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It doesn’t matter what the brass say when giving orders. If the officer says the magic words during debriefing (after the shooting), he gets off scott free. Wh

It doesn’t matter what the brass say when giving orders. If the officer says the magic words during debriefing (after the shooting), he gets off scott free. What are the magic words? I don’t know them, but I know that the lawyers who work for police unions know them and the trainers who train police officers drill those into the heads of officers. The core problem with the jurisprudence: if a reasonable officer had a fear for themself or for members of the public, then fatal shootings in the line of duty are usually justified. The objective facts at the scene don’t matter; only the officer’s perception. If only all citizens were given the same rights…

curtisblaine 2y ago
They have body cams don't they? If they just shoot a suspect and the body cam suggests no threat to the officer's life, they're in trouble.
- lostlogin 2y ago
  Are they? Paid leave for a few years while it’s investigated, then back to work.
- tgsovlerkhgsel 2y ago
  If by trouble you mean "get a pension to compensate them for the metal harm they suffered from the shooting" then you're right. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Daniel_Shaver https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Daniel_Shaver)
- pjc50 2y ago
  No penalty for just turning it off.
- thephyber 2y ago
  “They’re in trouble” Did you not understand my post, or do you not believe my claim? The objective facts (as established by a body cam) matter very little, only a good faith belief that “I feared for my life or the life of someone in the public”. Why? The burden of proof is “Innocent until proven guilty” and like I said, the onus is on the prosecution to prove that the officer’s statement that “they feared for their life” was a lie at the time of the incident. That’s extremely difficult to prove, especially when an officer has been on the job for a while and has been conditioned to use the right words to CYA.
Clubber 2y ago
The magic words are, "I feared for my life," or "I feared for my safety."

curtisblaine 2y ago

They have body cams don't they? If they just shoot a suspect and the body cam suggests no threat to the officer's life, they're in trouble.

lostlogin 2y ago
Are they? Paid leave for a few years while it’s investigated, then back to work.
tgsovlerkhgsel 2y ago
If by trouble you mean "get a pension to compensate them for the metal harm they suffered from the shooting" then you're right. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Daniel_Shaver https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Daniel_Shaver)
pjc50 2y ago
No penalty for just turning it off.
thephyber 2y ago
“They’re in trouble” Did you not understand my post, or do you not believe my claim? The objective facts (as established by a body cam) matter very little, only a good faith belief that “I feared for my life or the life of someone in the public”. Why? The burden of proof is “Innocent until proven guilty” and like I said, the onus is on the prosecution to prove that the officer’s statement that “they feared for their life” was a lie at the time of the incident. That’s extremely difficult to prove, especially when an officer has been on the job for a while and has been conditioned to use the right words to CYA.

Clubber 2y ago

The magic words are, "I feared for my life," or "I feared for my safety."