📡 Football Hall Of Fame Looted (Riots around the country.)

[TerryP]

@ElephantStomp are the police taught to assume a threat until you know because doing otherwise might get you killed?

An interesting question. I'd think, or hope, the answer is yes. At least be "on guard" of the potential of a threat.

However, in this Atlanta situation, I'm having difficulty seeing relevance. He had a deadly weapon according to Georgia state law.

 

[mando]

An interesting question. I'd think, or hope, the answer is yes. At least be "on guard" of the potential of a threat.

However, in this Atlanta situation, I'm having difficulty seeing relevance. He had a deadly weapon according to Georgia state law.

@TerryP to me the relevance is the argument that he only had a taser and was running away and was not a threat. I was not aware a taser was consider a deadly weapon but I could see that if the taser incapacitated you, you for sure could be deep trouble.

Anyone's death is a tragedy so not trying to minimize the loss of a life with this conversation. If I were a policemen, seems like I would naturally be on guard to make sure I make it back to my family at the end of the day. Maybe I would not have the right disposition to do that job. Sure I wouldn't but I am thankful we have those that are.

 

[TerryP]

@TerryP to me the relevance is the argument that he only had a taser and was running away and was not a threat. I was not aware a taser was consider a deadly weapon but I could see that if the taser incapacitated you, you for sure could be deep trouble.

I believe I mentioned this somewhere on the forum; maybe not in this thread.

The same DA who leveled the charges against the officer held a press conference two weeks ago where he pointed to Georgia state law, specifically addressing the taser, and told the members of the press that the taser is "a deadly weapon according to state law."

 

[ElephantStomp]

No idea what was going through the policeman's mind but is it possible he did not know if the person stole a taser or gun? Never seen a taser so not sure how much it looks like a gun or if under the conditions it would be harder to tell.

@ElephantStomp are the police taught to assume a threat until you know because doing otherwise might get you killed?

A taser and a gun look different, tasers are yellow. But, at night it could be hard to tell. I’ve never had to differentiate between them at night.

I can only speak of my training. I wasn’t trained to think everybody is a threat (depending on type of call) but I was trained that every call we go on there is at least one gun, so we need to be cognizant of that.

 

[ElephantStomp]

@TerryP to me the relevance is the argument that he only had a taser and was running away and was not a threat. I was not aware a taser was consider a deadly weapon but I could see that if the taser incapacitated you, you for sure could be deep trouble.

Anyone's death is a tragedy so not trying to minimize the loss of a life with this conversation. If I were a policemen, seems like I would naturally be on guard to make sure I make it back to my family at the end of the day. Maybe I would not have the right disposition to do that job. Sure I wouldn't but I am thankful we have those that are.

We are in a state of “on guard” all the time even while driving around. Over 200 of us die each year in the line of duty