It’s reasonable to fire 55 times into a sleeping African American!

[BNR32FAN]

Police fired 55 times at Willie McCoy. An investigation called it 'reasonable'

Seriously 55 shots to take down someone sleeping, who at most as police officers stated before slaughtering him, had one bullet in the gun, that had no magazine in it.

From the article it sounds like they didn’t have any cause to shoot period. It seems they didn’t want to take any risk of getting shot and at the slightest movement they began shooting knowing that no matter what, this person could not be allowed to survive to testify against them in case they had made a mistake. It’s not the first time I’ve heard a police officer say if you shoot someone shoot to kill otherwise they might sue you in court. Doing the right thing for some has taken a backseat to protecting yourself from a possible lawsuit. That’s just both sad and evil. They think their being smart and protecting themselves by a technicality but in the long run they’ll still have to answer for it.

 

[BNR32FAN]

So what happened? Did the guy wake up? It seems he was not asleep the whole time. Was he reaching for his gun? No one has said why the police fired at this man.

Did you read the article in the OP?

 

[BNR32FAN]

If one is justified in shooting, one is justified in shooting. 55 bullets seems pretty excessive, but that's besides the point.

I agree but in this case it doesn’t seem that they had a reason to shoot at all.

 

[BNR32FAN]

Is it being a sleep in the recording too. Because all I see is trash, that we don't have to deal with. With the humane smuggling and stuff .

I see a person who has no opportunity to repent anymore.

 

[Goonie]

I agree but in this case it doesn’t seem that they had a reason to shoot at all.

The police claim his hand was moving towards his gun, something not shown on the video.

 

[W2L]

Did you read the article in the OP?

Yes. Did i miss the official police response to why they shot him?

 

[W2L]

The police claim his hand was moving towards his gun, something not shown on the video.

Could the camera footage see the gun?

 

[BNR32FAN]

The police claim his hand was moving towards his gun, something not shown on the video.

The video showed him scratch his neck right before the officers shot which should’ve been very easy for them to see if he was in a sitting position.

 

[BNR32FAN]

The police claim his hand was moving towards his gun, something not shown on the video.

They obviously got close enough to the car to see there was no clip in the pistol they should’ve been able to see if the guy picked up the gun in his lap or not.

 

[BNR32FAN]

Yes. Did i miss the official police response to why they shot him?

Here’s a quote from the article.

The police department in the city, 30 miles north-east of San Francisco, has insisted that the officers fired out of “fear for their own safety”, alleging that McCoy had reached for a gun on his lap. But body-camera footage, released after significant public pressure, cast doubts on parts of the police narrative. The videos only showed McCoy moving his hand to scratch his shoulder before officers opened fire.

 

[W2L]

Here’s a quote from the article.

The police department in the city, 30 miles north-east of San Francisco, has insisted that the officers fired out of “fear for their own safety”, alleging that McCoy had reached for a gun on his lap. But body-camera footage, released after significant public pressure, cast doubts on parts of the police narrative. The videos only showed McCoy moving his hand to scratch his shoulder before officers opened fire.

Thank you. I didnt see the camera footage. You can see him scratch his shoulder? Can the camera see the guys lap also? Could Officers seen more than the cameras could see? If so how can we dispute their word?

 

[iluvatar5150]

So what happened? Did the guy wake up? It seems he was not asleep the whole time. Was he reaching for his gun? No one has said why the police fired at this man.

Could the camera footage see the gun?

Thank you. I didnt see the camera footage. You can see him scratch his shoulder? Can the camera see the guys lap also? Could Officers seen more than the cameras could see? If so how can we dispute their word?

We’re 5 pages into this thread. Instead of guessing, why don’t you just go watch the video for yourself? It’s all over youtube.

 

[Desk trauma]

If so how can we dispute their word?

Indeed, who are you going to believe the police or your lying eyes?

 

[W2L]

We’re 5 pages into this thread. Instead of guessing, why don’t you just go watch the video for yourself? It’s all over youtube.

And im asking questions relevant to this discussion. Is it so hard to answer relevant questions?

 

[W2L]

Indeed, who are you going to believe the police or your lying eyes?

My eyes havent seen a link to the video yet.

 

[iluvatar5150]

And im asking questions relevant to this discussion. Is it so hard to answer relevant questions?

It’s not hard, but it’s more than a little frustrating when people don’t do the requisite homework needed to comment knowledgeably about the subject they’re discussing. In the amount of time it took you to ask about the video and then respond to my comment, you could have just gone and watched the video and had all of your questions answered.

 

[W2L]

It’s not hard, but it’s more than a little frustrating when people don’t do the requisite homework needed to comment knowledgeably about the subject they’re discussing. In the amount of time it took you to ask about the video and then respond to my comment, you could have just gone and watched the video and had all of your questions answered.

Im asking for a video link, do you have one please? Thank you.

 

[W2L]

If the video proved my assertions i would gladly post a link, multiple times even.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Some people are capable of prepping and cooking entire meals in their sleep. Scratching one's arm and slumping forward is not at all sufficient to indicate that someone is awake, particularly when that person has been unresponsive for several minutes.

If he was asleep....cooking a meal....and reaching for a gun, I wouldn't fault cops for shooting him.

Some things are indicative of being awake...even if the person isn't.

Prior to the shooting, officers hadn't witnessed McCoy doing anything obviously illegal except for driving while ability impaired and whatever traffic infraction would cover blocking a drive-thru. He hadn't threatened anybody; as far as I'm aware, he hadn't been accused of threatening anybody. As far as I'm aware officers had no awareness of his identity, any criminal history, or the legality of his possessing a gun. And it's still legal to have a gun in California. But apparently exercising your rights in a non-threatening, borderline catatonic manner is enough to make you appear dangerous to half a dozen cops.

Borderline catatonic? You must've watched a different video than me. The one I watched it was impossible to see his face. It's possible that he was borderline catatonic....or he could've been wide eyed and awake.

Let's be clear though....you could be extra sleepy, heavily medicated, blackout drunk, or severely mentally impaired. The criteria for posing a danger to someone else isn't dependent upon any of that....legally speaking.

 

[iluvatar5150]

If he was asleep....cooking a meal....and reaching for a gun, I wouldn't fault cops for shooting him.

Some things are indicative of being awake...even if the person isn't.



Borderline catatonic? You must've watched a different video than me. The one I watched it was impossible to see his face. It's possible that he was borderline catatonic....or he could've been wide eyed and awake.

The guy had been passed out and unresponsive for several minutes even before the cops arrived. When they arrived, he was still unresponsive while they surrounded his car and shined flashlights into it, even as he was scratching his arm. At no point did any of them act as if he was awake. They seemed to fear that he might wake up and do something, but he never actually did anything. There was obviously *something* wrong with him, and I don't think that some movement should automatically be interpreted as a threat. People are, after all, allowed to possess weapons, and people are allowed to move while doing so.

Let's be clear though....you could be extra sleepy, heavily medicated, blackout drunk, or severely mentally impaired. The criteria for posing a danger to someone else isn't dependent upon any of that....legally speaking.

I could be forgetting something, but I don't recall anybody in this thread argue that the cops didn't have the legal clearance to open fire. I know I haven't made that case. In fact, I think many of us agree that the bar for legal use of force is frustratingly low. I would like it to be higher. I think it ought to be higher. I think that we as citizens deserve it to be higher. I think it shameful that we hold our officers operating in a parking lot to a lower standard than we hold our soldiers operating in a war zone.