Ferguson and Michael Brown

DAIR · 25 Sep 2014 at 16:12

The whole of America has a lot to answer for. First of all guns (of any kind) shouldn't be so free available. Second of all police shouldn't be so Rambo like in these situations.

I really hope this doesn't turn into amother racial thing. I don't care what colour the so called victim is/was!

doodah · 26 Sep 2014 at 08:58

Another day another incident, honestly! Firstly I have to commend The Independent for leaving the word black from the first sentence as most papers normally do. This police officer has to be the worst shot, the victim is extremely lucky to be alive. This incident looks to be a lot more clear cut as the police force have taken swift action against the officer.

Shocking video footage has emerged of the moment a US patrol officer asked to see a man’s driving licence and then shot him as he reached inside his car to get it.

In a case described as “disturbing” by South Carolina police, state trooper Sean Groubert, 31, pulled driver Levar Edward Jones over at a petrol station in Colombia for allegedly not wearing his seatbelt while driving.

cheesyboy · 26 Sep 2014 at 09:22

"Sir, why was I shot? All I did was reach for my licence. I'm coming from work"
He actually said that ^

Called him "sir" and everything. Strange country, America.

At least it looks like the officer is officially considered to be in the wrong this time, and will face some form of justice.

That other incident in the supermarket is very sad. Did you see that a bystander, mother of two young children who were with her, died of heart attack during the incident?

DAIR · 26 Sep 2014 at 10:14

The police are simply too trigger happy.

Yaayuh! · 26 Sep 2014 at 10:24

DAIR said:
The police are simply too trigger happy.

In some states it certainly does look like it.

NVP · 26 Sep 2014 at 10:25

Bloody hell america, if this is how some trained police act towards their own citizens I can't imagine how some military personel behave when no one is watching.

deuse · 26 Sep 2014 at 10:30

xibinim said:
Another day another incident, honestly! Firstly I have to commend The Independent for leaving the word black from the first sentence as most papers normally do. This police officer has to be the worst shot, the victim is extremely lucky to be alive. This incident looks to be a lot more clear cut as the police force have taken swift action against the officer.

50\50 The guy should have said he was going to get his licence and waited for the OK from the officer before reaching for it.

opstrat · 26 Sep 2014 at 10:37

deuse said:
50\50 The guy should have said he was going to get his licence and waited for the OK from the officer before reaching for it.

how the hell is that 50/50. hes told to get his license, he does and gets shot for it.

doodah · 26 Sep 2014 at 10:40

If I was told by a police officer to do something like that, my first reaction would be to comply. If his own police force don't back him up, it suggests procedure was not followed correctly.

BuffetSlayer · 26 Sep 2014 at 10:48

I have friends in the USA who believe the country is still inherently racist.

If you give racists guns and a badge which grants authority to kill people, it is likely some of them will manipulate a situation to a point where they feel they can justify the use of extreme force, then explain it in a plausible way.

Then, within the organisation, it only takes a few higher ranking racists to turn the other cheek and hey presto, you get the policing system we see in some US states

I find the USA quite scary. In the south it is like watching a crowd of people with the mental capacity of a school child, and all of them own and carry guns.

At our friends house a fight broke out, and I mean a real fight over the dinner table because one guy said gays were unholy, and the other disagreed. Luckily, they were brothers. Otherwise I foresee one of them going for a weapon at some point, and out there in the countryside, nobody would find the body.

Craterloads · 26 Sep 2014 at 11:14

opstrat said:
how the hell is that 50/50. hes told to get his license, he does and gets shot for it.

It is deuse so the fact the guy was black probably makes it a 50/50

deuse · 26 Sep 2014 at 11:24

opstrat said:
how the hell is that 50/50. hes told to get his license, he does and gets shot for it.

Yes and he should have told the cop he was going to reach inside to get it. It could have been a gun. How was the cop supposed to know.

Craterloads said:
It is deuse so the fact the guy was black probably makes it a 50/50

Sorry? You're talking rubbish as normal. Grow up little boy\girl.

cheesyboy · 26 Sep 2014 at 11:29

deuse said:
Yes and he should have told the cop he was going to reach inside to get it. It could have been a gun. How was the cop supposed to know.

Cop probably should have forseen that screaming at someone to show their license might result in them reaching for their license. And then he should have taken that into account before using lethal force when the guy actually did start reaching into the car.

Ordering someone to do something, and then shooting them for doing it is probably not very fair. Would you disagree?

BuffetSlayer · 26 Sep 2014 at 11:30

deuse said:
Yes and he should have told the cop he was going to reach inside to get it. It could have been a gun. How was the cop supposed to know.

I could be wrong, but it is my understanding the Police in the US are not allowed to open fire unless a gun is visible and even then only if a person is brandishing it in a threatening way. IE bringing it to bear in the direction of the Police officer.

But I am sure someone will come along and clarify either way

opstrat · 26 Sep 2014 at 11:31

deuse said:
Yes and he should have told the cop he was going to reach inside to get it. It could have been a gun. How was the cop supposed to know.

aye it could have been a gun. so the cop should have have thought of that also and told him to step away from the car first. pat him down then check the licence.

NVP · 26 Sep 2014 at 11:56

deuse said:
Yes and he should have told the cop he was going to reach inside to get it. It could have been a gun. How was the cop supposed to know.

*McEnroe.jpg*

Craterloads · 26 Sep 2014 at 12:02

deuse said:
Sorry? You're talking rubbish as normal.

If he was black and Muslim and reached for the requested driving licence would be more a 80/20... Amaright ?

Grow up little boy\girl.

Handbags

Yaayuh! · 26 Sep 2014 at 13:49

opstrat said:
aye it could have been a gun. so the cop should have have thought of that also and told him to step away from the car first. pat him down then check the licence.

Indeed.

Regardless, the cop was a moron and shot when he shouldn't have. I'm glad the cop got fired and then arrested.

SciNeT · 22 Oct 2014 at 14:47

Looks to have been a struggle for the gun as the police officer reported and not someone being shot from behind while running away as the robbery companion described.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...l-brown-may-have-gone-for-darren-wilsons-gun/

Davepen · 22 Oct 2014 at 15:43

The autopsy/forensics said he had been shot in the back, not his "accomplice"

Why has it taken 2 months for the cop to come out and give his story?