quote: Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane said Anderson made ''a split-second mistake'' when she shot Justin Lyle Thomas, but charges against the trooper were not warranted.
posted
Although she clearly didn't handle the situation well I will offer, in her defence, that the guy was clearly resisting arrest and it looked like he was physically resisting her as well (even after she shot him!). Clearly not the smartest guy, even if he was drunk.
However she was brandishing that gun around a bit too much for liking, and shouting/screaming at him. Not a good combination of traits that I would think are good to have for police officers. I don't thinik she should have necessarily been charged with anything...but fired(?), most definitly. Let back on duty? Never.
Posts: 181 | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
Look, I don't like police brutality: every police officer on the scene who even watched the RodneyKing beating shoulda been fired-to-never-be-rehired. From the few moments I've seen of COPS, most of those arresting officers should be tossed out of the force and into a jail. I don't even like unnecessary rudeness in a police officer.
But precisely what were the options here? Let him reach his vehicle, and possibly grab a gun? Tackle him and go hand-to-hand, and hope he doesn't grab the officer's gun during the struggle? Let a drunk speed away, driving recklessly to lose pursuit, and hope he doesn't kill somebody with his truck?
Posts: 8501 | Registered: Jul 2001
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I don't think the problem was just with the shooting - you're assessment is probably right there. But she utterly failed to control that situation. Screaming and profanity does not equal a convincing show of authority. Even without the shooting, I'd say she comes off fairly incompetent.
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Right from the first moment she was not only screaming, but *shrieking*. Maybe if she didn't act so crazy she wouldn't have needed to *shoot* anyone!
Posts: 3636 | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
The woman was abusive on the get-go. Cussing at him first. Rude. Antagonistic. Drunk or sober, I'd have a problem with her attitude as a whole. And not because she's black or female. Lets put this in another scnario.
Greyhound bus driver ok? You don't get on the bus fast enough to suit the driver:
quote:"This ain't your birthday"
You get on before the driver takes your ticket (note, some drivers have you board THEN take your ticket, some take your ticket as you board)
quote:"You don't get on MY bus without giving me your ticket."
Young mother with a baby. Not even a toddler yet.
quote: "That baby starts crying and I'll put you off the bus. I ain't having no crying babies on MY bus"
Same attatude as what I see coming from that cop. Over compensation is a bad thing. And thats what I'm seeing in that video. MAYBE, had she spoken to the guy with a little less antagonism in her voice, things might have gone smoother.
***And the quotes above were actually from a bus driver.
Posts: 986 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
I guess he won't drive drunk anymore. She was antagonistic, but from their conversation you could tell that he did not pull over right when she first told him to, that is not a good idea. Also, when a cop tells you to put your hands behind your back, you should do it. If he had gotten back into his car drunk, and killed someone, people would then ask the cop why she did not stop him.
She could have delt with it differently, but many cops have the same attitude. If he was not drunk, I would have more sympathy for him...but if a cop has to shoot a drunk to keep him from killing someone else, I am fine with that.
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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posted
Hey that's fine, but nobody, even if drunk, deserves to be threatened like that with a lethal weapon. I would have slapped the hell out of that lady if I was there. She's crazy, and I hope she get's locked up.
Posts: 4229 | Registered: Dec 2002
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