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Police shoot pregnant woman dead (USA)

999 replies

SuddenlyOld · 02/09/2023 07:35

Ok America, since when did it become normal for police officers to point guns at pregnant women accused of shoplifting?
She didn't have a weapon or get violent. Turns out she hadn't stolen anything either.
If I was black in America I'd be scared to go out 😪😪😪
This is probably the worst thing I've seen ever.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-66690408

Footage of police with guns drawn

Bodycam video shows Ohio police fatally shooting pregnant black woman

Ta'Kiya Young, 21, appears to advance the car towards an Ohio officer before a single shot is fired.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-66690408

OP posts:
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gillygeey · 02/09/2023 10:30

@Teder Do you think gun culture has nothing to do with it?

SerendipityJane · 02/09/2023 10:30

katepilar · 02/09/2023 10:27

America is so sick in so many ways. So much aggression and anger. Their history explains a lot.

You can imagine the party we had back in England when the Mayflower disappeared over the horizon.

gillygeey · 02/09/2023 10:31

Have you heard of the autonomic flight, fright or freeze response? None of us can confidently declare what or how we would respond in this situation.

Of course but I think this can apply to police too. And if they weren't armed this would never have happened but they are never going to not be armed.

Teder · 02/09/2023 10:31

gillygeey · 02/09/2023 10:29

@Teder minority but white passing & live in England.

I just believe these senseless shootings will never stop unless gun culture changes & I don't think you can separate the two.

The woman is not to blame for living in a country with gun culture though. She didn’t deserved to be publicly executed for a minor crime.

SirVixofVixHall · 02/09/2023 10:31

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 02/09/2023 07:59

Even if she had stolen something… police are not state sanctioned executioners!
And anyway how many women on here have said that after Sarah Everard they would no longer get out of a car if told to by the police. Should they all be shot too?

This.
Horrifying, her baby killed in utero too.

Iwantcakeeveryday · 02/09/2023 10:32

Abbimae · 02/09/2023 10:29

This. Everyone saying she is innocent- none of the stories read like she was?

None of the tories read like she was guilty. She was suspected of a minor crime and aggressively spoken to and then shot. It is beyond disproportionate and police are trained to deescalate. These officers saw a black woman and decided to intimidate and then shoot her, over shoplifting ffs

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 02/09/2023 10:32

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

In what circumstances was the police response proportionate and reasonable to the nature of the suspected offence or the likely risk.

Do the police really need drawn weapons to arrest a pregnant female alleged shoplifter? Couldn’t they have just taken her license plate number?

As a white woman I find the police behaviour terrifying to watch so I fully understand why a black women in the US would have panicked.

saffronsoup · 02/09/2023 10:33

According to the WaPo, 5 unarmed compliant (didn't flee) black women have been killed by police since they started tracking in 2015. That is about one every two years. Nine white women were killed under the same conditions.

It is exceptionally rare for a compliant woman of any race to be killed by police.

gillygeey · 02/09/2023 10:33

It’s even more unrealistic to think you could potentially be executed in the street for something as simple as looking a certain way

Really?! In parts of America I would think it's naive to think that!

7eleven · 02/09/2023 10:33

gillygeey · 02/09/2023 10:31

Have you heard of the autonomic flight, fright or freeze response? None of us can confidently declare what or how we would respond in this situation.

Of course but I think this can apply to police too. And if they weren't armed this would never have happened but they are never going to not be armed.

Good point. The gun laws are insane.

pepsimax00 · 02/09/2023 10:33

Absolutely f**king awful. Just disgusting behaviour from the cops. She was unarmed, accused of stealing, were guns even necessary. Of course not. Sickening.

Teder · 02/09/2023 10:36

saffronsoup · 02/09/2023 10:28

Yes I did but not sure what that has to do with compliant people being shot and killed by police?

Compliance is irrelevant though. That’s the point.

If you are a police officer and you don’t have the skills to manage someone who has possibly committed a crime, then you’re a danger to the society you’re meant to be protecting. It’s irrelevant if someone is compliant or not. In this case, it was a young female who had possibly shoplifted. If you cannot manage a “non complaint” pregnant female, you’re unsafe to be a police officer and a danger to be armed.

