I lived in Wolfe City, TX for 14 years. It's a tiny East Texas town of 1500 people, with a tiny police force of three officers.
I did not know Jonathan Price, but many of my friends there did. He was 31 years old, a high school football hero and college football player who came back to his home town after he finished his degree and got a job there. He mentored troubled kids and worked as a personal trainer at the local gym. No criminal record, and often talked on his FB page about how he supported the police. He was loved by everyone in the town, black, white, and Latino.
Saturday night, at the local gas station, he saw a man beating up his girlfriend and intervened. The abuser attacked him and he defended himself, and then the local cops arrived. Jonathan put his hands in the air, and began trying to explain to the officer what had happened.
The cop hit him with a taser, and Jonathan flinched. As his body convulsed from the current, the officer shot him in the chest, and as Jonathan spun around and fell to the ground, shot him two more times in the back. Price died at the scene, for no other reason than he tried to rescue a young woman from her abuser.
This is WRONG, and it happens far too often. Sadly, the immediate reaction on the part of far too many people - mainly white people - when an unarmed black man is shot by the cops is to point out why he deserved it. "Well, he was on drugs." "Well, he raped a woman 12 years ago." "Well, he shouldn't have resisted." None of those are reasons for summary executions. But none of them apply to this case. Jonathan complied with the officer's commands. His hands were in the air. He was unarmed. He was trying to explain what happened.
They tased him, they shot him, and then, according to at least one account, they handcuffed him as he lay there dying.
Would any of that have happened if he was white? I doubt it.
BLACK LIVES MATTER.
I'm a middle-aged white Republican, but I will say it again for those in the back of the room:
BLACK LIVES MATTER!!!!
We need to quit acting like they don't.
i agree this is messed up i did hear about this too man
Stephen King a rich white guy said this in his on page 1 in his (2018) book "The Outsider
when it opens with two black kids hanging out in a park & see an unmarked Police Cruiser King writes
The Rule Was Simple: when Five-O shows up it's time to go. Black lives matter, their parents Instructed them but not always to Five-O
Can't believe this keeps happening. :bluesad:
:bluesad: :bluesad: :bluesad:
Are there that many blind cops? Are there that many foolish cops? This story is stunning.
According to CNN, the DA isn't wasting time...
Awfully sorry about your friend.
i too am sorry about your friend
The police officer in question was arrested last night and will be charged with murder.
good he should be now let's cross our fingers and toes that he will spend the rest of his life in jail
Doubt it. :bluesad:
Cops get off scott free lately.
I hate cops. :hatred:
(https://i.imgur.com/Jm1CTsS.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
I'll say what I always say in these matters: may justice be served.
Quote from: ER on October 07, 2020, 10:08:48 AM
I'll say what I always say in these matters: may justice be served.
Don't happen too often. IE- Breonna Taylor.
Quote from: RCMerchant on October 07, 2020, 09:41:06 AM
Doubt it. :bluesad:
Cops get off scott free lately.
I hate cops. :hatred:
With the Rangers investigating and a charge so quick for a cop and there's bodycam footage involved - it must be REALLY egregious, to the point a conviction is pretty likely. My 2 cents anyway. At least that's something.
^ The cops responsible for Breonna Taylor's death were arrested and got off with a slap. It was a case of negligent homicide. They charge cops all day long. Don't mean they will be prosecuted. Most walk away. :bluesad:
I don't take anything for granted anymore. :bluesad:
This is the world we live in.
When this s**t happens over and over and over- it ain't no bad luck. Some people are being targeted.
We live in such a polarized world...it's gonna affect cops. It's affecting everybody. But it doesn't excuse murder. NEVER!
I don't like cops! Never have! Never shot one! :hatred:
Indy- I love you, man. You get it.
I know your not as insane as I am- but we do agree on things.
I did read a piece recently on why so many police seem to get away with murder in the US. Apparantly it has much to do with the terms of employment they have, although this seems odd to me. Surely existing law would overwrite any such contract?
Quote from: Alex on October 10, 2020, 02:23:48 AM
I did read a piece recently on why so many police seem to get away with murder in the US. Apparantly it has much to do with the terms of employment they have, although this seems odd to me. Surely existing law would overwrite any such contract?
Can you link the article you read?
I think a large part of the problem is with the way U.S. policemen are trained. The focus in training is on self-defense and self-protection for the officer rather than de-escalation of conflict. Other countries think our method of police training is "crazy." Of course, citizens in other countries won't be armed, while an American could be legally packing heat.
http://youtu.be/jJkHiWnS5yk (http://youtu.be/jJkHiWnS5yk)
Not sure if this is the exact article (it was a couple of weeks ago I read it), but it seems to cover the same points. Don't forget there are a lot of other countries out there where guns are legal outside the US too, many of them even have less laws governing such items so the not packing heat part isn't exactly a given.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/us/police-killings-prosecution-charges.html (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/us/police-killings-prosecution-charges.html)
I don't know or care wtf the cops problems are.
