do. But we can't ignore that the police culture in this country in recent years has bred fear and distrust in the minority communities, and that's how they tend to view every situation. Fortunately, there's documentary evidence here, as opposed to just the word of the cops and witnesses, which is all we had in years past.
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Re: The Columbus Shooting

#2 Post by Spock » Thu Apr 22, 2021 10:44 am

SSS>>>"But we can't ignore that the police culture in this country in recent years has bred fear and distrust in the minority communities, and that's how they tend to view every situation."<<<

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/ ... 6540329989

Fortunately, there was not a police officer present at this Cincinnati stabbing murder of one 13 year old girl by another. At least, a police officer's life will not be ruined and this murder will drop into the memory hole with no attached rioting.

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Re: The Columbus Shooting

#3 Post by Spock » Thu Apr 22, 2021 11:06 am

Spock wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 10:44 am
SSS>>>"But we can't ignore that the police culture in this country in recent years has bred fear and distrust in the minority communities, and that's how they tend to view every situation."<<<

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/ ... 6540329989

Fortunately, there was not a police officer present at this Cincinnati stabbing murder of one 13 year old girl by another. At least, a police officer's life will not be ruined and this murder will drop into the memory hole with no attached rioting.
You know, when knife fights are apparently a thing among teenage girls maybe "Police Culture" is not the biggest problem that minority communities face.

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Re: The Columbus Shooting

#4 Post by silverscreenselect » Thu Apr 22, 2021 11:13 am

Spock wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 11:06 am
Spock wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 10:44 am
SSS>>>"But we can't ignore that the police culture in this country in recent years has bred fear and distrust in the minority communities, and that's how they tend to view every situation."<<<

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/ ... 6540329989

Fortunately, there was not a police officer present at this Cincinnati stabbing murder of one 13 year old girl by another. At least, a police officer's life will not be ruined and this murder will drop into the memory hole with no attached rioting.
You know, when knife fights are apparently a thing among teenage girls maybe "Police Culture" is not the biggest problem that minority communities face.
Why do I get the feeling that you're not the slightest bit interested in solving any of the problems that minority communities face?
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Re: The Columbus Shooting

#5 Post by BackInTex » Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:30 pm

silverscreenselect wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 11:13 am
Spock wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 11:06 am
Spock wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 10:44 am
SSS>>>"But we can't ignore that the police culture in this country in recent years has bred fear and distrust in the minority communities, and that's how they tend to view every situation."<<<

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/ ... 6540329989

Fortunately, there was not a police officer present at this Cincinnati stabbing murder of one 13 year old girl by another. At least, a police officer's life will not be ruined and this murder will drop into the memory hole with no attached rioting.
You know, when knife fights are apparently a thing among teenage girls maybe "Police Culture" is not the biggest problem that minority communities face.
Why do I get the feeling that you're not the slightest bit interested in solving any of the problems that minority communities face?
Is that his job? To solve the problems of the minority communities? Should the minorities themselves, if they see problems with their communities, work themselves to solve them? Or do you think them incapable of solving their problems (as you see them incapable of getting IDs or planning ahead to stand in a line)?
..what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? let them take arms.
~~ Thomas Jefferson

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Re: The Columbus Shooting

#6 Post by silverscreenselect » Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:24 pm

BackInTex wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:30 pm
Should the minorities themselves, if they see problems with their communities, work themselves to solve them? Or do you think them incapable of solving their problems (as you see them incapable of getting IDs or planning ahead to stand in a line)?
Perhaps you heard of a movement called Black Lives Matter. That was an effort by minority communities to work to solve one major problem in their communities.

And it's not whether blacks are incapable of complying with the new voting laws. It's whether we should make the fundamental right of voting significantly more difficult in a manner that disproportionately impacts minorities. That's what the 14th Amendment is all about.
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Re: The Columbus Shooting

#7 Post by BackInTex » Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:44 pm

silverscreenselect wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:24 pm
BackInTex wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:30 pm
Should the minorities themselves, if they see problems with their communities, work themselves to solve them? Or do you think them incapable of solving their problems (as you see them incapable of getting IDs or planning ahead to stand in a line)?
Perhaps you heard of a movement called Black Lives Matter. That was an effort by minority communities to work to solve one major problem in their communities.
And when blacks address the leading cause, perhaps the top 5 leading causes of black deaths, I'll think they are serious about them thinking their lives matter to them more than other think their lives matter to themselves. Hint: Death by white cop is not there (less than 250 a year by cops, white or black).

