What's the deal recently with Florida cops or wannabe cops shooting unarmed black people? First, George Zimmerman was found not guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting and killing of unarmed Trayvon Martin, because, well, it's purely self-defense to follow someone you find suspicious after being told not to do so by actual cops and then when the person being stalked feels threatened and defends himself, to shoot and kill him. That's self-defense 101 right there. More recently, Florida police officers fired 15 shots at unarmed 60-year old Roy Middleton in the driveway of his and his mother's home.
There was a 911 call that evening for a car theft. Once the cops arrived at the scene and Middleton turned around, thinking the whole thing was a practical joke played by a neighbor, the cops opened fire on him and wound up shooting him in the leg, while also striking his mother's car and the side of the house.
What did Florida Scambia County Sheriff David Morgan have to tell CNN about the events?
"Right now we are comfortable from a training perspective that our officers did follow standard protocols. I believe the standard we use and train to is a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case which is a reasonable test."
Morgan also stated, "This is a common occurrence. We live in a very violent society."
I find Morgan's second quote to be darkly hilarious. Here's a man defending his cops of shooting at and striking the leg of an unarmed citizen, along with his mother's car, and the side of their house by saying, "This is a common occurrence. We live in a violent society."
With that kind of logic (AKA paranoia), I imagine Mr. Morgan would be fine with the following scenario:
Situation: 90-year old deaf lady walking very gingerly to her front door using a walker
Mr. Morgan's cops: "Put 'em up! Put 'em up!"
Lyla Olderthancrap: ::remembers she forgot to get her mail and turns around to do that::
Cops: "Fire!"
Morgan at the ensuing press conference: "Right now we are comfortable from a training perspective that our officers did follow standard protocols. I believe the standard we use and train to is a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case which is a reasonable test. This is a common occurrence. We live in a very violent society."
Between this story and the George Zimmerman case and ruling, I think I'd be frightened to leave my home in Florida if I were a black man. What is this "standard protocol" for Florida cops and wannabe cops anyway? If recent stories are any indication, I imagine it reads something like this:
"If someone has the skin color of Forrest Gump, do not open fire on him, even if he's shooting at you. If this happens, just ask if he's had a bad day and would like to talk. If someone has the skin color of Bubba from that same film, no talking will be necessary. Even if he is asleep on a hammock in what appears to be his own backyard with the Bible in his hands, you shoot him down! We can't have sure-fire criminals - Bubbas - resting on hammocks or anything of the sort, because even if what they're currently doing isn't illegal, what they'll be doing next will be."
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/08/01/2396801/escambia-sheriff-unarmed-shooting/
There was a 911 call that evening for a car theft. Once the cops arrived at the scene and Middleton turned around, thinking the whole thing was a practical joke played by a neighbor, the cops opened fire on him and wound up shooting him in the leg, while also striking his mother's car and the side of the house.
What did Florida Scambia County Sheriff David Morgan have to tell CNN about the events?
"Right now we are comfortable from a training perspective that our officers did follow standard protocols. I believe the standard we use and train to is a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case which is a reasonable test."
Morgan also stated, "This is a common occurrence. We live in a very violent society."
I find Morgan's second quote to be darkly hilarious. Here's a man defending his cops of shooting at and striking the leg of an unarmed citizen, along with his mother's car, and the side of their house by saying, "This is a common occurrence. We live in a violent society."
With that kind of logic (AKA paranoia), I imagine Mr. Morgan would be fine with the following scenario:
Situation: 90-year old deaf lady walking very gingerly to her front door using a walker
Mr. Morgan's cops: "Put 'em up! Put 'em up!"
Lyla Olderthancrap: ::remembers she forgot to get her mail and turns around to do that::
Cops: "Fire!"
Morgan at the ensuing press conference: "Right now we are comfortable from a training perspective that our officers did follow standard protocols. I believe the standard we use and train to is a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case which is a reasonable test. This is a common occurrence. We live in a very violent society."
Between this story and the George Zimmerman case and ruling, I think I'd be frightened to leave my home in Florida if I were a black man. What is this "standard protocol" for Florida cops and wannabe cops anyway? If recent stories are any indication, I imagine it reads something like this:
"If someone has the skin color of Forrest Gump, do not open fire on him, even if he's shooting at you. If this happens, just ask if he's had a bad day and would like to talk. If someone has the skin color of Bubba from that same film, no talking will be necessary. Even if he is asleep on a hammock in what appears to be his own backyard with the Bible in his hands, you shoot him down! We can't have sure-fire criminals - Bubbas - resting on hammocks or anything of the sort, because even if what they're currently doing isn't illegal, what they'll be doing next will be."
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/08/01/2396801/escambia-sheriff-unarmed-shooting/
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