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Police officers are NOT authorized to kill people. They have a right to self defence just like you or I. The state does give them special powers, but they are o
by SolarNet 13y ago
Police officers are NOT authorized to kill people. They have a right to self defence just like you or I. The state does give them special powers, but they are only justified to kill someone when it is in defence of themselves or others, however their job often puts them in such situations.
- yardie 13y agoAuthorization comes from approval and in most cases the state rarely disapproves of police killings. If the penalty for wantonly taking a life is paid vacation and a poor excuse for an investigation then you can interpret that as approval.
- SolarNet 13y agoAuthorization != { Acceptance, Implicit Approval } Authorization would mean they have a piece of paper, a verbal order allowing the killing of people, or something to that effect. The others are simply society's acceptance and approval that their killings are justified because of their job. It's the difference between ethics (codified laws) and morals (societies implicit laws).
- mullingitover 13y agoThis[1] was considered to be a valid use of deadly force. Calling it self defense is a huge stretch, it was basically execution for failing to follow police orders. [1] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/24/california-police-kill-boy-rifle http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/24/california-poli...
- SolarNet 13y agoIt's the difference between ethics (codified laws) and morals (societies implicit laws). Society (in aggregate through our elected officials) accepts that as self defence for a police officer. Our laws could likely be used to prosecute him for murder (if the society that elected the prosecutor believed he should be). * I am giving a perspective from how these systems _do_ work, not how they _should_ work in my opinion.