Solidus
04-23-2001, 12:57 AM
I found this on one of the seargeants desk, author unknown from the net.
1) DONT COMMIT A CRIME. It seems rather elementary that crime is a high risk occupation, but the fact seems to escape some people. The commit a crime , get shot and wonder how. Don't beat your wife. Don't rob stores or do drive by's. Don't get "Luded" ,Don't sell drugs and don't do hit and runs. Don't get drunk and get in your car and take a spin. Don't get in a fight. Committing a crime makes cops think you're not such a good person. Taxpayers expect cops to go after criminals with loaded guns
2) If you ignore rule No.1 and they find you DON'T TRY TO RUN. Running makes them think you're an even worse criminal. Dont try to escape and dont run lights or stop signs. Dont fly through neighborhoods where kids are playing or crowded freeways. Don't sneek into some innocent persons home or backyard. Don't hide in bushes,closets or under a back porch. Hiding makes cops think you're up to no good.
3) If you disregard rules 1 & 2 DON'T DISOBEY A COPS ORDERS. Do exactly as they say. Don't make any sudden moves with your hands and don't reach under the seat. Don't go for your cat pocket or that shiny beer can, tire iron or worst yet a toy gun. Do exactly as you're told or they'll get really edgy.
4) If you're so stupid you disregarded 1,2 and 3 ,you're still alive and somehow managed to get your hands on a knife or gun. DON'T POINT THE GUN AT ANYONE. Don't act aggresively. Don't wave the knife around. Don't lunge at an officer. Don't shout that you wanna die and take a few cops with you . They really get riled up.
5) If you've blown 1-4 and amazingly still breathing. DO NOT EXPECT THE COPS TO BECOME INSTANT PSYCHIATRISTS. Don't expect them to understand that you're really nice but having a bad day and you're just venting.Don't expect sympathy. If you get to rule 4 and violate it you won't have time to think about rule 5 because you'll be dead or seriously injured. So think about it in advance. Cops are'nt therapists and can't be expected to analyze a fleeing gunweilding criminal and conclude he's just trying to communicate his angst to the world. Rather they are expected to react to an immediate threat and not worry about what's going on in a person's head.
Most police shootings follow at least roughly some part of the rules above. So it is hard to criticize an office for making a split second decision in a dangerous situation. Even if the officer makes a mistake ,even if the person really did'nt have a weapon, evin if the person is'nt a hardened criminal but a petty teenage thief, it is hard to fault the officer.
It's simple. If you don't want to get shot, don't commit a crime, don't run . Dont disobey. If you do those things and you end up with a bullet hole whose fault is it? If crime is to be taken seriously , Cops have to play for keeps.
Thought you'd enjoy this.
SOLIDUS
1) DONT COMMIT A CRIME. It seems rather elementary that crime is a high risk occupation, but the fact seems to escape some people. The commit a crime , get shot and wonder how. Don't beat your wife. Don't rob stores or do drive by's. Don't get "Luded" ,Don't sell drugs and don't do hit and runs. Don't get drunk and get in your car and take a spin. Don't get in a fight. Committing a crime makes cops think you're not such a good person. Taxpayers expect cops to go after criminals with loaded guns
2) If you ignore rule No.1 and they find you DON'T TRY TO RUN. Running makes them think you're an even worse criminal. Dont try to escape and dont run lights or stop signs. Dont fly through neighborhoods where kids are playing or crowded freeways. Don't sneek into some innocent persons home or backyard. Don't hide in bushes,closets or under a back porch. Hiding makes cops think you're up to no good.
3) If you disregard rules 1 & 2 DON'T DISOBEY A COPS ORDERS. Do exactly as they say. Don't make any sudden moves with your hands and don't reach under the seat. Don't go for your cat pocket or that shiny beer can, tire iron or worst yet a toy gun. Do exactly as you're told or they'll get really edgy.
4) If you're so stupid you disregarded 1,2 and 3 ,you're still alive and somehow managed to get your hands on a knife or gun. DON'T POINT THE GUN AT ANYONE. Don't act aggresively. Don't wave the knife around. Don't lunge at an officer. Don't shout that you wanna die and take a few cops with you . They really get riled up.
5) If you've blown 1-4 and amazingly still breathing. DO NOT EXPECT THE COPS TO BECOME INSTANT PSYCHIATRISTS. Don't expect them to understand that you're really nice but having a bad day and you're just venting.Don't expect sympathy. If you get to rule 4 and violate it you won't have time to think about rule 5 because you'll be dead or seriously injured. So think about it in advance. Cops are'nt therapists and can't be expected to analyze a fleeing gunweilding criminal and conclude he's just trying to communicate his angst to the world. Rather they are expected to react to an immediate threat and not worry about what's going on in a person's head.
Most police shootings follow at least roughly some part of the rules above. So it is hard to criticize an office for making a split second decision in a dangerous situation. Even if the officer makes a mistake ,even if the person really did'nt have a weapon, evin if the person is'nt a hardened criminal but a petty teenage thief, it is hard to fault the officer.
It's simple. If you don't want to get shot, don't commit a crime, don't run . Dont disobey. If you do those things and you end up with a bullet hole whose fault is it? If crime is to be taken seriously , Cops have to play for keeps.
Thought you'd enjoy this.
SOLIDUS