We all have issues.
YOU DON'T KILL PEOPLE FOR NO GOOD REASON.
They have a licence to kill and use it.
f**k them.
Quote from: Alex on October 10, 2020, 10:46:01 AM
Not sure if this is the exact article (it was a couple of weeks ago I read it), but it seems to cover the same points. Don't forget there are a lot of other countries out there where guns are legal outside the US too, many of them even have less laws governing such items so the not packing heat part isn't exactly a given.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/us/police-killings-prosecution-charges.html (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/us/police-killings-prosecution-charges.html)
That article mainly describes how the law favors police, but there is one point there: "
Union protections that shield police officers from timely investigation, legal standards that give them the benefit of the doubt, and a tendency to take officers at their word have added up to few convictions and little prison time for officers who kill."
To take the Breonna Taylor case, which I'm pretty familiar with: what you had is two parties exchanging fire in what turned out to be a misunderstanding. One party, the one who fired first, was immediately arrested, taken into custody, interrogated, and quickly indicted (although charges were dropped). The other party, who fired the fatal shot, wandered around the crime scene (in violation of standard operating procedure) and went home to sleep in his bed. The attorney general had conducted a months-long investigation before they even brought it to a grand jury (where the A.G.--arguably--acted like defense counsel rather than a prosecutor). Guess which party was the policeman?
There's a double standard there, though I do think it's a necessary one. If policemen were treated like common criminals every time they repsonded in self-defense while conducting their official duties, very few people would join law enforcement. It's a difficult balance to maintain.
If they commit a criminal act, they should go to jail.
There is a BIG double standard there.
If I went around just shooting unarmed people I would be locked up for life.
A badge does not give you the right to be judge, jury, and executioner.
The Breonna Taylor death is a open and close case of negligent homicide.
I doubt people will not join law enforcement. There's always folks who want a badge and a uniform and a gun.
Makes them a big man. :bluesad:
i also think it's the way they are trained, there's a podcast i used to listen to and they ran out of funds so that's why they aren't on anymore it was called WTF?
and on it one the hosts always used to say on how that was the problem another problem is how they consider us Civilians instead of people and well as he could not stand that term and honestly i don't like it either but it is what it is i guess. he'd say they really need to change the way they train these cops
they train them like they are going to war when that's not always something that most cops do, i mean there's plenty of them out there that can spend an entire career never having had to fire their gun. i like a show called Homicide Hunter and the lead a dude named Joe Kenda has been retired from the force since the 90's and even he said he never had to fire his gun at all. more cops need to learn from cops like that, i mean if you are forced to i get that but if you can prevent yourself from using your gun if you are able to i say go for it but a lot of cops sadly aren't trained to think that way anymore i don't think
In the case in Wolfe City, the cop was 22 years old; he barely finished high school, did a turn as a corrections officer, then he underwent about six weeks of training and then got hired on the police force for $13 an hour.
He had no business being given a gun and a badge, to be honest, but small towns don't get the law enforcement they need, they get the law enforcement they can afford.
Now an innocent man is dead, and this young man's life is ruined, all because he never got the training he needed.
Quote from: indianasmith on October 10, 2020, 04:40:03 PM
In the case in Wolfe City, the cop was 22 years old; he barely finished high school, did a turn as a corrections officer, then he underwent about six weeks of training and then got hired on the police force for $13 an hour.
He had no business being given a gun and a badge, to be honest, but small towns don't get the law enforcement they need, they get the law enforcement they can afford.
Now an innocent man is dead, and this young man's life is ruined, all because he never got the training he needed.
I keep looking for this story on the TV news... I confused it last night... with a different concurrent story about a police shot dead black man... :bluesad:
Keep us updated.
Quote from: Alex on October 10, 2020, 10:46:01 AM
Not sure if this is the exact article (it was a couple of weeks ago I read it), but it seems to cover the same points. Don't forget there are a lot of other countries out there where guns are legal outside the US too, many of them even have less laws governing such items so the not packing heat part isn't exactly a given.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/us/police-killings-prosecution-charges.html (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/us/police-killings-prosecution-charges.html)
I'd be curious how Czechian police handle it. They're the most comparable country I'm aware of where a remotely similar number of people could be legally conceal carrying around 2.5% of the population has a concealed carry permit. Even still, the ratio of gun owners to not (total gun ownership is around 3% of the population, compared to the USA at something like 40% or so) is still way lower, so it's still not an apples-to-apples comparison.
I don't know or give a flying f**k what's happening in Czechoslovakia.
I care about what the f**k is happening here.
In Michigan. Where morons planned to kidnap and kill Govenor Whitmore.
YOU SHOULD.
Because your next.
This aint a fluke. This is us now. And it's terrifying.
