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And also because the victim lowered his hands to his waistband, and the officer thought he had a gun: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/wichita-officer-who-

• polartx 8y ago
  the officer also fired partially behind cover using a rifle at a distance of over 100 feet (http://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime/v70e0w/picture193294014/alternates/FREE_768/bodycam http://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime/v70e0w/picture1932940...) if there had been a concealed weapon in the victims waistband, it could only have been a handgun or something less lethal. Ever try and hit a target at 100 feet with a pistol? It can be done if you concentrate, have steady hands, and aim slowly; with practice. My point is that the officer should have waited long enough to confirm the threat. The element of surprise plus the advantage of distance, hardware, cover, armor, and backup afforded him at least 1 second of better judgement.
• jasonwatkinspdx 8y ago
  Additionally, consider how disorienting it would be to wake up, hear a commotion outside, walk out your front door, and suddenly you're blinded by lights and a bunch of different voices are yelling at you to do stuff. It is completely unreasonable to expect an ordinary person to have perfect comprehension and self control in such a situation. Which is why the procedures police follow need to anticipate this very problem.