Community Chat

[Mominohio]

On 4/10/2015 terrier3 said:

On 4/10/2015 mominohio said:

What might have happened before is the issue, and as of now, none of us know exactly what that was.

And anyone running from the law, when they know they have outstanding warrants etc. is partially responsible for what is happening to them. People need to stand up, and take responsibility for what they are doing, and stop assuming they are within their 'rights' to assault officers, run when told to stay, run their mouth and become unruly. When you don't work to diffuse a tense situation, you help determine the outcome. Period.

Sorry but the only thing at issue is that the man was running and the officer stopped, stood still, aimed and fired 8 shots in his direction, until he fell dead.

That is why he is being charged with murder.

The man had rights too and shooting him in the back was a felony crime.

Even the lawyer quit the case after he saw the video. There is NO EXCUSE whatsoever for what this officer did. None. He tried to make an excuse by planting the taser near the dead man's body. Even HE realized that he had NO reason to shoot this man.

Period.

The man is dead. Period. He wouldn't be dead, had he not run. Period. He wouldn't have needed to run, had he lived up to his responsibilities. Period. He is partially responsible for what happened to him. He set the events in motion. Period.

The totally other issue, is we may have a cop who did not follow protocol and used excessive force. We may have a cop who committed murder. No denying that, and I'm not defending him. He will get due process for that.

But, (and I've been away all day and haven't heard the latest) the last thing I knew, is there is at least one gap between dash cam and the video the citizen took. So what happened or how much time that involves we don't know. Could the victim have had the stun gun, and dropped it and the officer picked it up off the ground, after the victim was down? I don't know at this time, and doubt anyone does.

[Mominohio]

On 4/10/2015 Lila Belle said:

It did not have to end that way, mominohio, and that's the whole point.

And that's not just my opinion but by LE in SC and across the entire country by chiefs of police and sheriffs.

The point is, it never had to be. Didn't anyone else here learn that one thing leads to another. Events often occur in a chain, with the ones before determining how the latter ones conclude? Never take that first drink, or never put that needle in your arm the first time, and you won't have to battle recovery? Never let yourself gain that 100 pounds and you won't have to fight to loose the weight. The victim was the first to set the chain in motion. Warrants, running. If he hadn't done those things first, the cop wouldn't have shot. None of that makes the cop right, but all of it led to the ending for the victim.

[terrier3]

On 4/10/2015 mominohio said:

The man is dead. Period. He wouldn't be dead, had he not run. Period. He wouldn't have needed to run, had he lived up to his responsibilities. Period. He is partially responsible for what happened to him. He set the events in motion. Period.

The totally other issue, is we may have a cop who did not follow protocol and used excessive force. We may have a cop who committed murder. No denying that, and I'm not defending him. He will get due process for that.

But, (and I've been away all day and haven't heard the latest) the last thing I knew, is there is at least one gap between dash cam and the video the citizen took. So what happened or how much time that involves we don't know. Could the victim have had the stun gun, and dropped it and the officer picked it up off the ground, after the victim was down? I don't know at this time, and doubt anyone does.

I don't understand why you are so committed to defending an accused murderer.

The man was shot with the taser...the strings from the taser were found on his back. The policeman tased him. Once it has been fired, it can't be fired again without being reloaded. The officer attempted to "plant" the weapon on his victim...seen in plain sight doing so.

There is NO EXCUSE for what the officer did. That is why he is being charged with murder - not manslaughter - but premeditated murder. That is why his lawyer dropped him. That is why the mayor went to see his parents to apologize.

[lovescats]

I don't feel like requoting but after seeing the policeman drop the taser I feel the guy could still have been dead even if he didn't run.

[Mominohio]

On 4/10/2015 terrier3 said:

On 4/10/2015 mominohio said:

The man is dead. Period. He wouldn't be dead, had he not run. Period. He wouldn't have needed to run, had he lived up to his responsibilities. Period. He is partially responsible for what happened to him. He set the events in motion. Period.

The totally other issue, is we may have a cop who did not follow protocol and used excessive force. We may have a cop who committed murder. No denying that, and I'm not defending him. He will get due process for that.

