The Kajieme Powell shooting, on camera

The dude with an apple-slicer wasn't even in range of the cop when they fired. I'm with the photographer, where is the tazer?

 

Really torn on this one. Police in most cases are considered in a life-threatening situation if an armed suspect is within 21 feet of the officer. And they are trained to meet life-threatening situations with deadly force, not by taser or shooting the guy in the leg/arm, as some have suggested. So this shooting is justified. But it sure seems like it could have been handled with more care given the guy's mental state. I know law enforcement officers, and the fear of not going home to your family is very real, and it has to be considered in any case like this. If he has a knife and gets within 10 feet or so, he easily could slash the officer's throat in a matter of seconds. And you have to get pretty close to use a taser.

 

Has the very open and transparent St. Louis Police Department, which received so much praise in the hours after this shooting for their openness and transparency, released the names of the officers involved yet?

Has the media, which is ruthless in the pursuit of truth and justice, and which has so many contacts and sources, been able to identify the names of the cops involved?

 

What's acceptable range?
Really? 10 feet ... With his arms outstreched he's a step from being on top of you. If he's high on meth there's no telling what'll stop him.

The guy had a knife. I don't care what size it was.. It was a knife, right? He moved toward the officers.
These guys - the cops - they want to go home, preferably unharmed - at the end of their shifts.
When you threaten an officer, when you fail to follow the commands it's going to raise their defense.
You know cops tend to deal with unsavory elements of society a great deal. I don't blame them for NOT giving the guy with knife coming at them the benefit of the doubt.
And it makes sense a cop would take steps to protect himself. Or is it OK for the cop to further risk his life to subdue an armed suspect? Should he had wait until he was stabbed by the guy; maybe in the neck or the femoral artery?
You guys do know a knife can penetrate a bulletproof vest, right?

Cops are trained to fire at least two shots - at least two shots - when they discharge their weapons.

Sorry, I am not outrage. Follow commands, do as your told and this does end with someone dead.
Wanna get shot? Walk toward a cop armed with a weapon; especially yelling "Shoot me! Shoot me!"

 

Did he say "ow" while getting shot?

 

Hmmm. So, you're saying you gained some insight from watching the video, huh?

Did watching it make you angry in a way you would not have been if you had only been given a description of what happened?

Do you feel like you better understand the problem African-Americans (and the mentally ill) face when dealing with the police, and did it make you empathize with them more than you previously did?

Does it make you any more determined to help find a solution to this problem?

 

Just a silly, silly comparison. You're better than it.

 

Anger serves a purpose.

 

Have to agree. I don't think officers are trained to retreat and see how things play out. He got too close for comfort, and once they decide to shoot, it doesn't matter how many shots they fire. They are just trying to end the threat.

 

Don't get out of the car. Ever.

 

Chicago cops shoot and kill an armed man as he runs away from them, because he pointed the gun at them:

http://trib.in/YKJcRe

Let me know when the cops release their names, or when some intrepid reporter comes up with them.

 

Why are you so obsessed with the names? Surely you can understand the PD's reluctance to reveal the identity of officers involved in shootings. Especially ones like this that have created such controversy. Revealing the identities puts them in more potential danger. Am I missing something?