I've seen a lot of stories lately on the Police in the US. This is by far the worst.

[generalvash]

I've been assaulted in the street, and so have a number of my friends, and not one of them have reported it. When we all feel safer relying on ourselves instead of the law something is wrong.

*facepalm* . . . Doesn't seem like you or your friends know how law enforcement works. By not reporting the incidents you aren't letting the cops know there's a problem. If they don't think there's a problem in one particular area, they don't give it any special attention. When they do think there's a problem (you know, because people let them know there's a problem by reporting it) they tend to patrol that area more. Criminals tend to notice a higher police presence, which makes them feel like they ought not do something illegal lest they get spotted, arrested, and have charges pressed against them.

 

[Mechalemmiwinks]

Yeah, no, nobody call to attention that the cop had to chase the kid into private property in the southwest. No chance he could get ambushed by a drug dealer or a group of illegals. Personally...and this is just me...I'd hate my job if I were a cop and probably would end up shooting someone. I mean, people who like to do whatever they want hate cops, sure, but to a cop, the better part of society is scum; people try to weasel their way out of tickets, they spit on you, they call you a "pig" for doing the social equivalent of flipping burgers...it just sucks to be a cop.

 

[Jacco]

Yall need to stop reacting with pure emotion. The police are not pure evil.

There are plenty of 14 (and younger) year old kids that can be very violent.

If the officer didn't know if the kid had a knife. Very often in a fight you use the environment to your advantage. Since the officer was going after the kid, he didn't know if the shed was being used as a trap and thus had every reason to draw his weapon. For all he knew the kid was luring him into the shed to attack him so when the door hit him in the face he reacted by pulling the trigger.

No one is saying this is right, but it's not murder unless he had the intention of shooting the kid from the getgo and I have a hard time believing that he did.

 

[ScreamingNinja]

Meh, kid shouldn't have broken the law.

 

[Volothos]

Wait. San Antonio? I live there.

I didn't hear much, but then again i don't go outside often >.>

I know the cops are kind of bad here, but thats mainly in the helotes area

 

[generalvash]

Wait. San Antonio? I live there.

I didn't hear much, but then again i don't go outside often >.>

I know the cops are kind of bad here, but thats mainly in the helotes area

That was one of my reactions too. Haven't personally encountered many bad SAPD cops myself, then again, this guy wasn't SAPD, he was NISD PD. I live around 1604 and 281n and personally I try to avoid the East side whenever possible, going there at night is just asking for trouble.

 

[Pat8u]

this is why ordanary cops should not have guns

 

[Monsterfurby]

Whatever the boy did - the cop should not have been holding a firearm in the first place. The boy wasn't armed, there was no reason for this kind of readiness.

Yes, use of force was appropriate, but there's different stages to that. Cops should be better trained in using non-deadly force to subdue perpetrators instead of being schooled that "gun=fun" in the good old, perpetuated by pop culture, Sledge Hammer school of thought.

"Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

 

[Baneat]

this is why ordanary cops should not have guns

That works in the UK where just about no small-time criminals carry guns (And you can take guns in for the real guys), but in the US that would be insanely stupid to attempt.

 

[AlphaEcho]

I agree the cop and many others are out of line but the police are not that bad.

The media does not show anything good they do because people only want to hear about the bad things, that's why you never hear of the good things and only of the corrupt cops.

school police officer

There. That. That is the problem. When you actually have hired a fucking police officer at your school, you have made a terrible leap of stoner-dom.

Oh that makes sense, you know terrorism is not a bad thing and even without that, children have never gotten in fights or SHOT UP THE SCHOOL.

I am so glad that we live in a perfect Utopian society where the school does not need any form of protection than a bad glare at those whipper schnapps who cause trouble.

 

[Funkysandwich]

Oh that makes sense, you know terrorism is not a bad thing and even without that, children have never gotten in fights or SHOT UP THE SCHOOL.

I am so glad that we live in a perfect Utopian society where the school does not need any form of protection than a bad glare at those whipper schnapps who cause trouble.

I can't think of a single school where I live that has a police officer stationed at it all the time, and we seem to get by just fine.

 

[Crazycat690]

This is about a 14 year old boy, in school, who simply panicked. First, why DRAW A GUN!? And not even having the safety on? That police officer, he went it, fearing a 14 year old that much, that he took with him a loaded gun, and then either shot him on purpose, or got the door slammed into him, if the latter, he should have had the safety on, if not he was a idiot, and fired by mistake, or, he put off the safety and shot an unarmed boy, which I'd call murder.

 

[ShindoL Shill]

also, why does a school police officer have a gun?

Police officers employed by educational institutes are still full fledged police officers with regular police powers.

Schools may also employ plain ole security guards, but police can be employed as well.

well then i'll rephrase:
why does the officer have a loaded gun when he's on duty at a school.

 

[Birdman1604]

Being in the law enforcement field I can't help but try to see the situation through the officer's point of view. I'm not saying I agree with him, but I find it's a lot harder to view him as the murderous villain the media wants to find, since it's good for business and such. Anyway, here's what I've been thinking throughout reading this topic.

The officer confronted a couple of boys who were fighting (therefore already displaying aggressive behaviour). Upon ordering them to stop one of them fled. Why'd he run? The officer can't ignore the possibility that he might have had hidden drugs or a weapon on him that he didn't want the officer to find.
Now fast-forward to the backyard and the shed. The boy, who's probably got quite an adrenaline high, is hiding in a shed and could react violently when approached. The flight or flight impulse is very strong and at that point flight was no longer an option. Again, it's possible the boy had a concealed weapon or has found a weapon after the chase.
While approaching the shed, after clearing announcing that it was the was Police, the door was flung open into the officer which in the heat of the moment could have been misinterpreted as an attempt to knock the officer's gun out of his hands and gain control over it. I'm not joking, that kind of thing does happen and is a cop's worst nightmare. In all the excitement I'm not surprised a shot went off, though I firmly believe that it shouldn't have happened. In the end the officer should have had more control over his weapon and the situation. If he was honestly that concerned he could have called for backup when he learned the boy was in the shed. That may sound like a silly overreaction but it could have saved a life...

 

[AlphaEcho]

Oh that makes sense, you know terrorism is not a bad thing and even without that, children have never gotten in fights or SHOT UP THE SCHOOL.

I am so glad that we live in a perfect Utopian society where the school does not need any form of protection than a bad glare at those whipper schnapps who cause trouble.

I can't think of a single school where I live that has a police officer stationed at it all the time, and we seem to get by just fine.

Meanwhile in Columbine.