I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Erik Scott shooting in Las Vegas last July; I just became acquainted with it myself a day or two ago.
This seems to be a pretty good analysis of both side of the debate.
I don't care how you slice it this was a tragedy.
I also have to add a personal bit of evidence.
A year or so ago I went through a police training exercise involving a Glock 9mm modified to shoot a laser and video scenarios that, based on the size of the screen, looked and felt real.
After about 6 or 7 scenarios (where they have a paintball gun shooting small ping-pong balls at you at when the suspect takes a shot, I stepped out and went to sign my name to the visitors' roll. and I realized my hand was shaking like a leaf. I took stock of my physical reactions and found my heart rate was up and so was my breathing.
Even in a situation where I was 100% sure I was going to exit alive. I can't imagine daily strapping on that weapon, not knowing if today was the day I would need to use it to save my life or some one else's.
Or not be the one who unbuckled that belt at the end of the day.
What is my point?
That without proper training- and lets face, I had absolutely no training in facing a situation like that- adrenalin takes over and all Hell will break loose. The local police forces use the same training exercise I used to make sure their officers are trained, and will go into a given situation with the ability to think and react, not simply run off emotional energy and react poorly.
There ought not be an officer in these guys chain of command left on a police force anywhere in this country.
They went into a situation poorly trained and ill-prepared to handle the situation and an innocent man died, in my opinion.
And it wasn't the fault of the cops who physically pulled the triggers.
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