LondonLass91 · 02/09/2023 10:36

Absolutely appalling- even the way he spoke to her beforehand, like he was pumped and aggressive already, both police were. And to shoot her in the head?!?! So terrible.

SerendipityJane · 02/09/2023 10:36

Sauce for the goose ...

grmsk · 02/09/2023 10:38

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Teder · 02/09/2023 10:38

saffronsoup · 02/09/2023 10:33

According to the WaPo, 5 unarmed compliant (didn't flee) black women have been killed by police since they started tracking in 2015. That is about one every two years. Nine white women were killed under the same conditions.

It is exceptionally rare for a compliant woman of any race to be killed by police.

Resisting arrest or refusing to stop for a police officer is a crime. It is no justification for being shot dead on the spot. It is never justification for murder.

7eleven · 02/09/2023 10:40

I’d love to travel again to the US, but I’m too scared to. It must be a terrifying place to live. Even if you’re a white, wealthy, law abiding man you’d surely worry about getting caught in crossfire.

Throwncrumbs · 02/09/2023 10:40

Currently watching a video about two 30 year old black women who stopped people, while impersonating police officers, and threatening to shoot them…

Ginmonkeyagain · 02/09/2023 10:41

@Teder indeed. Upthread I gave an example here the UK where I recently saw police restrain and remove a woman accused of shop lifting in my local supermarket. She was violent - screaming and lashing out, but they managed to restrain and remove her as safetly as possible.

It wasn't nice or dignified, but she isn't dead.

Now the the key difference is neither she or the police were armed and they could be almost 100% sure that she didn't have a gun.

jusdepamplemousse · 02/09/2023 10:41

The victim blaming, racism and ignorance here.

Sickening.

Publicly and summarily shot in the head for suspected shoplifting and refusing to exit vehicle (plainly due to fear and panic). And people think that’s ok. Seriously have a word with yourselves. Shameful.

SerendipityJane · 02/09/2023 10:41

It seems the further away your are in distance and consequences, the easier it is to victim blame.

This thread is like spinning a fruit machine and seeing each reel line up: racist, ignorant, and fucking insane.

We can all play the game where you try and get three one after another with no break.

saffronsoup · 02/09/2023 10:41

Teder · 02/09/2023 10:36

Compliance is irrelevant though. That’s the point.

If you are a police officer and you don’t have the skills to manage someone who has possibly committed a crime, then you’re a danger to the society you’re meant to be protecting. It’s irrelevant if someone is compliant or not. In this case, it was a young female who had possibly shoplifted. If you cannot manage a “non complaint” pregnant female, you’re unsafe to be a police officer and a danger to be armed.

Yes, however being armed or non compliant and fleeing the scene means they can use safety and their own risk asa justification. In this case one officer was in front of the car and the other had his arm inthe window.

There is no doubt policing in America is a disaster and they should be better trained and able to more consistently manage cases without drawing guns / shooting but given that is the culture and there is very poor training and you never know if the cop showing up can or can't manage the situation - you are better to be compliant and not flee if you value your life. Only 18 women in 10 years have died - and while that is 18 too many, that is very very low odds of ending up dead at the hands of police. Don't draw a weapon and don't flee and you are pretty much guaranteed to live.

AngryGreasedSantaCatcus · 02/09/2023 10:42

@Abbimae none of the crimes she was possibly guilty of , carry the death penalty.

SoShallINever · 02/09/2023 10:43

We have just cancelled our USA holiday after watching this. We don't want to support their economy.
It's too much, America sort your racist shit out.

Fight or flight? If I was black and had a US cop pointing his gun at me, I'd have panicked and tried to get away as well.

Murderous bastards.

gillygeey · 02/09/2023 10:43

Now the the key difference is neither she or the police were armed and they could be almost 100% sure that she didn't have a gun.

And that is the key difference. When UK police do suspect you of having a gun the response is different.