BART officer shoots cuffed, unarmed man in the head

[joshh]

I seriously doubt he'll go free. He will do some hard time, probably more then a drunk driver who kills someone.

He's responsible for the guys death, but how much is he responsible?

Did the guy who was drunk and fighting and resisting arrest have any responsibility in his own demise?

The train station this happened at is in one of the most gang-infested parts of Oakland.
Go work that area and then come back and tell me "cops are given too much power"

We should have the National Guard out there. It's that bad in Oakland.

It being a bad area doesn't justify using more force than necessary.
Nor does being under stress justify the use of more force.
The guy resisting arrest, maybe, but you can't blame the guy on the ground with hand cuffs on for his own death.
Cops in general do have far too much power and the laws are broad a sweeping to protect the cops not the people that occasionally become a statistic from cops abusing their power on good people. Not that this guy was a good person.

[TwoJ's]

Dont resist.......

I don't have a problem with a person resisting and getting the living shit tazed out of them (literally). But being shot is a completely different story. And if the cop can fuck up that bad in that situation, what else is he going to mess up?

[E30 Cabrio]

It being a bad area doesn't justify using more force than necessary.
Nor does being under stress justify the use of more force.
The guy resisting arrest, maybe, but you can't blame the guy on the ground with hand cuffs on for his own death.
Cops in general do have far too much power and the laws are broad a sweeping to protect the cops not the people that occationally become a statistic from cops abusing their power on good people. Not that this guy was a good person.

That's not the point. The point is, when you're in gang territory as opposed to say, the OC, you're going to run into a lot more armed thugs who will shoot you first, without reason or hesitation, which does indeed cause extra stress which results in accidents to happen.

The guy on the ground bears some responsibility for his death, because he was drunk, fighting and resisting arrest.

If he doesn't fight, he doesn't get arrested. If he doesn't get arrested, he doesn't resist. If he doesn't resist, he doesn't get tazered or shot.

A jury will determine how much of the blame is on who. We already know the cop bears a majority of it.

The cop intended to tazer the guy for resisting. Under the stress of breaking up a fight among about a dozen people and subduing someone resisting arrest, he drew the wrong weapon.

He even says "Oh shit!" after he fires.

Cops make mistakes too, so its best not to put oneself in a situation when/where they will be more likely to make one...

[TwoJ's]

The cop intended to tazer the guy for resisting.

Assumptions make an ass out of u and me. Don't pretend you actually know what really went on there; no one really does.

[joshh]

We already know the cop bears a majority of it.

That's all that matters. Those cops weren't out numbered at all. I can't seem to remeber the last time a mob of people attacked a group of police in a situation like this.
The mob only got angry after the gun fire.
I hope the cop "burns" for this.

[E30 Cabrio]

Assumptions make an ass out of u and me. Don't pretend you actually know what really went on there; no one really does.

Anyone with a brain knows that this was an accident and not an intentional shooting.

Maybe you should join these thugs:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2009/01/07/MN2N155CN1.DTL&o=0

I thought they would at least wait until after the trial to riot.

The quotes in the article by the rioters says it all...

The cop shot by accident. Accident = no intent.

What's the excuse for these thugs purposely rioting and looting?

Edit: Watching this right now on the local news. Rioters being arrested are screaming "po-leece brutality!"

Asshats.

[LEANE30]

just one more case to justify obama and the dems taking away all the guns in the nation away from teh people.... ...tazers are not the same

i'd say fair punishment for anyone convicted of killing someone by pulling a trigger (self defense aside) should loose their index fingers from the first knuckles on both hands. ...they manage to do it again, the chop to their index second knuckles as well first knuckles on their middle fingers. As well as jailtime - cop or civilian, no further gun bans.

that cop should go to prison and let the inmates serve their justice on him. - a cop should never had pulled his weapon in that situation - maybe if someone else had shot first, at him.

[joshh]

While I don't agree with rioting, they already know the cop will get off easy. Same shit happened with the LA riots. People don't like misjustice.

[E30 Cabrio]

That's all that matters. Those cops weren't out numbered at all. I can't seem to remeber the last time a mob of people attacked a group of police in a situation like this.
The mob only got angry after the gun fire.
I hope the cop "burns" for this.