:drink:
Quote from: RCMerchant on October 10, 2020, 06:49:56 PM
I don't know or give a flying f**k what's happening in Czechoslovakia.
I care about what the f**k is happening here.
In Michigan. Where morons planned to kidnap and kill Govenor Whitmore.
YOU SHOULD.
Because your next.
This aint a fluke. This is us now. And it's terrifying.
Something I saw about that on FB today:
"If a group of Muslims had plotted to kidnap a governor, Trump would have called for a new Muslim ban.
If a group of Latinos had plotted to kidnap a governor, Trump would have called for the wall to be completed.
But when a group of white supremacists plotted to kidnap a governor, Trump attacked the governor."
Quote from: indianasmith on October 10, 2020, 09:23:09 PM
Quote from: RCMerchant on October 10, 2020, 06:49:56 PM
I don't know or give a flying f**k what's happening in Czechoslovakia.
I care about what the f**k is happening here.
In Michigan. Where morons planned to kidnap and kill Govenor Whitmore.
YOU SHOULD.
Because your next.
This aint a fluke. This is us now. And it's terrifying.
Something I saw about that on FB today:
"If a group of Muslims had plotted to kidnap a governor, Trump would have called for a new Muslim ban.
If a group of Latinos had plotted to kidnap a governor, Trump would have called for the wall to be completed.
But when a group of white supremacists plotted to kidnap a governor, Trump attacked the governor."
I mean he did tell a white supremacist group to "Stand back and to stand by" and didn't denounce them.
Quote from: Allhallowsday on October 10, 2020, 07:58:07 PM
:drink:
Why do you find this funny?
Move to Michigan. Not so funny.
Quote from: RCMerchant on October 10, 2020, 11:49:15 PM
Quote from: Allhallowsday on October 10, 2020, 07:58:07 PM
:drink:
Why do you find this funny?
Move to Michigan. Not so funny.
That wasn't funny. It meant, time for a drink.
Quote from: Allhallowsday on October 11, 2020, 11:58:31 AM
Quote from: RCMerchant on October 10, 2020, 11:49:15 PM
Quote from: Allhallowsday on October 10, 2020, 07:58:07 PM
:drink:
Why do you find this funny?
Move to Michigan. Not so funny.
That wasn't funny. It meant, time for a drink.
OH! Sorry!
I think I'm losing my mind every day . I may be smarter or stupider.
Dogs are barking all the time.
guns are trouble. another person having the power to instantly end another persons life is bound to be problematic. same with nukes
Quote from: lester1/2jr on October 11, 2020, 10:09:33 PM
guns are trouble. another person having the power to instantly end another persons life is bound to be problematic. same with nukes
I agree 100%.
my Argument for those who have guns & i'm not talking about anyone here i'm talking about the ones who say it's the 2nd amendment etc.. ya know i was talking to someone a few years ago and while they may be right don't get me wrong but if my memory is right they misunderstand what the Amendment my other Argument is that for those who are afraid of having them taking away from you. & THANK GOD not everyone who has a gun
does not think this way but on how many people who have guns in the USA weather they are in law enforcement of some kind or just are a collector there is not enough people working for the Government who clearly even care to take your guns you know how long that would take? how many people ? there's not enough hrs in the day for that kind of thing to happen.
i liked guns as a kid until i got old enough to realize what it can actually do to someone. when i was growing up it felt like kids were playing with guns everyday and either some kid killed himself by accident or he offed his brother or best friend because they were playing with a gun. that's when i stopped liking them,
it yes does happen sometimes today but not nearly as often as it did when i was growing up. kinda like how as a kid and going into my teens it felt like there was an airplane crash every week but though that does still happen sure it's not like it was back than say (1989) for example.
while yes people do have the right to bear arms i don't have issues with that but when you have more guns than the army does that's when it takes it to the extreme i think. some of these guys have missle launchers and my spelling is off tonight sorry, and a bunch of crap that they should not even own.
i mean what are they going to do with a lot of that stuff? what if something does happen by accident the entire block will be gone. guns are way to easy to get your hands on i think. one of my favorite shows is Deadly women & on one episode there was a woman who was a Skitso sorry i'm not sure on spelling on that one. & she wasn't on her meds so she somehow got her hands on a gun really easy & went around killing people at the local mall,
she was only stopped when some guy who didn't realize it was a real gun took it away from her, she's doing life in prison now but since she's on her meds now
she's even said she should have never been able to get her hands on a gun due to her issues. & she's even started something to help stop gun violence i think?
the wrong people get the guns & this young cop who had no idea what he was doing.
and had no experience at all should not even been wearing a gun and his training was from what i read here about as much as one day class of it got you.
i dunno if anyone agrees with me on this or not, i'd like to think you do on at least some of it anyways. i'm not out to start no big fight about gun control either
but i do hope some agree with at least some of what i said