Except that "looting -> shooting" doesn't necessarily involve the police at all, because the American population is armed and, in many jurisdictions, empowered

Except that "looting -> shooting" doesn't necessarily involve the police at all, because the American population is armed and, in many jurisdictions, empowered to use lethal force in certain circumstances. A few examples: https://www.startribune.com/man-shot-dead-outside-lake-street-pawnshop-during-unrest-is-identified/570865962/ https://www.startribune.com/man-shot-dead-outside-lake-stree... https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-protests-looting-gun-store-south-philly-shot-dead-20200602.html https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-protests-looting-... There's also the flip side, where determined and armed looters slay the innocent: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/03/us/david-dorn-st-louis-police-shot-trnd/index.html https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/03/us/david-dorn-st-louis-po... At any rate, the President's tweet of "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" is an accurate statement, irrespective of the employment of the police, martial law, fascism, etc...