4 ms·
As far as recklessness go, 49 warning shots in one year is still a bit better than e.g "...another 90 shot at one fleeing unarmed man in Los Angeles."
by tomas 14y ago
As far as recklessness go, 49 warning shots in one year is still a bit better than e.g "...another 90 shot at one fleeing unarmed man in Los Angeles."
- matt4711 14y agoI also think that criminals have a different attitude towards warning shots knowing that the police (almost) never fire shots.
- staunch 14y agoSure, I'd agree that US police are probably recklessly trigger happy. But when it comes to warning shots their policy is correct.
- drone 14y agoI think the core of the issue here is a societal difference towards firearms, and how that results in the training and education of people. Gun ownership is fairly high in the US, relative to Europe and seen as a right having requisite responsibilities within some circles. One of these responsibilities is training in the use and handling of firearms. From childhood on, I was always taught to "never point, and most definitely never discharge a firearm at anything you do not specifically intend to kill." Most of the ranges I practice at have the same sort of messaging ubiquitously placed on the site. While I can't speak to the experiences in Germany, I would presume that a society that largely eschews the personal possession of firearms would have a built-in perception that anything is better than pointing one at a person. Whereas, in the US we might argue that the weapon should not be drawn unless you have every intent to take a life. (Outside of practice towards targets.)