The cops were outnumbered. You haven't been following the story that closely as your not stating facts.

Or are you basing your opinion on a few seconds of video shot after the fighting stopped?

[mrsleeve]

he never should have even had his weapon drawn this POS needs to be on the hook for murder 1!!!! Plain and simple, he over steeped his authority an use of force!!!!

[E30 Cabrio]

While I don't agree with rioting, they already know the cop will get off easy. Same shit happened with the LA riots. People don't like misjustice.

Read the post above about assuming.

There hasn't been a trial yet, yet you're already claiming there will be "misjustice."

[E30 Cabrio]

he never should have even had his weapon drawn this POS needs to be on the hook for murder 1!!!! Plain and simple, he over steeped his authority an use of force!!!!

Murder 1?

Do you know what the legal requirement is for "Murder 1"?

This case does not come close.

[E30 Cabrio]

LOL! - Now the Blacks are turning against the guilt-ridden White liberals who showed up at the protest turned riot.

Local news is also reporting the victim was NOT handcuffed when shot, nor was he shot in the head as some people mistakenly believe.

Also, the "victim" has a prior record of fleeing, resisting, weapons possession and did a stint in prison.

Here's a tip: Get drunk, rowdy, engage in a brawl, resist arrest and bad things happen.

IMO, one less thug off the streets.

Some memorable quotes from tonights "protest":

A protest over the fatal shooting by a BART police officer of an unarmed man mushroomed into a violent confrontation tonight, as a faction of protesters smashed a police car and storefronts, set several cars on fire and blocked streets in downtown Oakland.

Protesters smashed the storefronts of McDonald's as well as stores called Creative African Braids and Oakland Yoon's Pharmacy. Cars along 14th Street were smashed, and some were set ablaze.

A woman walked out of Creative African Braids holding a baby in her arms.

"This is our business," she shouted. "This is our shop. This is what you call a protest?"

Nia Sykes, 24, of San Francisco, a protester who was with the group, said, "I feel like the night is going great. I feel like Oakland should make some noise. This is how we need to fight back.

"It's for the murder of a black male," said Sykes, who is black. The demonstration "is totally appropriate."

Sykes had little sympathy for the owner of Creative African Braids.

"She should be glad she just lost her business and not her life," Sykes said. She added that she did have one worry for the night: "I just hope nobody gets shot or killed."

Near 14th and Alice streets, Myron Bell was taking lessons in a step, a form of dance popular among African Americans, when he looked out the window and saw people jumping on his Lexus sedan.

Bell, 42, came out to find that almost all of his windows, including the front and back had been smashed and it appeared that someone had tried to set the car on fire.

"I'm for the cause," Bell said. "But I'm against the violence and destruction."

Nearby, Godhuli Bose stood near her smashed Toyota Corolla, and a protester walked by, repeatedly calling her a misogynist epithet.

"F- your car. F- your car," he said to Bose. Bose, a high school teacher: "I can't afford this."

[mrsleeve]

Murder 1?

Do you know what the legal requirement is for "Murder 1"?

This case does not come close.

yes premeditated, you would almost have to think it through, why else would this POS officer even think of pulling his weapon???????????? He had no reason so there for he must have intended to shoot the guy.


I dont know about you but I was taught at about age 4-5 never point a gun at something you dont intend to shoot or kill or both. There for in my simpleton mind he drew his side arm in a situation that it was not necessary, and to 2 pointed it at the perp, who was already under control (but still resisting). So there for to me he intended to kill this guy for what ever reason by drawing and pointing with out any need for it.

[E30 Cabrio]

yes premeditated, you would almost have to think it through, why else would this POS officer even think of pulling his weapon???????????? He had no reason so there for he must have intended to shoot the guy.


I dont know about you but I was taught at about age 4-5 never point a gun at something you dont intend to shoot or kill or both. There for in my simpleton mind he drew his side arm in a situation that it was not necessary, and to 2 pointed it at the perp, who was already under control (but still resisting). So there for to me he intended to kill this guy for what ever reason by drawing and pointing with out any need for it.

Doesn't even come near the requirement for Murder 1

Adios, POS criminal. One less Oakland thug one the streets.

Meanwhile, the rioting continues...