Monday, March 2, 2015

Witness who took video: Man killed by LAPD didn't reach for officer's gun : Vivie Behrens (Period 6, Week 2)

     Last week, after the recent officer-involved shootings in New York and Ferguson, MO, there was another similar incident involving the Los Angeles Police Department. Apparently, a mentally ill, homeless, African American man was causing a disturbance. The man was suspected of robbery and got into an aggressive fight with the police after they tried to arrest him. The officer states that the suspect "reached for [the officer's] gun," which prompted the five shots the man received. Although the victim was unarmed and bystanders say that they never saw the man reach for the officer's gun, the LAPD has continued to express that the killing was the just punishment for the man's actions considering his aggressive demeanor he exuded when confronting the officers.
     In my opinion, I though the police officers reacted brashly and the killing of the homeless man was unjustified given that he was unarmed and unable to defend himself. I do not think that the supposed "reaching for a gun" (that has not been proven) is enough information for the police to take a man's life, especially if he displays signs of mental illness.

Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/02/us/los-angeles-police-shooting/index.htmlhttp://www.cnn.com/2015/03/02/us/los-angeles-police-shooting/index.html

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