Cops in Owings Mills, MD, while responding to a domestic disturbance type call, wound up shooting a black suspect and it has been reported that the police said they thought he had a weapon. They also reportedly said that he had been in a "defensive position" (source). If that is what they actually said, they, in my opinion, certainly used a poor choice of words apparently as to articulate one of the reasons they shot him. I would think one would believe that someone was in an offensive stance, as in posing imminent harm to me or others, that would cause me to shoot him and that I took the defensive position while acting in self-defense. Maybe that's just my way of thinking or maybe police shooting justification has changed over the years since I retired or maybe it is simply that they are not cunning linguists but were trying their best to be so.
I am guessing that even though the guy seems to have been a real piece of dirt kind of a guy (based on what I've read), all hell will probably break loose again once the media posts pics of him as an innocent looking 12 to 16 year old. Don't misinterpret my meaning, I am 100% against unjustified shootings and if this one was indeed unjustified then I say go after the cops. However, if it was justified, then give them some well needed time off to recuperate with pay before putting them back in the grinder. The real point of what I just said though is that I expect the media and the race baiters to fan the flames yet again to make this person look like an angel whether he was one or not and to make the cops look like evil racist white men whether two of them are or not (the third one will probably be portrayed as an Uncle Tom since he is black) and the agitators will hit the streets and incite violent protests, looting, arson and riots. I just wish that we could all sit back and wait for an investigation to be at least undertaken for a few days so we can look at some facts logically instead of condemning or supporting anyone of either side with the full force of our raging emotions. Of course, that would not make good news so, my bet is the media will be fanning those flames as much as they can get away with it.
All the best,
Glenn B
I am guessing that even though the guy seems to have been a real piece of dirt kind of a guy (based on what I've read), all hell will probably break loose again once the media posts pics of him as an innocent looking 12 to 16 year old. Don't misinterpret my meaning, I am 100% against unjustified shootings and if this one was indeed unjustified then I say go after the cops. However, if it was justified, then give them some well needed time off to recuperate with pay before putting them back in the grinder. The real point of what I just said though is that I expect the media and the race baiters to fan the flames yet again to make this person look like an angel whether he was one or not and to make the cops look like evil racist white men whether two of them are or not (the third one will probably be portrayed as an Uncle Tom since he is black) and the agitators will hit the streets and incite violent protests, looting, arson and riots. I just wish that we could all sit back and wait for an investigation to be at least undertaken for a few days so we can look at some facts logically instead of condemning or supporting anyone of either side with the full force of our raging emotions. Of course, that would not make good news so, my bet is the media will be fanning those flames as much as they can get away with it.
All the best,
Glenn B
