I received a text from a former law enforcement officer that said:
“Ok,,,is it just me, or has the world of LE collapsed in on itself? I do not recall there being so many excessive use of force incidents and certainly not so many cases where a child is shot and killed. What the hell is going on?
In 2014, Tamir Rice was shot by Cleveland, Ohio police who were responding to a person with a gun in a park. Rice was carrying a toy gun which someone (other than police) believed to be real. Tyre King was carrying a bb gun which had been used in an Aggravated Robbery earlier that evening when he was shot by Columbus, Ohio Police in 2016. The man who was robbed obviously believed that the gun was real. Adam Toledo was shot by Chicago, Illinois police. He was carrying a real Glock 9mm handgun. That investigation is still pending as to what occurred in the moments prior to the shooting.
Police officers are under no obligation to determine whether the firearm is real because, to do so and be wrong could result in the officer not going home at the end of the shift.
Excessive force is a very subjective topic. The Graham Standard sets the guidelines for what is reasonable and what is excessive. The number of cases compared to the number of contacts is miniscule, but any case where the force used is not proportional presents a significant problem. The Floyd case being tried in Minnesota is a perfect example. Did the placement of a knee on the body of Mr. Floyd actually cause, or contribute to his death? That question will be resolved by a jury in the next several days. Did the officer in Brooklyn Park, MN., actually believe she was reaching for her Taser when she, in fact, pulled out her firearm? That too will be determined in a Criminal Court.
Every allegation of misconduct needs to be taken as real and investigated. But the officer(s) also have constitutional rights and protection and deserve the benefit of doubt. Law enforcement is the ONLY profession where a person can lose their freedom for simply doing their job.