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Three police officers shot dead in Dallas.

153 replies

DoctorTwo · 08/07/2016 05:15

BBC link Blimey. I'm shocked but not really surprised as American police shot (apparently) 506 people to death in 2015, and another two this week.

But hey, good guys with guns will always stop bad people with guns killing good people, if the NRA are to be believed...

OP posts:
Vixxfacee · 08/07/2016 11:18

My first comment was that I read about it on American blogs. I didn't see anything else. Do not assume.

LookAtMeGo · 08/07/2016 11:26

Buggy I don't really get your point or why you're going off topic. At the end of the day they never try to hide these black shootings. Officers know they're being filmed and still do this shit safe in the knowledge that nothing will happen to them.

LookAtMeGo · 08/07/2016 11:28

*buffy

LookAtMeGo · 08/07/2016 11:29

But you can't deny that this is front page news. The others weren't.

Clayhead · 08/07/2016 11:40

My point was just that it was reported in the mainstream media, that's all, no need to be snippy!

OfficiallyUnofficial · 08/07/2016 11:48

Got to say though in the video of Philandeo which is horrific to watch that police officer was not a happy cold blooded murderer, he was clearly totally shocked and horrified at what he had done, he sounded like he was crying and he was shaking.

In that case, totally and utterly unjustified, it wasn't a police man wanting a black man dead. And if that is replicated? The the issue is again gun control. A jittery police force with guns. A public who could all be carrying guns and a stereotyping of black males = total fucking disaster and NOONE is a winner in that.

LostQueen · 08/07/2016 12:08

If you don't want a person dead, why shoot them?

LostQueen · 08/07/2016 12:10

He can be as horrified and shaken up as he likes, at least he's still alive. There was no immediate threat to his life so he did not have to shoot. I'm more concerned about how shaken up that poor 4 year old child in the back seat that had to witness it all is.

Yes, the problem is gun control but the problem is also inherent racism within police forces in the states that has gone unchallenged for years.

LookAtMeGo · 08/07/2016 12:15

Well said, Queen

OfficiallyUnofficial · 08/07/2016 12:17

I'm not saying I feel sorry for him.

But I am saying that he didn't sound like he wanted that outcome. If we go with a "all police bad / racist" mindset it doesn't help, looking at the causes does.

He shot because he believed that man was going for a firearm, he was wrong, he was trigger happy but WHY did he jump to the conclusion he had to protect his own life/shoot.

Is it something in the training that allows this approach to shoot first ask later? Is it that combined with a very real fear he could be shot due to lax gun laws?

I'm only raising it as a way to look at prevention.

Though it's a hypothetical as the USA would have sorted it after sandyhook if they were going to sort it at all.

LookAtMeGo · 08/07/2016 12:26

Regardless of whether he is racist or not, we all know how this goes down and that he will get off scot-free. So i really don't think he needs your sympathy or justifications Officially

OfficiallyUnofficial · 08/07/2016 12:45

Do you actually read my posts? Or just hear what you want?

LostQueen · 08/07/2016 12:49

Officially, The officer was told by Philandro Castile that he had a gun on him. The officer then asked him for his ID, panicked when he reached for it and now we have another life reduced to a hashtag.

This does not happen to white Americans so why aren't black Americans afforded the same courtesy?

Its not a case of all police officers being racist, it is a case of institutional racism that teaches and allows these officers to see all black people as a threat.

Historically, as Look has pointed out NOTHING happens to these people. Please, I encourage you to look up the names of Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland... I could go on. Not one of the individuals that murdered those people are behind bars. Not one. Tamir Rice was 12 years old. 12. Yet Dylan Roof was able to go into a church, slaughter 9 black people and come out of it not only unscathed but PROTECTED. The disparity is not justifiable in the slightest and asking "WHY" gives the impression that it is.