silverscreenselect wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:24 pm
And it's not whether blacks are incapable of complying with the new voting laws. It's whether we should make the fundamental right of voting significantly more difficult in a manner that disproportionately impacts minorities. That's what the 14th Amendment is all about.
It is not significantly more difficult for minorities to get IDs, or plan to wait in a line. At least I don't think so, and most minority folks I know don't think so either. Thinking so is pretty racist.
..what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? let them take arms.
~~ Thomas Jefferson

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Re: The Columbus Shooting

#8 Post by Bob78164 » Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:53 pm

BackInTex wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:44 pm
It is not significantly more difficult for minorities to get IDs, or plan to wait in a line. At least I don't think so, and most minority folks I know don't think so either. Thinking so is pretty racist.
It is when offices offering such IDs are targeted for closure in precisely the communities with high concentrations of majority voters.

What's racist is arranging voting laws so that areas with high concentrations of minority voters have to wait hours in line to vote, when other areas of the state don't face that hurdle. Particularly when there are lots of ways, as the 2020 election just proved, to ameliorate those lines without in any way enabling widespread fraud.

I'm curious, by the way. If you lived paycheck to paycheck and couldn't afford to take time off from your 9-5 job (which you get to with a 45-minute bus ride each way), how (logistically) would you go about getting an ID? How would you arrange to spend hours in line? Obviously you can't afford to pay your babysitter to watch your kids while you wait four hours in line to vote. So how would you do it? --Bob
"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." Thomas Jefferson

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Re: The Columbus Shooting

#9 Post by BackInTex » Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:32 pm

Bob78164 wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:53 pm
I'm curious, by the way. If you lived paycheck to paycheck and couldn't afford to take time off from your 9-5 job (which you get to with a 45-minute bus ride each way), how (logistically) would you go about getting an ID? How would you arrange to spend hours in line? Obviously you can't afford to pay your babysitter to watch your kids while you wait four hours in line to vote. So how would you do it? --Bob
I'd figure it out if it were important to me. I think minorities can figure it out, too. It's a shame you don't think they can.
..what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? let them take arms.
~~ Thomas Jefferson

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Re: The Columbus Shooting

#10 Post by Bob78164 » Thu Apr 22, 2021 7:24 pm

BackInTex wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:32 pm
Bob78164 wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:53 pm
I'm curious, by the way. If you lived paycheck to paycheck and couldn't afford to take time off from your 9-5 job (which you get to with a 45-minute bus ride each way), how (logistically) would you go about getting an ID? How would you arrange to spend hours in line? Obviously you can't afford to pay your babysitter to watch your kids while you wait four hours in line to vote. So how would you do it? --Bob
I'd figure it out if it were important to me. I think minorities can figure it out, too. It's a shame you don't think they can.
It's a shame you're so willing to erect obstacles to the exercise of the franchise. Voting isn't supposed to be an obstacle course. It's a fundamental right. Whether the voters agree with your views or not.

There are people who don't go to the doctor for similar reasons. Prior to the Affordable Care Act, there were many more. Do you think that's because they didn't care about their health? Or maybe, just maybe, it's because they prioritized putting food on their kids' table.

Try walking a mile in their shoes before you so facilely dismiss their desire to vote. --Bob
"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." Thomas Jefferson

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Re: The Columbus Shooting

#11 Post by silverscreenselect » Thu Apr 22, 2021 10:04 pm

BackInTex wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:32 pm
I'd figure it out if it were important to me.
Mrs. SSS and I voted absentee this year for the first time in years. (I voted absentee one time previously about 30 years ago when I was out of town on election day.) Since we've been voting at our current precinct in an affluent part of north Fulton County, I've only had to stand in line once for longer than a minute, and that was about ten minutes. We had plenty of voting machines, poll workers, and a relatively small precinct in terms of number of registered voters. The situation is vastly different in some parts of Atlanta.

People can and do figure it out. But they shouldn't have to.

It's ironic that the absentee voting laws in effect for the 2020 election were passed shortly after the Republicans took over the state legislature in 2004. In 2005, the law was changed to require picture ID. However, they loosened the requirements for absentee voting so that people did not have to give a reason for voting absentee (as I did years earlier) and that picture ID was not required for absentee voting. At that time, absentee voting skewed heavily Republican. Fast forward 16 years and the Republicans now feel that the picture ID is necessary after Democrats started using the absentee process much more than Republicans did.

This isn't about reducing fraud. It never was, not in 2005 and not now.
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