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http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/02/los-angeles-police-shoot-dead-homeless-man-after-street-altercation

Not much information in so far. Video available.

Short story: a homeless man resisted assault by police officers by wildly flailing and attacking them, he was wrestled to the ground and the situation seemed okay when, according to one witness, he reached for an officer's gun. Policer officers repeatedly shout "Drop the gun!". The other officers then opened fire and shot the homeless man.

It's not fully clear what happened so far, but in general...forcefully resisting police officers is a no-go. If he was really reaching for a gun, then shooting him was the right reaction.

Tased him to from what I understand and the guy shrugged it off it seems

Mirin' the bulk required to prevent 5 guys from properly restraining you. Must be an underground gym he goes to.

If we in the IDF used the same "he needed shootin'" criteria for Palestinians that American cops apply to American citizens, well...there'd be peace in the middle east I guess...

You can hear him being ordered to "drop the gun" at least 3 times by my count prior to the shot being fired, and this is after the taser was employed.

Until the police bodycam comes out - there was one - I'm going to withhold judgement but on the face of it this seems justified.

On the other hand, what warranted the violent arrest to begin with? I know the article lists a bystander version of events but it also indicates that the officers went straight to lethal force, which the video contradicts. I'm not sure a homeless guy who refused to fold his tent warrants a violent confrontation but who knows. These stories always develop more facts in a week or so.

Was the bodycam on?

Depends on how good or bad it makes the cops look, obviously

Think the call was for a "Theft" or "Robbery" (something along that line) I THINK

the reports I've seen seem to suggest it was because he hadn't packed away his tent and moved off the street (a court order allows the homeless to 'camp; there at night, but not during the business day)

 Sigvatr wrote:
Short story: a homeless man resisted assault by police officers

Freudian slip? I think you meant resisting arrest.

I'm interested to see what the body cam shows. I read earlier this morning (I think it was on CNN) that the guy was a robbery suspect.

Multiple witnesses said the man was trying to get a hold of the polices weapon.

Where are the thousands of protests and hashtags for this guy?
I mean, trying to grab a gun? That just makes him a martyr.

I would like to point out the impossibility of grabbing a police officers gun, if he isn't carrying one. The presence of the guns in this case is what caused the situation to escalate to where someone died.

 Smacks wrote:
I would like to point out the impossibility of grabbing a police officers gun, if he isn't carrying one. The presence of the guns in this case is what caused the situation to escalate to where someone died.

don't do that, you are smarter then that.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

 Smacks wrote:
I would like to point out the impossibility of grabbing a police officers gun, if he isn't carrying one. The presence of the guns in this case is what caused the situation to escalate to where someone died.

don't do that, you are smarter then that.

No, he really isn't.

I know, he is like a parody of me.

US of A. Yes we like our fire arms and still live in the Wild West

 Alex C wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

 Smacks wrote:
I would like to point out the impossibility of grabbing a police officers gun, if he isn't carrying one. The presence of the guns in this case is what caused the situation to escalate to where someone died.

don't do that, you are smarter then that.

No, he really isn't.

Of course I'm not. We could talk about it all over again!

Come one guys, it'll be awesome! Call the gun clique to unite one last time!

 Smacks wrote:

 Alex C wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

 Smacks wrote:
I would like to point out the impossibility of grabbing a police officers gun, if he isn't carrying one. The presence of the guns in this case is what caused the situation to escalate to where someone died.

don't do that, you are smarter then that.

No, he really isn't.

Of course I'm not. We could talk about it all over again!

Come one guys, it'll be awesome! Call the gun clique to unite one last time!

Spoiler:

Nooooo!!! Someone criticized guns! Let's get him!

Amateur

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

 Smacks wrote:
I would like to point out the impossibility of grabbing a police officers gun, if he isn't carrying one. The presence of the guns in this case is what caused the situation to escalate to where someone died.

don't do that, you are smarter then that.

hey, if people hand no hands, they wouldnt be able to grab a cops gun either.