LookAtMeGo · 08/07/2016 12:52

This is also interesting:

www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/36744523/dallas-police-shooting-how-one-protester-went-from-most-wanted-to-innocent-man

Black man with a gun has his image immediately circulated as a prime suspect. He handed himself in, probably shitting himself he was going to be the next casualty.

'Open carry of a semiautomatic long gun is legal'. Someone tweets

Jesus, I will not set foot in that country.

LookAtMeGo · 08/07/2016 12:54

What happened to Dylan Roof, Queen?

LostQueen · 08/07/2016 13:01

He was lead out by police in a bullet proof vest and given a Burger King meal. The media takes about him being mentally disturbed as opposed to being a racist psychopath.

LookAtMeGo · 08/07/2016 13:01

Oh I get what you mean. He came out of it alive. Yeah, funny that!Hmm

LookAtMeGo · 08/07/2016 13:02

Cross posts.
Yes Sad

LostQueen · 08/07/2016 13:02

takes= talked

NoGood · 08/07/2016 13:03

Sorry giraffe, i have just come back on. Yes i understand your point now though i hasten to add that this shooting must not make black lives matter even less than they already do right now. You say that this act is counter productive but I dont think this act should be used as a marker for the value of black life.

As someone has already mentioned, i too am surprised that it has taken this long for something like this to happen. We dont know all the details yet and frankly speaking, black lives matter, regardless of this shooting. This incident should not and must not dictate the worth of a black life.

LostQueen · 08/07/2016 13:04

^This is also interesting:

www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/36744523/dallas-police-shooting-how-one-protester-went-from-most-wanted-to-innocent-man

Black man with a gun has his image immediately circulated as a prime suspect. He handed himself in, probably shitting himself he was going to be the next casualty.^

And there you have it. That is appalling! its no different to the shoot first, ask questions later mentality. They put that man in danger when they circulated his image like that. I'm completely with you, I have ZERO intention to set foot in the states any time soon Sad

quencher · 08/07/2016 13:38

I have been struggling to say anything on this all morning. I have followed this post and queen I agree with what you said about Roof. His excuse does not just happen in America but in Europe too. Any person with dark skin has intent to kill while any white mass murderer is mentally unstable.

Police shootings haven't become more prevalent but it's social media that has made it more accessible for the world to see. What we see is nothing humans can be proud of.

I hope that young girl gets therapy.

If your scared of the police who are supposed to help you, who can you call?
This used to be a massive problem in uk but thank goodness the attitude is changing. It's good for people to trust the police who trust them back.

Any one who could not stomach the videos should not watch the link below. The videos are ten times worse. If nothing was done when these happened, I don't thing there will be any change. It would not surprise me if one of the police shooters comes from the resistance group.

Black Power: America's Armed Resistance: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p03t9g3j via @bbciplayer

chilledwarmth · 08/07/2016 14:01

I know that most of the opinion on here is anti gun but can I just ask something regarding suggestions like this. Every time there is a shooting in America I see plenty using it as a chance to comment on our gun laws, and they are not criticized for this. But recently one of your politicians was shot and when I commented on your gun laws, I was told that it wasn't appropriate to do so. Regardless of where you stand on the gun debate it's surely either ok for people to comment if they think a change in law could prevent a similar tragedy or it isn't. The feeling I got was that it's only ok to comment on gun laws if you think what the majority on here think, which is anti gun.

I don't particularly think our police officers are racist or any more of a danger to black people than white. I won't say there aren't any racist officers because there are so many police that statistically there probably are some racists among them. Does anyone have footage of a black person being shot they think was unjustified?

LostQueen · 08/07/2016 14:05

Does anyone have footage of a black person being shot they think was unjustified?

Is this a serious question?

chilledwarmth · 08/07/2016 14:12

It is and it's because I've seen many reports of black people being "murdered" by the police, and when the evidence is looked at it turns out that it wasn't murder at all. I can only base that on what I saw which is like 4 or 5 such videos. So as a general question to anyone here who has said the police murdered someone, which shooting are you talking about?