Man Looking for Help Killed by Police

[littlelauren86]

Charlotte police kill unarmed man who may have been running to them for help
By Jessica King and AnneClaire Stapleton, CNN
updated 6:20 AM EDT, Sun September 15, 2013

(CNN) -- Police in North Carolina shot and killed a man running toward them Saturday morning -- but he may have just been looking for help after a car wreck

Comments

[thevelvetsun]

Most police officers are bullies and assholes, and no one can ever change my mind on that. And they have a real warped way of thinking where they expect everyone to obey them like we're trained dogs. Like omg how dare an unarmed man run at a police officer! He is not groveling at our feet begging for help, instead he's running in panic, better fucking shoot him!

[angelmaye]

I think it is fair to say that plenty of police officers, or a lot of officers have that mentality, but I'm not sure that I can agree that most have that attitude.

[stoptheqtip]

Agreed.

There are far too many who do, of course, but most of them are just regular people doing a difficult, thankless job that causes people to fear and/or hate them.

[amosharvey]

just gonna assume you're white

[anolinde]

idg what happened with the person who called 911 on him in the first place? Like, presumably he would have been saying something along the lines of "please help, I got into a car accident"? I can see being freaked out if some bleeding dude comes running up to your house and starts pounding on the door, but surely at some point she would have realized that he needed assistance and at least called for help even if she didn't want to help him herself?

[robintheshrew]

Seriously, I'm hating this woman right now

[thevelvetsun]

Personally, I'm hating the COP, not the woman who was scared by a strange man banging on her door at 2:30am.....

o.O

[robintheshrew]

Saying "Please help!"

[synekdokee]

I don't know if I'm being optimistic, but based on the way the police is talking about it, they're taking it seriously? I hope the officers gets more than a slap on the wrist...

[robintheshrew]

Fingers crossed

[meadowphoenix]

I'm super uncomfortable with everyone assuming things on the part of that woman. The cops are the only people required to keep a cool head here.

[thevelvetsun]

Seriously!! Thank you. Let's please not blame the woman who called the police. If the cops had y'know, HELPED him, we'd all be praising that woman for calling the police. But since the POLICE fucked up, suddenly that woman should have known better and acted like a cool professional under stress, right?

[redstar826]

Agreed. And I'm getting the impression that she lived in a kind of isolated area which could have easily added to her sense of fear. If there were other houses nearby you would think that he would have given up and tried one of her neighbors.

[layweed]

Seriously. And then for people to say that she may have acted differently if it were a white person? Whoaaaaaaaaaaaa with the reaching here.

[tabaqui]

I am so sick of the 'shoot first' mentality of the cops anymore. *One* minute of 'what are you doing?' type of questioning, and they'd have figured out he needed help.

I mean, for fuck's sake, it's possible the man had a concussion or something and wasn't even thinking straight/was starting to go into shock. Why automatically assume he's in *attack* mode? And why, then, automatically go for *your gun*?

Jayzus.

[nesmith]

Wonder how many "Well he shouldn't have been running at them!" comments there are.

[tabaqui]

Dude. I went over there. There are a couple of revolting trolls going on about how he 'knocked viciously' and how 'normal people' would have said 'Help, i've been in a car wreck!!' and, also, black crime stats, blah blah, it's all his fault.

Sadly, there are some non-trolls (by that i mean, not endlessly posting the same crap) who are agreeing.

ARGH.

[quizzicalsphinx]

'Knocking viciously'?

I want to see how anyone would knock after being in a car accident so violent they had to kick out the back window to escape. I'd be concerned for anyone who WASN'T hysterical and trying to beat down doors after that, because they'd probably be in shock.