White cop shoots 74 year old black vet during welfare check

Unfortunate circumstances. I'm a big critic of how police engage the citizenry but i'm not sure what could be done differently in this situation.

 

We need stronger communities so that people don't always call the cops for everything. We need to depend on our neighbors, friends and family more, and on the government and the cops less. If you want a well check done on your friend or family member, it is optimal to either do it yourself or have a different friend or family member do it.

I am not saying the family was at fault (though, if I was the person who had called in that well check, I know I'd be feeling pretty low right now). I am just saying I don't like involving cops in situations where I don't have to, because I don't trust them and I don't think others should trust them either.

 

:grin:

 

Good intentions ending in a tragedy... An old man serves his country and ends up being gunned down in his own home by those who are supposed to protect and serve.

It's starting to seem like some police just can't do a damn thing right.

Anyway... In before someone says he should have put the gun down.

 

Maybe the court upholding a police department's right to not hire someone because their IQ scores were too high was a bad idea.

I actually worked with a guy that this happened to. He came back from the first Iraq War, and he wanted to get a job as a cop like his step dad. They gave him certain tests, saw his IQ, and then sat him down and let him know they weren't interested in him because he was too smart, and they didn't think he would have the right mentality for the department.

Now, why exactly are police departments discriminating against intelligence (and fighting hard for the right to do so)? Could it be they only want mindless thugs who don't think for themselves -- because it oftens seems like that is what they have plenty of.

 

Their just scare . . ..all the time . . of everything


A neigbor of mind had a welfare check done for him
he was unfortunately dead
it was incredibly sad watching his small body carried out on a stretcher
He was a good guy

Rocket River

 

No dark theme brah?

 

Uh, what?

 

You know Space Ghost -- the only one who has mentioned race in these last two stories about police brutality is you. You are obsessed with it.

Honestly, I actually think you are a cop -- it would explain your cognitive dissonance, and you certainly have the intelligence profile for the job.

 

Not sure why any idiots would not lower the gun down when asked by a cop. You know what's coming full well. Cop ain't going to risk his life because of some lunatic.

 

He was an old unhealthy confused veteran who had recently had surgery and was probably on a lot of medication.

 

Usually the best in the brightest in our society choose career paths other than law enforcement... But when given the chance to have the best in the brightest they turn them away. They want soldiers who will do what they are told.

Lmao...!!!! I knew it was coming.

I do agree with HamJam's post that family and friends should take more responsibility in situations like that instead of depending on the police department.

 

Sounds like an unfortunate tragedy. It's hard to blame either party, sometimes bad things just happen and there's not a lot that can be done about it. I wonder why the family didn't check on him instead of having the cops do it?

 

"Officer Josh Lefevers announced himself before coming through the backdoor of the home"

POS cops who the *** comes in the through the back door? Straight up murdered a poor old man

 

I'm going to start with not shooting the guy. Then I'll back up and ask, Why are they going through the guy's back door at 11:30 at night? This can't be the first time they've done a welfare check and had someone think they were burglars. Maybe you do that ish during the day? And, when the guy points a gun at you, you can then decide it looks like he's doing fine and back-up out of his house. Just because you're a cop and someone's pointing a gun at you does not mean you have to kill him every time. If you can't handle the occasional misunderstanding with a lawfully armed citizen, you probably shouldn't be checking on people's welfare in the first place.

 

So just to be clear, if someone comes into your home and says "hey, I'm a cop!", you'll lower your weapon? Seems like a good tactic for a burglar.

Given that the cop didn't shoot immediately, it seems like he could just as easily have stepped back out of the house and reassessed.

 

Unfortunate tragedy.

This is one of those avoidable tragedy if gun wasn't involved. Nothing happen if the vet didn't raise his gun. Likely nothing happen if the Cop only consider stun gun for a well check of an elder.