Us Cop Shoots Black Teenager.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4208568/Police-release-man-fatally-shot-Baltimore-officer.html

Sad that one of such a young age no matter of what colour. has to end it in such a way,

But this "American cop on black shooting" seems to be totally justified.

[andy-hughes]

I would sat that this is utterly tragic, rather than 'sad'.

I would not use the term 'American cop on black' - since the colour of the victim is irrelevant, unless anyone is looking to make a controversy to stir up trouble.

It does appear, from what we can see, that the officer was justified in believing he was about to be shot, and taking self-defensive action.

[youngmafbog]

Point a gun at a cop and expect to find yourself dead, regardless of sex, age, religion colour or anything else.

Good job the cop had a camera.

[Gromit]

// seems to be totally justified. //

It does. Carry a gun to commit a crime and there is a distinct possibility that you will be shot during your arrest.

Watching the video, I wonder why the sound has been censorred? Also, the still shows him pointing his gun at the officer, but live action shows him running away. I think the still shot does not actually show him aiming and about the let a shot off, but is just a frozen bit of time that is convenient to justify the officer shooting.

[Sqad]

My initial reaction was that..."it was a good job that the "cop" was armed.

[anotheoldgit]

It would seem that Gromit's answer was a perfect example of the need to state the teenagers colour.

Apart from the fact that there have been numerous postings of Cop on Black shootings, yet this one somehow was under the radar.

[bhg481]

I thought the second part of the video (in slow motion) showed the teenager raising his gun and aiming.

[Gromit]

Strike that.

I have just found a better video, slowed down, and Curtis was trying to shoot the cop, so no fault from the cop.

[andy-hughes]

AOG - //It would seem that Gromit's answer was a perfect example of the need to state the teenagers colour. //

I completely fail to see why - care to elaborate?

// Apart from the fact that there have been numerous postings of Cop on Black shootings, yet this one somehow was under the radar. //

The issue of black men being shot by the police is a seriously contentious one, and filing under a neat little media buzz phrase like 'Cop on black shooting' simply serves to ratchet up the animosity that such situations cause.

An officer shot a criminal in self defence - the fact that the criminal was black is irrelevant, unless you are looking for (unrequired) evidence to re-state the well-known fact that large numbers of young black men shot by the police in America are black.

[Berniecuddles2]

Far as I'm concerned the USA = the wild west
Gun mad!!!

[Gromit]

// this one somehow was under the radar. //

Not really. He was shot on Tuesday, the police released the video on Thursday. Police shootings are very common in the US and we tend to only hear about the ones where the police action appears unjustified. There was no fuss by the local community about this one, because the dead man had a history of armed attacks and the video shows the policemans actions were justified.

[naomi24]

I find it neither tragic nor sad. He had been arrested three times for guns and drugs in the previous month, he raised his gun to a policeman and he was shot. He took his chances.

[andy-hughes]

Naomi - My stance is that if a young man who has barely reached voting age has gone so far off the rails that he is a position to be pointing a gun at a police officer, and getting fatally shot in the process, then that is a tragedy, for all concerned.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

I wasn't taking about the media I was talking about some on AB who are soon to post a thread when it involves a cop on black shooting, but in this instance they seem to be a little quiet for some reason.

[andy-hughes]

There you go again with that 'cop on black' trite nonsense soundbite.

It may take a little longer to type 'a cop shoots a black man' - but it does convey the thought that you don't think this is something out of an ad campaign or a video game.

[naomi24]

andy-hughes, it's not a tragedy for anyone adversely affected by his chosen lifestyle, nor for the policeman who may well have ended up dead.

[anotheoldgit]

naomi24

/// I find it neither tragic nor
sad. ///

To a certain extent I would agree, but one must feel a little sad, that one should throw away his life at such a young age.

[naomi24]

apg, he chose his lifestyle.

[naomi24]

Sorry, I meant aog of course, not apg.

[andy-hughes]

Naomi - I would think it is absolutely a tragedy for the police officer - knowing he has ended a young life, and the justification of mainting his own survival, absolutely valid though it is, is not likely to comfort him in the sleepless small hours.

Add in the family of this teenager who may have ben unable to stop his decent into criminality and death, and I think you have a tragedy right there.

No-one's life - or death - exists in such isolation that you can simply cross them off, and their death meaning nothing to anyone.

[andy-hughes]

It appears AOG and I are in agreement about the tragedy involved here.