Police self-defense (not a race thread)

[Lamb]

This thread isn't about race so if it goes down that road I'll put a stop to it.

Here is what I'd like to talk about, it stems from this article: Woman with Asperger's shot, killed by police in Mesa, Arizona

All the police knew was that a woman wanted to kill herself and that she came out of a room and lunged at them with a knife.

The woman's mom insisted no one was in danger, but wow, if someone lunged at me with a knife I wouldn't be feeling safe.

I don't know if I agree that killing her was best, so why wouldn't they aim to stop instead of kill?

 

[Brighten04]

This thread isn't about race so if it goes down that road I'll put a stop to it.

Here is what I'd like to talk about, it stems from this article: Woman with Asperger's shot, killed by police in Mesa, Arizona

All the police knew was that a woman wanted to kill herself and that she came out of a room and lunged at them with a knife.

The woman's mom insisted no one was in danger, but wow, if someone lunged at me with a knife I wouldn't be feeling safe.

I don't know if I agree that killing her was best, so why wouldn't they aim to stop instead of kill?

Police today like to kill. It was not so in days gone by.

 

[Lamb]

Are more police getting killed these days then to make them want to kill first?

 

[psalms 91]

Police as a rule are more agressive and in many cases out of control, I dont know if it is the authority going to thier heads or just a power trip for them but I think police in general need a lot more curbs put on them in dealing with situations. Thank God for cell phone cameras and by the way it should be legal to record events, makes it a lot clearer if proper force ios used

 

[Lamb]

I think that a lot of complaint concerning this news piece is that the woman had aspergers and should, therefore, have been treated differently. But the police didn't know that health history and knew that a woman who wanted to kill herself came at them with a knife.

So should people with Aspergers be treated differently or no?

 

[psalms 91]

Lets see a knife versus a gun and they are supposedly trained in how to deal with combative people so I question the use of deadly force not to mention bulletproof vests, seems to me that if it can stop a bullet it can also stop a knife

 

[Tigger]

There are good cops and bad cops who are put in life threatening situations that require split second decision making with no forgiveness whether right or wrong. Of course there should always have an investigation after such a situation but when cops are put in that type of situation they should be treated innocent until proven guilty.

 

[Brighten04]

There are good cops and bad cops who are put in life threatening situations that require split second decision making with no forgiveness whether right or wrong. Of course there should always have an investigation after such a situation but when cops are put in that type of situation they should be treated innocent until proven guilty.

I agree. My husband is a retired police officer so I have sympathy for their predicament. But even he thinks some cops are trigger happy. That lady could have been shot in the foot, or leg imho.

 

[psalms 91]

or trained properly to preserve life if possible

 

[Ruth]

Police can use deadly force if they feel their lives are in danger. But I question why they don't know karate or something to knock the knife out of her hand. I guess I watched too much Texas Rangers. lol

 

[psalms 91]

No it is valid to question why a knife in the hands of someone not trained or skilled in its use rises to the level of deadly force, a valid question along with many others

 

[Ruth]

No it is valid to question why a knife in the hands of someone not trained or skilled in its use rises to the level of deadly force, a valid question along with many others

That's true. It seems they are trigger happy!

 

[Stravinsk]

This thread isn't about race so if it goes down that road I'll put a stop to it.

Here is what I'd like to talk about, it stems from this article: Woman with Asperger's shot, killed by police in Mesa, Arizona

All the police knew was that a woman wanted to kill herself and that she came out of a room and lunged at them with a knife.

The woman's mom insisted no one was in danger, but wow, if someone lunged at me with a knife I wouldn't be feeling safe.

I don't know if I agree that killing her was best, so why wouldn't they aim to stop instead of kill?

Taking the story at face value, the police are not out of line. The woman used deadly force, they responded in kind. A knife can kill just as quick as a bullet - right spot into the throat (where a bullet proof vest isn't a help) - and under such a circumstance they are under no obligation to coddle the aggressor.

If this is being made an issue of - I'd say it's mostly her gender. Would it be questioned if the lunger was a 6'2 well built man? Would police be out of line then? Because it doesn't matter if it's a he or she - she initiated violence with a deadly weapon - and we are only assuming that the gender/training difference makes the situation unfair. A female with no training can easily kill a well muscled karate trained male with a knife or some other object if she takes him by surprise.

 

[Lamb]

Good points, Strav. So you don't think her having Aspergers is an issue at all?

 

[Stravinsk]

I don't think I've met anyone with that, and the only info I'm aware of is what I just read on a wikipedia article.

If the police knew, and didn't take appropriate precautions (what these could be I don't know), then maybe.

I guess for me the best way to answer is to put myself in the situation. A wild woman just went for my jugular with a very nasty looking knife. I have seconds to react. My life is in danger on no provocation. If the situation is as described, I don't fault the police. We don't have the details, and they may not even be relevant. Just on what's given, I don't fault the police or anyone else in that scenario.