1) Supposedly BART cops go through the same training as regular Oakland police, CHP or any other sworn law officer in the state of California. So if "poor training" is to blame, we should expect to see a massive wave of these tragedies, since all CA cops receive the same training. For one thing, I saw nothing in that video that warranted the use of a Taser, let alone more lethal force.
2) Tasers do sort of look like regular handguns. They don't feel or operate anything like them, however. Plus they have these bright yellow markings (see here) that tend to distinguish them from handguns. Cops who are mistaking their Taser pistols for their sidearms should not be in the field. Call it an "honest mistake" all you like, but that kid's still dead for absolutely no good reason, even if the officer thought he had one.
So I sort of agree with this guy but not sure what conclusion he's trying to reach. Mine is that the police have become a locus of force and control instead of a service organization, most cops are little more than mentally imbalanced thugs with badges and guns, and they literally have the power of life and death over all of us.
It ain't just this cop or his training, it's the whole rotted system.
1) Supposedly BART cops go through the same training as regular Oakland police, CHP or any other sworn law officer in the state of California. So if "poor training" is to blame, we should expect to see a massive wave of these tragedies, since all CA cops receive the same training. For one thing, I saw nothing in that video that warranted the use of a Taser, let alone more lethal force.
2) Tasers do sort of look like regular handguns. They don't feel or operate anything like them, however. Plus they have these bright yellow markings (see here) that tend to distinguish them from handguns. Cops who are mistaking their Taser pistols for their sidearms should not be in the field. Call it an "honest mistake" all you like, but that kid's still dead for absolutely no good reason, even if the officer thought he had one.
So I sort of agree with this guy but not sure what conclusion he's trying to reach. Mine is that the police have become a locus of force and control instead of a service organization, most cops are little more than mentally imbalanced thugs with badges and guns, and they literally have the power of life and death over all of us.
It ain't just this cop or his training, it's the whole rotted system.
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