I didn't see a thread so thought I would start one. If you haven't see the cell phone video of the shooting, it is awful. It's one of those things you can't unsee. The guy is being cooperative as far as I can tell, is tackled to the ground. Two police officers have pinned him to the ground. They then start searching him and apparently find a gun on him in his pocket. Then they shoot him at point blank range while he is completely immobilized. Honestly I am at a loss of words for this. He seemed like a pretty good guy in the community too and perhaps even harmless. RIP CD Man. My thoughts go out to his family.
So they shot an armed pedophile wife beater who was brandishing his gun at a civilian, resisting arrest and trying to grab the officer's taser. A real pillar of the community.
From what I read the store owner said there had not been any reports of him threatening anyone with a gun. I don't know what kind of news sources you are looking at, so maybe you can link me to your info. Have you seen the video? I sure didn't see Alton do anything that warranted being shot.
There are two videos and it sure looks like the police used deadly and excessive force. There was no reason to draw their guns in the first place, since they had subdued him and he was laying on the ground.
Don't know if it was a good or bad guy, and that doesn't really matter. I'll wait and see what other evidence comes out, but at first blush looks like a subdued man just got shot because a cop panicked, after the guy was already on the ground and under control. We will see what comes forth.
The left arm is pinned down but the right arm isn't. Officer thinks suspect is going for the gun in his pocket (notice the right arm is moving, they cannot pin it down or immobilze it since its under the car) Yeah, if a cop knows someone has a gun and goes for it they are going to get shot.
So, let me get this straight, if you don't mind. You're suggesting that someone's past history gives justification for what happened?
Past actions often indicate future behavior. Especially when he has been arrested for Aggravated Assault, Battery, Resisting Arrest, and so forth and so on. If someone was arrested for these crimes in the past, I'd be more inclined to side with the police in this instance, especially since he had a gun (that he wasn't supposed to have). He very well could have went for his gun, its certainly conceivable. Violent felons who carry illegal handguns aren't high on the list of people I'd side with in these situations. And that was in response to this in the original post:
And what is "selling CDs"? Is he one of those guys that hands out mixtapes that people think are free, but then they try to charge you later for them? Its a total scam/hustle. The store owner probably gets a kickback from this. The gun on him was probably used to "close the sale". http://www.laweekly.com/music/want-to-buy-a-rap-cd-on-venice-beach-you-sure-2408262 https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/1wjoge/the_guys_running_the_free_cd_scam_in_hollywood/
Just wanted to make sure what your position was, and you gave it. Thanks for responding clearly and without malice. Didn't see that it was a response to a comment in regards to his character. Pardon me for not knowing that.
And Louisiana is a state where carrying a gun is legal in most circumstances. Looks like Second Amendment is "white only". Did you see his teenage son crying uncontrollably while his mother talked to media? A family man with a good job, clean record. Caught living while black.
Clean record? " Sterling has had encounters with law enforcement before. In 2009, he was charged with carrying a weapon (a firearm) while in possession of a controlled substance (marijuana). He pleaded guilty two years later and was sentenced to five years in prison, with credit for time served and a recommendation of work release and drug treatment. Sterling had pleaded guilty to other charges in the past. " Not so clean. Don't be disingenuous.
I wonder about stuff like this. If carrying a firearm is legal, and marijuana possession is a misdemeanor, why would combination of the two deserve 5 years? Shouldn't gun rights activists be protesting laws like these too?
The marijuana possession shouldn't be illegal in the first place. Aside from there being no victim, the law has been used to target black people for incarceration.
My guess would be that he got more years because he was/is a repeat offender as he had plead guilty to other charges in the past.
Of course it shouldn't, but it was (and most likely it was known by him) AND he was carrying a firearm. Which when you combine those two together, is even more of a penalty. Like it or not, it was made a crime and he was guilty.
