What has happened to the police?

[HYHYBT]

when being pulled over, I get my license out as soon as I've got the car in park, no need to reach for anything by the time they've got to my window. And it's been ten years or more since they've wanted registration and proof of insurance, because they look that up from the tag number before getting out of their car.

[protege]

If cops feel threatened by something as innocuous as that, they are not fit for the job, as far as I'm concerned.

That's exactly it. If the cop is so paranoid that looking for one's registration papers is enough to shoot someone...he (or she) should be declared unfit for the job, and let go. There's no reason that the motorist got shot, especially when he was trying to comply with an order in the first place!

[Ninja_Sushi]

Sorry guys, I've been military from 2007 to 2013. I've been a cops son all my life. Im super biased. Where most civilians say 'it shouldn't be this way', I say 'better safe than sorry'.

[Greenday]

That's exactly it. If the cop is so paranoid that looking for one's registration papers is enough to shoot someone...he (or she) should be declared unfit for the job, and let go. There's no reason that the motorist got shot, especially when he was trying to comply with an order in the first place!

It's a good thing no one here said that cops should shoot people for getting paperwork.

This thread is not a case of a cop freaking out over someone grabbing something from his car. This thread is a case of a cop going out of his way to kill someone.

[Ninja_Sushi]

Thats what I said in an earlier post Green day, it just got glossed over.

[TheHuckster]

Sorry guys, I've been military from 2007 to 2013. I've been a cops son all my life. Im super biased. Where most civilians say 'it shouldn't be this way', I say 'better safe than sorry'.

Well, at least you admit you're biased.

That's not at all what anyone is implying. When you work a job that most people dislike you and many people would be happy to kill you, it's quite reasonable to be slightly jumpy when someone makes a quick motion or reaches for something hidden. Because it could definitely by ID they are reaching for. But it could just as easily be a weapon used to end your life.

And I'm going to say, once again, that announcing your actions doesn't change the situation one bit. There's no difference between reaching into your car and pulling out a gun and telling the officer you're going to grab you license and then pulling out a gun. Both end up with grim circumstances, and the officer should be prepared to act on either of them... with a cautious yet unprovoking demeanor.

This thread is not a case of a cop freaking out over someone grabbing something from his car. This thread is a case of a cop going out of his way to kill someone.

He didn't kill him. He wounded him with at least one or two bullets. If the cop really wanted to kill him, he'd be dead right now... unless he has horrendous aim.

[Greenday]

He didn't kill him. He wounded him with at least one or two bullets. If the cop really wanted to kill him, he'd be dead right now... unless he has horrendous aim.

It seems too unlikely a situation that the cop just shot from freaking out. Based on what I saw from the video, the cop had reason to be suspicious and to have a hand on his weapon, but for him to draw that quick and shoot? Seems planned out.

[protege]

Where most civilians say 'it shouldn't be this way', I say 'better safe than sorry'.

So you'd rather have cops shooting first...and asking questions later? Interesting.

[Greenday]

So you'd rather have cops shooting first...and asking questions later? Interesting.

Again, it's like there's two different forums. There's what Ninja_Sushi and I are saying, and then there's what everyone else is saying. Point out where Ninja_Sushi said they'd prefer the cop shooting first. I'll wait.

[TheHuckster]

It seems too unlikely a situation that the cop just shot from freaking out. Based on what I saw from the video, the cop had reason to be suspicious and to have a hand on his weapon, but for him to draw that quick and shoot? Seems planned out.

That very well may be the case, but I'm still waiting for an answer from you ask to why announcing your movements before doing them should make the situation less dangerous.

[Kheldarson]

That very well may be the case, but I'm still waiting for an answer from you ask to why announcing your movements before doing them should make the situation less dangerous.

I'd go with because they have a gun and a paranoia that may or may not be warranted, and if I can put things at ease by just saying, "it's in my glove box", then why sweat it?

[Greenday]

I'd go with because they have a gun and a paranoia that may or may not be warranted, and if I can put things at ease by just saying, "it's in my glove box", then why sweat it?

Because that'd be a huge inconvenience to put that much effort into relaxing the situation.

[TheHuckster]

I'd go with because they have a gun and a paranoia that may or may not be warranted, and if I can put things at ease by just saying, "it's in my glove box", then why sweat it?

Because a police officer shouldn't be anymore at ease from that. There could still be anything in that glovebox.

I'm not saying the police shouldn't be aware of the possibility of things getting ugly from a traffic stop. What I am saying is if someone is asked to get paperwork, and simply reaches for the glovebox without saying anything, that person is not doing anything wrong. There is no official protocol of having to announce one's actions or move more slowly than one would anyways.

I feel as though, while Greenday and Ninja_Sushi certainly fault the cop for this incident, when they say that the guy should have announced his intentions, they are implying that at least part of the fault is on the victim, which I disagree with.

Whenever I deal with the police, I follow my own protocol: Be yourself and act natural. I do treat that officer with respect by immediately following instructions, being calm (but not not so much I feel as though I have a motion sensored atom bomb at my window) and simply dealing with it just as I would with any other person doing their job.

I've even been pulled over for stolen plates (thanks to a DMV database error that incorrectly flagged my plates as stolen) which one could say is no longer a routine stop, and yet the "be natural" kept me from getting arrested as the officers sorted the problem out during the stop. Once they found out, on their own, what the problem was, they let me continue asking me to sort it out with the DMV at my earliest convenience.

[Ninja_Sushi]

Im not blaming the victim in this particular situation at all. The officer was in the wrong. As I said before, the officer either was way too paranoid. Or, he was looking for a reason to shoot him. Those are the only two reasons that make sense to me. Ill say it again cause I dont want to have myself labeled as on the cops side. The officer was in the wrong, he handled it wrong either accidentally or on purpose.

As for the stating your movements to an officer, its just a respect thing. You dont have to do it, i never said anyone had to do it. I just said I personally find it respectful and most officers i personally know like when people do it. When people get nervous, some can move calmly and thats fine. Good for them. But then there are others who are jittery and make quick movements, fast and immediate. Example, " can you get your registration and pr--" bam, they go for it very quickly. Now that would freak them out.

In the city I live in there have been many officer involved shootings, of course they are a bit edgy when every week on the news there is at least one. The gangs over here love to shoot. If I can make the officers day just a bit better by telling him what im going to do, where my weapon is in the car...Ill do it every time.

Again, you all can do what you want its ok, no judgement from me. Its ok. Its just what I do. What I myself do

[TheHuckster]

If I can make the officers day just a bit better by telling him what im going to do, where my weapon is in the car...Ill do it every time.

"I'm getting my registration out of the glove box. My gun's in the center console." must go over really well with a cop.