Just thought I'd share some experiences after the latest shootings in the USA.
Unfortunately, it was inevitable that British police would almost routinely carry guns (especially in vehicles) with the means at criminals disposal and the rise in terrorism.

Lots of UK police didn't want to carry guns, as they feared it might provoke an antagonistic atmosphere in their routine lines of work.

And so to the latest shooting by US police (Jacob Blake).
Police have a difficult job. They can be utter cvntish lawbreakers themselves. As I found out when my policeman mate was pulled-over last week for suspected D&D. (my is mate is a black police officer). My mate admitted D&D, but the police parked his car, and drove him the 3 miles home "because we look after each other, but don't ever do that again"

Police in the US have extra worries as everyone can have a fire-arm, or be on mental drugs.

I was stopped by police in America in 1994, because my white friend was being arrested for pi55ing in an alleyway. One of the two police officers put his hand on his side-arm, and said to me, "walk away, unless you want some of this"
I walked,...without hesitation.

The second situation was in Forest Hill, when i was out running one evening. I ran into a drugs bust on Sydenham Hill. A policeman with a rifle stood in the road pointing his gun at me "Armed police. Get back now!"
The blood in my body fell into my shoes, and I hyperventilated all the way on my 20 minute walk home.

In the case of Jacob Blake, the guy said he was going to his car to get a weapon. He chose to ignore police orders.
I am not saying shooting him 7 times was the correct response. It doesn't seem proportionate.
What I'm saying, is that when police have threatened me with a shooting, I have done the right thing.
Police have to deal with some bad mothers out there.

Let's wait for the results of a proper investigation

Edited by Forest Hillbilly (27 Aug 2020 8.53pm)

I disengage, I turn the page.

Why don’t they just shoot in the leg once?

COYP

Point taken, but actions proportionate to a situation wouldn't go a miss. Rudi makes a good point. If they feared he was going to get a gun from the car, taking somewhat more significant efforts to stop him getting there wouldn't have been a bad approach. Waiting for him to open the car door before firing seven bullets into him doesn't seem like the best approach. Besides disabling someone from the waist down with a barrage of bullets doesn't stop them from moving their arms towards their (non existent) gun does it?

Edited by BlueJay (27 Aug 2020 8.51pm)

Yes that's what it all comes down to I suppose. There will always be trigger happy types in the police, but there are also lots of decent and dutiful police officers put on the spot, and in this camera phone age unfortunately a greatest hits of situations that were badly handled is all we're going to see. Add the stark political split right now into the mix and all that happens is escalation across the board.

Two things would be useful stateside, but arent going to happen near election time. 1 - For the left groupthink to realise that only highlighting disturbing incidents against black individuals creates a warped perception of policing, injustice and society 2 - For right groupthink not to scramble for reasons to justify or be entirely nonplussed by every disturbing incident going when it's against a black individual. There is a real problem stateside with both of these. We only ever hear from the loudest, craziest voices right now and these positions are amplified. I[m not convinced most normal people of any colour or creed are interested or involved in any of it.

Edited by BlueJay (27 Aug 2020 9.34pm)

America are somewhat doomed to getting this right because it's so common to carry firearm that it's always a likely outcome in the back of the officers' head. That's the main difference between the USA and, say, France where police carry. For every trigger happy PC in the USA, there's a trigger happy convict and there's enough interactions you're going to get a certain number of people making bad calls.

The UK is so different because the risk level is so different. The more likely threat is from a knife, which requires the person to be in close proximity and get around the vest. The likelihood of instant, lethal force is far lower.

That's one reason why the UK can use different tactics. It also immediately offers up a greater opportunity for the UK to get closer to a person, talk and as far as possible attempt to de-escalate - there isn't that same possibility of immediate threat. It changes the entire handling of the situation.

Plus, when you come across armed police in the UK, they're so well trained because they're specialised that they don't often end up with the same poor decision making the USA do.

For as long as the USA hold the right to routinely carry arms amongst the population, they'll always have a police/population 'problem'.

26th January 2010 - Enter Administration
2nd May 2010 - D-Day 1 - Survival at Hillsborough
1st June 2010 - D-Day 2 - Survival at Lloyds
7th June 2010 - CPFC2010 exchange contracts.

You've hit the nail on the head. I'm not saying there aren't racist elements and attitudes in the US police force that colour how people are treated, but that's a small aspect of a bigger issue. The one eyed approach of only looking at this issue in racial terms, obscures wider problems in policing and miscarriages of justice that are just as bad as anything we've seen that people have been up in arms about of late.