My Common Sense Tells Me There Would Be Justice
June 21, 2017 Dashcam videos, voice recordings, and Facebook recordings, presented to the world only “after” a not guilty verdict for a police officer who shot and killed a man within minutes after pulling him over. In the man’s car, are his girlfriend and her 4-year old little daughter. Prior to pulling them over, the Police Officer calls into dispatch stating “they” look like the description of two people involved in a robbery. Well, was the little girl sitting in the back seat part of the robbery too? When approaching a person, isn’t there a presumption of innocence “first”, as the officer approaches the vehicle does he consider that whoever is in it, may be innocent?
There have been several articles posted online, news stations talking about it and commentaries, google Philando Castile and there are several stories of a young man who was shot and killed on site after he was pulled over because “the tail light on his car was out”. We can pin point blame and we can be devastated by the actions of a fearful person in a position of authority and has the ability to carry a gun, but much more concerning can shoot to kill. There is the presumption that being a Police Officer is a high stressed job and along with it, an intense responsibility to serve and protect, including a high expectation that people will react negatively to their presence, especially in negative situations, including pulling someone over for a traffic stop. To serve and protect includes protecting those who may have committed a crime simply because of the presumption of innocence, “innocent until proven guilty” is a Human Right.
I can’t believe any Police Officer wakes up and plans on killing a person regardless of race, but if you are a Police Officer that is afraid of people, and sensitive to the presence of people who don’t look like you, what personality test was taken that didn’t reveal high levels of anxiety in intense situations? As a matter of fact, what type of personality test do Police Officers take in the first place?
We have a lot of comments about what went wrong, what didn’t happen and/or should have happened, but what about focusing on a solution? When the “powers that be” are looking to do something different, maybe someone should evaluate the personality test being used to hire those who “serve and protect”. Does such test even determine anxiety levels of a person when they are around other races or people who are not like themselves, do they evaluate how a person deals with levels of intense stress? There are physical agility test, but what about mental ability test?
Last but not least …
Here are pictures of the guys from the convenient store robbery > http://www.twincities.com/2016/10/01/robbery-investigation-mentioned-in-philando-castile-stop-remains-open/ < that possessed Officer Yanez to pull over a “innocent until proven guilty” citizen Mr. Castile over in the first place? I found two references, and all I can say …. Hmmmmm I don’t think so!
Not guilty of second-degree manslaughter – mistrials or acquittals occur when an officer testifies that they feared serious bodily injury or death and had “no choice”. … Officer Yanez, you had no choice? You had “no choice” but to shoot Mr. Castile seven times?
In the videos, why is your co_Officer running like a “bat out of hell” the other way?
Officer, I have a “license” to carry > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd7zW4aRlYE <
Other news you can use:
Convictions are rare for officers in police shootings; Waseem Abbasi , USA TODAY Published 5:27 p.m. ET June 17, 2017 | Updated 7:23 a.m. ET June 24, 2017