But, (and I've been away all day and haven't heard the latest) the last thing I knew, is there is at least one gap between dash cam and the video the citizen took. So what happened or how much time that involves we don't know. Could the victim have had the stun gun, and dropped it and the officer picked it up off the ground, after the victim was down? I don't know at this time, and doubt anyone does.

I don't understand why you are so committed to defending an accused murderer.

The man was shot with the taser...the strings from the taser were found on his back. The policeman tased him. Once it has been fired, it can't be fired again without being reloaded. The officer attempted to "plant" the weapon on his victim...seen in plain sight doing so.

There is NO EXCUSE for what the officer did. That is why he is being charged with murder - not manslaughter - but premeditated murder. That is why his lawyer dropped him. That is why the mayor went to see his parents to apologize.

I am not defending the cop, and have said so repeatedly. The cop is only one part of the situation.

I refuse to stand by, when things like this happen, and not speak up about each and every person's personal responsibility. The man who is now deceased, once again, bears part of the responsibility for where he is. Those who can't see that, are part of the problem with what is going on in this country. Fewer people are wanting to step forward, and take responsibility for their own actions, and the consequences that follow. They think the rules and laws are not for them. Many people are skating through life, not upholding their responsibilities, and sometimes, when that becomes a habit, and they continue to not do what they should, they continue to make poor choices, it catches up with them. And sometimes it is in unfair and dire ways, that are more severe than they should be.

The fact (perhaps, yet to be determined) that the cop did wrong, doesn't make what the victim did right, or any less wrong. He bears some responsibility for where he is. His situation should be a learning lesson for all who don't think they have to follow the rules. And the cop may be in the exact same boat, before this is over.

[SydneyH]

I don't understand the victim shaming. Now reports are claiming there was no warrant.......

[Mominohio]

On 4/10/2015 SydneyH said:

I don't understand the victim shaming. Now reports are claiming there was no warrant.......

Shaming and demanding personal responsibility for one's actions are not the same. The victim mentality in this nation is out of control, and sometimes things end badly because of it.

[Irshgrl31201]

I felt in the Mike Brown case that you could honestly say if Mike didn't fight Officer Wilson then he would be alive and that is the truth, he would be and fighting officer Wilson opened up the reasoning on why he died. It gave Officer Wilson reason to believe his life was at risk and therefore every right to take action. He wasn't shot because he had strong armed a store clerk minutes before or because he refused to get out of the road, he was shot because he tried to take Officer Wilsons gun and hit him repeatedly.

This is a completely different story. This victim was running AWAY from the officer and there was no threat whatsoever to him or the public. He shot him in the back and didn't do it because he was trying to neutralize a threat to the public because there was no threat. Not only did he do that, he tried to make it seem that this victim was trying to hurt him which he absolutely wasn't.

I feel like saying that that he would be alive if he hadn't run (while technically may have some truth to it) is putting the blame on this victim when 100% of the blame belongs to the police officer. There is absolutely no procedure that lets an officer shoot at a person while running away unless they represent a clear and present danger to the public which he absolutely did not. Saying he would still be alive if he hadn't run puts some small amount of blame on the victim when absolutely NONE belongs to him at all. He had every right to be arrested for that, but to lose his life? No, not even a tiny little bit.

[SydneyH]

On 4/10/2015 mominohio said:

Shaming and demanding personal responsibility for one's actions are not the same. The victim mentality in this nation is out of control, and sometimes things end badly because of it.

Respectfully, the onus for 'personal responsibility' lies completely with his MURDERER, sorry.....

[Mominohio]

On 4/10/2015 SydneyH said:

On 4/10/2015 mominohio said:

Shaming and demanding personal responsibility for one's actions are not the same. The victim mentality in this nation is out of control, and sometimes things end badly because of it.

Respectfully, the onus for 'personal responsibility' lies completely with his MURDERER, sorry.....

This man put himself in the position he was in. No one else caused him to have an outstanding warrant (and that is assuming that information is accurate). No one but him decided to run, when an officer told him to stay in the car. He contributed to, in fact created the environment he found himself in, and it was one of risk. Each bad decision he made, increased his risk of the situation escalating. It escalated beyond what it should have, but that doesn't negate the fact that he bears some responsibility.