If there was no oxygen on earth the powder wouldnt be able to ignite too.

Had the evolutionary path of the earth not taken a turn, mankind would not exist to shoot itself with guns.

Do you have to keep quoting him? The ignore feature doesn't block his mindless drivel from quoted text and constant exposure is lowering my IQ.

 easysauce wrote:
If there was no oxygen on earth the powder wouldn't be able to ignite too.

So in your estimation, guns are of equal importance to life on Earth as oxygen, and evolution?

 Alex C wrote:
constant exposure is lowering my IQ.

I don't think I'm the one to blame for your low IQ.

 Smacks wrote:

 Alex C wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

 Smacks wrote:
I would like to point out the impossibility of grabbing a police officers gun, if he isn't carrying one. The presence of the guns in this case is what caused the situation to escalate to where someone died.

don't do that, you are smarter then that.

No, he really isn't.

Of course I'm not. We could talk about it all over again!

Come one guys, it'll be awesome! Call the gun clique to unite one last time!

Spoiler:

Nooooo!!! Someone criticized guns! Let's get him!

No, its because that argument is a troll fallacy.

POLICE BRUTALITY!!!

No, don't have enough evidence to call this one, but sounds like the guy was dangerous.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
No, its because that argument is a troll fallacy.

No it isn't. It is a completely logical statement. I can actually turn it into a syllogism to show you:

Premise 1: If a gun had not been there, he could not have grabbed it.
Premise 2: Police shot him (in this case) because he grabbed a gun.
Conclusion: If a gun had not been there, the police would not have shot him.

It is a completely sound statement. Your "But... but.. but... We need guns" argument does nothing to undermine the logic of the above statement. Show me where the logical fallacy is in my premise or conclusion?

hey, if people hand no hands, they wouldnt be able to grab a cops gun either.

This premise is false. People with no hands could still grab cop's guns, using hooks, or their feet etc... So you see I am not the one who is prone to committing fallacies.

What was a troll fallacy was the attempt at twisting the statement into bad analogies. A more apt analogy would be 'landmines'. Guns are much more like landmines than oxygen: they are both powder based weapons, and we're never quite sure who they are gonna hurt next. How about: "Hey, if we didn't keep dropping landmines everywhere, no one would get their legs blown off (by landmines)". This statement makes a lot of sense, we probably should get rid of landmines. I guess the whole "Maybe if we didn't ... then bad things wouldn't happen" turn of phrase isn't always as ridiculous as you tried to make out.

"Hey! maybe if I didn't put my junk in this meat grinder..."
"Hey! maybe if I didn't try to respond to Smacks with badly thought out analogies..."

 Smacks wrote:

 easysauce wrote:
If there was no oxygen on earth the powder wouldn't be able to ignite too.

So in your estimation, guns are of equal importance to life on Earth as oxygen, and evolution?

 Alex C wrote:
constant exposure is lowering my IQ.

I don't think I'm the one to blame for your low IQ.

It's the fault of the wall he's banging his head against, really.

Hi everyone,

Rule Number One is Be Polite.

Please keep in mind you agreed to follow all the rules, including Rule Number One, when you made an account. And using your account to post is contingent upon following the rules.

Thanks!

 Smacks wrote:
I would like to point out the impossibility of grabbing a police officers gun, if he isn't carrying one. The presence of the guns in this case is what caused the situation to escalate to where someone died.

If a person grabs or tries to grab a police officer's gun, and that person is subsequently shot as a direct consequence of that action, it is that person's own fault. "Don't grab a police officer's weapon" is not a high bar to overcome.

Smacks' argument seems pretty good to me. I guess it hinges on whether police having guns prevents more deaths than it causes. Probably a hard sell in the US, though, what with all the guns everywhere.

Homeless are not really people so it's okay.

I always make Jokes about Judge death in the dredd universe but murica cops are getting there.