In some ways, the release of the video showing the shooting death of LaVoy Finicum has made things worse. Different viewers are reacting in different ways, with some calling it a cold-blooded execution, and others concluding he looked like he was reaching for a weapon he reportedly carried. For those certain of the former assessment, it’s fair to ask, were the video to be shown to a jury, would it be able to return a unanimous “guilty” verdict that is beyond a reasonable doubt? [More]
Strong divisions exist even within the family, and then within the small band involved in the takeover.
4 comments:
Nope, couldn't say for sure...The tape is unclear as to what happened in those final moments. Only a few people know, and they are all Feds and/or in jail. The tape is unclear as to what happened in those final moments
(the reason I say and/or is the question of Ryan Payne, who might be a Fed...)
But the thing is that Finicium was driving, drove AWAY from a traffic stop (apparently after Payne had left the car?) and then got out of the car and waved his hands around. His actions were, sadly, a part of the reason he was killed.
I am NOT saying he deserved to die, I am saying that his actions precipitated that.
I'm torn myself. He shouldn't have reached toward his body, with it being common knowledge that he carried a sidearm. OTOH, he didn't draw & aim it--if he even intended to, he was shot before he had the chance.
Was the LEO too hasty? I lean towards the affirmative, but I wasn't there, and contact scenarios do odd things to one's perception. The LEO may have felt he was saving lives: he may have been (undoubtedly was) adrenaline-wired and very jumpy.
I don't have any answers.
--Tennessee Budd
I think it's clear that they used excessive force, which, in a society which claims to civilised, should not be tolerated.
This was a straight-up suicide by cop. He knew better than to drop his hands, and he did it anyway.
If this video showed anyone else (for example, Michael Brown), doing the same thing, none of the "LaVoy was murdered!" types would have the slightest problem with it. But because some of the commenters identify politically with the offender, they refuse to believe what their eyes tell them.
As for the "He shot too soon" commenters, put yourself in the officer's place. You're holding someone at gunpoint and he suddenly reaches for something around his body. What would you do? You would do exactly what the officers did here.
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