Phoenix mayor apologises after US police threaten to shoot black family

[yorkie]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48660143
The mayor of the US city of Phoenix has apologised after a video allegedly showing police threatening to shoot a black family went viral.

Officers were responding to an alleged shoplifting incident last month when the video was recorded.

Mayor Kate Gallego said the officers' actions were "completely inappropriate and clearly unprofessional".

The footage also shows another man, Dravon Ames, being kicked in the legs as he is handcuffed by an officer.

She said that the city was speeding up the implementation of body-worn cameras. A community meeting about the incident will also be held on Tuesday...

How awful. I can't imagine incidents like this happening in the UK, thankfully.

What do people think of the video evidence? Does anyone think it should not have been gathered?

Also does anyone think that the family should be considered to blame for the officers actions?

My views are that it's a good thing the evidence was gathered, that the evidence should be used to ensure that every effort is made to reduce or eliminate the chances of such an incident happening again and that the family should not be blamed for the reaction of the officers who behaved inappropriately.

 

[Typhoon]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48660143
What do people think of the video evidence? Does anyone think it should not have been gathered?

Also does anyone think that the family should be considered to blame for the officers actions?

My views are that it's a good thing the evidence was gathered, that the evidence should be used to ensure that every effort is made to reduce or eliminate the chances of such an incident happening again and that the family should not be blamed for the reaction of the officers who behaved inappropriately.

I have watched another, more extensive version. In it, the claim is that the doll was never found. I think the reason why Americans, especially those of colour, record the police is as evidence in case it comes to court and they are charged with 'resisting arrest' - he clearly wasn't. There are, justifiably, groups of Copwatchers who record confrontations as it sometimes tones down police actions (although they put themselves at risk). I find the idea that someone, anyone, should lose their life over a $1 doll absolutely abhorrent.
What amazes me is that the speed with which these types of scene escalate, police issuing contradictory or inaudible commands. People in such a situation tend to react irrationally, so someone faced with being shot might well reach for the firearm they keep with them - Arizona is an open carry state - and get their retaliation in early. And where does the cop go if they don't get out of the car - he has threatened to kill them, shots would likely hit the children (aged 4 and 1), he certainly won't get any sympathy for killing a child. It is possible to find a video of a man being threatened - with pepper spray, not a gun, fortunately, but he was sprayed - for not getting out of a car; he was having a heart attack. Madness!
Surely this should have been dealt with within the store - 'excuse me, I think your daughter has put a toy in her bag without paying for it'; the store must have known it was the child that had taken the item.
One day incidents like this will kick off and there will be substantial loss of life. Officers like this put all of his colleagues in danger.

 

[ComUtoR]

My views are that it's a good thing the evidence was gathered, that the evidence should be used to ensure that every effort is made to reduce or eliminate the chances of such an incident happening again and that the family should not be blamed for the reaction of the officers who behaved inappropriately.

Should the officer be sacked ? After all, they did swear at them.

 

[yorkie]

If I had behaved like that (it's not just about the language used, but the overall poor behaviour), I'd not wait to be sacked (for sure, I would be!). I'd be resigning!

 

[DerekC]

It's very disturbing and is, I think, about gun culture. The police aggression is driven by fear about the chances of being shot - as somebody else said, Arizona is an open-carry state. That's not to excuse the behaviour in this case, but to think about the reasons for it.

 

[Cowley]

If I had behaved like that (it's not just about the language used, but the overall poor behaviour), I'd not wait to be sacked (for sure, I would be!). I'd be resigning!

You’d have to have guns with the ‘RailUK forums’ logo on them to really mean business too...

 

[175mph]

I think if I was black and lived in the US, I would emigrate if at all possible!

 

[baz962]

I walked slowly towards a police officer in La, to ask for directions and he jumped out of his cruiser, starting towards his sidearm. Very jumpy are us cops.